I've had a fabulous day and evening with my hosts Herb and Susie. After breakfast this morning, Herb took me along the Blanco river which borders their property (actually they own halfway out into it). They live in the Texas Hill Country, on a picturesque hillside property, in a beautiful home that they designed and built to be energy efficient and easy on the environment. (Some of the photographic images that Herb has captured have been right from his own backyard. You can see these and more by 'googling' "Herb Smith, Fine Art Photography".)
Later we all took a roadtrip east of Austin to a wastewater sludge composting facility located at Hornsby Bend. Burlington Intervale, we still have some things to learn. Among them, it is possible to create compost and provide fantastic wildlife habitat at the same time. Of course, this is south central Texas so there is no shortage of birds. Dinner at a local Thai restaurant, and the company of two socially aware, active and vibrant people, and I couldn't ask for more. Thank you Herb and Susie for your kindness and all you have done for me. Thank you Bill Lipke for making the connection with your long term friends.
Saturday night at the Bastrop RV park men's room, I had a great conversation with a local Texan. Turns out he's a bit of a hybrid, Texan. His daddy was an Texas oil man, but his mama was from Vergennes, VT. The last time he was in VT was 1965, but he told me that he can go on google earth and still find his grammy's house. I asked him about a tree outside the building that had odd looking fruit on it. He told me it was a bourdoc (or something like that... I can't find a reference to that local name). He said if you find it on a fenceline it's so hard you can't drive a nail in it. But as far as he knew the tree was totally useless except that if you take the odd looking fruit and put it around the base of your house it'll keep the cockroaches and fire ants out. Later I realized the tree and fruit were Osage Orange. I would have talked to my Texan buddy a little more, but he was sitting on the throne, drinking a beer. Somehow the 'atmosphere' wasn't right for a continued talk, and I moved on. Tomorrow morning, back on the road!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday night, Monday with Herb and Susie in Wimberley, TX
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Sounds like you met up with some great people. While I was suppose to be working, I did a search on the Osage Orange Tree. It also goes by Hedge Apple or, as your buddy on the throne probably called it, Bodark. The female trees produce a large, strange green fruit that some people cut up and put around the house to keep pests out. Others say it does't work. Was used for fence posts and the thorns'll hurt you bad. Checked out Herb Smith's site. Great photography.
ReplyDeleteBodark! I just couldn't tease it out of that Texan drawl. I love this! I don't have to go any further than my own blog to get an education.
ReplyDeleteCarl's visit was a real pleasure for Susie and I. It's always nice to share our corner of the Texas Hill Country with someone who shares so many of our interests and values. I've already emailed Bill Lipke to thank him for getting us together, and we hope to see Carl again one day on a visit to Burlington.
ReplyDeleteI've read posting for Tuesday and am glad that he made it in reasonable shape to Comfort despite the grades and winds. We were thinking about him all that day. We'll be following the rest of the trip here.