The San Antonio Rodeo was awesome, billed as "more than an 8 second ride" it was voted the best large indoor rodeo of the year for the third straight year. Just a side note, if you like trucks, you have to come to Texas and if you REALLY like trucks, visit a rodeo!!! We arrived at the AT&T centre at 9:00am and didn't stop till 5:30, should have worn our pedometers. We were a little underdressed in our sneakers and tee shirts considering most people wore cowboy boots, jeans (high waisted none of those low rise ones) with belts loaded down with silver, fancy western shirts (long sleeve only), more silver, and to top it all of a fancy stetson (with more silver).
The laser and pyrotechnic show was amazing and the opening ceremonies were impressive. We saw the bare back riding; steer wrestling; tie down roping; team roping; saddle bronc riding; barrel racing and bull riding. However the best event, in my opinion, was the Mutton Bustin'. This even was open to children between the ages of 4 and 7 weighing in at less than 50 lbs. The contestants rode sheep and the object was to stay on as long as possible. The little guy who won was only 5 years old and he clung to his sheep like a burr. In fact he refused to let go as he started to slide sideways and actually pulled the sheep over. These are the future rodeo stars!!! The picture doesn't do it justice, it was sooo cute.
There are still many beautiful old homes. 
We had lunch with Franchesca, an old friend from Mexico, at the Roadhouse. It's been more than 4 years since we've seen each 
other so had lots of news to catch up on. It was great to see her again and the Roadhouse serves the most amazing jalepeno and cream cheese hamburgers - WOW!!
Wimberley, about 15 miles northwest of San Marcos, was our first venture into the Texas Hill country. This little town is part of the Blanco River Valleyand home to many artists and authors. Texas is divided into 7 regions: Big Bend Country, Gulf Coast, Hill Country, Panhandle Plains, PineyWoods, Prairies and Lakes and the South Texas Plains. We have barely scratched the surface of this huge state.
Our first stop was at the Gourmet Tamale Kitchen (food first of course). We enjoyed Black Russian Cake (just like the drink); cherry scones and bought chicken, beef and pork tamales to 
take home. On full tummies, we visited the Central Texas Bonsai Exhibit at the Jade Gardens. Owners, Chuck and Pat Ware, have 
been working with bonsai (tree in a pot) for 20 years. Their exhibit includes more than 160 species of trees and more than 1000 containers of speciman trees. In some of the photos you can see the wire wrapped around the trunk of the trees to encourage growth in different directions. Chuck smiled as he told us of the people who got "bonsai seeds" for Christmas and then came to him wondering why what grew didn't look anything like his bonsai!!
Next stop was Old Baldy, a large hill with 284 stone steps leading to the top and some pretty fantastic views. Not surprising, Abby is in the best shape and climbed effortlessly.
On to Pioneer Town, a recreation of an 1800's town which has been the set for many movies.
Somehow I doubt the settlers who built this cedar log cabin actually subscribed to Bell Express Vu (note the satellite dish) but it's all in the spirit of things.
Our final stop was a stroll around the market square and all its quaint little shops. Abby enjoyed browsing at Purfect Paws, a doggie boutique. She fancied a new dish set ($58) and a lovely collar ($32) but like the good girl she is, took "no" for an answer. Since the fudge shop was closed, we followed our noses to a store advertising "healthy chocolate" - can there really be such a thing???? Yes, there is - we paid $3.78 for 1.6 oz of chocolate which contained no sugar or dairy products. This delightful little morsel, made with organic ingredients, contained virgin coconut oil, raw agave syrup (from the agave plant - tequila!!); cocoa powder, soy, banana, and almonds. Truly, it was delicious despite the price.
Ray is enjoying his new camera and seems to have that photographer's eye for neat shots, unlike your's truly.
Abby likes our afternoon excursions, mornings she just hangs out with a bone and watchs us work!!
It was 76F today and you can actually see the green tinge starting ... We have been working most mornings on the 5th wheel, waxing, cleaning, etc. It's a lot easier to do than trying to stand in the dinghy and hang onto a boat!! We usually explore in the afternoons. Today we visited the Zedler's Mills, established in 1874. It was originally a gristmill and saw mill and later a cotton gin and power plant. There is a stone dam across the San Marcos River - the end of this part of the Texas Paddling trail.
Another old town with lots of history, Gonzales was settled in 1825 near the junction of the Guadalupe and San Marcos Rivers. The town was originally laid out with 7 public squares which are still in use today. The survey of the town was completed in 1832 and Gonzales is the only town in Texas that has retained its original Mexican survey. Gonzales rose from the ashes of the Texas revolution to become a mecca for ranchers and cattle barons who built cotton plantations and majestic homes, many of which are still standing today.
Above is a photo of the old jail, built in 1887 and in actual use until 1976 when a new jail was built.
