Christmas at Fort Parker has lots of vendors, variety of food and most of the people selling are dressed up in costumes. There’s even an outdoor shooting range and you can watch artisans practicing some of the old western skills like blacksmsithing. There were wagon rides and a visitor center with information for those interested in history – and of course, there’s tons of good food to eat and lots of fun souvenirs to buy.

We took these pictures at the Fort on our last trip just to give you an idea of what’s there. It was a lot of fun – but I can’t imagine having to live in such primitive conditions.

Spent quite a bit of time listening to music in the huge tent pavilions that were set up – it was very hot that day.  The bands were great and there was plenty of room to get out and do the polka.  Almost everyone was dancing – moms with babies, couples – even the old folks that had canes and could barely get around were out on the floor swaying to the music.  Of course had to check out the arts and crafts. Lots of stuff – nothing I needed – but was intrigued by one lady doing ‘hair halos’.  She would place a circular form covered in a shirred fabric on top of the head and then wrap sections of hair around it so that it looked just like a crown. The hair didn’t totally cover the form but when finished gave the effect of alternating hair – colored form – hair – colored form, etc – you get the idea. It was pretty cool – no pun intended – and the little girls that were having it done – looked really cute with it.   After we left the crafts tent – my curiosity was totally tweaked when I saw the sign for Skunk Eggs.
Didn’t have time to investigate what they were but did a search on the Internet and found out that a skunk egg is an onion…. news to me. Therefore, I’m making a huge leap in guessing that the Skunk Egg being sold was an onion blossom – or something similar as it was being offered with Ranch Dressing.  If I get to go back next year, I’m going to eat a Skunk Egg for sure.   Děkuji !!

We saw castles, animals, fish, mythical creatures – all created with  varying themes in mind. 
We arrived in time to see the artists putting the finishing touches on their entries.  It was interesting to see how they worked the sand using everything from shovels to soda straws!  You may or may not be able to see the details but the mermaid in this picture had a gorgeous face and her hair front and back was adorned with flowers – all detailed right down to the petals and leaves.  You can probably tell this was my favorite as far as being ‘pretty’ goes.    If memory serves me, it was called ‘Seasons’ – I am guessing she was Spring and maybe he was ‘Old Man Winter’. 

The other sculpture that caught my eye was called ‘Time Consuming’.  It was a grouping of clocks with people in varying degrees of being ‘consumed’.  You can see that this guy has just has his leg snagged.  A smaller clock on the other side showed only a foot protruding from the center of the clock. 

This is an annual event at Port Aransas and well worth the trip. There is a lot to do in the area (Port Aransas/Corpus Christi) – great beaches, excellent food, great candy shop with a HUGE rattlesnake on display plus fishing, camping, boating, etc.. If you plan on going next year, make reservations well in advance – there were No Vacancy signs everywhere.

 That being said, I’ve put together a list of some great things to do for the up-coming weekend (April 18-19).  If you are a photographer and enjoy the Texas wildflowers and countryside, there are several events being held in various cities.  Those cities are Austin, Fredericksburg, Chappel Hill (one of my favorites),  and Henderson.  The Henderson event also includes an Antique Tractor Show.  I know the guys are gonna love that.  If you would like more information on these events – visit Texas Events.

Some other – non-flower – activities are the International Festival being held in Houston; the Sand Fest in Port Aransas (totally awesome sand sculpturs on the beach); Crawfish Festival in Spring; and the Folkfest in New Braunsfels. For more information on these check out Texas Events.

Last but not least for those of you that enjoy antiques. There are several shows going on this coming weekend. They are in Cleburne (15 miles of antiques !!!), Grandview, Dallas, and Fort Worth. For information on location, etc. visit Texas Antique Shows.

Left Old Henry Farm and checked out the La Bahia show just up the road. Rows and rows of tents plus a couple of old buildings full of stuff. There were a lot of garden type antiques, i.e., chairs, chase loungers, tables – so if you have an old iron patio set hang on to it – they were selling for over $500! There are a lot of shows between Round Top and Warrenton that run for about 10 days. Not all shows have the same schedule. If you are looking for information, visit Texas Antique Mall Show Calendar.

We headed back to the car so we would have enough time to take a leisurely trip home as we wanted to get some pictures of the bluebonnets that were in full bloom. Of course the kolaches we had bought that morning in Caldwell had warmed up sitting in the car so that when we opened the door we were hit in the face with the tantalizing smell of yeast and assorted fruits – apple, pineapple, raspberry, and peach – and we just had to eat a few of those on the drive home. So much for putting some in the freezer.

If you have time in the next couple of weeks, take a day to see some of the Texas countryside that is in bloom. You’ll find useful information about wildflower events on This is Our Texas, Events page.

There are some beautiful drives between Sommerville and Round Top off Texas 390 as well as in the Brenham, Chappel Hill area. I’ve been enjoying the wildflowers here in Texas for as long as I can remember, but the flowers this year seem to be more plentiful with a more intense in color.

We next went to visit my brother-in-law in Buda. Had to drive via I-35 to get there. The Austin traffic was terrible and much worse than I could remember – even for a Friday. We later found out that part of the problem was because they were having the South-by-Southwest festival. If you have not heard of this event, it is a major festival showcasing over 1,800 musical acts from around the globe. All taking place on over 80 stages scattered throughout the downtown area. If you are into music, acting and the like – you definitely need to check this out for next year.  My cousin Amanda always goes.  I’m not sure if her participation had anything to do with her getting a part in a movie – but I know ‘schmoozing’ is the name of the game – and we were all excited for her. 

Our last stop coming home was to visit our friend Frank at his new Round Top antique venue. He has been working on his property for about 2 years getting ready for the grand-opening of his Old Henry Farm for the upcoming antique fair held twice a year.  Round Top is a major antique event here in Texas and dealers from all over the country come to set-up and sell  in the otherwise small, rural communities of Round Top/Warrenton.   If you enjoy antiques, rides in the country and good food – plan a trip to Round Top to see the spring or fall show.  And, if you want to set-up as a dealer, give Frank a call – his venue is ‘First Class’. For more information on the dates and times for all the shows check out the Texas Antique Mall show page.

The first of the wild flowers are beginning to bloom and  I am guarding my blueberry bushes – now in full bloom – from the pesky birds that seem to find the blooms tasty.

A trip to Palestine last week provided this picture of the little foot-bridge with dogwoods. Palestine has a beautiful park full of dogwood trees as well as a Dogwood Festival. This year the Festival will be on the weekends of March 21-22, 28-29 and April 4-5. There will be lots to do and see. For more information on this and other events visit the Texas Antique Mall Travel page.