JOY RIDE (4/06)

Since it was such a gorgeous day yesterday, John and I decided to hop in his car, put the top down, and go for a drive. We took off down the road towards Blanco, and stopped in at an RV resort I had heard about. They had a great covered deck with outdoor seating, a couple of pool tables, and festive paper lanterns hanging overhead - just my kind of place. The couple that owns it greeted us as we walked in. The wife apologetically explained that their regular cook had been in the hospital, but would be back in a couple of days. In the meantime, our only choices were burgers or brisket sandwiches. That was fine with us, but I felt kind of sorry for the missing cook, who is apparently in her late sixties. I was thinking how tough it must be for an "elderly" person who couldn't afford to retire, and had to drag themselves into a job each day, where they had to be on their feet for hours, even when just out of the hospital. About that time the husband came back over to chat with us, while his wife worked on our burgers. He said the reason the cook was in the hospital to start with, was that she had injured herself while skydiving! He called her a red-headed spitfire and said she also enjoys riding in sports cars at speeds up to 140 mph. I don't feel sorry for her anymore.

When we finished eating, we headed back toward town, but decided to take a detour when we came to Fischer Store Road. I have always loved streets with interesting names, and can't help but wonder how they came to have them. For instance, the name of our street is Lone Man Creek. Wouldn't you just love to know who that man was, and what he was doing on that creek? Anyway, we took off down Fischer Store road, and guess what we found? Fischer Store! Not to mention Fischer Hall, where dances and weddings are held (and is rumored to have appeared in that Willie Nelson movie "Honeysuckle Rose") and the nine-pin Fischer Bowling Alley. The store started out around 1886 as a dog-trot cabin and served as a mercantile for the surrounding area. Later it also became the post office, bank and saloon. Around 1900 it was expanded into the frame and tin structure that's there today. A descendent of the original owner recently reopened the store as an antiques shop, but walking through the long low building with both ends open to the cool breezes, and old-fashioned display cases lining both walls, it was easy for me to picture ranchers and their families pulling up in their oxen-led wagons, to load up a month's worth of supplies. The only jarring note in the whole idyllic scene, was the new brick post office building that was put up not long ago. Apparently I'm not the only one who despises it. Many would like to see it moved back into Fischer Store, where it resided for nigh on a hundred years.