YEE-HAW LI'L BUCKAROO!

SPOILER ALERT: Geoff & Jessica, Don't Look!

Well, I've just been having waaaay too much fun pulling together a baby present for the little grand-nephew who's soon to make his arrival up in Ohio, and may need the occasional reminder of his father's Texas roots.

It all started with this spill-proof baby plate that I spotted at Paper Bear, over in San Marcos.

Unfortunately, they had already sold out of the sippy cups and bibs that went with it. But then a few weeks later, when the Muses and I were in Dripping Springs eating crêpes, I spotted these at Cowgirls & Lace.
 

Woohoo! I had me a theme going! Next up,  since I'm a bit fanatical about reading to one's kids, came these.

Last, but certainly not least, Li'l Buckaroo had to have some jeans, right?

That oughta do 'im, at least for the first year, dontcha think?

AHEM! Geoff? Jessica? I thought I told you not to look!!!

COLORMAD CONEFLOWERS: WHAT PRICE BEAUTY?

I spotted these guys at the garden center yesterday. Are they gorgeous, or what?

I've planted several of these expensive hybrid varieties in their eight dollar, one-gallon pots over the last few years. Unfortunately, they haven't proven to be very hardy or prolific, if they come back at all. As for the original native variety, well, I threw out a few cent's worth of seeds, and every year they just get better and better!

And yet, these guys are terribly tempting...

are they not?

WAR IS HELL

Found yet another well-written, attention-grabbing novel in the YA section of our little library this week.

Gotta love a book that, in addition to being a page-turner, also teaches you a thing or two. For instance, did you know that "by the end of April 2014, there were over two thousand U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan and nearly twenty thousand service members were wounded in action. In 2012 alone, there were more suicides in the military than deaths in combat, and most of those suicides were young men between eighteen and twenty-four years old, (and) more than half of the 2.6 million veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq struggle with physical or mental health problems related to their service. The VA continues to be underfunded, and many veterans fail to receive the quality care they need"? 

This book, written by Heather Demetrios -- granddaughter of one and daughter of two U.S. Marines -- tells what it's like to love someone who has actually been to Hell and back.

ADVENTURE TIME: JOBELL

 
Remember when I first moved up here full-time, and was always yammering on about our great little wine bar called Clifford's? Well, the young lady who ran it was a woman of many talents, and eventually gave up the wine bar to concentrate on yoga and music. It went through many incarnations after that then, sadly, sat empty for several years. But now it's back!

A family from New York bought it about a year ago, and transformed it into a bistro called Jobell. At first they were only open for dinner a few nights each week, and we held off trying it until they worked out all their new-restaurant-kinks. Somehow we let almost a year go by, but now that they have had plenty of time to find their sea legs, and are open for lunch as well, I knew it was time to give it a try. So, when Nurse Nellie called and asked me to meet her and her friend Ranch Woman there this week, I said "Heck Yeah!"

This outdoor deck will be the perfect place to dine, if the temperatures here will ever drop below 90F!

The Roasted Brussels Sprout Appetizer

Nurse Nellie's Chicken Salad Special

I'd say the food was pretty good for a little town like Wimberley -- about on par with The Leaning Pear, but not quite moan-worthy -- and I love it that they are utilizing ingredients from local growers and producers.

Roasted Tomato-Potato Chowder

Autumn Harvest Cobbler

All in all, I think it is definitely worth a try, as long as you understand that the portions are on the small side, while the prices are on the large side, and it most certainly is not the place to go when you are in a hurry!

HE PUT ON HIS THINKING CAP

Hubby's solution to the glare coming through the windows during brunch at Hays City Store last Sunday...

Next time I'm bringing one of his caps for myself!

LOTS TO LOVE

OK, let's be perfectly clear. This year's fall weather sucks, even for Texas! 96F here on our hill yesterday, and close to 100 in Austin, according to my hubby. In mid-October! Nevertheless, I still managed to find lots to love on my not-so-fallish walk this morning.

At the top of my list are my little "Halloween" lanterns (aka Physalis, Chinese Lantern, or Ground Cherry -- a relative of the tomatillo plant) which pop up at the entrance to our neighborhood around this time every year. Who knows how they got there? Everything that was intentionally planted in that bed has died, but these guys just popped up out of nowhere.

At the bottom of my list was the dead deer not far behind me when I was snapping those pics, the smell of which almost made me lose my breakfast. 

But, back to more positive things...there was this tiny bit of fall color framing the upended red canoe that washed down into our section of the creek during the Great Halloween Flood a few years back, and has been there ever since.

Then there was the sound which the giant sycamores make when their leaves have gone papery and are flapping in the breeze.

Plus there was the light coming through these moss-laden branches...

the huge oak that uprooted itself and fell over, but just refused to die...

and getting to visit with my neighbor's chickies and goats.

Last but not least, there is my little "grotto" that faces the road in front of our house...

and which goes all drippy after a rain. Looks like Hubby has started adding rocks around the base whenever he goes by.

All it needs is a statue, right? Well, that and some rain.

Yep, there's always lots to love, if you just look hard enough!

Hmmm...

Wonder what would happen if I planted some of these little Chinese Lantern seeds in one of the big pots outside my front door?

TIME FOR TEA

For some reason, autumn always puts me in the mood for a tea party. I was just thinking about calling up the gal pals when I got a call from my old friend Nurse Nellie, whom I met when we were both newlyweds living in Bahrain, and who now lives right down the road from Salt Lick BBQ.

She and her hubby just got back from touring Ireland, where she became addicted to hot tea and scones. Luckily, our own Sugar Shack Bakery makes fabulous scones (especially the toffee one!) and she told me that if I had a teapot or two she could borrow, she'd like to host a tea party.

Do I have teapots? Duh!

The men were sent off to play golf, but sweet grandson Wyatt was allowed to stay and entertain us, wearing his new Irish cap.

The least blurry shot I captured of him, as he is not one to stay still!

I ask you, is there any better way to spend a lovely autumn afternoon, than sipping tea and nibbling scones with good friends?