I've been wanting to go the the
Texas Lavender Festival
and this year I made it.
My friend & teacher (who retired with me 4 yrs ago)
had a birthday on Friday so
another teacher friend & I went to Blanco, TX
to celebrate her birthday & enjoy the festival.
(Click on photos to enlarge--click twice for extra large image.)
Colorful shopper is looking at the wares of a vendor.
Many of the vendors wore lavender straw hats.
Cute.
My friend looking at all things lavender.
More lavender with a Texas Garden Almanac.
Lovely display of basketry.
I think the basket maker is from
Georgetown, a town just north of Austin.
Various types of crafts were available for purchase.
Beautiful Sculpted Pottery
see below...
see below...
(Click on photos to enlarge--click twice for extra large image.)
I thought these clay sculptures
were particularly beautiful.
It must have taken hours to
produce this work.
These pieces are stunning!
I love them all, but my favorite
may be the hearts below.
Above this painting was a sign:
"Tell us if 'your' a biker."
Yes, this weekend is the huge biker rally in Austin.
There are bikers riding all through the country
enjoying their road freedom.
Stay safe, be aware.
One biker died on Friday after being struck
by another vehicle.
The bike passenger & vehicle driver are hospitalized.
Just plain fun!!!
Very nice plants for sale.
I love the burro planter.
My friend is showing off the lovely Passion Flower.
Now here is an idea for a place to store your wine bottles.
Put this in your yard or on the patio
and you have sculpture.
Gypsy Couture
I can't say much about the clothing,
but the ride is cool!
Lavender wares...
more lavender soap & embroidery...
lavender hats...
and even more lavender products for sale.
This banner says it all!
Las tres amigas!
The birthday girl is front and center.
Now this is the type sheriff I could find interesting.
He was friendly and funny.
He must have a great sense of humor
to wear a lavender hat & celebratory beads around his neck!
Pioneer Museum
The Texas Hill Country Book
has beautiful photographs of some of
the tiny Texas towns
located in and around the hill country.
Blanco, Comfort, Fredericksburg, Johnson City
among others are listed.
Each of the towns have several famous restaurants
and some of the more popular recipes from
these restaurants are included in the book.
Next time I'm in Blanco I will bring home this book.
I don't know why I didn't get it yesterday... just dumb, I guess.
My friend in the little shop next to the
Redbud Cafe where we had lunch.
The shop sells Brieger pottery,
lavender products, Mexican oilcloth,
purses from Guatemala, and other interesting items.
Mexican oilcloth sold by the yard.
A new restaurant in town: Zocalo Eclectic Cafe' & Coffee.
It has been open since February 4, 2011.
It has a nice lunch menu and serves dinner
on Saturdays and brunch on Sunday.
It is quite colorful & fun to visit.
Visiting Miller Creek Lavender Farm
at the intersection of Hwys 281 and 290
west of Austin, north of Blanco & south of Johnson City.
One of the many varieties of lavender in their garden.
Dragonfly wind sculpture
The lavender fields would normally be filled with
blooming plants at this time of year, but
the severe drought that we are enduring has wreaked
havoc on the plants.
A cozy place to sit and relax
even when the temperature is 100
it is rather comfortable in the shade with
a breeze and low humidity.
Misters were sending out sprays of water
to keep us cool as we stood on the porch of the Lavender Shoppe.
Wares inside the Lavender Shoppe.
Pottery with lavender motif, lavender teas, lotions
and cooking ingredients were for sale.
No matter what the season I totally enjoy driving
in the hill country. Famous Fredericksburg peaches
should be about ready for sale and there are
other fresh fruits and vegetables sold along the roadside in
little stores built by the individual farmers.
The hill country is also known for its wineries.
There are a few along the road driving to Fredericksburg
that have music and wine tastings on the weekends.
Fredericksburg is a German town which attracts thousands
of visitors each weekend.
People come for the shopping, the food, the quaintness of
the German heritage and for the climate.
It is usually a bit cooler & less humid in Fredericksburg
than in other surrounding towns.
Now when I say cooler, I mean the temperature may be
90 with low humidity & a breeze ... rather than 105 with humidity!
Come for a visit... you may see me.
Miller Creek Lavender Shoppe
12 comments:
lovely things... lovely pics, i love the way you captured them... i miss attending festivals... looking forward for some canadian festivals around my area...
What a wonderful outing you three had, Cheryl...your photos are amazing, so much color, like a huge box of crayons! Loved the clay sculptures, the hearts were a favorite, along with the butterfly one, just above it. I have a lavender straw hat, not of the cowboy style though! Lovely post!
lizzy, i'd begin with a basket, fill it with all things lavender and leave the festival with a honking great smile on my face and penniless!! what an awesome post that tells the story of a superb day!! steven
JJ... I hope you get to enjoy your Canadian festivals. There's one going on in Montreal now... the Grand Prix, I think. I know there will be many as Canadians get out into the sunshine & warm days.
Wanda, I'm glad you enjoyed my little outing. Those day trips are really nice and relieve one of any wanderlust, sort of like walking in your woods.
steven... yes, those baskets were amazing and I love the pottery sculpture. So colorful. I'd like to try to grow some lavender here if we have sandy-enough soil for good drainage. The climate may not be quite as good for growing lavender as it is 70 miles west of us. A "honking great smile"... yes, that too!
This post makes me so homesick for Texas! Great pictures, and you really capture the funkiness/sense of humor that I love best about my home state. That picture of the sheriff in his lavender hat is my favorite.
Bee, I'm so glad you enjoyed your stop-over & a bit of reminiscing about Texas. The festival was lots of fun and the quirkiness is what I love too!
What a fun day. We have friends that live in Blanco.
Ellen, It was a fun day. I think Blanco would be a neat place to live. I like the smallness of it, yet it is very vibrant.
Wow what a blast you had. I'm jealous! It is still cool and damp here and the lavender field near our house won't be in bloom for 6 more weeks.
I like the vase with the city scene on it, but it would be easy to spend money on just about everything you show here.
Kerry, it really was a fun day with 2 of my pals.
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