Down on the River...

slipper socks crocheted by one of our group

Last time we met, I told you it was that time again....time to meet with our group of ladies, for our annual get together.

This time was in the house of one of our member's niece, on the Guadalupe River.

It's a comfortable place, right above the river.

We spent a lot of time here on the screened porch.  We played games and visited.

We caught up with everybody's lives.

The river is just below.  Quite a steep walk.

I went down, though...

...and, got a few pictures of the river here.

While we're together here...does anyone know what this is?

UPDATE:  Several people have said this is St. John's Wort.  Maybe, Hypericum 'Hidcote'.
Thanks for the ID.

It was at the house next door.  A shrub sized plant.  

I think I want one.

One morning, I got up before the rest and took a walk.  

There were lots of these little birds.  I think it's a Black Phoebe.

A park for residents was quite inviting.  I liked this little pavilion.

And, the cute weather vane on top.

None of us went in the river.  And, along here, there weren't any tubers, yet.

Although, up at the 'Horseshoe', not far away, there were plenty of tubers already.

Rivers always seem to have a rope for the swing-out-jump.

Years ago...like maybe 35 years...we floated this part of the river.  Our children were small then.

I remember getting a bit nervous when we saw this sign.

I remember the falls being higher.  There have been a few floods since then.  I'm thinking those changed the river a bit.

Today, the river has been diverted to one side.

Because we're still feeling the drought, the river is really low.

Back all those years ago, I don't remember many houses along here.

Now, it's very built up.  A few bad actors have caused trouble for home owners.

Those who have little respect, sometimes ruin things for those who do.

Here's another plant I couldn't identify.  Wild in the meadow of the park.

I brought the group up to Patchwork Garden, for happy hour on the porch.

Mr. P had things all set up for us.

We had a great time together again.

Can't wait 'til next year.

Yep...we get looks with this.  :)

Hope you were having a good time, too.

~~Linda~~

Camp Time Ladies....

Time again for the annual get together with these ladies.

This year will be better for me than last year.

And, this year we're meeting right here, in the Heart of Texas
in a house on the Guadalupe River.

I'll be having some good times to report, when I get back.

In the mean time...

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Hey Kids!..What Time Is It?...

Nope...

Not this...

image via google

This...

It's that time of year, again.

We knew this mamma was looking a bit thinner.

More kids to take care.

Two more mouths to feed.

Oh, yeah...they grow up and eat the landscape.

But for now...they're really cute.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

San Antonio Mission Trail...Part 3...

Part 3 and last, on our recent tour of the
San Antonio Mission Trail.

Our third stop was at
Mission San Francisco de la Espada.

This mission was established in 1731.

Like the other missions, it afforded protection for the local Native Indians.

The priests taught agriculture, weaving, and, of course, religion.

The church here is especially small.  But, there are still masses performed here.

Mr. P is a big guy.  But, the door here is pretty small.

This restored section, is a convent.  Seems the sisters love their gardens.

Sturdy walls withstand time.  And, that mesquite tree is hanging in there, too.  The broken section is sending up more limbs.

I liked this one.  It's small and quiet.  No elaborate decorations.
Just simple expressions of faith.

Leaving, we passed this funky little house.

Someone here likes their gardens, too.

***********************

Close by the mission is the Espada Aqueduct.

The success of the crops was very important for the success of the missions.

In a hot and dry climate, this success of the crops depended on water.

So, a dam was built on the river, to divert water into aqueducts.

The water was then used to irrigate the fields.

Remnants of that system are still there.

Pretty clever.

**********************

Our last mission for the day, was San Juan Capistrano.

As you can see, there is a lot of restoration going on here.  It's not open to the public right now.

As with Espada, this is a small and simple mission.

But, the grounds look very charming.

I think we'll be going back to see it, when they're done.

********************************

picture taken 2011

The most famous of the missions on the Mission Trail, is 

The Alamo.  Formally, Mission San Antonio de Valero.

Having been there many times, we chose to skip it this time.

If you haven't been there, it's worth the trip.

******************************

We really enjoyed our tour, and will probably do it again.

We missed things I'd like to go back and see.

I hope you've enjoyed this tour.

If you'd like to see the other missions, be sure to check out Part 1, and Part 2 .

Have a Great Weekend...

~~Linda~~