Finally, a little Fall!

  It has been a busy month around Naruna, finally getting new floors installed and almost immediately having the oldest daughter and the three grand-girls arrive for a week-long visit.  Along with them came family friends & high school chums wanting to have a chance to catch up on all that has happened since Jennifer got married to her Aggie/Cornhusker, left Texas for points north, and got into the baby business. 

  Peace and tranquility has now returned, along with some cooler weather.  September was a rainy month, with Naruna receiving almost 4.3".  This caused everything to turn green, cooled things off, and persuaded the county to drop the burn ban for the time being.  Highs this weekend have been in the mid 70s, so the Lovely Bride and I embarked on a short road trip Saturday. 

  We headed down the highway to Johnson City, home of LBJ, 36th President of the United States, where we tried out a new breakfast spot.  The Silver K Cafe, http://www.silverkcafe.com/menu/index.html , was new to us, and most of what they offered on their breakfast buffet was very good.  Eggs Benedict is not something I expect to find in Hill Country diners, and the Silver K's version was excellent.  The LB tried some blueberry pancakes with walnuts which were light, yet filling.  My only disappointment was when I made a second trip(I'll never learn) through the buffet to try their interpretation of biscuits and gravy.  The biscuits were excellent, but the alleged sausage gravy tasted like none I had ever tried.  Maybe in an attempt to make it "healthy" they used something other than standard pork sausage.  At any rate, it didn't agree with me, and I kept wishing I had gotten another of the wonderful Eggs Benedict instead.  Definitely worth a return trip.

  Heading west on Hwy 290, we passed the Johnson ranch, now a National Park, and motored along enjoying the beautiful day until we came to the Wildseed Farm between Stonewall and Fredericksburg.  http://www.wildseedfarms.com/index.html  This complex is a combination lunch counter, bierstube, and nursery specializing in plants either native to or well adapted to life in central Texas.  Their main claim to fame is that they grow wildflowers of all different persuasions on a grand scale, harvest the seeds, and offer them up for sale to all who want to beautify their corner of the world, wherever that may be.  This was my reason for getting out, and I quickly picked out a couple pounds of the mixtures deemed best for our neck of the woods.  However, the LB was more interested in the multitude of crafts and gift items which were available and so it took awhile before we made good our escape.

  Rather than retracing our steps, we turned west again and cruised down the main drag in Fredericksburg.  This interesting German town has become a huge tourist magnet in recent years, and with the perfect weather, there were no parking spots to be found anywhere.  Not being in the mood for crowds, we turned north and took the winding road toward Llano.  Another festival greeted us there, with the courthouse square being packed with BBQ pits, chuck wagons, and people trying to get close to them.  We slowed down, smelled the aroma of beef being cooked by folks who know what they are doing, and continued on our way. 

  One of the blessings of living where we do, is the abundance of interesting back roads which can be used to reach almost any destination.  So it was that we wandered through the villages of Cherokee, Chappel, Bend and Nix before turning toward Naruna.  Arriving home, I took my newly acquired seeds and went out to sow them in the ditches in front of our house.  Of course, it is impossible to perform any task without having assistance, here in the form of Ruby Jean.  You may remember she is a curious mixture of canine odds 'n ends, which my Lovely Bride and her veterinarians have decided is most likely chihuahua and yorkshire terrier.  The two choices of what to call her are either a "Chorkie" or the slightly more palatable "Yorkiehuahua".  This is the kind of world I get to live in!  At least the orphans the LB continues to drag home seem to be getting smaller.

Meetin' n eatin'

There is something special about small rural churches. Our church in Naruna has been around for more than 137 years, with ups and downs in attendance through the decades. Most of the members belong to the same families who settled the area and still reside on family ranches. There are more than a few state designated "Texas Family Heritage Ranches" in Naruna, meaning they have been in the same family and used in agriculture for more than a hundred years.

A church constant over the years is an overwhelming compulsion to eat anytime a group gets together. I think this is true of most churches, and have seen it over and over again as we moved around the world. Of course this eating compulsion works both ways, since attendance is usually the highest on Sundays when there is a "dinner on the grounds" after church services.

One variation of this at our church is to occasionally host a breakfast before Sunday School. Some of the men get up early and cook bacon, eggs, sausage and pancakes for however many people wander in. For some variety, we'll also fry tortillas, potatoes, peppers, & onions so folks can put together breakfast tacos. This is the kind of gathering popular with families since they don't have to feed the kids...all they have to do is get them up and dressed a little early.

The time spent preparing these breakfasts is some of the most productive in enjoying fellowship and getting church business conducted. Formal meetings have their place, but it's hard to stand on protocol when you are flipping pancakes or frying eggs. Of course, there are some problems that go along with feeding folks before church...will they be able to stay awake until the invitation?

A Practical Defense against H1N1

Swine Flu! That's all you need to say to start people running for the exits. Our country, and indeed the world, has been teetering on the brink of panic, as gloomy predictions fly all about. Last spring was being forecast to be the worst year since the 1918 pandemic which killed more people than the Great War which was going on at the same time. Not much happened and the scare faded some during the summer months as kids dispersed and went their separate ways. Now that school is starting up, the rhetoric is heating up again. Every governmental agency worth anything has a plan. That none of these plans has been tested and probably won't work doesn't slow down the bureaucrats.

In an effort to inject a modicum of reason and sanity into our preparations for this impending plague, I vowed to conduct my own research. I began by searching the literature for historical methods which have been effective in preventing the spread and propagation of disease-causing organisms. Rather than resorting to high cost vaccines or ineffective antibiotics, I sought readily available natural products.

Sodium chloride, or salt, has been been used throughout history for preserving foods and preventing the growth of pathogens in foods. This has been accomplished through its ability to dehydrate and desiccate organisms, rendering them incapable of growth and reproduction.

Acids can be powerful antibacterial agents. Unfortunately, many acids cannot be used directly by humans because of the same caustic effects which make them so effective in killing microorganisms. I tried several types before hitting on citric acid as one which is strong enough to be effective while not harming the humans we are trying to protect.

Another agent which has proven bactericidal qualities is another well known and readily available product, ethanol. Ethanol is a powerful desiccant which has -cidal qualities when used in a variety of applications. I found through trial and error that ethanol distilled from certain varieties of the agave plant was most effective.

Unfortunately, none of these, by itself, had the desired effects. It was only through a fortuitous accidental combining of these three separate ingredients that the perfect anti-influenza agent was revealed. Even though it was thought by many to be too hazardous to be trialed outside a laboratory setting, I accepted the challenge. Throughout the summer months, I religiously tested this concoction, even knowing the risk was great.

When I survived with minimal ill effects, I expanded my trial, recruiting public spirited individuals who were willing to risk their personal well-being for the greater good of all.

As you can see from these photos of the actual clinical trials, these brave volunteers put the good of mankind ahead of their personal safety, and deserve our gratitude.

Rain over Naruna

Some days in Naruna are more nearly perfect than others. This Saturday was going pretty good already...the LB had fixed something new for breakfast, an open-faced bacon, egg, onion, & goat cheese sandwich on a piece of nan bread. I got some more painting done on my project room, while the LB made a batch of snack mix which involved cashews, corn chex and homemade caramel sauce. That tired her out and she had headed upstairs to rest her eyes(just for 15 minutes or so) when the sky began to darken, and soon some thunder could be heard. The canine residents and I walked out on the front porch just as the skies opened and huge drops began to fall. It didn't last long, and we only measured 0.2", but it dropped the temperature from 102 to 78 in less than 10 minutes. As quickly as it came, it was gone, the sun came out again and all that was left were some rumbles and clouds headed south out of Naruna.

Birthday Weekend - part 3

No birthday celebration is complete without dinner at the birthday boy(or girl)'s choice of location. One place we had heard of and read about in San Antonio was The Silo. This is an up-scale, yet casual, spot which has garnered good reviews for both service & food. After spending most of Saturday afternoon napping in the cool of our hotel room, we saddled up and headed over to Austin Highway in search of vittles.

The dining room was smaller than I expected, but was still quiet enough to be able to carry on a conversation without straining to hear. Chicken-fried oysters on a bed of spinach, topped with an obviously homemade Hollandaise started our adventure. Angie went for a grilled tuna steak, while I opted for sauteed redfish on a bed of sauteed shrimp. Susan went off on a different tangent, getting a tasty piece of lamb (I stole a bite). A very nice Pinot Grigio helped wash everything down. None of us had room for dessert on our own, so we did a three-way split of a wonderful "White Chocolate & Fresh Berry Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Truffle Sauce", with an Espresso or coffee accompaniment.

After feasting for the better part of the evening, we felt the need to move around a bit, so headed back downtown to show Angie the Emily Morgan & the view. It turned out she didn't know anything about Emily(I swear the child slept through Texas History), so I was able to expound on the fabled Yellow Rose until she and her mother were both tired of listening. We went out to stretch our legs, strolling the Alamo grounds, and continuing on down to the Riverwalk. Quickly, we learned the masses of people we had encountered on Friday night were far exceeded by the Saturday night rowdies. At 11:00, everything was still in full swing and at full volume. As we struggled through the packed sidewalks, we saw areas which had been quiet and isolated on our last trip years ago, which were now lined with one overflowing drinking establishment after another. Maybe if I was twenty-something and looking for a good time, it would be okay. At 57 and tired of walking, it was just too crowded and too loud.

After ascending back to street level, we wandered past several downtown landmarks, including the Menger Hotel. The bar at the Menger is where Teddy (the good) Roosevelt recruited his Volunteers for a trip to Cuba from the cowboys and adventurers who were found in San Antonio. The Menger lies just across the alley from the Alamo, and this alley is where horse-drawn carriages line up to give visitors a tour of the downtown area. The carriages range from plain to gaudy, but all are adorned with a variety of lights to help make them more visible to automobile traffic. We went for a very pleasant trip with Jimmy(the driver) and Jack(the horse), and the slow trip into the past helped us to settle down and prepare ourselves for the end of our long day.

Saturday - In the Park

Saturday morning in San Antonio! Our night had not been as restful as hoped, with the alarm clock going off repeatedly at midnite, playing very exciting Mexican music. Why do I never think to check those things before I crawl into bed?

After a quick breakfast, we swung by the youngest child's apartment, and with her in tow, headed to the San Antonio Zoo in Brackenridge Park. Getting there early was part of our plan to miss the hottest part of the day, yet we still managed to enjoy the 100+ temperatures. Lots of renovation and new construction are going on at the zoo, and eventually it will be beautiful, and a better place for the animals. Right now, S.A. is suffering along with the rest of Central Texas as the drought continues...and continues. Everything brown and dry. Even the rhino was hunting a spot of shade & the elephant was enjoying a cool shower. Someday I'll remember that summer is not the best season to visit a zoo, since the animals are just as hot and uncomfortable as the rest of us. Maybe between Christmas and New Year's next time.

We enjoyed visiting the Lorikeets in their aviary, and were able to feed them little cups of nectar while they sat on your shoulder. Unfortunately, what goes in has to come out, and I had one little bird poop in my shirt pocket while perched upon my hat. Fortunately, the L.B. had a ready supply of hand sanitizer to help clean me up. (She really does take care of me.)

Butterflies are pretty and didn't excrete anything on me, so we spent time wandering through their special abode. Rarely still for more than a second or two, pictures tend to be a bit blurry. As the day heated up, our enthusiasm dropped, and soon our thoughts turned to air conditioners and food. Angie knew of a local place which had a wide array of hotdogs & frankfurters. A large glass of cold lemonade made everything right for me.

Happy Birthday to Me!

As we grow older, and approach what some refer to as "maturity", birthdays are not so much celebrated as greeted with a sense of relief. My father died before he turned 52, so in many ways I view any time I get past that as a "bonus". I have made all the usual promises to myself; spend more time with family, travel to new places, etc. , yet find myself slipping back into spending too much time at work. Not a good way to stay on the good side of the Lovely Bride.

This past week the L.B. announced we were going to San Antonio to celebrate my birthday, and she had already planned everything. She had gotten us out of our duties at church on Sunday and said we were just going to play tourist and take it easy for the weekend. Friday afternoon saw us on the road to S.A. after only a couple of minor misdirections, such as me having to rescue her at the Puppy Motel after her car battery died of a heat stroke.

We arrived in San Antonio with no further difficulties, and she cryptically directed me to our hotel, although she wouldn't tell me the name until she abruptly announced "There it is!" as I cruised past. She had gotten a room at the Emily Morgan Hotel, named after the famous "Yellow Rose of Texas", who supposedly distracted General Santa Ana at the battle of San Jacinto, allowing the Texicans to route the Mexican troops. Our room overlooked the grounds of the Alamo, and had a beautiful view of downtown S.A. The L.B. had connections to the hotel in its previous incarnation as the Medical Arts Building and used to go there for doctor appointments. The San Antonio Express-News building, where her Daddy used to work, was just one block down from the hotel, so it was like a homecoming for her.

Friday night we were tired out, and so just went strolling around the Alamo about dusk. Thinking it might be cooler down near the river, we took the stairs and headed down along the riverwalk. Lots of people made walking difficult and blocked what little breeze was moving, so we picked a restaurant, La Paloma, and managed to snag a table on the river's edge. A couple of really good margaritas helped us relax a bit and start to cool off. As we waited for dinner, we engaged in one of our favorite pastimes, people watching.

Hot plates arrived, bringing wonderful smells with them. We quickly dove in to our first, but not last, Tex-Mex fix of the weekend. Steak Tampiqueno, carne asada, and chicken enchiladas con poblanos were surrounded by the usual rice and beans. Guacamole, chips and salsa rounded out the fare.

With food out of the way, we sat and sipped our drinks while watching the crowds. We kept thinking that the riverwalk was certainly packed, and wondered if there were some convention or special event taking place. We finally managed to stand erect and waddled off toward our room. Alamo Plaza was much quieter, and the Emily Morgan loomed over the historic shrine in the moonlight. Once away from the crowds of the Riverwalk, it began to feel like we really had come home.