Before I get down to this week's activities, I must tell you a funny grandchild story that I have repeatedly forgotten to include in other blogs. Hopefully you will find this as funny as we think it was:
It seems that our son Rob, and his family in Dallas, went to Christmas Eve services at First Methodist Church. This was granddaughter Abby's second year to appear in the Christmas pageant as an angel in the choir. Part of the service was communion. Rob took Jackson down to the altar where they received communion. On their way back to the pew, Rob noticed that Jackson's face was in a grimace. Rob asked Jackson what the matter was and this three year old said that he did not like baby Jesus's "snacks." I suppose grape juice and communion wafers do not compare to goldfish crackers.
Sunday was Roger's birthday and our first mission was a bike ride in the Hill Country. We passed a fenced in pasture filled with buffalo. What a thrill to see these creatures!
We enjoyed the afternoon and finished the day at new friends' for cocktails. Roger loved his birthday.
Much needed rain started Sunday night and was with us all day on Monday. We have a wonderful workout facility and were able to use the treadmills and elliptical trainer, as well as the weights. What a great day for reading and a trip into town. We went to see the James Avery studio and grounds located in Kerrville. James Avery is widely known in Texas for his beautiful jewelry with much of it devoted to Christian symbolism. This man is now in his nineties and works everyday. In fact my parents gave me a James Avery ring over 40 years ago and I still love to wear it.
Tuesday was museum and art gallery day in Kerrville. We learned that Kerrville was named after James Kerr by fellow Kentuckian, Joshua Brown around 1846. Brown started the shingle business because of the abundance of cypress trees in the area. James Kerr never saw the town or county (Kerr County) that was named after him.
Captain Charles Schreiner was a main benefactor to the town in the late 1880's. He was a Confederate soldier, Texas Ranger and a self made man in the areas of business, ranching (he owned a ranch that numbered over 500,000 acres), banking and philanthropy. At one time he was the largest broker of wool and mohair in the world. He also established Schreiner University, a small liberal arts college located in Kerrville.
The Museum of Western Art in the hill country lived up to our expectations with a collection of beautiful oils, bronzes, sculptures in marble and quite a collection of saddles. Though not on the same level as the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art in Ft. Worth, we truly enjoyed our visit.
On Thursday we returned to the Charles Schreiner home. It was gifted to the Schreiner University by the great granddaughter of Charles Schreiner. What a treasure! It was the first home in Kerrville to have electricity. Captain Schreiner had tunnels built from his home to the bank and to the general store that he owned. Both buildings were located close to the house, but the tunnels made easy access to his home. What a great commute! We learned that Charles Schreiner arrived in the area with $5.00. At his death he was worth over $6,000,000. He had donated over $5,000,000 in his lifetime to the town of Kerrville.
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| Roger at the entrance of the Charles Schreiner home. |
Cold, windy weather has kept us off the bikes this week. However, we did get a 30 miler in on Saturday afternoon. We stayed busy with the workout room and lots of walks with Bear. In addition to the workouts, I enjoyed a ladies lunch at a local tea room. Roger and I dined with three other couples at a new restaurant called The Antler Grill. The cuisine was outstanding and companionship, even better.
Thank you for your interest in our travels. We feel very lucky to have this opportunity. It is hard to believe that we are approaching nine months on the road. The time is going quickly. Next week we are hoping to tour the LBJ ranch and go back to Fredericksburg, for a tour of the Nimitz Museum.
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