Adventure 366: Fredericksburg, Texas?Post D

Our Guide, truth we can trust.

On the heels of a three game skid, the Wiley Cager moaned like a lowing, lonely Texas Longhorn, "At least I didn't get skunked." To me, her wail sounded just like one of the happy love songs we'd hear later out at Luchenbach. But that would be later. First, we'd heard good things about the Eggs Benedict dishes served at the Sunset Grill, so in honor of Liz Ulmen (Benedict maker supreme), we decided to enjoy breakfast out today. Our waiter, a young local named Joe, served us efficiently, and while the Benedict didn't quite live up to the praise it had been given (The eggs were over done), it was still quite satisfying. After breakfast, we became driving/hiking tourists. We drove fifteen miles north to the Enchanted Rock Natural Area where we hiked the 4.25 mile loop trail. Huge rocks of exotic shapes are sprinkled all over the area. The force of the water some millions of years ago must have been simply awesome. Boulders the size of buildings are thrown down hillsides like so many marbles from a young boy's bag. There are several back country camping sites (No RVs) reserved for the hearty (And the young). It was a good hike, and to top it off, we did the form on a flat patch of granite in the middle of our hike. It was truly enchanting. After our nature hike, we toured the route we're going to ride tomorrow. Judy feels better if she knows where she's going, and if she has a route, she's like the little engine who could (I don't even pedal; I just steer). And then we drove out to Luchenbach for the picker's circle. On the way, we stopped at an old Catholic Cemetery. The names, naturally, are German since this area was settled in the mid eighteen hundreds by strong German Catholics  and sadly many of the grave sites were infants. The earliest day I saw was 1834. At Luchenbach, it was another amazing night. The leader, Butch Morgan, not only involved the musicians, he also led quite a few sing-a-longs (The circle played inside tonight). At its peak, the circle contained eleven musicians including six guitars, a banjo, twin fiddles, a stand up bass, a set of spoons, and a harmonica. Some of my favorite lyrics for the night: "Left over biscuits, left over ham, left over gravy in a big old pan. Left over coffee, left over tea, and after that you left over me." "Tonight the bottle let me down, and let your memory come around". "We all gotta do it now and then, gotta say good bye to an old friend". "Please don't make us write don't signs". "You can't get so far from home that you can't hear your momma". I can't describe the music except to say that my foot is still tapping as I write this blog. We stayed the longest we've stayed (Three hours), and would have stayed longer except that the hard wooden bench we were sitting on made our backsides stiffen, our limbs numb, and our will to endure weaken. So we left, knowing that, God willing, we'll be blessed with another session tomorrow. For now, energized by the pure truth of the players, we realized that life is good, especially today.

 Crab cake Benedict on a bed of light garlic spinach.

 Selfie of the day: A couple of flat heads.

 West Texas in the distance. We'll see you soon.

 Water is patient.

 Pick a path.

 My Bunny wanted to take this one home.

 St. Xavier Cemetery.

 T.C. Weber, born 1817; died 1835.

 Though many of the stones are crumbling with time, the peace of this place carries on.

 Butch Morgan, the circle leader tonight.

 Dr. Bob Adams,who hails as a healing musician, and whose banjo reads: "This banjo emits healing tones and joyful noise. Listen with ease".

 These twin fiddlers were simply sensational.

 This little guitar case held the "spoons" of the rhythm section.

 The guy in the white shirt is the "spoon" player. Quite good; quite fun.

Finally, Rod came late and stole the show! WOW!

Adventure 365: Fredericksburg, Texas/Post C

It's not Dripping Springs, Texas, but it was a little wet.

I didn't think it could get any better, but today proved me wrong. First, we let the spitter, spatter of rain pass, and then we had a real ride we'll call the  Grape Town Loop. We rode for just over two and a half hours for a total of 35 miles. On the way we passed the old Luchenbach School House, which was a log cabin when it was first built in 1855. They remodeled it into sandstone in 1905, and the school was its own entity until consolidation in 1964. Today, its a proud member of the Texas historical register. For an interlude, we took Fric to the car wash and gave him a bath. That, of course, necessitated a visit to the "Evil Empire" (Walmart) for some rags, which then turned into ninety dollars worth of other stuff. We unloaded the groceries and made our way out to Luchenbach for the pickin circle. I must tell you: WOW! OOH! AHH! SHAZAM! By the time we left, ten musicians were in the circle, including a guy named John who could not only play any instrument he picked up (banjo, accordion, guitar and bass,) but he could also fill in the spaces in every song, on time, quietly, and with a soulful richness that had me weeping. Somewhere in the night, a grammy nominated song writer named David Lee played a song. The circle invited him (Which makes him a big deal), and he played a new song he's written that he just pitched to Willie Nelson. I just can't explain how soul filling Luchenbach, Texas is. Even the chickens cluck in tune. In addition to those I've mentioned, there were four other players in the circle, including a young woman named Sam Watson whose voice was dreamland melodic. You never know what you'll get at the pickin circle. Tonight, we had local celebrities, big stars, and young dreamers. It was beyond nurturing. The really good news is that we'll be here all week. By then, we'll be shilling for the Luchenbach Chamber of Commerce, except that there isn't one. The magic of the place just carries itself on the wind. Suffice it to say, that a seat under the oak trees in the warm gentle breeze listening to a couple of hours of heartfelt melodies provided us with an unearned blessing. Come here if you can because this is a place where life is good, especially today.

 Luchenbach School House.

 My biker babe is our official sign reader.

 Great bike loop. No dogs, a few hills, and the weather turned sunny.

 Art shot of the day: Just a humble country spread.

 Fric, shiny, if not brand new.

 Stephen K.Morris, a talented performer, led the circle tonight. He was inclusive, made sure to introduce everyone, and also kept the crowd engaged.

 Pete Torrey singing the kind of song he likes: the kind that make you cry.

 Ted Flanagan on bass.

 Roosters taking their turn.

 The quiet woman in the hat is Pat; next to her is John Reed, the guy who played all the instruments.

 Poet Walt Perriman made another appearance. We heard three old poems and a couple of new ones.

 John Reed taking a turn on the accordian.

 David Lee, clearly in a class by himself. It looks as though he wasn't too happy with me taking his picture.

Bass player, Ted Flanagan, did a rousing version of Sleep at the Wheel's "Miles and Miles of Texas".

Adventure 364: Fredericksburg, Texas/Post B

St. Mary's church is enough reason to visit here.

Michael Stipe of R.E.M sang a song awhile back in which he quipped, "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight, losing my religion..." I never understood the lyrics of that song, but I liked the melody, and I can very clearly remember the first time I lost my religion. After my parents divorced for the second (And final time), I found myself living with my grandparents. In my turmoil, I used to climb up on the roof of my grandfather's garden shed, and sit, and think. In those days, my fourth grade mind thought much about "Why me?" It wasn't until much later I gave up on that useless question in the face of the mystic, and instead, responded to adversity with a more proactive "What now?" I haven't been faced with serious challenge for awhile now, maybe as a result of finding religion. I don't know. I do know that we found true religion in all its glorious forms today. First, we attended mass at St. Mary's, which is the most vibrant Catholic congregation I've ever experienced (It was the same the last time we were here). The church has a large enough congregation to support five services, maintains a large elementary, an effective community outreach, and has a published commitment to provide humane services for the immigrants in Texas. We attended the 11:15 service. The place was packed. Everyone sang, everyone prayed out loud, and everyone exuded palpable Catholic faith. From there we entered a different church at Hondo's, an iconic Fredericksburg watering hole/restaurant. On Sundays, Melissa Weatherly and her band, Sol Patch perform gospel music from 12:30-3:30. They sprinkle in a few non-gospel songs along the way, but each one speaks truth and inspires reverence. Just for cousin Jean, I'll list a few of the songs they played. "Standing on Jesus"; "Just a Closer walk with Thee"; "Stand by Me-Ben E. King"; "This Train's Bound for Glory"; "How Great Thou Art"; "Heart of Hearts"; "Have a Little talk with Jesus"; "How Far is Heaven-Los Lonely Boys"; "I'll fly Away"; "I've got a Home in Glory Land"; "Into the mystic-Van Morrison";  "Down where the River Flows, and more. I especially liked these lyrics "What have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasure you've given me?  Melissa and her band sang quite a few more, and they ended the day with Eric Clapton's song, "Presence of the Lord". And we weren't finished getting our religion yet. From the afternoon session at Hondo's we drove out to Luchenbach for the evening pickin circle led by Bill Lewis. Highlights were many for the evening, but Bill Lewis did one song, a tribute to chickens, in which he relived working in a hatchery. He sang of being haunted by chickens. The fun part is about six or seven women made cluck, cluck noises in between each of his verses. Even funnier were the chickens perched in the trees, crowing a couple of times at exactly the right time! It was quite cute. Melissa Weatherly and her guitar player (mate) showed up as well. The kept their theme of inspiring songs going as they sang a lyric that said "Life is beautiful, life is wondrous; every star above shining just for us. Life is beautiful on a stormy night; somewhere in the world the sun is shining bright. The night was enriched when a young woman (Teresa Rick) showed up. She was a fiddler (And also a guitar player/singer/songwriter). We left buoyed by the lyrics from a song she sang: "Give thanks for unknown blessings; they're already on their way". What impresses me most besides the uplifting themes is the clear respect the players have for each other. They listen; they add a layer that enriches; and they play as a form of worship. It was a nice day for religion. I'm glad we found it because it helped affirm our view that life is good, especially today.

 You can't go anywhere in Texas without thinking you're a star.

 Art shot of the day: Let's go chasing windmills, "Don".

 A natural plug considering Hondo started the Luchenbach mystique.

 Melissa Weatherly with her band Sol Patch. Free music; free inspiration. As I heard a man in the crowd say. "I speak at the Cowboy Church on Sundays. I just let the spirit fill me, and then I let it flow. Those who can be filled get filled."

 The last set of this religious Sunday begins.

 David, an excellent player in the Tom T. Hall tradition, sang mostly of found love.

 Bill Lewis (Gray hair); the six "chicks" clucking in the background.

 Brian is the guitar player for Sol Patch. Fabulous. He sang several original songs.

 I've never heard of Bill Lewis, but it's clear he's been an excellent musician for quite some time. It's likely he had a successful career.

 This young woman, Teresa Rick, came late and added a depth of emotion I didn't think the evening could bear. She made the cup overflow.

In the forefront of this picture are Carrie and Casey, a couple from Oregon we first met in Austin at the Pecan Grove. Since then, we've run into them three or four times. Sweet people, and a pleasant reminder that people are good.

Adventure 363: Fredericksburg, Texas/Post A

The couple on the left hosted today's "pickin".

We eased out of Austin around nine this morning. Freeway access was easy, traffic light, and very soon we were rolling up and down the Hill Country, our favorite part of Texas. As soon as we got set up in the Fredericksburg RV park, we beat feet out to Luchenbach for the Saturday "pickin" circle. If you've never been to Luchenbach, it's at the very least hospitable, very definitely spiritual, and at its outer limits, magical. The "pickin" circle is a "never know who's coming" gaggle of musicians who take turns singing songs. It's outside acoustic, no amplification. There's a reverence for the music. Voices are kept low, and the only insults to the music are  occasional crows from roosters (Who think they own the place), the guttural roar of Harleys getting away, and the never ending clink of beer bottles being chunked into the garbage cans that are spread like dry wells around the property. Today, the leaders of the circle were a couple who call themselves Pistol Creek. Along side them was a Mexican-Texican looking guy who played the accordian and sang lonesome songs about his late wife, a young hopeful from Loredo who sang funny songs about over consumption, a guy whose skill on the guitar belied his claim that he toured with Willie Nelson as his cook (He was my favorite), another local couple who call themselves SheAnnie, and a very quiet, but exceptional guitar player who played Neil Young songs, Dylan songs, and a batch of his own songs that sounded like they were inspired by both Neil and Bob. Coming late were a couple of young girl singers. I didn't catch their names, but they both did original material. We sat enthralled by the music, surrounded by other music lovers, and warmed by the perfect 70 degree weather. Besides the music, a Cowboy poet named Walt Perriman took took the stage twice. His poetry, "iambic cowboy", expounded humorous, but thoughtful tales of Cowboy culture. He said he learned a trade working the Texas oil fields, went over to Saudi Arabia and made enough money to fill a wheel barrow, came back to Texas, bought a ranch, got married, got divorced, lost the ranch, lost the money, but he's still got the wheelbarrow (Tire's flat). Other lyrics that stuck with me today: "I haven't had time to drink my talent";  "Speak the truth because who are you lying to"; "So it all comes down to that moment you thought you were up, but it really now seems like drinking from the same old cup". It seems country songs concern themselves with drinking or lost love, but there's always reason to hope for a better day. I can tell you the current lyrics we're singing: "Life is good, especially today."

 There are five hundred miles of paved roads in this area. We'll ride as much as we can.

 One wall in the bar. It's filled with memorabilia, some of it tongue in cheek.

 Art shot of the day: You ain't a Texan without a hat.

 Make that a Tall Ass Hat.

 Luchenbach squirrel?

 Selfie of the day: Just listening to the pickin.

 This guy, a former Willie Nelson cook, can really play.

 Cowboy poet, Walt Perriman. 

 Population: 3

 Hot Rod of the Day.

The girl on the right (Thelma, next to Louise) sang a song in which she claimed to be a marijuana virgin because she was "saving herself for Willie".