2021-07-11 Pearl Farmers Market

 It is nearly the middle of July but here in Central Texas you would never know it. Every thing is very green and it is still raining frequently. That is definitely not normal for us. Saturday we decided to go downtown and check out the Pearl Farmers Market. Between Covid and all the rain we have gotten this summer, I haven't been in quite a while.

The orange booth makes crepes on site with a wide variety of fillings. My granddaughter had one with nutella, strawberries, and whipping cream. Steve and I had one with turkey, bacon, tomatoes, spinach, and avocado in it. Both were very good. Helen picked up a croissant with ham and cheese from Bakery Lorraine. It is a permanent place here in this area where old brewery buildings have been converted to condos, restaurants, and hotels as well as the Culinary Institute of America.

We listened to beautiful music while we had brunch. This man was very good.

These kids were having a great time in this fountain area.

There were a couple of other people providing music as well. There is often a band in front of one of the buildings but not this day. It was nice because, although they are usually very good, the amplifiers make it unpleasant to walk in front of them.

There are all kinds of booths from meat fresh from the ranch to vegetables in baskets and everything else you can imagine.

There are also permanent restaurants and bars.

Selling different things with caramel as part of the ingredients.

Garden fresh bouquets.

We would have stayed a little longer but, surprise, we got hit by another rainstorm.

2021-06-12 Food, Fun, and Rusty Shirts

 Back at the Rally Room, Mary Ann and Olivia were ready to show us how to do a unique craft project. We are doing ours on shirts but Olivia had already made two pillows to demonstrate what the finished product could look like.

I missed a photo of the first step which is to mix vinegar and water half and half in a bowl or basin. Then you need some steel wool.....not Brillo pads.....or some other pieces of metal that are rusty or will rust. Olivia used some old lawn mower blades for her pillows which looked really great.  Dip your shirt or other material in the vinegar/water mix and squeeze just enough liquid out so that it won't run all over. Have a sheet of plastic.....garbage bag slit open will work fine. Sprinkle with salt. Lay your shirt/fabric out and sprinkle it with salt. Put your steel wool or other rusty items out on the material however you want.

Roll up the shirt/material and then roll it up in the plastic.

Put your art project outside in the sun and leave it for a number of hours. Longer equals more rusty pattern. You can wash it in the washing machine no problem. I would recommend washing alone the first time.

We took a break after that. Some ladies needed to work on their potluck items. Others took a nap. Some went swimming.  

Everyone was supposed to meet back at the Rally Room at 5pm for the group photo.

After a quick meeting with some announcements about upcoming rallies, everyone lined up for the potluck.

There is always more than enough food for all and then some.

There was another opportunity for visiting while we all enjoyed the good food.

After dinner, we all gathered to play a game of Camping Jeopardy. It was fun with everyone divided into two teams. 

It was a great rally. Everyone survived the heat and had a good time. Mary Jane and I were on the road home at 8:30AM on Sunday morning. I usually stay until Monday but Sunday was our anniversary so I wanted to make it home Sunday.

2021-06-12 Buffalo Gap TX

 Saturday morning most of us gathered at the Rally Room again. Adventures today were Buffalo Gap, Frontier Museum, or the Zoo. We ended up splitting the group up between the Frontier Museum and Buffalo Gap. I chose Buffalo Gap. Yes, it was hot but this is Texas and we are tough plus we have A/C back at the park.

Six of us headed out in a couple of vehicles. Before we went into the Visitor's Center, we had to get a photo. Brenda was both one of our hostess's for the Rally and our guide as she used to live in Abilene.

This is considered a unique white buffalo which actually looks kind of yellow and is really a bison.

The Hill House was built in 1882 at a cost of $400 for Marshall Tom Hill when he moved to Abilene at the age of 27 to become the first Marshall. He and his wife Molly and their two daughters lived here. He died as the result of an accidental shooting 4 years later.

Water pump right outside on the porch.

The Taylor County Courthouse was built in 1879 at a cost of $8000 and was the first courthouse in the county. The small room downstairs was the office of the judge and county clerk.

The large room was used for commissioner meetings and trials..

There is a main jail room upstairs for 12 prisoners and a small cell for dangerous or violent criminals.

When the county seat moved to Abilene in 1883, the building was sold and turned into a two story home.

The Knight-Sayles cabin was built in 1875 as a single room cabin.

The Doctor's Office was actually built as a home but is used as a doctor's office because doctor's worked from home in the early days. This was a very unique heater.

The Barbershop building was built in 1922 as a post office. In the early 1900's, the barber provided a shave and haircut with the option for a bath for an additional fee.

The Train Depot here was originally built in Clyde in 1910 for $40,000. There were separate waiting rooms for whites and coloreds.

The Blacksmith Shop was built in the late 20th century. Services were horseshoeing, repairing wagons and buggies, and making branding irons.

This was in the gallery where classes are sometimes held and rotating exhibits are displayed. You would want to be real careful how you sat here.

This is the Wagon Barn.

The Cottonwood Flat Schoolhouse was built for $900. It was no longer used for a school after 1938.

By the 1920;s, there were more than 15,000 gas stations around the country. This one was built in Winters TX and had only 1 pump.

The Post Office was the first freestanding post office in Buffalo Gap. It was built in the Post Master's front yard for $600.

The Print Shop was built to hold multiple machines used in the newspaper printing business. The equipment was used for 34 years before being donated to the museum.

The Buffalo Chapel was called "The Sweet Church". The walls of the chapel used to be filled with bees, and after failing to get rid of them, the members of the congregation accepted them and divided their honey amongst each other. That is how it became "The Sweet Church". The church was founded by Mary Lee Cagle in 1896 and this chapel was built in 1902. Opposition to a female preacher occurred often but she founded at least 18 churches before 1908 with 11 of them being in Texas 

After a great time at old Buffalo Gap, we went to the Gap Cafe for lunch. It is owned by the Perinni Ranch which is famous for their steaks.

We all really enjoyed the tour of Buffalo Gap. After lunch we quickly headed back to the park because we had a special craft project in the afternoon on how to make rusty shirts.