Everybody's somebody in Luckenbach!

 

 

 

 

 

Luckenbach is a favorite destination for country music fans, or folks who just like to sit in the shade, listen to music and drink a beer.

It consists of a dance hall, general store, decommissioned post office, saloon and music venue.

It has become a mecca for bikers in the hill country of Texas.

Broken Spoke---Austin, TX

 

 

 

Whenever we visited Texas, my husband had always wanted to visit the Broken Spoke---a dance hall and "honky tonk" that has featured many country/western performers since 1964. He is a fan of classic country music--not so much modern. I can take small amounts, but don't really appreciate it.

Austin has been in a period of explosive growth, and many uniquely Austin businesses have been bulldozed for high rises and condos. The last time we passed the Broken Spoke it was sitting in the middle of a  whirlstorm of activity----a modest little red frame building surrounded by construction.
 We wondered how it could survive much longer. Obviously the ground it's sitting on is very valuable.

So we decided to have lunch and take a few photos before it disappears.

visiting the yard today

 

At first glance I saw only the fluffy tail and thought it was a large squirrel in the yard. It turned and began to walk away. My gosh! It's a fox----in broad daylight!

 Fortunately, the camera was on the table and I managed 2 photos.

Lucky shot.

a drive around the city

 

 

san diego skyline

coronado hotel

exit for the usa

the border fence
 

a drive around town--some of the places my son and his wife visited when they lived downtown--they're in the suburbs now

then over the bridge to Coronado Island, and then down to the border--the great fence, and flag of another nation on the other side

a walk down the beach

 

 

 

 

A cold ocean--a bit different than the Gulf of Mexico that I swam in every summer.

Dog beaches--fun to watch them enjoy the water.

Sun setting over the Pacific---

things my son knew we would like in san diego

the race track for dad who loves horses

an organic veggie stand for mama 

 

 

an incredible nursery 60 acres large ---we needed a map and a car to cover it all

The flower colors are so vivid in California.

lunch in la jolla

 

 

 

Finally, a glimpse of the coastline, ocean and cliff, outlined with wildflowers.

Lunch of grilled yellowfin under the umbrellas on the topmost floor overlooking the ocean.

Carpets of sun bathing sea lions serenading and entertaining for adoring audiences

Turning around I run into a woodie--a surfboard on top would have been a nice touch.

over dunes, great irrigation canals, miles of agriculture, over the mountains to the sea

the Imperial dunes

the American canal

miles of agriculture

  right thru San Diego to the sea


We drove the southern route to California, through Tucson, Yuma and stopping for a visit with a friend in Phoenix.
There were huge dust storms occasionally, and at one point the interstate closed because of them. We spent that night in Las Cruces.

Lots of desert and dunes, sometimes we skirted the border fence that separates us from Mexico...

We went through the great agricultural region that only works because of the water diverted from the Colorado River--startling to see such abundance in the middle of the desert.

The navigation system on the car talked us through the freeways and various routes we had to take to arrive at our son's home. The traffic and navigation had been a big worry for us--it turned out to be a piece of cake.

Typing has been super difficult with one arm working..

a trip west

 

 

really west---all the way to the Pacific Ocean--to visit my son in San Diego

beautiful and fun--a bit difficult, too, since my old nemesis--fibromyalgia--showed up to make
my arm and shoulder ache the whole time

 

a little blue

 

The blues have arrived--making me so happy!
Indigo buntings and a blue grosbeak at the feeder --there are often 4 or 5 buntings in the yard at the same time--glorious time of the year!

Col. Chris Hadfield

Col. Hadfield is currently on board the International Space Station.
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He sends back the most incredible photos of Earth from space with the assistance of his planet bound son.