When we were visiting our kids in eastern Washington the girls took walks each morning while the guys worked on some projects. These are some of the sights we saw on the early morning walk. This property is adjacent to our son’s. I thought the horse corral was very nice. The horse farthest in the photo above is named Hutch. (As in Starsky and Hutch) I don’t know the name of the one closest to the fence.
I’m linking up to Good Fences hosted by TexWisGirl at Run*A*Round Ranch Report.
Erected in grateful recognition of the supreme acct of heroism of the thirty two men from Gonzales who gave their lives in the Alamo in response to the appeal of Travis.
San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. In December 1835, Texians and Tejano volunteers battled Mexican troops quartered in the city, forcing General Martin Perfecto de Cos to surrender. The victorious volunteers then occupied the Alamo and strengthened its defenses.
On February 23, 1836, the arrival of General Antonio Lopez Santa Anna nearly caught them by surprise. Undaunted, the Texians and Tejanos prepared to defend the Alamo. William B. Travis, the commander of the Alamo, sent out couriers carrying pleas for help.
On the eight day of the siege, a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales arrived, bringing the number of defenders to nearly two hundred. Even though outnumbered ten-to-one, Travis’ men believed the Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas, and they were willing to defend the post to the last man. Among the Alamo’s garrison were James Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and former Tennessee congressman.
The final assault came before daybreak on the morning of March 6, 1836, the thirteenth day of the siege. Cannon and small arms fire from inside the Alamo beat back several Mexican attacks. Regrouping, Santa Ana’s soldiers scaled the walls and rushed into the compound. The desperate struggle continued until the defenders were overwhelmed. By sunrise, the battle had ended and the garrison slain.
While the facts surrounding the siege of the Alamo continue to be debated, there is no doubt what the battle has come to symbolize. People worldwide continue to remember the Alamo as a heroic struggle against overwhelming odds- a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For this reason the Alamo remains hallowed ground and the shrine of Texas Liberty.
ht: THEALAMO.ORG
I’m linking up for Tuesday’s Treasures hosted by Tom The Backroads Traveler.
I was pleased that the Alamo was walking distance from our hotel during our short stay in San Antonio. No photos were allowed inside the Alamo and proper respect was required. I also visited the cathedral where some of the remains of the Alamo heroes are entombed. I’ll share more photos of the San Fernando Cathedral soon.
I’ll also be linking up to signs, signs with Lesley on Wednesday.
I was melting yesterday in the unseasonable heat we had here in the Seattle area. Our poor Spring plants don’t know what to make of it! I am thankful that we didn’t have the sauna like humidity that we experienced in San Antonio, though.
We had our first visit to our son and daughter in law since they were married last June. They live on 7 acres in the northeastern part of our state and the first thing we notice is how quiet it is. Even the dog that our son inherited when he married his dear wife is quiet.
She did not bark once during our whole visit! Here she is greeting us on our arrival.
The girls took a 3 mile walk on Saturday and a shorter walk with a steeper climb on Sunday while the guys worked on a truck and a chicken coop. D & J bought 8 chicks who are growing rapidly and who will need a coop for comfort and laying of eggs. They thought they were 8 chicks but come to find out one is a rooster. That might change the quiet they are enjoying now…
These are some quiet scenes we enjoyed on our walks.
Quail were running across our son’s property. I find them so fun to watch.
The country might be quiet but you have to equip yourself for the possibility of meeting up with wild animals and we didn’t take our walks without bear repellent.
We had a lovely quick weekend with quality time spent with our kids and it was so quiet in the evening and during our walks. We also had a quick storm roll through with the promise of the rainbow when it was over. God’s promise to us. “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”
I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday for the letter Q. Q is for quiet, quality, quick, and quail. Thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt and the ABC team for the start and continuation of this meme.
I’ve got lots more to share from our trip to visit our son and daughter in law that will show up for memes in the future like Good Fences, The Barn Collective and Signs, signs.
Today I will mow the lawn early since we have a forecast in the 80’s again and then I’ll run some errands. Hope you weren’t in the path of the storms that caused so much damage yesterday in the middle of our country.
For the Barn Collective hosted by Tom at The Backroads Traveler I’m showing the barns we saw along highway 395 from Spokane to Chewelah, Washington. We made this drive a week ago.
We just flew home from San Antonio, Texas last night and I’m catching up around this old house. The grass needs mowing, the laundry is piled high and the grocery list is growing. I’ve got more to share from visiting our son last weekend and then I have all the things I saw in San Antonio to share, too. Today we will put the patio covers up! The sun is shining again.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Words by: Augustus M. Toplady, 1776
ht: Cyberhymnal
…it was the worst of drives!
On Friday I got a rental car and drove north on I-35 from San Antonio to Austin. The goal was to meet up with my brother Leonard and his family. I made it to Austin to the spot where we were to meet up for lunch.
This is the original Chuy’s in Austin and it was hopping all afternoon long. When I got here I got a call from Leonard saying they had a flat tire that came with a very long story we won’t go into. The short part of the story is that they got to a Honda dealership in Waco and the dealership gave them a loaner car to continue on their journey to Austin. We had a good meal at Chuy’s and headed to a home of one of their friends to spend some time together.
When I was at El Mercado in San Antonio I picked up a little something for Hope and Andrew. Hope is wearing her flower head piece and Andrew is strumming his gift.
After dinner the kids got ready for bed and my brother drove me back to my car so I could head back to San Antonio. It was real good to see them all face to face.
Now the road drama started for me. After I was out of Austin with an hour to go to get back to San Antonio the flashes of lightning lit up the sky and the rain started. The conditions got really bad for a good stretch of time and I was praying hard. All the cars on the freeway slowed way down. I have never in my life seen so much lightning in such a short period of time. Thankfully there was only one time that I could not see out of the windshield because of water thrown up from another vehicle onto my car. I was so so relieved to finally get to our hotel exit from the freeway and out of the car!
We will be flying home this evening and I’ll share more about the things I saw in San Antonio next week. Hope y’all are doing well!
…the Alamo!
I walked to the Alamo from our hotel and then got on a hop on hop off trolley tour. I have more to share from the Alamo and the rest of the great things I saw today. It was hot and muggy today and air conditioning was really appreciated. Tomorrow I will be driving to Austin to meet up with my brother, SIL, niece and nephew who are driving down from Dallas.
We arrived to San Antonio in the late afternoon and after checking in to our hotel we walked along the River Walk and beyond to a Steak House for dinner before turning in for the night. It was sunny and hot, hot, hot. We were happy to not have rain and hail!
Tomorrow I will go to the Alamo and possibly get on a trolley tour. Dear will be busy in a booth at the Oncology Nurses Society annual meeting. Over 50% of our plane was filled with Oncology nurses traveling to the meeting.
On being asked, Whence is the flower?
In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitudes,
I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods,
Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook,
To please the desert and the sluggish brook.
The purple petals, fallen in the pool,
Made the black water with their beauty gay;
Here might the red-bird come his plumes to cool,
And court the flower that cheapens his array.
Rhodora! if the sages ask thee why
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,
Then Beauty is its own excuse for being:
Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose!
I never thought to ask, I never knew:
But, in my simple ignorance, suppose
The self-same Power that brought me there brought you.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
My Rhododendrons that I photographed just yesterday in my yard. Rhododendrons are the Washington State Flower. The purple Rhodora at the top of this page is not in my yard but one I photographed in a garden we visited.
Don’t be shocked if I choose Rhododendrons when we reach the letter R, too!
Linking up to ABC Wednesday for P is for Poetry. Also photography, purple and pretty!
This meme was started by Mrs. Nesbitt and administered by Roger and his Team.
Looks like there are several link ups for this party. Hope I didn’t miss anyone!
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
This has been a banner Spring in the Seattle area with many things blooming early because of the weather this year. Here are a series of lovelies from our yard. Calling it a garden is a bit of a stretch.
Pink Dogwood is one of my very favorites. We planted this tree just a few years ago.
Our lilac bush was planted the same time as the Dogwood. This is the first year it is full of blooms. Last year we only had 3 blooms!
I love these sweet Violas.
Our Camellia was at it’s fullest a week ago. It is waning now but the azalea bush you see next to it is now in it’s glory in the photo below.
Next to this vibrant azalea is our Rosebud Azalea that will bloom next.
This next photo shows what the sweet little rosebud azaleas look like when they open up. As of this morning this is the first one to open.
We have a few established rhododendrons in our yard. This yellow rhoddy is the youngest and we had some beautiful blooms this year.
These last photos are of our very old and established Rhododendrons that were here when we purchased this old house. The Rhododendron is the Washington State Flower. These next photos were taken this morning in the rain.
One lighter pink and the other one deeper. The third bush always blooms later than these two.
Our patio covers are not up yet so on the next couple of photos you can see the frames without the covers. We usually put the covers up on Mother’s Day weekend.
Here you see a little view of our deck patio and the Dogwood, little yellow rhoddy, and the side of our barbecue.
This is a view of the french doors from our family room that are the most used doors at this old house. You step out on the deck from them and this path takes you to our detached garage/shop. I’ll leave you with some shots that show our deck with the covers up. This one shows the deck looking out from our family room.
Another view with our new privacy fence. Whew…you made it through. Wish I could have strolled through with you and a cup of coffee!
We just got home from a trip across the mountains to visit our son and his new bride of 10 months. It’s a 5-1/2 hour drive to get to their home. Now we are rushing about getting things ready for a trip to San Antonio, Texas for Dear to work at a conference there. I will be on my own and will explore this city that I’ve never been to and also drive to Austin to meet up with my brother and his family who will drive down from Dallas. Woohoo. Better get the laundry going. Hope you all have a good week!
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 