Well my weekend trip was a blasty blast. We started out early Saturday morning as we loaded up Josh and Elizabeth's Mini Cooper then headed out. The drive was great we had fun conversations and enjoyed the scenery then stopped off at Buckee's and grabbed a snack before heading on to the San Antonio Raceway. It was crowded and the races were fun. We were surprised at the number of Fox body Mustangs there. Let me just say I loved the Jet car. I think I enjoyed the people watching about as much as the races. There was a certain cowboy with a back view that made this cowgirl’s heart skip a beat. I'd love to have a pair of wranglers filled like that to grab onto.
After the races we went to the hotel to check in then we headed off to see Elizabeth's family. We stayed a little while then decided to head back to the hotel and get some sleep so we could be fresh for the next day. Poor Josh was sun burned. Josh and Elizabeth watched some TV while I put my headphones on and listened to my Zune.
We jumped up Sunday morning realizing we had already lost an hour because of the time change and showered then dressed to head over to see Elizabeth’s grandparents. We had a nice visit while we ate breakfast and I fell in love with her grandmother, she is so cute you just want to hug her. Then once we left there it was off to the little Japanese store to buy some supplies then out of San Antonio on 16 toward Medina and the Rescue Ranch. Let me tell you this, the farther we got away from San Antonio the prettier the scenery.
Of course we had to stop off at the Old Timer to grab chips and a drink and to get the feel of a small town gathering spot. Then it was off to the Rescue Ranch. Josh loved the curves and the hilly drive a bit much in his Mini Cooper. I can say one thing that little car can hug the road. Once we turned off Wallace Creek Road on to Echo Hill I began to realize that I was almost there and about to meet one on my favorite online people Cousin Nancy. When we pulled into the long drive Tony was there and said Nancy is up at the house go on up. Then Nancy came out of the gate as I was climbing out of the back seat of the Mini Cooper. It was like seeing family that you haven’t seen in years. We chatted
"I have a surprise for you Cindy." Nancy says with a sweet smile.
I thought oh, oh what now.
That was when she said”Kinky didn't get to go to Hawaii and he was home and we were going over to the lodge to see him."
"Crap" I had thought I would get to enjoy a visit with out a distraction.
Well it didn’t matter we went inside where she gave me the children’s book John Kemmerly had written Velma the Vomiting Vulture. He had signed it to my about to be born Grandson Jamie. I was so thrilled to get the book and was chomping at the bit to read it. (I read it the first thing this morning and I loved it.) After a couple pictures we headed out side to look around and meet a few of the rescues before Tony slid into the mini with Josh and Elizabeth and I climbed in their 4 wheeler Kermit to see Kinky after a short tour of the ranch. The place was beautiful even though it is winter and the trees are bare except for the evergreens and the grass was dead from the freezes. I loved the view of the big hills.
When we pulled up to Kinky’s lodge he was standing out by the gate waiting for us.
“Hello Kinky I thought you’d be in Hawaii enjoying the sun about now” I offered as I walked through the gate as he opened it and invited us all in.
“Me too” he grumbled as we walked past.
You can’t blame the man I could imagine a warm beach would have been better than the chilly breeze that blew on that day.
As we walked through the door and into his small kitchen we said hello to Goat his old friend and street preacher cooking pork chops for their meal. He then handed Kinky the phone as we all walked through into the main room to see all the great art work and pictures that graced the walls. The room was filled with the same furniture that his parents had in there from the fifties with one exception a pool table. Kinky grabbed a pool stick and said who’s playing pool? It was decided that Kinky (The Humming bird man) would play Tony (The Medina Bulldog) and Josh (The Spring Chicken) would play the winner. In the end the score was Kinky-0, The Medina Bulldog-1 and The Spring Chicken-1
While the last game was being played Nancy, Elizabeth and I went out in the back yard to see the Friedman Bone Orchard. Mr. Magoo was giving me a lot of attention so I made sure he knew it was appreciated and returned it with hugs and scratches. When Nancy said lets get some pictures Kinky went inside to get his hat and I mentioned I hated taking pictures because I don’t like my reflection. I guess no one looks quite what they want to look like.
After a few snap shots we bid our farewells and headed back to the Rescue Ranch so Kinky could attend to the pork chops. I enjoyed meeting his kids the Friedmans Chumley, Magoo, Brownie and Perkey. You could tell they were spoiled because they were all a bit on the chubby side.
Back at the Rescue Ranch we toured a couple more pens before going into Nancy’s writing cabin to sit down and have a chat. I don’t know how long we stayed all together but I hated to leave but knew we had a long drive ahead of us. We bid our farewells and Josh told Nancy and Tony that they were going to National in about a month and they would drag me along and we could come back by for another visit.
The drive home was more spectacular as he climbed one pass after another to get out of the little valley. Kerrville had grown a lot since my last visit 30 years ago. I still feel like the Hill Country is my true home so I am going to have to start working a little harder to find my job and place to move to so I can be home again.
After the races we went to the hotel to check in then we headed off to see Elizabeth's family. We stayed a little while then decided to head back to the hotel and get some sleep so we could be fresh for the next day. Poor Josh was sun burned. Josh and Elizabeth watched some TV while I put my headphones on and listened to my Zune.
We jumped up Sunday morning realizing we had already lost an hour because of the time change and showered then dressed to head over to see Elizabeth’s grandparents. We had a nice visit while we ate breakfast and I fell in love with her grandmother, she is so cute you just want to hug her. Then once we left there it was off to the little Japanese store to buy some supplies then out of San Antonio on 16 toward Medina and the Rescue Ranch. Let me tell you this, the farther we got away from San Antonio the prettier the scenery.
Of course we had to stop off at the Old Timer to grab chips and a drink and to get the feel of a small town gathering spot. Then it was off to the Rescue Ranch. Josh loved the curves and the hilly drive a bit much in his Mini Cooper. I can say one thing that little car can hug the road. Once we turned off Wallace Creek Road on to Echo Hill I began to realize that I was almost there and about to meet one on my favorite online people Cousin Nancy. When we pulled into the long drive Tony was there and said Nancy is up at the house go on up. Then Nancy came out of the gate as I was climbing out of the back seat of the Mini Cooper. It was like seeing family that you haven’t seen in years. We chatted
"I have a surprise for you Cindy." Nancy says with a sweet smile.
I thought oh, oh what now.
That was when she said”Kinky didn't get to go to Hawaii and he was home and we were going over to the lodge to see him."
"Crap" I had thought I would get to enjoy a visit with out a distraction.
Well it didn’t matter we went inside where she gave me the children’s book John Kemmerly had written Velma the Vomiting Vulture. He had signed it to my about to be born Grandson Jamie. I was so thrilled to get the book and was chomping at the bit to read it. (I read it the first thing this morning and I loved it.) After a couple pictures we headed out side to look around and meet a few of the rescues before Tony slid into the mini with Josh and Elizabeth and I climbed in their 4 wheeler Kermit to see Kinky after a short tour of the ranch. The place was beautiful even though it is winter and the trees are bare except for the evergreens and the grass was dead from the freezes. I loved the view of the big hills.
When we pulled up to Kinky’s lodge he was standing out by the gate waiting for us.
“Hello Kinky I thought you’d be in Hawaii enjoying the sun about now” I offered as I walked through the gate as he opened it and invited us all in.
“Me too” he grumbled as we walked past.
You can’t blame the man I could imagine a warm beach would have been better than the chilly breeze that blew on that day.
As we walked through the door and into his small kitchen we said hello to Goat his old friend and street preacher cooking pork chops for their meal. He then handed Kinky the phone as we all walked through into the main room to see all the great art work and pictures that graced the walls. The room was filled with the same furniture that his parents had in there from the fifties with one exception a pool table. Kinky grabbed a pool stick and said who’s playing pool? It was decided that Kinky (The Humming bird man) would play Tony (The Medina Bulldog) and Josh (The Spring Chicken) would play the winner. In the end the score was Kinky-0, The Medina Bulldog-1 and The Spring Chicken-1
While the last game was being played Nancy, Elizabeth and I went out in the back yard to see the Friedman Bone Orchard. Mr. Magoo was giving me a lot of attention so I made sure he knew it was appreciated and returned it with hugs and scratches. When Nancy said lets get some pictures Kinky went inside to get his hat and I mentioned I hated taking pictures because I don’t like my reflection. I guess no one looks quite what they want to look like.
After a few snap shots we bid our farewells and headed back to the Rescue Ranch so Kinky could attend to the pork chops. I enjoyed meeting his kids the Friedmans Chumley, Magoo, Brownie and Perkey. You could tell they were spoiled because they were all a bit on the chubby side.
Back at the Rescue Ranch we toured a couple more pens before going into Nancy’s writing cabin to sit down and have a chat. I don’t know how long we stayed all together but I hated to leave but knew we had a long drive ahead of us. We bid our farewells and Josh told Nancy and Tony that they were going to National in about a month and they would drag me along and we could come back by for another visit.
The drive home was more spectacular as he climbed one pass after another to get out of the little valley. Kerrville had grown a lot since my last visit 30 years ago. I still feel like the Hill Country is my true home so I am going to have to start working a little harder to find my job and place to move to so I can be home again.
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