April 30, 2019

TEXAS WILDFLOWERS...A TOUR OF WILLOW CITY LOOP

I wanted to share the beauty of Texas Wildflowers
with you before the month ends...
I thought it best to just let you scroll
through the photos and allow you to take in the beauty
of this hidden gem known as the Willow City Loop
located in the Hill Country of Texas!


We enjoyed breakfast at Hoffman Haus
and headed over to Willow City.....


The rain was coming so we wasted no time in packing our bags
and heading out for a ride in the country that I had wanted to experience.
It is unbelievable that there is this much beauty scattered about
just growing wild and free.....

Willow City Loop is an awe-inspiring, historic 13-mile scenic drive 
through the picturesque rugged Texas Hill Country landscape. 
The iconic loop is the quintessential display for Texas wildflower exhibition, 
especially known for the blankets of beloved Texas bluebonnet
 and ever popular Indian paintbrush. 

 The fields are colorfully painted with wildflowers combined with rolling hills, craggy escarpments, and a beautiful canyon carved by Coal Creek. The landscape is colorfully highlighted with an assortment of distinctive native live oak, pecan, and mesquite trees. Other varieties of wildflower that can be found are phlox, coreopsis, Mexican poppies, firewheels, white and yellow daisies. There are several private landowners all along the loop. One fenceline, in particular, illustrates the pride of Texas by featuring Cowboy and Cowgirl boots on the wooden fence post for as far as the eye can see. The boots add to the enchantment of the unforgettable experience.











This trip was made possible as a gift from our children!
It was just a marvelous experience!

April 26, 2019

LYNDON B. JOHNSON BOYHOOD HOME...A VISIT TO THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK


We have arrived in Johnson City, Texas!
Our first stop is the National Park
which features the boyhood home of
Lyndon B. Johnson, our 36th president.
This park is located in Stonewall, which is just outside
of Johnson City.


This settlement is absolutely beautiful...
it's quiet, serene and surrounded
by beautiful old oak trees.


Don't you adore old red barns?


I love this shot of the barn..I may have to frame this one!


One little thing to notice is the distance
between the outhouse from the home...
that would be a long trek if you had to potty in the night!


Remember these?


I love visiting historic homesteads...
so much history here.


LBJ moved here with his family when he was five years old...
he had one brother and three sisters.
I found it to be a very pleasant house, airy and cool,
with many of the original Johnson furniture and household items.
The porch on the far right side was a big sleeping porch
which were so much like our grandparents homes.


This is the front entryway...
I loved the bookcase......


The girls bedrooms


This is the main parlor


A lovely little nook in the main parlor
where Rebekah Johnson, LBJ's mother,
entertained guests and family gathered.


The boyhood bedroom of LBJ..
notice the little picture of him above the bed.


The dining room


The kitchen...
oh that range....incredible!!!!
The Johnson family lived comfortably during this time.


We so enjoyed strolling the grounds under all these
magnificent oaks.....
I noticed this little guy watching us closely.....


The Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush were everywhere...
I wish you could experience spring in Texas....
it's absolutely stunning!


There were beautiful pastures of cows....


Pastures of sheep, chickens and goats.....



Isn't she gorgeous....
there is just something about cows in green pastures....


This visit was just so enjoyable....
it's been on my bucket list for a long time.....


I purchased this lovely wildflower pillow
for one of our guest bedrooms which
features a very well known quote from Lady Bird Johnson...
"Where flowers bloom, so does hope."


I also chose this beautiful print which I am going to frame
and hang in the foyer.

I am thrilled to be able to share this with you....
next post will feature the Texas White House!

VISITING THE TEXAS WHITE HOUSE....THE LBJ RANCH


Our first stop on the ranch was visiting the Johnson family cemetery.
The setting of the family burial section under the hundred years old oak trees
is just absolutely beautiful.
This is a view of an old Lutheran Church from this area on the ranch.




President Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson and all his siblings, parents,
grandparents, aunt and uncle have been laid to rest here.


This old, old headstone, with the little lamb on top,
marks the burial plot of President Johnson's Mother,
Rebekah Baines.
The headstone marked Martin, which is placed slightly to the front
of the Johnson family, belongs to his Aunt and Uncle,
who were the original owners of the ranch house.


I simply cannot convey how beautiful this ranch is......


This little homestead is a replica of the birthplace
of Lyndon Johnson.


The Johnson's did not want their ranch to become
a wasted replica of the past, but continue to be a working ranch.


Hereford cattle are still raised on the ranch land....this is the only
breed of cattle Johnson bred and raised.


The LBJ ranch includes roughly 2700 acres with 60 of those acres
being gifted to the National Park Service.


This is one of the aircraft that flew the President and First Lady
from Washington back to the ranch hundreds of times.


Much of the roads around the ranch property were actually runways.


This photo of the President and First Lady is displayed 
in the entrance to the ranch, along with automobiles
and a working show barn.


I loved seeing this gorgeous blue corvette
which was a birthday gift for Luci Baines...
I remember her white house wedding!


Wasn't this marvelous to keep this car restored
and shared for all to see?


I snapped this photo so you could see the view
from the front porch of their house....
it is just like heaven on earth I thought......


This is another view from the front porch....
many, many barbecues were held here as well as,
presidential cabinet meetings...right under these oak trees.....


The Johnson's were somewhat frugal spenders....
Lady Bird chose to leave much of the decor as it had been
when Johnson's aunt owned the home.
They did however, keep adding additions to the original structure
to make it over 8,000 square feet.
The home is temporarily closed for indoor tours
due to structural issues.
Keep in mind, this home was built in the very early 1900's.
Actually, I kept thinking..."here I am, at the home
of Lyndon Johnson, our President....sitting on the porch
where our beloved Lady Bird sat on spring afternoons!"
That fact did not go unappreciated.
It was extremely meaningful to me.


The upstairs of this section of the house
was an addition.
The staff was busy getting ready for a welcoming dinner
for President and Mrs. Kennedy on the 22nd day of November, 1963.
Around 1 PM, they were told to gather in the kitchen and
the news was shared that Kennedy had been shot in Dallas and had died...
they now worked for the President of the United States.
The two windows you see on the second story
was the bedroom being prepared for
President and Mrs. Kennedy's stay...which was never to be.


This is the swimming pool and pool house adjacent to the ranch home.
President Johnson was encouraged to stop smoking his unfiltered cigarettes
and increase his physical activity.
It was stated he actually just sat in the pool, while taking
calls from the White House 16 hours a day......


The home is maybe not as grand as you thought....
but it holds the memories of family times...
entertaining political dignitaries, social gatherings,
holidays, Texas style BBQ's....and actually running
the country from the left wing office...
phones ringing constantly, the banging keys of typewriters,
secret service agents keeping the property safe, 
ranch hands being fed in the kitchen (with no dishwasher until much later on)....
a house full of life....
Mrs. Johnson lived for 35 years after her husband died on January 22, 1973
at age 64...
she lived here alone most of that time.
In her very later years, she became frail and had lost her eyesight.
She relocated to Austin and was cared for by their youngest
daughter, Luci Baines.
Lady Bird passed away July 11, 2007 at age 94.