"What do you think of this?" asked Dana, showing me a lovely aerial view of a large swimming pool, with a smaller one beside it, a small garden with a waterfall, and a lake. "Are we moving? Have you found our retirement home?" I asked, not having a clue as to why he was showing me this rather glorious looking property. "No, it's where we are going for the weekend. What do you think/?" I was a little confused, as Dana is not really a walker, and the river definitely looked as if it required a walk! I had to ask the question. "Do you want to go away for the weekend?" He answered, with his usual non-committal answer when it comes to getting out of town, or taking a holiday, in that he does it because he knows I like to do it, and if I am happy, then so is he. (Okay, put the buckets away!) I made it very clear that I had no need to go away for the weekend. "Where is it?." He replied, "Kerrville". My response was, "Why?" He answered, "Because you have never been!".
In order to keep everyone happy, I said that a weekend away for my birthday would be a lovely idea, and that I would be ready to leave on Saturday morning.
We left the office on Friday night, and I went swimming. As I came back to my house, I saw our 'glorious leader', Mike, (chair of our housing association,) and he said he was going away for the weekend. "I am going to celebrate our separation from the English", he said, tongue in cheek. "Not working very well, is it!" I responded, in kind!
We set off a little before ten, and drove for two hours. We drove through the very busy, very popular town of Fredericksburg, where the streets were lined with people, wearing red, white and blue, and the town was covered in bunting and flags. It looked so beautiful, and alive. I started to get quite excited about the trip.
Driving a little further, things became a lot more rural, and finally we made it to the Kerr County line, and then, eventually, into Kerrville. I waited. I am sure Kerrville is a lovely place, and if you like solitude and peace and quiet, then this is the place to be. "So what's here? What can we do?" The answer was on the stands in the foyer of the hotel. "Visit the great town of Round Rock! Just two hours from the centre of Kerrville, this great town....." We had just driven for two hours to be told that the most exciting place around is on our doorstep? I vowed to keep quiet, and enjoy my weekend.
After checking in, we found our room and found we had a view of the two pools and rock garden with the waterfall. It is funny how things look so much larger from an aerial view! The pool was quite large, and very busy. In fact, I think the population of the town were at the pool! I looked out of the window and turned back with a big smile on my face. "What now?" I asked, wondering whether we should just stay put or go and explore!
Getting back into the car, I felt very selfish. I just wanted to go home! It was a lovely idea to get away for the weekend, but this was not exactly what I had in mind for a mini-vacation. We drove around the town, and came back.
The pool was very pleasant, and the seats around very comfortable. We swam for a while, and then sat for a while. Although it was very busy, there were a lot of chairs, and we even had pool side service, where the waiter brought us some sweet potato fries, with a smile. Things were looking up. As the pool emptied out, I swam some laps, and once again, was hindered by some adults who decided 'now' was the time to throw their kids the 'other' way into the pool, and to swing them around into my path. I was not imagining it when one mother looked absolutely shocked when I chose to swim around the other way, and she looked out of the corner of her eye to see when I was coming and then stopped in her tracks, when she saw I had passed her on the other side! It is a mystery to me why people feel the need to get in the way! The pool was very big, and there was plenty of room for three or four people to swim laps, and for others to play and, if the whim was to throw their kids high and far, they could do that without interrupting the swimmers. Two young girls were watching me. About ten and twelve, they looked at the young mother with curiosity. I left the pool area, and the 'throwing' and 'twirling' stopped.
Dinner was interesting. Reportedly, the best steakhouse in town, by some, and the worst by others, we decided to take a chance. There was a small queue but we were not in a hurry. Interestingly enough, there was a bar which allowed smoking. That is something I have not seen for a long time, but people were having a 'pint and a cigarette' and watching the sports channel. It was all very civilised! The hostess explained that the wait was because they had no-one to 'bus' the tables, and they were having to do it themselves. The wait staff were lovely. An average age of seventy five, they literally hobbled around with a smile. The owner was sitting with a couple at the table next to ours. They seemed very deep in conversation, and I wondered why he was not helping. However, after emptying what looked like a third bottle of wine, he had to get up, and my answer was given. Heaving himself up and supporting himself on a chair at our table, he struggled to walk across the room. This had nothing to do with the wine. (At least I don't think it had anything to do with the wine!) His companions awaited his return, and our waitress took our order.
My buffalo steak was almost medium rare. It was red in the middle, and quite black around the edges. Our waitress, although very pleasant, appeared to be a little agitated with the owner, and kept glancing over to his table, with a look of utter contempt. Eventually, he suggested to his guests that they move their party into the bar, to free up the table. He heaved himself up, again, almost toppling over, perhaps this time having something to do with the wine, as another bottle had been opened, poured and almost drunk, and they headed out towards the other room, being ushered by our waitress. She appeared to indicate that she would clear the table and bring them their drinks. However, before delivering their glasses to their new location, she emptied one, namely the glass from which the owner had been drinking, into her mouth, and wiped her lips with the back of her wrist. "Everything alright here?" she asked, with a glint in her eye and a large smile on her face. We nodded. Dana, who had been chewing his filet mignon into submission, was unaware of the episode that had just taken place, and wondered why I was smiling so hard. I told him what I had just seen, and he was unsure how to react. It just seemed to be a natural occurrence!
We finished our dinner and declined dessert, but the waitress had spotted my 'happy birthday' pin on my shirt, (which is a fixture, as I wear the shirt once a year, on my birthday,) and returned to our table with the bill and a couple of ample slices of chocolate cake, with a candle in the middle! It was very good cake!
Returning to the hotel, we noticed that the pool was empty, but having eaten a large meal, my desire to swim was not there! Instead we watched a movie and fell asleep!
I awoke early on my birthday. Richard sent me a message, presumably thinking that I would not have my sound set to 'high' and I received several more messages between the hours of two and six. We had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and I received a call from the three boys, and Steph, with the former singing very loudly. I could not adjust the volume, so the entire population heard the vocal extravaganza. It was a real treat!
After a while, I decided to have another swim. The two young girls who had been there the previous day were just entering the area. "Are you going to try and swim again?" asked one. I responded that I was, and she said that her and her sister would make sure they did not get in my way. I thanked her, but said it was 'everybody's' pool. She looked with a knowing look. Of course, as soon as I started to swim ....! We all three found it amusing.
Dana joined me after a while, and we sat in the deck chairs, soaking up the atmosphere. When we returned to the room, I just sat on the bed, and had to be honest. I still wanted to go home. It had been very nice, but there was something nagging at me, and I did not want to stay another minute! Dana just looked at me and said, "I have been enduring in silence. I would love to pack up and leave". I was so pleased to hear him say that. We packed, checked out and headed home. Behind us was a deep purple cloud that looked like it was going to turn into something rather meteorologically nasty!
On our way home, we stopped at a local farm, which had a stand on the side of the road, selling peaches and plums, and purchased two punnets, My promise to Samantha to get her some fresh Fredricksburg peaches was fulfilled!
We stopped off at the barbecue place on the way home, and drove on. It was lovely to be home. I did not regret leaving, nor having a 'birthday dinner' at a fancy restaurant. I was where I wanted to be. At home!
The next morning was a holiday. It was a little drizzly but not cold. Dana's sister and brother-in-law were in Texas for their annual 'friends and family' visit, and wanted to meet for lunch or dinner. We told them that we had dinner plans and they were very welcome to join us, but they opted for lunch. As it happens, they were just going for breakfast, so we joined them. It was so good to see them, and we sat outside of the Cracker Barrell as the rain poured down, and splashed up against us. It bothered us not! After a couple of hours, we went our separate ways.
Dinner was at the Brazilian Steakhouse. Grant joined Samantha, Edward, Dana and me for a lovely evening. I had my birthday badge on, and the waitress kept looking over. As it was Monday evening, desserts were included in the price, and so I did not get preferential treatment. However, various tables were being given desserts with candles in them, and the familiar chords of the birthday song were being sung. I told the waitress it was my birthday, and she just giggled. My daughter took control. She took the light from the centre of the table and removed the candle shaped bulb. They all sang happy birthday, and then she told me to blow out the candle. As I did, she clicked the switch. Off it went! Then she clicked it again, and I blew, and it went out. She clicked it again, and again, and again! Who needs an ordinary candle! Several people looked over as the laughter was quite racous! "How's that Independence thing going?" I asked!
The rest of the week was quite busy. It rained quite a bit, and then dried out. My garden grew and grew, and I picked vegetables every day.
On Thursday, Grant told me that there were quite a few people at the pool, and I might have a problem swimming my laps. I told him that I would go down and tell them all to go! "I think they are taking this Independence thing a bit far!" I said, and left the house, with him laughing, but half wondering what I was going to do! Everyone had left the area when I arrived!
Samantha and Edward took off on Friday to Dallas, where they planned to meet Edward's brother, who was arriving for some meetings next week. Guess who had the dogs! However, after having a few holidays over the past couple of weeks, I did not feel particularly trapped!
I shopped alone on Saturday, and everywhere I went I was asked, "You alone today?" Do we really make that much of an impact on people? I then went to the pool and enjoyed a swim before it became a bit busy with a party of people arriving. They apologised for the noise, and I wondered if they knew who I was, or were just being polite. Probably the latter! I read and enjoyed the sun, until the rain started to pour.
Samantha and Edward will be returning to collect their boys later, but it hasn't been a problem. We have walked, and they have even let me sleep, a little bit! I enjoyed my week and weekend at home!
I am not sure what is in store for me next week, but I feel rather relaxed and quite invigorated. We have enjoyed peaches all week! Two and a half vacations must have done the trick. Although we have had our fair share of rain, the sun has shone in between the storms and people are smiling and chatting and being 'Texan'. With the fourth now over, summer is really here. I hope it will be exciting enough for ............ another story!
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