Death Valley Birds & Blooms!

When you think of Death Valley, you think of heat and misery, and maybe Twenty Mule Team Borax, but you just don't think about beautiful roses and sweetly singing birds!  Granted, we weren't IN Death Valley just very close to it in a little town called Beatty when our Penske truck developed a problem and we had to spend the better part of a day at a motel called The Death Valley Inn....

 while the Penske crew brought us a new truck and then off-loaded the one into the other....

 But, it couldn't have happened at a more pleasant place!  Look at this lovely (and surprising) spot in the desert!  Joining in with Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and later Anni's Bird d'Pot.

WHY you ask were we driving a Penske truck (pulling a trailer behind it) last month when we actually accomplished our move to Oregon in December???  Good question!  We had to leave some stuff behind in Tucson, including our jeep which would have come in handy back in December in the Oregon snows! :-)  So...this is what out trip looked like:
1)  Fly to Austin to attend the Blue Ghost Reunion (if you missed it, see post HERE)
2) Rent a car and drive to Round Top to visit friends at Festival Hill, TX (I've been posting about Festival Hill the last three weeks!)
3) Go back to Austin, catch a plane and fly to Tucson where we stayed with a friend from church to pick up our stuff and our jeep (but were unable to get the jeep trailer!)
4) Drive back to Oregon in the Penske truck, which after it broke down, became a different Penske truck.  Now you are caught up! :-)

Like I said, Beatty was a nice place to be stuck for a day.  We got some food across the highway at Mel's Diner....

The two trucks backed up to each other while the crew off-loaded/on-loaded, and Russell looking in at the progress.  And me sitting on the sidelines, enjoying the shade!....

And finally we got back on the road....

The Log House

Joining Mersad's Through My Lens, and Tom's Tuesday Treasures....

Before I share what I had intended to, let me share something else that is very special!  On May 29th my husband Russell and I will be celebrating our 48th Anniversary!  We met almost 50 years ago.  He is my treasure, and my best friend.  I've almost lost him more than once, and I am grateful God has blessed us with so many years together...and hopefully many more!

In front of our first home, a tiny detatched garage apartment.  Aren't we cute!? :-) Ahhhh....young love!

This is my final Festival Hill post, and shows the amazing Log House, which is a replica of a log home in Michigan, re-created with generous contributions from the family who owned the original, who also donated the Arts & Crafts Movement (mainly Stickley) furnishings.  This is where we were told we would be staying, in this incredible home!  It is usually reserved for conductors and other special guests during the summer Festivals, and I was so honored to get to call this home for two lovely nights!  We had the entire house to ourselves, though I didn't venture upstairs.  Arts & Crafts is one of my absolute favorite styles, and to be among so many museum-quality pieces just thrilled me to death....

The bedroom....

A Stickley label in the desk drawer, and info on the wall....

Sitting in the main room with our friend Nick Collier the day he came out to see Festival Hill....

Five Fun Things Tucson Visit

I still have one more important post to share about Festival Hill, but right now I am going to jump ahead to our time in Tucson.  Sharing with Tricky & Carly's Five on Friday:






1.

Our dear friend, Paulette George, from Desert Springs Baptist Church, opened up her lovely home to us.  When our departure was delayed, and we ended up being with her a week, she continued to make us more than welcome!  She's a sweet Sister in Christ!

That first Friday Paulette was hosting a "Beans and Jeans" dinner for some of the church members.  We laughed so much, my cheeks hurt!  What a wonderful time with our Tucson friends!

 

 

 

2.  Church again Sunday morning....

 

 

 

and lunch afterwards at Grumpy's Grill with Pastor Ron & Vickie Moxson,  Paulette, and the Mullins, Monty and Ava....

 

 

3.  It broke 100 degrees Fahrenheit by the day we left.  The days of high 90s were taking its toll on us, and we were reminded why we were happy we made the move to Oregon (image from the internet)....

 

 

 

 

4.  We were there though during the lovely spring blossomings of some of the desert flora, including the saguaro cacti.  I took this one photo of a shorter one near the church.  Also, enjoy this video created by the Arizona Daily Star by clicking on the link....

 

 

 

 https://www.facebook.com/ArizonaDailyStar/videos/1116428848426003/

 

 

5.  One of my favorite blooming trees (the Palo Verde) was also adorned for our enjoyment during our trip....

 

 





Edythe Bates Old Chapel, Festival Hill

Another look at the Edythe Bates Old Chapel as promised for Tom's Tuesday Treasures and Mersad's Through My Lens:

The Chapel was moved from nearby La Grange Texas after it was set to be destroyed

The entrance to the Chapel grounds, flanked by two lovely fountains....

The interior of the beautifully restored church, featuring the Henry Erben pipe organ

The scene of many weddings, events and small concerts
 

To learn more about the Edythe Bates Old Chapel and the Henry Erben Organ, click HERE.
Please enjoy this video of Festival Hill featuring the 1835 Henry Erben organ...

Master Craftsman

If you have been following my series about Festival Hill in Round Top, you know I mentioned the very talented Larry Birkelbach, who oversees all work there, and has masterfully crafted much of the woodwork that graces the Festival Concert Hall and other buildings at this amazing place.  Here is my little tribute to him, as #1 of my Five on Friday with Tricky & Carly and Willy Nilly Friday Five with Tanya....

1.

 

A display showing Larry's drafting and designs of a small portion of the Concert Hall woodwork.

I saw Larry when we arrived and he took me into the Hall but I didn't get a photo that day.  The next day we happened to catch him hard at work on the grounds and I snapped this photo.  He is a Master Craftsman, indeed!

 

2.  Some of the beautiful huge oaks and other trees on the grounds of Festival Hill...

 



 

 

3.  Also for Eileen's Saturday's Critters, here are some Texas Cattle who weren't sure what to think of my approach to get their photos:

 

 

4.  Also for Eileen's Saturday's Critters, I am sharing photos of my friend Paulette's two beautiful cats (I'm jumping ahead to Tucson here):

 

Brando is such a handsome boy!

He's so well-behaved and loving....look at the unusual swirl on his side.

Sassy is more shy but she warmed up to us in the week we visited there.

5.  Finally, we had greatly anticipated getting to eat the best breakfast burritos in the world again in Giddings, Texas.  This place, a Christian family-owned tiny little tacqueria when we lived nearby blossomed a few years after we left into this full-sized restaurant.  It's one of the most popular places to eat, definitely for breakfast burritos.  The ladies make the tortillas right in front of you...the only breakfast burrito worth eating is made with a home-made tortilla!  We savored every bite!