Leisurely TX weekend

No, I did not deface the cactus, it was already like that!

Periodically, both enlisted and officers go through professional development courses throughout their careers.  On Friday, I "graduated" from a nine week company grade officer leadership course.  Fortunately for me, this course was here at Fort Sam Houston, so I didn't have to live in temporary lodging while attending.  Although not particularly arduous, I had to substitute a good portion of my recreational reading with required reading for the program.  So, to celebrate the return of leisure reading of my choice, a friend and I headed to the hill country for a little exploring.

Yesterday was a beautiful 80 degree, cloudless sky event.  We couldn't have asked for better weather for the 6 mile hike through Hill Country State Natural Area in Bandera County. There weren't many flowers blooming yet, but the stark scenery was still beautiful and inviting.  Although we hiked the limestone trail at a leisurely pace, we still worked up an appetite and thirst for our next stop- Mac & Ernie's Roadside Eatery.  This little kitchen shack located on FM470 has been featured on The Food Network and the Travel Channel. 

Guy Fieri ate here (and apparently left a sign- see pic) for his show Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives as did Andrew Zimmern for Bizarre Foods. I'll admit that goat isn't a meat you regularly find on American menus, but to this Cajun girl, the Cabrito burger I ate there didn't seem very bizarre at all.  In fact, it was quite tasty and provided the perfect accompaniment to my Shiner Bock brew.

Mac & Ernie's had a great local feel to it.  The lime green table tops, lemon yellow 1950s style dining chairs and order ticket conveyor belt, featuring a yellow goat dropping the order ticket off to the cooks, just made the whole place feel fun.  The fact that the food and service was great was just lagniappe!

As we continued down 470, we spied some interesting sites along the road.  We did a double-take and actually turned the car around to go back and take a picture of this scarecrow maw and paw farmer hay bale holder.  Teamwork! 

The other interesting site was a couple of different locations where coyotes hung from fence posts along the road.  We wondered what they meant.  Was there a competition amongst ranchers for who could kill the most coyotes?  Was this a way for the county to keep track of the coyote population and kills?  The all-knowing Google revealed that ranchers kill the predators after they've attacked their livestock and then hang them upside down on fence posts in the area as a deterrent.  Apparently, other coyotes come and sniff the carcasses and realize that this may not be the best place for them to seek their next meals.  Whether it works or not, I'm not sure, but the suspended, decaying carcasses certainly make for interesting road side sites.

 

The final stop of the day was wine tasting at the Bending Branch Winery.  We couldn't have asked for a better setting to imbibe some great local spirits.  We sampled wines under shade trees on an outside deck while being serenaded by a local musician playing acoustic guitar.  The breeze and warmth made the whole experience feel absolutely decadent.  Of the whites and reds we sampled, my favorites were the Vermentino (white grapes of Mediterranean origin) and the Tempranillo (a red reminiscent of my favorite Spanish Riojas).    As daylight drew down, we pointed the car towards San Antonio feeling satisfied with the physically active, yet gastronomically rewarding day.