A Small Town and a Large Ranch
JoAnn and I got up early, far too early, my body and brain groaned, but we were in Texas and wanted to make the most of our time there. Dawn and Mitchell had invited us to come to their cabin for coffee. Joe and Phyllis were to supply the breakfast food. Mitchell said he'd be up by 5 a.m. and said we could drop in whenever we liked. Well, we weren't up that early but early enough to have some coffee from the first pot of the day. Mitchell makes a mean pot of coffee, nice and strong, just like I like it. Emma was awake and we got to cuddle and coo at her. Such a sweet baby with a smile that lights up the room. It was a sunny morning but our cabin decks were in the shade and there was a nice breeze coming across the lake. We sipped our coffee and chatted, enjooyed the view and waited for Joe and Phyllis to arrive with the breakfast grub. And waited. And waited. Finally we decided we'd run out to the convenience store ourselves. We left Dawn with the baby and Mitchell, JoAnn and I took the short ride to the store. While we were browsing the aisles who should walk in but Joe and Phyllis. They'd wanted to call us but couldn't get a signal on their cell phone. Pickin's were slim at the store and oddly enough we couldn't find small versions of anything we were interested in. You couldn't buy sugar packets but had to purchase a 2-lb. bag. You couldn't buy a small loaf of bread but had to purchase the giant 1 lb. package. No small jars of jam. And a pound of butter cost $5. We bought the large versions of everything and split up what we could among us. We also picked up an assortment of sweet buns and Phyllis chose a chocolate muffin. So that was our breakfast...toast and cinnamon buns and nice strong coffee. The package of Bimbo buns did not go over well. They were said to taste like a dinner roll with raisins in it. I had half of Phyllis' choc. muffin, half of a butter bun (almost pure sugar) and a couple of slices of toast. And some nice strong coffee.
After that hearty and healthy breakfast we took the paddle boats out onto the lake. JoAnn went out first with Mitchell and then Dawn and I went out. It is a peaceful setting there on Deer Lake. I'd brought my binoculars and hoped to see lots of birds. I hadn't brought a camera. I knew everyone else would have a digital camera and figured I'd get to see plenty of pics of our long weekend in Texas.
After spending time at the lake, JoAnn and I decided to go to Mt. Vernon, a small historic town nearby. We met the lady who manages the cabins and she gave us directions and a recommendation on a place to go to lunch. I had some reservations about the place on the edge of Mt. Vernon, as it was called The Sweet Shop. I was still buzzing from the sugar high I'd received at breakfast. But the lady was right, they serve up some mighty tasty sandwiches there. JoAnn and I each got a chicken salad on a croissant. In front of the cafe is a gift shop full of kitschy little knick knacks, many of them religious-themed. We chatted with some other patrons, all of them quite friendly and chatty. One fellow even reminisced about the time he'd flown into Friendship Airport. Guess it's been awhile since he was in Maryland; the airport was renamed Baltimore Washington International Airport in 1974.
From the Sweet Shop we made our way to Main Street, Mt. Vernon. By now it was getting quite hot with unrelenting sunshine. The lady at the cabins warned us we might be disappointed in Mt. Vernon; it is a small town with not much to it. She did not exaggerate. The hub of the town is Mt. Vernon Square, a patch of green topped with a wrought iron gazebo. Unassuming flat fronted one- and two-story buildings lined the square. There were a handful of "antique" stores, a hair salon, library, bank and courthouse. Parking was ample and free at the square. There were not many pedestrians about...in fact it felt as if we were in the middle of a ghost town. We wandered into a couple of "antique" stores. I put the word antique in quotes because most of the merchandise was new kitsch with a smattering of genuine antiques about. The most promising looking antique store with interesting architecture and a magnificent tin ceiling was closed. As were the restaurant on the square and the few museums we tried to visit. We went into the libary, which was thankfully open and cool. We were able to hop right onto some computers to check our email. The library lady informed us that the library was in the former bank and pointed out some of the architectural features which had been preserved. It seems there is a bit of history to Mt. Vernon -- it is the county seat of Franklin county, site of many historical houses and home to the Franklin County Genealogical Association. None of this grand history was apparent to us during our brief visit.
Before heading back to Bing's ranch we stopped off at Brookshire's, a real grocery store with a marginally better selection than the convenience store at the cabin. We picked up a package of English muffins, coffee and milk and I got a couple of apples. We dropped our groceries off at the cabin before heading over to Lone Star Ranch.
I'd only gotten a glimpse of part of the house through bleary eyes the night before. This time Mary Lou gave us the grand tour. The house is huge and sits atop a hill overlooking Lake Bob Sandlin. The ranch itself occupies 600 acres and Bing owns horses as well as substantial numbers of Longhorn and Black Angus cattle. The ground floor rooms are large and seem even larger because of the incredibly tall ceiling. The upstairs rooms run along the perimeter of the building and one side of the hallway connecting the rooms is a balcony overlooking the downstairs rooms. The dominant features are mellow caramel-colored wood and bronze metal and the decor has a strong American Western theme to it. You will find a nice selection of cowboy boots, lasso ropes and Western-themed paintings and prints. I was delighted to see three more of Aunt Domenica's paintings which Bing had had framed and hung among his other prints.
The one room that attracts the most attention, I believe, is the "trophy" room. Bing is an avid hunter in exotic places and has filled the room with the taxidermied animals he's hunted. There were three standing bears as well as a bear-skin rug, a couple of mountain goats, a zebra, countless antelope and gazelles, wildfowl...even more than I can mention here. I, personally, did not like to spend much time in this room. The rest of the house, however, is warm and welcoming with plenty of nifty modern gadgets hidden behind the rustic exterior. Outside the back is a huge patio with a swimming pool filled with salt-treated water (no chlorine!). There were so many young slender folks lining the pool that I never could find the nerve to put my bathing suit on. Aside from Emma, Ella and Ian there were three other charming youngsters in our family circle: Stephanie, the oldest of the young set, skinny and swimming like a fish most of the time, Bella, four-and-half years old and every inch of her precocious curiosity and little Dylan, our shy little cowboy. All the kids were well behaved and a delight to be around. Wish I could say the same about the adults. (KIDDING!!) Oh, and I shouldn't forget to mention Jazzie the dog and two very fat cats.
Vince and Jody and Domenica and Brenda had arrived that afternoon and everyone kept joking about the Texas-sized miles on Bing's directions. But we all made it there anyhow. For dinner that night we had a catered barbecue with beef brisket, baked beans, smoked sausages and cole slaw. All very tasty. After dinner, JoAnn, Mary Lou and Domenica presented a surprise for everyone. They'd arranged to have a wreath made in memory of all our family members who have passed away. Each loved one's name was printed on a strip of paper that was intertwined in the wreath. They laid the wreath on the ground and surrounded it with luminaries (candles inside of white paper bags) -- one for each person commemorated. It was a beautiful and touching tribute.
Later that evening we all headed back to the cabin caravan style with JoAnn and I leading the way. JoAnn, Domenica and Brenda hit the sack early but Vince, Jody and I had trouble getting to sleep. We raided the games closet in the cabin and started working on a jigsaw puzzle. The image was of two parrots on a branch of a leafy jungle tree with a lake in the background. For some ill-conceived reason we began the puzzle on a tablecloth with a leaf pattern making our difficult task even more challenging. We'd made some little progress on the puzzle by midnight when I toddled off to bed.
After that hearty and healthy breakfast we took the paddle boats out onto the lake. JoAnn went out first with Mitchell and then Dawn and I went out. It is a peaceful setting there on Deer Lake. I'd brought my binoculars and hoped to see lots of birds. I hadn't brought a camera. I knew everyone else would have a digital camera and figured I'd get to see plenty of pics of our long weekend in Texas.
After spending time at the lake, JoAnn and I decided to go to Mt. Vernon, a small historic town nearby. We met the lady who manages the cabins and she gave us directions and a recommendation on a place to go to lunch. I had some reservations about the place on the edge of Mt. Vernon, as it was called The Sweet Shop. I was still buzzing from the sugar high I'd received at breakfast. But the lady was right, they serve up some mighty tasty sandwiches there. JoAnn and I each got a chicken salad on a croissant. In front of the cafe is a gift shop full of kitschy little knick knacks, many of them religious-themed. We chatted with some other patrons, all of them quite friendly and chatty. One fellow even reminisced about the time he'd flown into Friendship Airport. Guess it's been awhile since he was in Maryland; the airport was renamed Baltimore Washington International Airport in 1974.
From the Sweet Shop we made our way to Main Street, Mt. Vernon. By now it was getting quite hot with unrelenting sunshine. The lady at the cabins warned us we might be disappointed in Mt. Vernon; it is a small town with not much to it. She did not exaggerate. The hub of the town is Mt. Vernon Square, a patch of green topped with a wrought iron gazebo. Unassuming flat fronted one- and two-story buildings lined the square. There were a handful of "antique" stores, a hair salon, library, bank and courthouse. Parking was ample and free at the square. There were not many pedestrians about...in fact it felt as if we were in the middle of a ghost town. We wandered into a couple of "antique" stores. I put the word antique in quotes because most of the merchandise was new kitsch with a smattering of genuine antiques about. The most promising looking antique store with interesting architecture and a magnificent tin ceiling was closed. As were the restaurant on the square and the few museums we tried to visit. We went into the libary, which was thankfully open and cool. We were able to hop right onto some computers to check our email. The library lady informed us that the library was in the former bank and pointed out some of the architectural features which had been preserved. It seems there is a bit of history to Mt. Vernon -- it is the county seat of Franklin county, site of many historical houses and home to the Franklin County Genealogical Association. None of this grand history was apparent to us during our brief visit.
Before heading back to Bing's ranch we stopped off at Brookshire's, a real grocery store with a marginally better selection than the convenience store at the cabin. We picked up a package of English muffins, coffee and milk and I got a couple of apples. We dropped our groceries off at the cabin before heading over to Lone Star Ranch.
I'd only gotten a glimpse of part of the house through bleary eyes the night before. This time Mary Lou gave us the grand tour. The house is huge and sits atop a hill overlooking Lake Bob Sandlin. The ranch itself occupies 600 acres and Bing owns horses as well as substantial numbers of Longhorn and Black Angus cattle. The ground floor rooms are large and seem even larger because of the incredibly tall ceiling. The upstairs rooms run along the perimeter of the building and one side of the hallway connecting the rooms is a balcony overlooking the downstairs rooms. The dominant features are mellow caramel-colored wood and bronze metal and the decor has a strong American Western theme to it. You will find a nice selection of cowboy boots, lasso ropes and Western-themed paintings and prints. I was delighted to see three more of Aunt Domenica's paintings which Bing had had framed and hung among his other prints.
The one room that attracts the most attention, I believe, is the "trophy" room. Bing is an avid hunter in exotic places and has filled the room with the taxidermied animals he's hunted. There were three standing bears as well as a bear-skin rug, a couple of mountain goats, a zebra, countless antelope and gazelles, wildfowl...even more than I can mention here. I, personally, did not like to spend much time in this room. The rest of the house, however, is warm and welcoming with plenty of nifty modern gadgets hidden behind the rustic exterior. Outside the back is a huge patio with a swimming pool filled with salt-treated water (no chlorine!). There were so many young slender folks lining the pool that I never could find the nerve to put my bathing suit on. Aside from Emma, Ella and Ian there were three other charming youngsters in our family circle: Stephanie, the oldest of the young set, skinny and swimming like a fish most of the time, Bella, four-and-half years old and every inch of her precocious curiosity and little Dylan, our shy little cowboy. All the kids were well behaved and a delight to be around. Wish I could say the same about the adults. (KIDDING!!) Oh, and I shouldn't forget to mention Jazzie the dog and two very fat cats.
Vince and Jody and Domenica and Brenda had arrived that afternoon and everyone kept joking about the Texas-sized miles on Bing's directions. But we all made it there anyhow. For dinner that night we had a catered barbecue with beef brisket, baked beans, smoked sausages and cole slaw. All very tasty. After dinner, JoAnn, Mary Lou and Domenica presented a surprise for everyone. They'd arranged to have a wreath made in memory of all our family members who have passed away. Each loved one's name was printed on a strip of paper that was intertwined in the wreath. They laid the wreath on the ground and surrounded it with luminaries (candles inside of white paper bags) -- one for each person commemorated. It was a beautiful and touching tribute.
Later that evening we all headed back to the cabin caravan style with JoAnn and I leading the way. JoAnn, Domenica and Brenda hit the sack early but Vince, Jody and I had trouble getting to sleep. We raided the games closet in the cabin and started working on a jigsaw puzzle. The image was of two parrots on a branch of a leafy jungle tree with a lake in the background. For some ill-conceived reason we began the puzzle on a tablecloth with a leaf pattern making our difficult task even more challenging. We'd made some little progress on the puzzle by midnight when I toddled off to bed.
posted by lenora at 5:50 PM
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