Living in a motor home, we can't buy the pretty decorative pieces displayed throughout the market. Because of that, Mark thinks he is a lucky man! After seeing so many beautiful wildflowers this past week, Denisa was a little tempted to take home one of these three-feet-tall metal versions of the famous bluebonnets.
This market has six different food vendors and open areas for entertainers spaced throughout the park. Just as the weatherman predicted, the skies opened and the rain began in earnest around noon. So we settled under the biggest roofed common area and enjoyed a barbecue lunch and live music for a while.
We decided that the best place to enjoy a rainy afternoon was inside, down the road at Wimberley Glass Works. As soon as we walked into their showroom, we knew we had wandered into a special place.
They've been making glass art for years, and it felt a little like we were seeing something akin to the Chihuly glass that we have seen all over the country. Wimberley glass does large commercial jobs for hotel and office lobbies all over the nation.
But they also sell smaller pieces that individuals (that don't live in rolling homes) can buy. Most of their glass comes in startling bright colors.
The best part to a visit here is watching the glass artisans at work. The owner invited us to his workroom to watch as he magically starts with a plain lump of molten glass on a metal rod . . .
adds more glass and layers of colors and keeps reheating it in a 2100 degree furnace . . .
and blows air into the glass--giving it life and shape!
We watched all the steps until he finished with a one-of-a-kind vase. That finished piece was quickly shuttled into a special oven to gradually cool over the next 24-hours. Yesterday's masterpieces are displayed in front of the work room and ready for purchase today.
The rain continued for the better part of two days, leaving the Texas Hill Country refreshed and its aquifer re-energized. This area was in the beginnings of a drought, and the locals were glad to see the moisture. We were glad to see anything that would wash the oak pollen out of the air. We thought we loved our shaded campsite tucked under a massive live oak tree.
But we have come to hate the yellow dust and oak litter that is falling out of that massive tree. Mark has made more than one trip to the roof to sweep off the debris that clings to the awnings over our slides.
Even after a good sweeping, everything is still covered with the yellow dust. On the local news they are saying that the oak pollen is "off the charts" right now.
We're glad that we don't suffer from allergies, because all those beautiful spring blooms are full of pollen. We have noticed entire huisache trees blossoming in bright yellow, and the branches are packed with blooms.
A close up picture shows the fuzzy pollen ready to leap off those blooms. Denisa couldn't help but notice that the blooms look like something from a cold virus commercial we've seen on television.
Even though we don't care for the yellow pollen, we are still enjoying the deer at our campground. The local herd makes an appearance twice each day, hoping for corn handouts. You can see how close they are to our car and motor home in the picture below.
We have found that we can always find positives and interesting things to do, even when the rain falls and the pollen blows. Finding fun in adverse weather is just another part of the wandering that we enjoy.
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