June 2011 - Posts
With the extreme drought conditions this year, many of the area 4th of July festivities are being cancelled because fireworks are banned because of the fire danger. Fireworks are banned from use or possession in Williamson County and carry a fine of up
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An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. I always liked the fact that words could be used in extraordinary ways or with specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words themselves. Figures of speech often provide
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I love anything that uses alternative energy and wish alternative energy sources were more affordable and commonplace. The Capital Area Rural Transportation System or CARTS station here in Georgetown aims to be a model of energy efficiency. The new station
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The Southwestern University Sarofim School of Fine Arts Music Department is leading a five day set of master classes for orchestral and choral conductors. Conductors will learn how to manage orchestral and choral forces with the goal of gaining the necessary
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The small town diner is alive and well in Marble Falls, Texas. Everything about the Blue Bonnet Cafe harkens back to an earlier time. Since 1929 the Blue Bonnet Cafe has been serving good home cooking and the best homemade pies in the world. Like any
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Longhorn Caverns is a limestone cave formed by the cutting action of an underground river that receded thousands of years ago. The cavern is one of the few river-formed caverns in Texas. Fossil remains show that many Ice Age animals once occupied the
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Central Texas abounds in German heritage. After Anglos, Mexican-Americans and African-Americans, the ethnic group with the largest impact on Texas has been the Germans. By 1930, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, persons born in Germany or whose parents
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If you have kids or grand-kids, it may be that right about now you are searching for activities. We still have a long way to go before the end of summer vacation so it is nice to have some ideas in your back pocket. I know a lot of my friends are having
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I've been talking at lot about rodeos and western-themed stuff lately. What can I say? I'm a Texan, born and raised and it's in my blood. I have a lot of respect for the hard work that is involved in ranching and cattle are important to our
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Not the outdoor arena type? Well, you are in luck. This is not your Grandma's rodeo. The Cedar Park Rodeo is being held in the new Cedar Park Center. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 23rd-25th, you can watch rodeo action in air-conditioned comfort.
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Watermelon is synonymous with summer. It is the quintessential fruit of refreshment on a hot summer day. Luling, Texas is the home of abundant watermelons and the world famous Luling Watermelon Thump festival which is always held the last Thursday-Sunday
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It's so hot outside, that if I really want to get anything done I have to do it very early in the morning. The scorching sun is relentless and the wind just compounds the extreme dryness. It is a struggle to keep landscape plants and established trees
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This is the season of Rodeos, Western festivals and Cowboy Cookouts and such. I have recently written posts about the San Saba Rodeo, Elgin Western Days, Lockhart Chisholm Trail Round-up and there's more to come. Just a few days ago we were given
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I've made several trips out to Dyer Dairy east of Georgetown on Hwy. 29. They regularly have grass fed beef stocked in their freezers and seasonal vegetables, Coyote Moon Coffee roasted in Georgetown, preserves and very friendly service. This Spring,
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Are you looking for something to do all next week? All next week the city of Elgin is celebrating Elgin Western Days, June 20th-25th. Located about 50 miles south and east of Georgetown, Elgin is known as the Sausage Capital of Texas and the Brick Capital
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Bluegrass music stirs something in my soul. I think it has something to do with the fiddle because I love anything that has a violin or fiddle in it. It turns out that the reason I probably find it so stirring is that bluegrass music is a form of American
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I love the Monument Cafe for its roadside cafe feel. It has had its ups and downs in trying to maintain great service staff and consistent food preparation. I have had truly excellent meals with great service and the exact opposite. Management has always
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If you haven't been to a Round Rock Express game yet, here is a great opportunity to save some big bucks. The Groupon Deal today is $45 for 4 Reserved Seat Tickets, Intel Club Passes and One Parking Pass worth $101! There are two days left to buy.
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Are you looking for the perfect escape from the scorching heat during the day? I have found a great alternative to the movies and pool. Mondays are a great day to check out Mel's Lone Star Lanes in Georgetown. Mel's Lone Star Lanes has a great
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One of my favorite places to visit when the weather is warm is the Walburg Restaurant, in particular the Biergarten. The Walburg Restaurant brings a truly authentic German experience in dining and entertainment. The chefs create German cuisine from the
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You see them all the time. Rusty dinosaurs lying abandoned in roadside fields, often corralled by barbed wire fences. Their glory days of productivity and shining veneer are gone. But the intricacy of their skeletons is compelling and the practical styling
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It's tough being first but this is a first that is for such a great cause. The 1st Annual Taste of Texas Musicfest on Sunday, June12th in San Gabriel Park will benefit "Operation Resilient Families." Operation Resilient Families (ORF) is
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For many years, visitors to the Texas Hill Country have enjoyed the beauty of the rough landscape and winding rivers. Much of this rocky limestone land, however, hasn't been highly sought after for its agricultural use. In 1999, Robb Kendrick and
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It is rodeo season and there's nothing I like more than seeing grown men trying to rope and wrestle cattle and the beast winning out. I know that there are some rodeo enthusiasts out there who recognize the skills involved and have an appreciation
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I have people asking me about snakes all the time; stuff like do we have a lot of them in Texas. I have to answer truthfully and say, yes, we have snakes but they are not lurking everywhere. A lot of people are frightened by snakes of all kinds and it
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This is a busy time of year; everyone is having a rodeo, festival, show or round-up. So never let it be said that there is nothing to do. The hard thing is making choices because certainly you can't do them all. The 39th Annual Chisholm Trail Roundup
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On a hot summer day, there's nothing better than a tall glass of iced tea or a cold glass of beer. These are two of my most favorite summertime pleasures; the other is eating watermelon. It may be my Irish/German heritage that has instilled this fondness
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I am always looking at the ground and often run into things while I am focused on the fascinating things I find when looking down. You'd be surprised at how many loose coins I have found and an occasional bill but mostly I am looking for geological
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Saturday, June 4th is National Trails Day and many of Central Texas' environmental stewards will be participating with a huge volunteer day at the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The REI Co-op is proud to be a national sponsor of National Trails Day along
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Music lovers of Georgetown, Sun City Texas, and Central Texas will love this Festival of the Arts Event. Beginning on June 2nd through June 5th, you can get your fix of Brahms. Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading
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Have you even been out at night, away from the city lights and looked up with wonder at the night sky? When I look at the famous painting, "Starry Night" by Van Gogh, I wonder how many places are left where you can look up and see the hazy band
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