Saturday, June 18, 2011

6-18-11 The Springs and Deckers

Mom and Dad are back from their roadtrip around to see the relatives in Ingleside, Texas, friends in Houston, the land in Mexia, and more relatives in Antlers, OK.

I asked mom to send me texts from the road, which were primarily: It's HOT. Discovered Whoopie Pies. It's RIDICULOUSLY HOT. Ate at Whataburger. It's TOO HOT. Ate at Whataburger again.

But the grand prize they returned with was quite worth it (especially since I didn't have to get in that heat):

Mexia Tomatoes at the peak of the season. 
Cue the Hallelujah Chorus!

From the halfway point in their trip, they have been carrying these babies, which started out green, into each motel and home to keep them cool so they wouldn't ripen too soon before they returned.

And so, today, for the first time in years, I got to enjoy a real tomato. 


Nick, who shares the passion, gets his first taste too.




And lunch on the deck was brats and kraut, at least for the guys. . .


And for dessert . . . . Whoopie Pies, freshly made and bought at the Farmer's Market this morning from the Whoopie Pie Guy.


So after lunch. . . and a nap . . . Mom and Dad and I headed for a drive to Deckers.



On the way we stopped creekside, just past the burn area from the Hayman fire from 2002. The burn area's forest is still, almost a decade later, decimated.


Along the water are some lovely and oh-so-delicate tiny purple flowers.



And on our way back to car, we were greeted by a lovely little ladybug.


And a purple star wildflower



As we got around to Deckers proper, we found rows and rows of fly fishermen.


 Our spot, though, had no fishermen to disturb as we played among the rocks.


A lost seagull was flying along the South Platte River


 The water was the perfect temperature. I still didn't manage to get the pants rolled up high enough, since I kept getting further and further out.


The sun kept coming and going behind the clouds.


The water itself was crystal clear.


In the center of the river was a little island of grass.


Before I wandered off too far. . . 


Coming back from wandering. . .



My quartz collection

More lovely finds
 Jake the crow says hi.


And on the way back we were chasing the clouds over Pike's Peak.



The fire risk (and current active fires in the state) mean Smoky is at code Red.


We had a few drops of rain but nothing spectacular.



Dinner was steak from the grill, fresh squash from the farmer's market trip this morning, baked potato, and, of course, Mexia tomatoes.


Dinner for the pups was hand-fed pieces of steak. This is the life.


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