15 JUL - September SW is now available to all members. Letter from Lance - AUGUST 2010
We had 40 mph winds and rain, but no major damage or flooding. We did have almost 10 inches of rain from Alex and a tropical storm that followed. Tropical rain is really sneaky. You can look out and see blue sky over yonder while buckets of rain are falling on your head with no thunder or lightning – it’s like God squeezing out a giant sponge. The rain stops just as unceremoniously. And luckily, the streets here in town drain quickly. So we dodged a bullet with Alex.And the next weekend, after all the rain, we were ready for another road trip and headed out to San Antonio. I can’t recall how Leslie found out about a farmers market that is held there at the old Pearl Brewery. We were on the road by 8 am and marveled at how green everything is now after the rain. The cotton is forming bolls and lush; the grain sorghum has turned cinnamon brown as the seeds/fruit has ripened. We drove through about 50 miles of rich farm land and then slowly began to climb in elevation. As the trees got larger and different grasses appeared on the plains, fences also appeared and behind them the sweet faces of cattle and horses.
San Antone, as the locals spit it out, is an easy two hour drive on interstate from the coast. Traffic is very light and the drive is easy. There is no trash on the roadside, just acres of little sunflower faces and green, green pasture. We had seen the old Pearl brewery from the freeway but couldn’t figure out the exact off ramp so we ended up meandering down a city street in search. And we lucked out as the street wound through all tree-lined streets and houses it also contained 5 or 6 cool little Mexican restaurants and bars. I want to go back there some time. We found the Pearl brewery and parked nearby. There were about 20 booths on the back side of the building with fruits and veggies, bison, beef and goodies. We bought half a peck of peaches from a local orchard. I grumbled at the price, but was delighted later. The market spilled into the old brewery. And what they did was keep the outside of the building, some of it built in 1880’s, and completely redo the inside. Way cool. And we bought cheese, roasted tomatoes in olive oil, good bread and iced coffee inside. In all, it was a delightful stop and we loaded the ice chest with fresh stuff.
Then we took off to explore the Mercado. This is a two block business area that was the beginning of San Antone. Now a shopping stop with fine stores, fine restaurants, margaritas and fun. We had a nice lunch and enjoyed a leisurely stroll through a few shops. San Antonio is a big time cool place now. Everyone knows about their River Walk and the Alamo. That’s just the beginning of stuff there – we will have a lot of fun exploring more of the city. The drive back to the south Texas coast was easy. Love those Texas roads. Put it on cruise and relax. And at home we got out all the stuff and Leslie cut up a peach and gave me a bite. And it was like I went back 50 years and tasted a part of my childhood again. So good. The price was right. Leslie dug out an old recipe for peach and lemon chutney and had it all whipped up in about three hours. Good stuff now sitting in the fridge.
And the heat is on here. Our beaches are still free of oil and all of us pray for those whose lives in the Gulf have been impacted, maybe destroyed. People in the state government here say we have plans and equipment to fight an oil spill. I hate to think of us testing that capability. Meanwhile, as you look over August’s Skywatch – be sure to read the last page first. We’ll get through Cardinal T Squares with patience and awareness. It’s just another storm that will come and go…
peach and lemon chutney, that sounds yummy. a perfect, delicious peach is like eating summer itself. we are lucky and get them sweet as honey every year here in maryland.
— tremolo Jul 18, 10:07 PM #