Mostly Magnolia

Of course, a visit to Waco would not be complete without a visit to all that is Magnolia.  Again, for those who watch “Fixer Upper”, you know what I’m talking about.  The surprising thing about The Silos is that it really is in the middle of a sort of semi-industrial area.  There is a church within a block (and we parked in the church parking lot), but most of the rest of it wasn’t all that appealing from an aesthetic perspective.  But, The Silos made up for that!

As we drove up, the line for the bakery was out the door and down the block a bit.  However, by the time we parked and walked over to it, the line was not quite as long.  We made it into the bakery without much of a wait, and then got to wait in a winding line that took us about 10 minutes to reach the front of the line.  There were cupcakes and cookies to choose from, and I believe, a cake or two.  We opted for Shiplap Cupcakes (one each)!  They were vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting.  They were surprisingly substantial, and Jeff thought there was a bit too much frosting, but we did our part and pretty much finished them!

When we first got in line for the bakery, we noticed that there was quite the crowd waiting to get into the Magnolia Marketplace (it wasn’t open yet).  By the time we finished our Shiplap Cupcakes, the Marketplace was open and the crowds dispersed (inside the store!).  We did wander through the shop and I really liked all the beautiful displays (just one shown here).  I picked up something a friend wanted, but otherwise, I didn’t buy anything.  It was almost like there was too much from which to pick!!

Also at the place where the bakery and marketplace are is the Magnolia Seed and Supply.  We didn’t actually make it there, but I caught an image of some of the flowers and the shop’s sign.  It is just what it says it is – a place to pick up seeds, gardening tools and generally all sorts of things for one’s garden.  I think they also have some fun starter kits for kids, too!

About a mile or so from The Silos is Clint Harp’s shop.  Again, “Fixer Upper” fans know Clint as the excellent woodworker guy who takes Joanna’s ideas and brings them to life!  The shop is next door to the house that Chip and Joanna renovated for them in one episode of the show.  They don’t live there any longer – after two years of living there, Clint said that it just seemed too close to work, and many tourists were checking out their home when they came to the shop.  So, now, it's available to rent on Airbnb.  Oh, and the bear is one we picked up in his shop for our home.

Another craftsman made famous by “Fixer Upper” is Jimmie Don!  His iron designs are often seen in the homes that Chip and Joanna renovated on their show.  Although Jimmie Don has a temporary trailer about 2 blocks or so from The Silos, we decided to find his actual ranch out in Crawford, Texas.  It took a bit of driving around, but we did find it!! The iron sign is one that is now right at home on our back patio!

As we walked the area around The Silos, we happened to be at the back of The Silos just as a train chugged past.  As you can see, The Silos are almost right up against the tracks.  As a final note, I recently read that Chip and Joanna are planning an expansion of the area included in The Silos that will boast a coffee shop.  They also have a restaurant, Magnolia Table.  It’s not in the same location as The Silos, and is supposed to have good food.  We didn’t visit it, as they don’t accept reservations, and word has it that the best way to assure yourself a seat at the table is to get there in the morning, put your name on the list, then visit The Silos and hopefully, by the time you’re finished at The Silos, your name will then be at the top of the list at Magnolia Table!  We weren’t certain of the timing, so we thought we’d perhaps try it the next time we’re there!

Enjoy!

Waco Mammoth National Monument

One day in 1978, Paul Barron and Eddie Bufkin were walking along a dry creek bed ravine near Waco.  As they started climbing up the ravine, one of them grabbed at what he thought was a larger rock to help him with his climb.  He then noticed that the “rock” was very smooth, and was concerned that he had discovered a skull.  As it turns out, it wasn’t a skull – it was the top portion of a femur of a Columbian Mammoth!  The Strecker Museum at Baylor University identified it, and it was only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.  As it turns out, and entire herd of Columbian Mammoths were buried here!  It was thought that the herd got caught in a flash flood and was unable to climb out of the ravine to the safety of higher ground.  In any event, it was the largest Columbian Mammoth find in history.  In 2015, this site was declared to be the Waco Mammoth National Monument.

I have to admit, I never knew there was more than one type of mammoth.  The Woolly Mammoth was the only one I ever heard of.  However, as you can see from the chart in the above photo, the Columbian Mammoth was much larger than the Woolly Mammoth.  There was a rendition of what scientists think the Columbian Mammoth looked like. They had much longer legs than the Woolly Mammoths, and weren’t as woolly, either.

The building that we were able to walk through on our visit actually covers and protects the dig site.  And, that means that we got to see the mammoths as they were uncovered.  It was incredible to see so many of the mammoths so close to each other.  As I said above, it is thought that the mammoth herd was caught in a flash flood, trapped and actually carried downstream for a while before they drowned and were buried in the mud and muck of the flood waters.

Even their remains were very large!  I had to take two photos of this one male mammoth in order to capture not only his body, but his tusks, too!  Although these animals were very large, man was not in danger of being eaten by them.  They were herbivores, and only fed on the grasses and leaves growing around them.

I did manage to get some close-up photos of some of the portions of the mammoths.  The top (largest) photo in the above image was of the jaw of a mammoth.  The smaller photo partially layered on top of it is one of the actual teeth of the mammoth.  And, finally, they had a femur on display from a mammoth.  When I stood next to this femur, it came up to about my waist!  Was this the femur that Paul and Eddie first found?   That was something I wasn’t able to find out!

Enjoy!

Touring Waco

Our on spring RV trip, we stopped off in Waco, Texas, to check things out.  We happened to be there on a Sunday, when most of the shops, etc., were closed, so we decided to do a little touring around the city of Waco and the surrounding area and save the shops for Monday.

We didn’t realize that the historic Chisholm Trail went through Waco.  The Chisholm Trail was used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle from ranches in Texas to Kansas.  It’s named the Chisholm Trail after Jesse Chisholm, a half-Cherokee trader from Tennessee, who created the trail to get his good from one trading post to another.  And, the Chisholm Trail crosses the Brazos. River at Waco.  To read more about the Chisholm Trail, you can just click on this link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisholm_Trail.  

For those of you who happen to watch the HGTV show “Fixer Upper”, the view of the Waco Suspension Bridge is a view that is seen often as a lead in to segments on the show.  In 1868, the Waco Bridge Company started building this suspension bridge.  It was finished in 1870 and opened to allow pedestrians, wagons and cattle herds.  It was a toll bridge and special rates were given to “frequent crossers”!   People began to complain about the tolls, and in 1889, the bridge was sold to McClennan County, who turned around and gave the bridge to the city of Waco.  Today, no cars or other automated vehicles are allowed on the bridge – it’s open to foot traffic only.

Outside of Waco, we discovered a small little church is the community of Rock Springs.  I think it’s still used today, but I guess we missed the Sunday services.  So, instead of a number of people outside the church, we got to enjoy a lovely peaceful view of this scenic church.

And, of course, we found a quilt shop!!  Now, to be honest, we found it on Monday, but I thought I’d include it with this blog post about touring Waco.  I have an idea of the quilt these fabrics will become, too – the pattern is in the book!

And, yes, we did end our tour day on a high note – or, at least, a red note!!  We got to sit outside and enjoy some wine along with the Texas hill country scenery!

Enjoy!

The Beauty of Bonaventure

One of my favorite cemeteries (and, yes, I know that sounds odd) is Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.  Bonaventure is more than a cemetery; it’s more like a collection of art.  Bonaventure is also known for the best-selling book from several years ago – “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”.  If you have the book, or see it, you will see a garden sculpture on the cover.  That sculpture is one that used to stand in Bonaventure Cemetery.  It’s now located in the actual city of Savannah, but it truly represents the magic of Bonaventure.

Our trip to Bonaventure begins with a walk down a tree lined lane, complete with the hanging moss Savannah is known for.  More park-like than cemetery.  Bonaventure Cemetery was originally known as Evergreen Cemetery, and was designed as a traditional Victorian cemetery.  In 1907, the cemetery was purchased by the City of Savannah, and its name was changed to Bonaventure.  There are far too many beautiful sculptures to show you here, so I’ll limit them to some traditional cemetery type grave markers, and then show a few of the more eclectic ones.

Of course, angels can always be found at cemeteries, and in this regard Bonaventure is no different.  However, angels here have become an art form!  They are on the top of various headstone forms, but in Bonaventure, you can also find them sitting alongside the marker.  And, if you remember from my Facebook page, some are even standing next to a sculpture of a piano!

Another typical marker in a cemetery is a cross.  The crosses in Bonaventure find themselves in a truly park like setting.  Originally, the cemetery was intentionally designed this way so that those coming to visit the graves of their loved ones could also enjoy a picnic lunch on the grounds.  Sounds a bit odd to us today, but this was back in the late 1800’s.  One interesting thing we noticed on several of the graves was a small stylized cross – you can see it at the base of the grave in the middle photo above.  This is an indication that the person buried in this grave was a veteran of the Civil War, and the marker indicates he was fought for the Confederate States of America.  This is not unusual, considering we are in the South.  Just another piece of our Nation’s history, albeit a very sad one.

Some of the most interesting grave markers are the headstones, and there were numerous pairs of them at Bonaventure.  I found the center photo in the bottom row, above, rather charming.  It appears that the wife is snuggling up to her husband.  I know it’s really the settlement of the ground, but it did take on a bit of whimsy.  The headstones on the bottom right above were of 2 brothers.  I liked the park-like setting of the one on the left, bottom row, and truly loved the ornate 3-D effect of the top one.

This is one of the most visited gravesites in Bonaventure.  It’s the grave and marker of Little Gracie, and is surrounded by a little fence.  Little Gracie is also one of Savannah’s most popular ghosts. In life, she was known as Gracie Watson, daughter of W.J. and Frances Watson. She would often play in the Pulaski Hotel (now demolished) in Johnson Square in Savannah.  Her parents managed that hotel.  Gracie died just two days before Easter in 1889.  Her parents were understandably heart-broken and hired a sculpture to create their daughter’s grave marker.  Reportedly, Little Gracie’s ghost has been seen on Johnson Square, wearing a white dress, playing where the hotel once stood.

This grave marker isn’t nearly as popular as Little Gracie’s, but I found it to be almost hauntingly beautiful and incredibly detailed.  This person must have inspired a great deal of love.

And, we found someone with a rather sarcastic sense of humor, too!  We loved the sentiment reflected here, and we kind of think it may have been inadvertent humor!  In any event, we got a chuckle!

Enjoy!

Historic Savannah

We spent a couple of days in Savannah, Georgia, and on one of those days, we took a tour of historic Savannah, via the hop-on hop-off bus there.  It gave us a chance to see this lovely city, full of parks and history.

Our first stop was the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  It was formed in the late 18^th century when French immigrants from France and Haiti seeking refuge landed in Savannah.  It started as a church, and became a cathedral in 1850.  It’s so beautiful, it’s hard to believe that it was almost totally destroyed by fire in 1898.  It was rebuilt about 2 years later, in 1900.  However, I think much of its beauty today can be attributed to the restoration efforts that happened in 2000.

Flannery O’Connor was an author of short stories.  I’ve heard her style referred to as “Southern Gothic”.  I particularly enjoy a quote of hers when referring to her writing style  - “Anything that comes out of the South is going to be called grotesque by the Northern reader, unless it is grotesque, in which case it’s going to be called realistic.”  I was very appreciative of her writing, and how different it was from anything I’d read up to that point.   She won the O. Henry award for best short story of the year three different times.  She referred to this house as the “house I was raised in”.  They did offer tours of this house – unfortunately, not while we were there (darn!).  Flannery O’Connor lived a short life, dying at age 39 in 1964, from lupus.  

One of the things I enjoyed most about Savannah was the number of parks sprinkled throughout the city there were.  I believe that I heard there are about 21 or 22 parks currently.  There were 2 more originally – however, one is now under a road and the other part of the bridge (see below) along the river, so they cannot be reclaimed by the City.  It kept the city of Savannah from feeling too overwhelmingly like a city, and reminded me of the neighborhood in Chicago where I spent my very young childhood years – a block from a huge city park, and about ½ block from a large boulevard that seemed more like a park than a median of a city street.  I noticed that one of the Savannah parks contained a cemetery of military soldiers.

When we got off the hop on, hop off bus and walked to the riverfront to stop at one of the many restaurants and pubs to grab lunch, we walked past this very cool mural painted on a cement wall.  It reflected the sentiments of some of the somewhat religious groups back during Prohibition in the US, from 1920 until 1933.  I found it particularly amusing, as, like I said, we were walking down the street towards the area where liquor was flowing freely!

The area along the riverfront was full of lovely picturesque shops, restaurants and pubs that kept the historic look and feel of the buildings there.  This was one of my favorite!

And, finally, this is the bridge I referred to above.  It will take you from Georgia to South Carolina.  One interesting tidbit about Georgia and South Carolina.  Although Georgia is known as “The Peach State”, South Carolina actually grows more peaches each year!  I didn’t read this anywhere – the tour guide on the hop on, hop off bus said it……so it must be true! 

Enjoy!