Medina, TX
November 9, 2017
Joe and I have been dodging chilly, rainy days this week. After such a beautiful day on Monday, cloudy skies, drizzling rain and chilly temps moved into the area putting a damper on our outdoor fun. Facing another dreary day, Thursday, we decided to make the 45 minute drive to Boerne, a small town settled by German pioneers in the 1840s.
Today, the small town feel of Boerne invites visitors to relax and enjoy nature, brews, homemade sweets, and quaint historic buildings filled with all kinds of treasures.
Our first stop for the day was Cibolo Nature Center & Farm. Friends of Cibolo (a non-profit organization that relies on donations) purchased 62 acres of historic farmland which included the Heff ranch house established in 1852.
Maintained trails include Marsh Trail,
Woodlands Trail,
and Native Texas Prairie Trail.
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| The pocket prairie contains varieties of tall grasses. One variety is called Turkey Feet (Big Bluestem Grass) because of the shape of the seed heads. It grows between 3 to 10 feet tall. |
It's been such a long time since we have been birding. It was wonderful to be there and to have such an awesome welcoming committee.
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| The picture is a little fuzzy, but I couldn't resist the look on this Black-crested Titmouse. I love his 'do! |
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| One of my all-time favorites...American Robin. |
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| New for me bird...a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
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| The handsome and showy Cardinal. I saw the female several times hiding in the branches but couldn't get a good picture. |
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| A pair of Lesser Goldfinch (Texas form according to All About Birds) |
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| Finally, the House Sparrow had a turn... |
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| ...but not for long ! |
Cold hands and starving, we were off to The Dodging Duck Brewhaus & Restaurant. Thanks for the recommendation Graham !
We each had soup and salad from the lunch menu. I had the Dodging Duck Beer Chili with Heart of Boerne salad (hearts of palm and artichoke, mixed greens, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, bleu cheese, and bacon). It was OMG delicious and fresh, especially the homemade celery seed vinaigrette.
The Harvest Duck Pale Ale was dang good too !
The Dodging Duck is on River Street. On a warm day, it would be fun to sit out on their patio and watch the folks and ducks enjoying a stroll along the River Road Park.
From there it was a walk on Hauptstrasse...Main Street in German. We weren't shopping, but the quaint shops housed in historic buildings have a variety to offer with catchy names like, Milk and Honey, Fly Paper, Fickle Pickle, Tall Pony, and Calamity Jane's Trading Company.
Even with the overcast skies and chilly temps, we enjoyed exploring Boerne. if you haven't been, its worth a stop.
Until next time...
HAPPY TRAILS!
