The Winter Landscape

During the brutal heat of the Summer of 2023 I boldly stated that I would never, ever, ever again complain about winter weather. I’m cold natured and the winter cold cuts right through me. I tolerate winter with thick sweaters, soups, and fireplaces. When the first cool spell finally arrived I stood true to my promise: no complaining.

Perhaps in return for tolerating the summer heat we were blessed with a mild winter this year. We only had one week of very cold weather, with freezing drizzle, and low wind chills. I did not complain and even found myself enjoying the winter landscape more that I usually do. The leafless branches of the trees and other shrubbery seemed more defined this winter and I sensed the sleeping of the earth in a very strong way.

Winter is over, spring has come with the bright green leaves on the trees, and the Texas Bluebonnets have already bloomed and replaced with other Texas wildflowers. So far the temperatures have stayed very mild.

While I was off the blog I did have a few opportunities to wander about, so this post will be a catch up of “what I have been doing” and the winter landscapes I’ve enjoyed.

In early February I made a weekday trip to Fredericksburg, Texas. The sidewalks, normally crowded, were empty. Only local people were out and about and they greeted me with a friendly, small town good afternoon, how are you. So refreshing from the rude and pushy crowd I had encountered on my previous visit some time before.

The stores were empty and I enjoyed chats with some of the store keepers and browsing without a crowd to jostle me. Best of all, I could take pictures of the main street buildings without cars parked in front of them!

The dark day dimmed pictures of the Gillespie County Courthouse while accenting the leafless trees’ network of branches and gave a nice touch to the Memorial Public Library (the first picture of post). This building served as the County Courthouse from 1882 to 1939 when the current courthouse was constructed.

Several days later I found myself in the little community of New Braunfels, Texas. It was threatening to rain, but I decided to pay a quick visit to the Faust Street bridge. This bridge was the first high water bridge built across the Guadalupe River. Prior to its 1887 construction, crossing the river was dependent on the river water height, often taking weeks for travelers and cargo to cross the river and continue their journey on the Camino Real highway. It continued to serve local traffic until damaged by fire in 1979.

Later in the month an early winter morning gave a nice view of the courthouse while the trees were leafless, but alas the traffic signs never disappear. The little bandstand in the plaza looks cheery in every season and is always a delight, unlike the drivers who don’t know how to participate in a round-about!

I made two trips to Gonzales, Texas, late in the month. The first trip had to be cut short as the weather was deteriorating. Returning a few days later, there was sunshine and a nice crisp breeze to make the winter day fun.

I had hoped to photograph the back of the Gonzales County Courthouse while it wasn’t hidden by this large tree, but had to take what I could with all the cars parked in the lot. Unfortunately, the front of the courthouse is obscured by large native oak trees, but this courthouse is one of several of J Riely Gordon’s designs using the same floor plan and slight adjustments to the exterior design. Twelve of his eighteen courthouses are in existence today.

Beautiful March sunshine called for a walk at the park. In the winter it is possible to see other nearby pathways through the trees and undergrowth. The landscape is very different in the summer.

Soon I was in Kerrville, Texas, for a two-day dog show. The first day was cloudy with a cold wind, but the next day was sunny and cool. We took a walk down to the Guadalupe River for a “doggie business” stop and spent some time enjoying this peaceful scene. The wildflowers were just beginning to appear and dotted the landscape with little bits of color.

My last stop of winter was in Navasota, Texas. This little town is very historic and is doing a wonderful job of establishing its historic district. The last time I was here was in 2019, so I had several stops planned after the dog show. Unfortunately, it started to mist at my first stop, so those plans were cancelled. I do have something to share from that stop (a wonderful historic preservation story), but it deserves a post all its own.

Now it is officially spring and there are other places to visit and another season to enjoy.