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C.J. Wright hill country wildlife
Wildlife hunkers down for winter, awaits warmth of spring
I
n twenty-four hours temperatures plummet 40 degrees, reaching the freezing mark with lower temps on the way. We’ve learned to accept this phenomenon in Texas, and one expects the same holds true of wildlife, that they sense oncoming storms and use their amazing abilities to store food, find refuge and keep warm. During yesterday’s balmy weather, birds scurried around, vying with thickcoated squirrels for a spot at the feeders. Today, Mourning Doves pick the patio’s stone floor for grit, avoiding much of the wind. Though the patio roof provides them some shelter, the mercury continues its steady decline. So, with heads to the wind, the doves hunker down, breasts to ground, puffing out down feathers to trap body heat against their skin, with outer feathers adding an extra layer of cover—their feathers a down comforter, a method all birds employ to conserve heat. Though there’s less blood flow in their scaly legs, they lower their bodies to cover these extremities, further minimizing heat loss.
Overhead among branches of jasmine that twine around a pole, disappearing above the roofline, a Rubycrowned Kinglet flits nonstop, searching out spiders. Being a small bird, most of its body mass is near the surface. That, along with its fat-burning movement, makes it vital that it feed often if it’s to survive the cold. Meanwhile, several Darkeyed Juncos hop along the ground, at times blending with the wind-blown leaves that dance across the lawn. In their search for seeds, some pause to peel the shells from sunflower seeds, simultaneously bulking to at least double their original size, resembling feathered puffballs, trapping heat. With its body somewhat larger than normal and its stiff tail anchoring it, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drills yet another hole in the pegboard-like trunk of a Bradford pear, licking sap, energy to fight the cold. As bone-chilling rain adds to the wintery temperatures, Northern Cardi-
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PAGE 2 JANUARY 2014 R HILL COUNTRY SUN
nals join the flock, feeding mostly on the ground to minimize the impact of wind, their feathers also plumped. By filling their esophagus pouches or crops at day’s end, birds metabolize their food during the night to sustain energy. And night falls early. Amidst freezing rain, birds scurry to shelters. Cardinals hunker among the evergreen shrubs growing along the southern edge of the house, away from the fierce north winds, while doves huddle on windowsills or roost on low tree branches where autumn leaves still cling. Though not glimpsed this day, nuthatches and creepers, which typically glean bugs from beneath tree bark, search trees for crevices in which to sleep. Woodpeckers and other cavity nesters seek out old nest sites. Still other species, such as Eastern Bluebirds, press together in nest boxes. Rufous Hummingbirds and other hummers that choose to winter in Texas, rely on sugar water from feeders. On cold days, with frequent feeding and energy stored, they fall into a deep sleep called torpor, lowering their body temperatures from roughly 104 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit and dropping their respiration from 245 to as low as six breaths a minute! In this state, their bodies subsist on the fat stored during the day. Bears, such as the black variety that call Texas home, grow lethargic, falling into a sound sleep similar to torpor except that they sometimes sleep throughout the winter—an enviable position on those cold winter mornings when we hate to get out of bed. During sleep, a bear’s heart rate gradually drops though its body temperature remains close to the same, allowing them to awaken quickly if disturbed. Rather than bears, members of the rodent family are the true hibernators, living in a dormant state throughout the winter. Even then, they awaken every few weeks to feed on stashed food and eliminate waste. Thus, contrary to what we may have once assumed, hibernators don’t sleep straight through the winter, whereas the lethargic bear often does. Probably the most well-known,
champion hibernator is the woodchuck or groundhog that may sleep from September ’til March. This lengthy hibernation occurs especially in the northeast in places like Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, that is, unless they’re rudely awakened to check out the sun. Another strategy for surviving wintery weather and the absence of food is, of course, migration. Every fall, birdwatchers flock to Texas to observe this incredible phenomenon: thousands of raptors kettling into the morning sky to soar south by day, and flocks of songbirds, voicing their passage southward, sail across the moon by night. Another migration anticipated by many watchers is that of the monarch butterfly. Often referred to as iconic, this delicate beauty, weighing half a gram, migrates 2,500 miles from Canada to Mexico each fall to winter among the oyamel forest in the mountains of Mexico. A long flight for a bird, let alone a butterfly. Even more amazing is that these fall migrants are the year’s fourth generation, never having seen these trees, the same fir trees their ancestors left the previous spring on their journey north. Their saga inspires hope. A fragile butterfly that survives an epic journey is a challenge to us all. For the past 20 years, experts have monitored wintering monarch populations. They’ve documented their decline. Last year’s 60 million was a record low and though the figures are not yet in, indications are that this year’s population may number 30 million or less. Three major factors contribute to this dramatic decline: Texas droughts (Pregnant females pass through Texas each spring, searching out milkweed on which to lay their eggs—the only plant that their larva feed on.), illegal deforestation at their wintering site and industrialized agriculture in the Midwest that has virtually wiped out milkweed and nectaring plants. Though the wintery mix continues, it’s not too early to look ahead to spring and planting milkweed and other flowering plants in every available space—gauging so that flowers bloom throughout spring, summer and fall. This is not just about monarchs. Every third bite of our food comes from pollinators. Monarchs, along with bees, are the proverbial canaries in the goldmine.
from all of us at the
Hill Country Sun!
Hill Country SUN Julie Harrington Publisher Advertising Melissa Maxwell Ball Editor Laurel Robertson Steve Uzzell C.J. Wright Writers Gerry Burns Delonn Bowie DeLane Ibarra Adelle Spell Distribution
January 2014 Volume 24 • Number 8 ISSN: 1524-2315 Entire contents copyright © 2014 by TD Austin Lane, Inc. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any fashion without the written consent of the publisher. • The Hill Country Sun is published monthly. For advertising rates or information, call Julie Harrington at 512-484-9716 (email julie@hillcountrysun.com). Credit cards accepted. • Circulation: 22,000. Distributed monthly to more than 450 popular Hill Country locations (see list of towns on front cover) and home delivered to all 5,276 Wimberley homes and 8,663 Dripping Springs homes by the US Postal Service. • Cover: A Crimson Patch butterfly atop an Echinacea (or “cone”) flower at Hill Country Nature Center in northern Uvalde County, five miles east of Garner State Park. Make plans now to attend Hill Country Nature Quest April 23-27. Photo by LeAnn Sharp, Hill Country Adventures/Rio Frio Lodging. www.hillcountrynaturequest.com, www.hillcountryadventures.com. • Deadline for calendar events 15th of each month. Email melissa@hillcountrysun.com. Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/HillCountrySun
www.hillcountrysun.com julie@hillcountrysun.com • melissa@hillcountrysun.com
INDEX
HENLY
Texas Hill Country Locator Map
© 2014 by TD Austin Lane, Inc.
Austin J5 Bandera B10 Bergheim D9 Bertram I2 Blanco F6 Boerne D9 Buchanan Dam F2 Buda J7 Bulverde G10 Burnet G2 Camp Verde B8 Canyon Lake G9 Castroville C12 Center Point B8 Clear Springs H11 Comfort C8 Concan A11 Driftwood H7 Dripping Springs H6 Fischer G8 Fredericksburg C5 Georgetown K2 Granite Shoals G2 Gruene H10 Hancock G8 Helotes G6 Henly G6 Highland Lakes F2/3 Hondo B13 Hunt A7 Hye E6 Ingram B7 Johnson City F5 Kendalia F8 Kerrville B7 Kingsland F2 Kyle I8 Lampasas G1 Leakey A9 Llano D2 Liberty Hill I12 Luckenbach D6 Luling K10 Marble Falls G3 Martindale J9 Mason B2 Medina A9 New Braunfels H10 Oak Hill I6 Oatmeal H2 Pipe Creek C10 Round Rock K3 San Antonio F12 San Marcos I9 Sattler H9 Seguin I11 Sisterdale D8 Spring Branch F9 Startzville G9 Stonewall D6 Utopia A10 Vanderpool A9 Wimberley H8
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wimberley Hunters Chase Farms
Uncommon home decor at Rustic Design Imports
Inc.
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By Steve Uzzell
We love what we do & so will you!
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quired lots of friends. Truth be told, say f you’re looking for quality, rustic décor Paul and Fumi, there are a few folks who for your home, you’ll want to meet stop in the store for the express purpose Paul and Fumi Harris, owners of Rus- of a visit with the charming canines. tic Design Imports in Wimberley. Located Paul and Fumi met and married on within sight of the Square, their expansive the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. store is bright and cheery, welcoming and After Paul retired from the real estate and friendly. Also, and most importantly, it is filled with uncommon, exceptionallypriced rustic home furnishings and décor items you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere in the Hill Country. Upon arrival, expect to be greeted at the door by another couple— beagle April and dachshund Ruby. Animal lovers through and through, Paul and LEFT TO RIGHT Fumi, Ruby and April and Paul Harris welcome Fumi adopted the you to Rustic Design Imports, just 100 yards off the welcoming duo from Wimberley Square on Old Kyle Road. Photo by Melissa Maxwell Ball. WAG Rescue— they also care for an outdoor cat. You may have seen Fumi (known construction business, the couple hapby many as the “Dog Sitter of Wimberley”) pened to see a piece on Home and Garwalking April and Ruby around town den television about affordable housing each morning, where the two have acSee RUSTIC DESIGN IMPORTS, page 5
Open by appointment. Please call in advance 512-293-4890.
Send calendar events to melissa@hillcountrysun.com
A DISTINCTIVE COLLECTION OF in the
Fine Art
Hill Country
Ben Carter, Winter Visitor, Oil, 24” x 30”
On the Square at • 100 Oak Drive, Suite 200 in Wimberley, Texas (Across from Kiss the Cook) TERRY GRISHAM, DIRECTOR
512-847-7278 TheArtGalleryAtWimberley.net PAGE 4 JANUARY 2014 R HILL COUNTRY SUN
RUSTIC DESIGN IMPORTS, from page 4
DRIPPING SPRINGS DRIPPING SPRINGS NEWEST BOUTIQUE
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western furniture—for every room in the home— is made of solid wood with no laminates or particleboard. Oak and pine tables, chairs and bed frames make a dramatic statement. Paul and Fumi specialize in custom cabinets — you’ll find reclaimed wood cabinetry in many colors and designs, with something sure to fit your needs. And if you’re looking for wall art, this is the place. You’ll find an array of art for your walls —paintings, metal signs, salvaged wood pieces and much more—to complement your décor. They also offer an ever-expanding range of iron and mesquite lamps, lampshades, cowhides, candle holders, longhorns, wood and pottery vases, plus trays, boxes, mirrors, table settings and more— the list goes on and on. For a complete and up-to-date inventory, be sure to visit Rustic Design Imports online at www.RusticDesign.biz, where you can keep up with the store’s everchanging selection, plus get a heads-up on the great sale prices. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for on the web site, just give Paul and Fumi a call. FYI • Rustic Design Imports is at 111 Old Kyle Road, a mere 100 yards off the Wimberley Square. The store is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays from noon to 5 pm (closed Tuesdays). For more information, call 512-847-2221 or visit the web site at www.RusticDesign.biz.
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prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They flew to Texas to check things out, and were surprised to discover it was true. After a few days, Paul began to wonder, “What is this Hill Country everybody keeps talking about?” The couple ventured to the Austin area and a home in Driftwood captured their attention. They made an offer, sold their place in Hawaii and headed for the Lone Star State in 2007 (building a home and moving to Wimberley a little more than two years ago). Paul and Fumi filled their Driftwood home with their old furnishings, but something just didn’t feel right. “Our Hawaiian stuff just did not fit our new life in Texas,” Paul recalls. They began searching for rustic, western-themed pieces, with little success.“We just could not seem to find the quality or selection we were looking for. And the prices seemed way out of line,” Paul says. They figured if they were having trouble, others were, too. So they opened Rustic Design Imports to fill that need. Originally located in Dripping Springs, Paul and Fumi moved the business to Wimberley in 2008. The shop on the Square boasts an expansive selection — six rooms full — of furniture, décor items and accessories. Their high-quality items are hand crafted by artisans in Mexico, the Far East and Central Texas. The authentic South-
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January Clearance Sale HILL COUNTRY SUN R JANUARY 2014 PAGE 5
dripping springs
Brewing Mexican-style craft beer at Twisted X
T
By Laurel Robertson
wisted X Brewery (aka “Tex Mex Beer”) was conceived over a bottle of tequila shared between two friends, spent its formative years in a small, hot warehouse in Cedar Park and has now come into its prime at a new, state-of-the-brewing-arts facility just outside Dripping Springs. This morning, co-founders Shane Bordeau and Jim Sampson are juggling empty bottles and reporters as they midwife their new Criveller bottling machine through its maiden run filling longnecks with Twisted X Lager, their best-selling brew. Until today, their Texas-made, Mexican-style craft beer has been available to beer buffs only on tap. Soon four of their six varieties will be for sale by the six-pack in liquor stores and select groceries from New Braunfels to George-
town. The remaining two varieties can be enjoyed only by those who visit the Dripping Springs brewhouse. Shane takes care to introduce the company mascot and eerie overseer La Chusa, the plastic owl, who solemnly surveys the ruckus from her perch atop a brewing vat and from underneath her sequined sombrero. In Southwestern folklore, he explains, La Chusa is an old woman/ witch that can transform into an owl. This one’s been with Shane since his college days when he “liberated” the figure from the roof of a Nevada barn during a spring break trip with friends to California. “Don’t ask,” he advises with a sheepish grin. Master beermeister Jim is a flurry of motion and concentration as he works alongside the Italian technician to fine-
MODERN ORTHODONTICS FROM FRIENDLY PEOPLE.
Mark A Thompson DDS MS Specialist in Orthodontics 512-858-2916 • www.austinbraces.com corner of Ranch Road 12 @ 290 West
Co-founders Shane Bordeau LEFT and Jim Sampson. With partner, Ted Stewart, the two are bringing their dream of brewing Mexican-style beer in Texas to life at Twisted X Brewing Company. Photo courtesy Twisted X. Logo LEFT. Courtesy Twisted X. tune the operation of the new bottling machine. Jim began brewing beer in the late ’90s, several years before he met (future) business partner Shane at an Austin software firm where they both worked as techies. Together the duo envisioned creating the first Mexican-style beers brewed in Texas by Texans. They named their invention “Tex Mex beer” and even trademarked the term! Their beer making quickly evolved from a garage endeavor, to night-brewing in the Cedar Park location (while they kept their day jobs), to the present 30-barrel brewhouse - soon to quadruple in size. Third partner Ted Stewart recently joined the team as financial advisor. Before deciding on Dripping Springs as their chosen location, the business partners searched the whole of Central Texas for the perfect setting.
“We wanted a ‘destination location’ that people would want to visit,” explains Shane, “and a city flexible enough to work with us.” They found both in Dripping Springs, he says. Everything about Twisted X is pure Tex Mex. The name derives from an original style of barbed wire used to fence Texas ranches. The Twisted X logo depicts a lone star, some barbed wire, a sombreroed Dia del los Muertos skull, and three vertical bars to represent the Mexican flag. To come up with their logo, Shane and Jim sponsored a contest among tattoo artists and Josh Rowan – former tattoo artist now turned digital media artist – came up with the winning design. “His art was an instant match,” marvels Shane, and the Twisted X team continues to use Josh’s designs for their individual beers. The beers themselves are brewed usSee TWISTED X BREWING CO., page 7
Six varieties of Twisted X Brewing Company brews on tap in the Twisted X Tasting Room, open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Photo courtesy Twisted X Brewing Company.
PAGE 6 JANUARY 2014 R HILL COUNTRY SUN
TWISTED X BREWING CO., from page 6
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Sampson Sunset view of Twisted X Brewing Company’s new state-of-the-art facility on Ranch Road 150 outside Dripping Springs. Photo courtesy Twisted X Brewing Company. ing Mexican yeast in all five lagers with a small touch of Richardson farm organic corn (grown just north of Thrall) for a touch of flavor. Fuego, their jalapeno-infused pilsner, offers just a hint of the pepper for a subtle aftertaste. Siesta lager contains prickly pear juice that the brewing team gathers and juices in season. Señor Viejo, their imperial black lager, is aged in tequila barrels and Chupahopra, their dry-hopped IPA, claims coolest-namedbeer status in this reporter’s book. Twisted X and Cow Creek are their premium lager and dark lager, respectively. Both Shane and Jim are quick to credit the Austin brewing community for the amazing amount of help and support
they received starting their own brewery. “Since everyone’s selling every drop of beer they can produce, there’s an atmosphere of camaraderie and cooperation that was a big help to us,” he reports. Visitors to the Twisted X tasting roomwill regularly find a selection of beers from other area brewers on tap alongside Twisted X’s own six brews and their growing selection of salsas, chips and snack food. FYI • Twisted X Brewing Company is located a 23455 West Ranch Road 150, just off Ranch Road 12 outside of Dripping Springs. Tasting Room hours are Friday from 4 pm to 8 pm, Saturday from noon to 8 pm and Sunday from noon to 6 pm. Tours of the brewery are offered every hour on the hour during normal Tasting Room hours of operation. For more information, visit TexMexbeer.com
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ickets go on sale January 1 for the Wimberley Players 2014 season of five shows at the Wimberley Playhouse. “We spend many hours reading and considering plays,” says artistic director John Hood. “Our goal is to provide a balanced season of top quality entertainment for our patrons.” A readers committee and the artistic team consider the selections before recommending to the board of directors for approval. The range of shows for 2014 is wide— from a turn of the century comedy to a very modern spoof on a popular horror film. The season opener, “Charley’s Aunt,” by Brandon Thomas, was written in 1892. “It’s had audiences laughing ever since,” Hood explains. He adds that those unfamiliar with the play are in for a good time, since the pace is fast and the situations hilarious. The show runs February 7 through March 2. More familiar is “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” by Ed Graczyk, on stage April 11 through May 4. Set in a small Texas town, a fan club of six middle-aged women meet at Woolworth’s on the 20th anniversary of Jimmy Dean’s death. Their reminiscences. told as flashbacks, lead to revelations none expected.In 1982, the play became a prize-winning film directed by Robert Altman and starring Sandy Dennis, Cher, and Mark Patton. “The Skin of Our Teeth” by Thornton
Wilder brings a thoughtful Pulitzer Prize winner (1943) to the Playhouse stage. A mindboggling series of settings, ranging from prehistoric to modern, showcases an Everyman Family that manages to escape historic disasters throughout the ages. The indomitable spirit of human beings comes shining through this inspiring theatre Wimberley Players’ 2013 performance of “You’re A Good Man, classic, schedCharlie Brown.” Photo courtesy Wimberley Players. uled June 13 through July 6. The final show of the 2014 season The fall show will be “The New Mel Brooks Musical: Young Frankenstein” by is a seldom-performed Shakespearean Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, running play, written in collaboration with John Fletcher and thought to be Shakespeare’s September 12 through October 5. Based on the 1974 comedy film of the final play. “The Two Noble Kinsmen” is same name, this is a musical parody of the a comedic adaptation of Chaucer’s “The horror film genre, featuring the grandson Knight’s Tale,” wherein two devoted cousins turn rivals in competition for the of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein. Suffice it to say he prefers that his hand of a maiden. FYI • Tickets for all performances are available onname be pronounced “Fronkensteen,” insisting that he is a not a madman, but a line at www.wimberleyplayers.org, or by calling the box office at 512-847-0575. scientist.
Published by the Hill Country SUN
Welcome to the Hill Country
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julie@hillcountrysun.com • 512-484-9716
PAGE 8 JANUARY 2014 R HILL COUNTRY SUN
Mel Tillis performs January 25 at Cailloux Theater. Photo courtesy Mel Tillis.
C
ountry music superstar Mel Tillis comes to Kerrville Saturday, January 25. Mel Tillis & The Statesiders will present two performances at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm in Cailloux Theater. Best known for his 36 Top Ten singles, including nine number one hits like “Good Woman Blues,” “Coca Cola Cowboy,” and “Southern Rain,” he penned country classics like “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town,” “Detroit City,” “Burning Memories,” and “Thoughts of a Fool.” FYI • Tickets are reserved seating, and are now on sale online at caillouxtheater.com; by calling 830792-3536. Prices range is $38-$55. For more information, visit the web site at caillouxtheater.com and at texmoentertainment.com, or call 417-699-6199.
NOTE: Dates or locations for the events listed in the Calendar may change. Some require admission fees or reservations. Please call ahead to confirm information. EVERY DAY GRUENE: Live music at Gruene Hall. Enjoy free music shows Monday through Thursday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. www.gruenehall.com. WIMBERLEY: (every day except Monday) Wimberley Glassworks gallery open daily 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday noon to 5 pm. Glassblowing demos daily. www.WGW.com. SECOND SUNDAY BANDERA: Cowboy Camp. Live cowboy music at Frontier Times Museum. Free. 1 pm to 5 pm. 830-328-0321. JOHNSON CITY: Taste Wine + Art Music Events. Rockin’ gospel to Latin music at the Kirchman Gallery. 830-8689290. EVERY MONDAY CANYON LAKE: Seniors Bingo. 12:30 pm at Habitat for Safe Seniors, 2174 Old pm Road, Startzville. 830-899-2256. WIMBERLEY: Toddler Story Time at Wimberley Library. 10:30 am. 512-8472188, www.wimberleylibrary.org. WIMBERLEY: Wimberley Community CYPRESS MILL: The Bunkhouse Gang at Wenmohs Ranch. Paint and enjoy fellowship of other artists. 830-825-3465. WIMBERLEY: Hill Country Community Band. First Baptist Church. 512-8587960. FIRST TUESDAYS BANDERA: Cowboy Capital Opry. Silver Sage Corral Senior Center. 830-7964969. THIRD TUESDAYS NEW BRAUNFELS: Country Music Show. Knights of Columbus. 830-6294547. LEANDER: Low Cost Pet Spay, Neuter and Vaccination. 512-260-3602, ext. 101. EVERY WEDNESDAY DRIPPING SPRINGS: Farmers Market. 3 pm to 7 pm at the Highway 290 and Ranch Road 12. March to December, rain or shine. www.cityofdrippingsprings.com. WIMBERLEY: Farmers’ Market. Fresh produce, fresh breads, more at the Senior Citizen’s Activity Center. 512-2641637. THIRD WEDNESDAYS DRIPPING SPRINGS: Cook Off Club meets at 6:30 pm in the VFW Hall. ryoncrew@yahoo.com. FOURTH WEDNESDAYS WIMBERLEY: Hill Country Neighbors. 10:30 am. Community Center. 512-8472849.
EVERY THURSDAY DRIPPING SPRINGS: Coffee House with Light Dinners, Decadent Desserts and Open Mic. 6 pm to 9 pm. Thyme and Dough. 512-894-0001. FIRST THURSDAY BUDA: First Thursday. Stroll through the downtown antique and specialty shops, enjoy the food from downtown restaurants. www.discoverbuda.com. SECOND THURSDAY WIMBERLEY: Hill Country Bead Society Meets. Wimberley Community Center. 1 pm. For information, Marilyn Pierce at mp@smpierce.net. FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY CANYON LAKE: Noon Lions Meeting at Canyon Lake Golf Club. 830-899-4406. THIRD THURSDAY WIMBERLEY: Susanna’s Kitchen Coffeehouse presents some of the best in Central Texas’ musical talent. Concerts held at Wimberley United Methodist Church, Corner Ranch Road 12 and County Road 1492. Doors open by 7 pm, concert at 7:30 pm. Free child care; tamales, pizza, pie, coffee and soft drinks available. Tickets at the door. For listing of performers, visit the web site at www.wimberleyumc. com. EVERY THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY WIMBERLEY: Live Music at Linda’s Fine Foods. 500 FM 2325. 512-847-5464. EVERY FRIDAY BLANCO: Tasting Room Open and Brewery Tours at Real Ale Brewing Company. www.realalebrewing.com. GRUENE: Friday Afternoon Club at Gruene Hall. Broadcast live by KNBT92.1 FM Radio New Braunfels. 4 pm to 7 pm. 830-629-5077. WIMBERLEY: Bingo. VFW Hall on Jacobs Well Road. 512-847-6441. WIMBERLEY: Preschool Story Time at the Wimberley Village Library. Bring your little ones at 10:30 am. 512-847-2188, www.wimberleylibrary.org. WIMBERLEY: Celebrate Recovery. First Baptist Church Youth Building. 7 pm to 9 pm, with pizza at 6:30 pm. 512-847-9035. SECOND FRIDAY CASTROVILLE: Friday Night Fever. Cars, trucks, bikes, food, shopping. 6 pm to 10 pm. Lundquist Automotive. www. castroville.com, 830-931-2479. WIMBERLEY: Wimberley Area Parkinsons Association Meeting. Chapel of The Hills Church, 11 am. 512-847-7953. THIRD FRIDAY JOHNSON CITY: Cruise-In. See classic and collectable vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Free admission . www.3fjc.com. FOURTH FRIDAY BANDERA: Fourth Friday Jam. At the
Hill country calendar
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Hill country calendar
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Silver Sage Corral starting at 6:30 pm. Call 830-796-4969 for information. EVERY FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FREDERICKSBURG: Rockbox Theater. Variety, music, and rock ‘n roll show, great family fun. 866-349-6688. EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WIMBERLEY: Live Music. Linda’s Fine Foods. www.lindaallencatering.com. EVERY SATURDAY AUSTIN: Austin Farmers Market. Republic Square. 512-236-0074. AUSTIN: Sunset Valley Farmers Market. Barton Creek Mall. 512-280-1976. COMFORT: Comfort Area Farmer’s Market. 8 am to 1 pm. Comfort Park on Highway 27. COMFORT: Wine Tastings at High’s Café. 4 pm to 7 pm. www.highscafeandstore.com. DRIPPING SPRINGS: Texas Music and Wine. www.solaroestate.com. FISCHER: Jackson Open Air Market. Local artists and farmers, food, fun and entertainment. 9 am to 5 pm. 6341 Farm Market 32. 830-935-2781. NEW BRAUNFELS: Canyon Trail Chuckwagon Supper and Cowboy Music Show. Evening of song and hearty dining. 830-626-8200, 888-408-7245. WIMBERLEY: Tours of Jacob’s Well. Hear stories about floods and divers, experience beauty of spring that started town. 10 am. www.jacobswellspring.org. WIMBERLEY: Arnosky Family Farms Market. Fresh flowers, veggies, more. Ranch Road 2325 and Highway 165. 830-833-5428. BANDERA: Market Days. 830-796-4447. BANDERA: First Saturday Book Sale. Public Library. 830-796-4213. FIRST SATURDAY DRIPPING SPRINGS: Low Cost Pet Vaccinations. At Tractor Supply on
Highway 290. 512-858-7229. FIRST AND THIRD SATURDAY WIMBERLEY: Toastmasters Public Speaking and Leadership Club. 10:30 am. Visitor’s Center. 512-913-4804. SECOND SATURDAY CASTROVILLE: Market Trail Days. Houston Square. 830-539-2316. THIRD SATURDAY MARBLE FALLS: Bluegrass, Country and Western, and Gospel. 6 pm to 10 pm. Boys and Girls Club. 830-898-1784. EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ROUND MOUNTAIN: Tours at Westcave Preserve. info@westcave.org. SECOND SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AUSTIN: Tours of Bright Leaf Natural Area. www.brightleaf.org. JANUARY 1-5 FREDERICKSBURG: Eisbahn. Outdoor ice-skating. www.skateinfred.com. JANUARY 1 FREDERICKSBURG: Black-Eyed Pea and Cornbread Cook-Off. Comfort food at Torre di Pietra Vineyards. www.texashillcountrywine.com. JANUARY 6 WIMBERLEY: Move Over Emeril – Carroll is Cooking Hoppin’ John. Free cooking class at the Wimberley Village Library. 6 pm. 512-847-2188. JANUARY 9 - FEBRUARY 2 KERRVILLE: Collectibles Sale at Kerr Arts and Cultural Center. www.kacckerrville. com, 830-895-2911. JANUARY 10-12 NEW BRAUNFELS: New Braunfels Antique Show. New Braunfels Civic and Convention Center. www.heritageeventcompany.com. JANUARY 11 KERRVILLE: Symphony of the Hills Concert. Cailloux Theater. www.symphonyof thehills.org, 830-792-7469.
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JANUARY 17 DRIPPING SPRINGS: Hays County Livestock Show at the new Dripping Springs Ranch Park Event Center. www. hayscountylivestock show.com. JANUARY 17-19 FREDERICKSBURG: Trade Days. Seven miles east of town off U.S. Highway 290, at 355 Sunday Farms Lane. www. fbgtradedays.com. JANUARY 18 AUSTIN: Rovshan Mamedkuliev in Concert. Hear the second of three recent Russian winners of the world’s most prestigious classical guitar competition. www.austinclassicalguitar.org. FREDERICKSBURG: Jazz in January at Chisholm Trail Winery. Live jazz, and food. www.chisholmtrailwinery. com. LLANO: Citywide Garage Sale. American Legion Hall. 325-247-5354. JANUARY 19 AUSTIN: 3M Half Marathon. www.3mhalfmarathon.com. JANUARY 25 FREDERICKSBURG: Hill Country Artifact Show. Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park. www.hillcountryartifacts.com. KERRVILLE: Mel Tillis. Country legend at Cailloux Theater. Shows at 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm. www.caillouxtheater.com, www. texmoentertainment.com, LUCKENBACH: Luckenbach Blues Festival www.luckenbachtexas.com. JANUARY 27 BOERNE: The Ten Tenors in Concert. www.boerneperformingarts.com. JANUARY 30 AUSTIN: Tosca. Classic story of a captivating diva caught in a deadly love triangle, featuring music by Puccini. Austin Lyric Opera. www.austinlyricopera.org. JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 23 WIMBERLEY: “Robin Hood.” The
EmilyAnn Theatre and Gardens. www. emilyann.org. FEBRUARY 1 BOERNE: Hill Country Family History Seminar. Convention and Community Center. www.rootsweb.ancestry.com. FEBRUARY 6 NEW BRAUNFELS: Taste of the Town. Local restaurants offer samples. www. nbisdedfoundation.org. FEBRUARY 6 - MARCH 2 KERRVILLE: American Plains Artists Juried Show. www.kacckerrville.com. FEBRUARY 7-16 FREDERICKSBURG/JOHNSON CITY: Wine Lovers Trail. Self-guided tour features special events, tours, tastings and live music. www.texaswinetrail.com. FEBRUARY 7 - MARCH 2 WIMBERLEY: Wimberley Players present “Charley’s Aunt.” www.wimberleyplayers.org. FEBRUARY 14-16 FREDERICKSBURG: Trade Days. Shop more than 350 vendors in six barns, plus acres of antiques and collectibles and live music in the Biergarten. www. fbgtradedays.com, 830-990-4900. LUCKENBACH: Hug-In and Valentine’s Ball. Dale Watson plays Friday and Gary P. Nunn plays Saturday. www.luckenbachtexas.com. FEBRUARY 15 BOERNE: Chocolate Walk. Ticket includes a map and bag to collect chocolate treats. Tickets online January 15. www. boerne-tx.gov/chocolatewalk. STONEWALL: Jazz on the Lawn. Enjoy wine and live jazz. Pedernales Cellars. www.pedernalescellars.com. FEBRUARY 15-16 GRUENE: Old Gruene Market Days. 10 am to 5 pm. www.gruenemarketdays. com.
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~BEvery I NFriday G O~ v 4 Early Bird Games 7:15pm ~ 50/50 Split v 10 Regular Games 8pm VFW Hall Post 6441 @ Veterans Park 4 mi. no. on RR 12 to Jacobs Well Rd Non Smoking • Plenty of Parking • Air & Heat • Food Available www.texasvfw.net www.visitwimberley.com/vfw • 512-847-6441 • Lic. #1-74-6066562-7
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HILL COUNTRY SUN R JANUARY 2014 PAGE 11
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