Just Horsin' Around - Thoughts on Central Texas Real Estate and More

April 28th and 29th, Georgetown, Texas, celebrates the coming of Spring with their annual Red Poppy Festival.  In anticipation, poppy seeds are planted all over town, by city officials and townsfolk alike. 

In addition to admiring the flowers, the festival will have (big surprise, this being Central Texas) live music, the 3rd Annual Red Poppy Ride (benefiting the Sertoma Scholarship Fund), and lots more fun and frivolity in honor of the Red Poppy and spring, from 6 a.m. until whenever the street dance ends on Saturday night (it starts at 9:30), and from 11 a.m. until the last act ends (it starts at 4:00) on Sunday.

So come on to downtown Georgetown and party with us! 

It's spring in Central Texas and the Farmers' Markets are in bloom.  This is a great time for cooking with really fresh produce picked just that morning or the afternoon before, purchased at the closest farmer's market.  Great food, and you can support your local community economy.

Some options in the Austin area are:

 Austin Farmer's Market (several throughout the city)

Georgetown, Round Rock, Sun City Farmers Market

Bastrop, Elgin, Smithville Farmers Markets 

Taylor Area Farmers Market

Want to get a little closer to the earth and pick it yourself or go the roadside stand route? 

Bastrop County has several options, as does Hays County. 

McKemie  Homegrown Farm in Dale, Texas, Caldwell County, is another option.

Rather get even closer and grow it yourself?  There are options for that, as well, if you don't have the room at home, but that's for another day, another blog. 

After a very stressful week (and weekend), good stressful (see my blog on Feeding Frenzy to find out why), but stressful nonetheless, I woke up this Monday morning to read this Washington Post article about what happens when you put a violinist (among the greatest in the world) playing a violin (among the greatest in the world) out of context in a busy subway station in the middle of a morning rush hour.  I highly recommend you read it, and then I highly recommend that you stop for a moment and look around you and see what you might be missing.  I know I will be. 

The moreso because I almost missed the almost unheard-of event of a snowstorm, with big white fluffy 2" flakes that we NEVER get in Central Texas, happening right behind my back, because I was focused on the computer in front of me working.  Took my husband speaking sharply to me for me to re-order my priorities for long enough to enjoy, and get photos of, the little miracle happening out the window not 5 feet away. 

I can do a good job for my clients and still participate in, and appreciate, life - which is, after all, what it's all about.  Gotta remember that, and one in a while stop and smell the roses in the snow. 

The weather in Central Texas is nothing if not changeable, but this does push things a bit.

Just a few days ago it was in the 80's.  Today, it decided to snow.  In Central Texas.  In April.  Little tiny flakes, and big fluffy 2" flakes.  It rarely snows here even in the depths of winter, so this is quite the surprise.

I took this photo over the railing of my front porch, pointing down at the roses.  The white in the background is snow on the ground - it's not only snowing, it's sticking.  The roses represent a more normal April for us.

My daughter reports that it is snowing at her place in Apache Shores, west of Austin.  Lake Travis reports snow, as well as other parts of the area.  Just amazing.