Fresh Air

Yesterday was a breath of fresh air, both figuratively and literally.

Figuratively, because we had some of our favorite relatives that we hadn't seen in a long time come to town for a quick visit. We spent the day touring the Texas Hill Country and reminiscing. Politics, the economy, Occupy Whatever, the Penn State mess ... all were forgotten for a short while.

Literally, because one of the things we did was climb Enchanted Rock on the most gorgeous, picture-perfect day we've had around here in a long, long time. Crisp cool temperatures and an incredibly clear blue sky did wonders for the psyche.

The Rock is a huge, pink granite exfoliation dome, that rises 425 feet above ground, 1825 feet above sea level, and covers 640 acres. It is one of the largest batholiths (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in the United States.

Tonkawa Indians believed ghost fires flickered at the top, and they heard weird creaking and groaning, which geologists now say resulted from the rock's heating by day and contracting in the cool night. A conquistador captured by the Tonkawa described how he escaped by losing himself in the rock area, giving rise to an Indian legend of a "pale man swallowed by a rock and reborn as one of their own." The Indians believed he wove enchantments on the area, but he explained that the rock wove the spells. "When I was swallowed by the rock, I joined the many spirits who enchant this place."

Approaching the granite dome (click to embiggen).

A couple of views from the summit.

 

There are some unusual rock formations on the Rock, along with several examples of how persistence and determination can overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

 

After climbing the granite dome, we looked around for more mountains to conquer. We found one.

We came, we saw, we climbed.

 

After all that climbing we were in desperate need of something to offset the good influences of fresh air and exercise. So off we went to the Fredericksburg Brewing Company for some giant soft pretzels (still warm from the oven), plates of tasty, juicy German sausages, and of course a few mugs of fresh-brewed beer.  

Then we returned home and started fixing dinner (didn't even take a nap).

Dinner was barbequed brisket, accompanied by more sausage, a pot of borrracho beans (FYI, "borracho" is Spanish for "drunk"), potato salad, and of course a bucketful of Shiners. Afterwards there was fresh peach cobbler topped off with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, followed by coffee and Kahlua.

I slept like a baby...