by Phil Houseal | Jul 7, 2021 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
July 7, 2021–As I sat in a field in Southeast Texas a few weeks ago, I encountered a new (to me) species of native insect: Love bugs. While the name conjures up notions of romance and cuteness, their presence is a plague. According to locals, for a few days each...
by Phil Houseal | Jun 23, 2021 | All Articles, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
June 23, 2021–A dangerous combination is parents who see a threat in every natural situation, raising kids who see none. I was reminded of this when we had visitors to our rural property awhile back. They had grown up in very urban areas, but were enamored by the...
by Phil Houseal | Jun 16, 2021 | All Articles, Education, History, People of the Hill Country
June 16, 2021–When is a coloring book more than just a book to color in? When it was created by Liza Proch. “I believe we’re all given the gift of creativity, whether in the artistic sense or not,” said the 22-year-old Fredericksburg resident. “A huge...
by Phil Houseal | Jun 9, 2021 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
June 9, 2021–While goosing my truck up to 85 miles per hour on Interstate 10 West, I thought back to 1974 when the federal government forced states to drop all speed limits to 55 mph. This was done to 1) save fuel, 2) save lives. It did neither. This directly affected...
by Phil Houseal | May 5, 2021 | All Articles, Food, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy, Venue
May 5, 2021–From Kay Street in the west (the “K” in COME BACK) to Eagle Street in the east (the “E” in ALL WELCOME) it seems every other Fredericksburg establishment has something to do with sipping, selling, tasting, or tippling wine. Wine is the new water. I have a...
by Phil Houseal | Mar 10, 2021 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
March 10, 2021–New! Simplified for Seniors! That was the screaming message for an offer in my mailbox last week. It upset me. When, I yelled at the sky, did being a senior citizen mean you got stupid? Shouldn’t it be the exact opposite? Shouldn’t the people who have...
