by Phil Houseal | Sep 27, 2019 | All Articles, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Sept 25, 2019–In one 12-hour period I was stung on the bum by a scorpion, zapped on the forearm by a red wasp, and stepped barefoot in a trail of fire ants. It was exhilarating, in a hurty sorta way. And it’s not like I was Indiana Jones-ing. The scorpion got me...
by Phil Houseal | Sep 5, 2019 | All Articles, Events, History, People of the Hill Country
Sept 4, 2019–Descendants of artist Lee Ethel are on a scavenger hunt, and they need your help. Anyone who has spent any time living in or visiting Fredericksburg and surrounding towns has seen the work of Lee Ethel, even if they didn’t realize it. For two...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 29, 2019 | All Articles, Events, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
August 28, 2019–At the next parade, pay special attention to the flatbeds filled with high-fiving athletes and leaping cheerleaders. Take note of the pure joy, the enthusiasm, the energy on display. They are punching fists into the sky, jumping up and down, and...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 22, 2019 | All Articles, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Aug 21, 2019–I love encountering unexpected excellence in unusual places. This happened when I was traveling back to my small hometown in Iowa. Our regular stops include the local general merchandise stores run by Amish and Mennonite families that have settled in the...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 8, 2019 | All Articles, Education, Events, History, People of the Hill Country, Venue
Aug 7, 2019–As an elementary science teacher, I was perennially fascinated by the fascination dinosaurs held for all students. I now have a granddaughter who requested a dinosaur theme for her 3rd birthday, and she was talking Triceratops, not Barney. So when I...
by Phil Houseal | Jul 25, 2019 | All Articles, Food, People of the Hill Country
July 24, 2019–Never thought I’d write about vinegar. Over the years I’ve covered the rise of various beverages in the Hill Country. It started with the wineries and breweries. Next, distilleries began turning out whiskey, vodka, and rum. The most recent...
