Beautiful Day in Bandera

The last several days have been very cool, windy, and then sudden thunderstorms cropped up and tore through the area.   From the looks of things in the area, the trees and shrubs look very distressed due to the drought the region has suffered.   The creek beds are all dry, so the storms and rain were very welcome.  


We took a drive this afternoon, just meandering through the hills and valleys, up dirt roads and looking in every direction we could find to go.   The sun was shining and it was a beautiful 65 degrees..just perfect for exploring. Traffic was getting heavier by the time we got into town so I was only able to take a few pictures of a few buildings.  All of the downtown has buildings that resemble this one that I got of the saloon.  11th Street Cowboy Saloon.   I think we need to go in and have a sarsaparilla before we leave the area.
 



And this home was on the Texas Historical Register





Most of the creeks and Rivers were very low but surprisingly we found this one ..maybe due to the downpours of a couple of days ago and it is located at the base of a steep limestone outcropping.  The trees in the photo turned out very  washed out compared to how it actually looked.  It was very peaceful and oh so quiet.  Things are just so very stressed looking.





Bandera is the County seat with a population of only 950.   I think that number must explode during the winter months with the “snowbirds” that spend time here.  Bandera is Spanish for “flag”.  Story has it that there occurred many clashes between the settlers and the Native American, most of which were won by the settlers with the assistance from soldiers.  Flags were put in the Bandera Pass to warn the Indians that they were not allowed to enter the area.




I borrowed this picture of the County Courthouse that is located on Main Street.  Like I said traffic was heavy and finding a spot to park wasn’t going to happen easily.




 



Rambling along we found this pass along the highway, lined with limestone and lots of Cactus and trees thriving amongst the crevices of the rocks.  The sun was beginning to set and as it was shining on the very uppermost bushes, it almost looked like fall colors were at their peak.   We were treated to a nearby picnic area high up on the rocks to  enjoy the sunset and grab a last minute shot before heading homeward.

 
Another great day in retirement!