Browsing in Bernalillo

Out into the desert

Bernalillo is the county seat of Sandoval County. It’s got several places to eat, a casino, and is developing into a small city. There is a tradition of growing grapes and making wine, and it’s close to Albuquerque. But none of these characteristics was the reason we visited. Two friends, Dave, and I went to Bernalillo for the Enchanted Bead Retreat. And did we have a good time!

Along the Santa Fe Trail

What kid growing up in rural Texas didn’t want to be a cowboy and ride

Santa Fe Trail historical plaque

the Santa Fe Trail? Spending your days on your trusty horse, driving herds of cattle across the plains, fighting rustlers, and bedding down at night around a campfire with your comfortable bedroll and the stars as your ceiling; life couldn’t be better! When I was a bit older, I learned that sitting on a horse all day could get pretty uncomfortable, those herds of cattle kicked up billowing clouds of dust, and the desert perfume was probably manure. I decided I’d rather be a hairdresser.

Parked in Plano

Plano is just north of Dallas in southwestern Collin County. We moved to

Former residence

this growing community in about 1990 and lived there for 20 years. When we arrived, our neighborhood was bordered by a wheat field and a blimp airport. By the time we left, the airport was replaced by houses and an elementary school took over the fields. This growth has continued until on a recent visit I nearly didn’t recognize the area. Plano wasn’t always a hotbed of growth. It has some of the same mundane roots as other towns in Texas.

Looking for Leo

Muenster, the home of Germanfest and a mayor named Leo, is a good

Entrance to the City Park

place to go in search of German cuisine. And so on a rainy day we ventured forth to look for lunch away from home and to see what might be to the north of DFW. Dave learned about this town and Germanfest back in the 1970s when he and Mayor Leo Hess worked together for a technology company. Someday we’ll go to Germanfest and maybe find Leo, again.

Wet in Westlake

Pond at the Circle T Ranch

Westlake is an upscale bedroom community just south of Trophy Club. We drive through the area every now and then getting from our house to that of one of our relatives. It’s pleasant countryside with cattle and horses grazing in open pastures, along with a few streams and ponds. The area is becoming more of a business center, but there are still large trees and lovely little hills.