Willow City

  Willow City Loop

Fredericksburg, Texas

April 2020

Willow City is just out of Fredericksburg off of State Highway 16. The Willow City Loop is noted for spring wildflowers, especially bluebonnets.

As I have mentioned in past posts, the organized tours we had signed up for have all been cancelled or postponed. So, Christine and I decided to take a day trip to Willow City and remember the good times when the loop was part of the Pedal Power Wildflower Ride out of Stonewall. 

The ride is no longer in existence. Other things that have changed is the now empty lot that housed a popular bikers bar. It was one of two businesses in Willow City.

As usual, Christine pulls ahead of me, but instead of my considering it being dropped, it is just "social distancing." 

And, I was having too much fun taking pictures going toward SH 16.

Still beauty in death.

As well as beauty in life.

And beauty in flowers.

Coming up on the intersection of SH 16.

SH 16

Start of about three miles of downhill. 

Christine loves downhills. Me, I ride the brakes and stop if I want to take a picture. 

No way will I turn loose of the handle bar to take a picture while going 35-40 mph. Coming up is the right turn onto Willow City Loop road.

Flowers at the intersection.

The lane is a nice ride even if the flowers were sparse.

Short horn cow mentioned a lot in western cowboy books.

House on the hill has a nice view.

As Willow City Loop cuts across ranchers' pastures, there are a lot of cattle guards on the road.

Once would have provided a nice shade.

Young calf played chicken with me for a while. Was great fun until-----

I spotted Mommy eyeing me closely. I sped up and left the calf to play with someone else.

Going into a little valley before THE HILL.

Seems like it is a mile of up, up, up. I would write about it (complain) every time we did the Pedal Power Wildflower ride.

This time I took my time and enjoyed the flowers on the way up. Back during the tours, I "took my time" also, but for a different reason. The first time I went up this hill, I was going 2.4 mph--but I stayed upright!

Home owners seemed to take pride in dressing up their entrances.

Not an entrance "decoration" but would like to know the story of the rusted abandoned tractor and plow that almost made it to the windmill and water trough. 

Another decoration was this fence post. A cowboy boot? If that wasn't odd, how about

A boot on top of each post the whole frontage row.

Somebody has a great sense of humor.

What is special about this shot?  Shade!!!!!

My house of the day. Interesting architecture. Study it and explain it. 

Nearing the end of the ride.

Ride was over but not the enjoyment. If Christine were to take one item on a trip, what would it be? Cooler of Diet Coke, no doubt. (Editor's note--If Roy were to take one item on a trip it would be his chocolate milk recovery drink.)

Example of before shot.

After

As we depart from this outstanding ride, a little trivia about bluebonnets. The bluebonnet was approved as the state flower in 1901 after a heated battle of the bluebonnet's competing with the cotton boll and the cactus flower. The person speaking for the cactus flower was so eloquent that he was thereafter call Cactus Jack. His other name was John Nance Garner who later became vice president of the United States.

The bluebonnets that we see along roads have had a hard time to sprout. It has a tiny hard seed that must be penetrated by wind, rain, and weather over the course of a few months (but sometimes several year if we do not have sufficient rain over the winter and spring). 

The next time you see a field of bluebonnets like above, stop and smell the flowers--literally. Bluebonnets have a very sweet and pleasant aroma. Competes with the yellow rose of Texas.