The State flower of Texas is the bluebonnet and this is the time of the year you can see them growing on hillsides all across Texas. Sabrina tells us there is an annual ritual where all along the highways and interstates, folk grab their kids, plop them in a flowerbed and snap their pictures!
We decided to take advantage of this beautiful day, and do what the Texans do! Months ago, we had talked to Aunt Peg (Houston) and told her about our upcoming spring trip to Texas and decided to meet somewhere inbetween Austin and Houston. Peg suggested Brenham, told us that the bluebonnets would be blooming everywhere, and there was also the Blue Bell Creamery we could tour while there! So that's exactly what we did today.
We met Aunt Peg at the Applebee's in Brenham, enjoyed lunch together, and then drove over to the ice cream factory. No cameras are allowed inside the factory on the tour, so we took all of our pictures while we ate our icecream and walked around the beautiful grounds outside.
Blue Bell ice cream is the third most popular in the United States, right beyond Breyers and Dreyers. We thought it tasted as yummy as Hudsonville for all you folk in Michigan who might be interested.
This is an old time clock ... with a roll of paper that records each employee punch for the day. This is the very one they used to use at the factory years ago.
Cute soda fountain hat on Jackson! Karis was given a hat too, but she didn't keep it on for very long.
After not seeing her for an entire year, it was really nice to see Aunt Peg! She told us all about staying at her condo in Houston during Hurricane Ike, how she lost power for 8.5 days, but sustained only minor damage to her home and property (her side fence collapsed).
This cow and girl are actually the trademark of Blue Bell ... we all had fun climbing up for pictures.
Not far from the ice cream factory was a nice city park with ... can you guess ... railroad tracks in plain sight! Grandpa Jones was pleased.
Jackson has always needed help going down a fireman's pole but really badly wanted to learn to do it himself. He met an almost-seven-year-old boy today at the park who showed him how it was done up close and person ... and here is Jackson happily doing it!
We even got to see a Burlington Northern Sante Fe train come rolling across the tracks so close to us! What a great day!
2 comments:
Hey did Aunt Peg color her hair? She looks different to me.
Hi Emily: I think Aunt Peg colors her hair with regularity ... not always the same shade ... but for the past few years, I think it has been just about like this if I remember correctly. :)
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