What Happens in Bandera......

Doesn't actually stay in Bandera. It follows us home on our hips! But what's one week of junk food and lazy pajama days? The fun was worth every delightful calorie!

These happy faces are about to do the annual squeal at the corner of my street. It's become a tradition that we look forward to. It also reveals our excitement about the trip ahead.

You can't drive six hours to Bandera without stopping for a little food. We started out well, treating ourselves to soup and salad. It went downhill from there.

We finally did our hair and applied makeup and ventured out of the condo. We went to browse the many shops in Fredericksburg. The drive there was so scenic through the Hill Country.

With a condo this pretty there is no need to leave. It rained every day we were there and we were content. It's perfect for pajama days.

Since it was warmer this trip, we didn't use the fireplace. Except for posing for pictures, that is.

Cheryl and my daughters treated me to a birthday trip to Fredericksburg ten years ago and we all had our pictures made in this very shop with goofy glasses on. How appropriate to do it again. We three are stylin'.

We strolled down Memory Lane when we visited this 5 & Dime store. Each aisle and cabinet fixtures had displays like the ones from our past. It made me want to dab a little Evening in Paris on my wrists.

This calico cat spent the week near our balcony where we sloppy ladies sometimes, accidentally, dropped delicious chunks of chicken or burgers. It literally broke my heart to check out, knowing she would be waiting for a Cheeto to somehow come flying over the railing.

The craziness began with our matching pink and green camo jammies with a matching cap. Patty's sister-in-law sewed the letters spelling Bandera down one leg. The camo seemed fitting since deer are constantly grazing around the condo. Then, Cheryl surprised us with the hats. Oh, did we laugh when we were decked out!

I realize we don't look like big bad hunters in this garb. I realize, too, that hats just might not be the right fit on me.

Mike, the assistant manager, was gracious enough to take our group picture without busting a gut. I asked him if we looked weird. "No, not weird. It's just that, uh, we, uh, don't see things like this much." Really?

Mike was such a good sport that we decided to push him to the limit. I know he felt honored to have three seniors flocked around him. He probably would have preferred college seniors.

Eating again. Actually, we stayed in the condo more than we ate out. Easier that way - no makeup, getting dressed, or messing with hair.

I made a simple dinner for us our last night there and encountered a scorpion on the kitchen floor. I ran to the balcony to alert Cheryl and Patty of my find. We finally decided on a weapon to use and it was handed to me! Why me? I smashed the awful thing and felt like a hero.

The restaurant overlooked this river with the strange looking trees and swampy looking water. But the total effect was pretty.

This charming lady dressed in her vintage attire waited on us at an antique store. She just looked so at home in that setting that I had to get a picture. Afterwards, we holed up in the condo with Spades, Yahtzee, and a DVD and enjoyed our last full day in Bandera. We never laughed so much. We never got tired of the company or the quiet surroundings. We never felt so blessed.