Recycled Orchestra and Rejuvenation -- Sat., Apr.. 20

My word for the letter "R" in the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge was going to be rejuvenate, which is now my secondary word and I'll get to that after introducing you to The Recycled Orchestra.

My mom sent me a link to a Vimeo video about a slum built on a landfill in Paraguay. Townspeople cull the garbage for recyclables which can be sold. In the process, skeletons of musical instruments were found. The youth found a way to build musical instruments out of garbage and the remains of musical instruments. I loved this story so much I wanted to share it with you. Click here to see the four-minute video about The Recycled Orchestra also known as the LandFillHarmonic. It's quite inspirational and amazing what these kids have done.

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As for rejuvenation...We did a 10K (6.2 mi.) Volksmarch in Comfort, Texas. What a great walk! Comfort is an "antique town." A historic town replete with antique stores, historic markers on the many historic buildings, bed and breakfasts, and eating establishments.  And the Volksmarch is what a walk should be...historic, scenic, some animals/birds, flowers, back country roads, quiet and, for me, rejuvenating. I feel revived by beautiful idyllic landscapes and a nice breeze; I love to be in the country.

Spending time in the country reminds me about when our family moved from southern California to Oregon when I was 14. We went from traffic, smog, tract homes, and masses of people, to a five-acre farm in Newberg, Oregon. From suburbs to rolling-hill farmland. It was a sweet relief. We left monotone, one-season Los Angeles, for multi-color, four-season Oregon. I felt at home.

Welcome to Comfort, Texas. I told Bob I could retire here. Maybe it's because it's spring with newly leafed trees; yellow, red, blue and orange flowers along roadsides and in people's yards, with history of Freethinker philosophy, hill country views, and the quiet country lanes, this town spoke to me.

History: saloon, confectionery, grocery store,

ice cream parlor and dry goods store - not all

at once! See plaque below.

Ingenhuett-Faust Hotel. See plaque below.

The Elephant Story - enlarge to see building detail.

Comfort post office from 1910 to 1952.

When the Civil War broke out, Texas talked about seceding from the Union. The German "Freethinkers" strongly opposed secession because they did not endorse slavery and because of their allegiance to their adopted country. Some German farmers openly backed the Union government. The Confederacy felt the farmers were treasonous and felt the group might be a serious threat to their government. The history is very interesting. I encourage you to click on the Treue de Union link below to read the whole story.

Treue de Union monument below is one of two places in the nation where the U.S. flag can fly half-staff 24/7/365; the other place is Arlington National Cemetery. The flag flying here has 36 stars, the same as the flag flying in 1866 when the monument was dedicated.

Next, we came to Comfort Cemetery, which is quite large for the size of the town, with lots of room for growth. 

Bob and I love the name of this street!

 From there we headed out into the countryside.

Thistles.

This large jackrabbit posed for a photo.

Antelope-horn wildflowers.

View of Texas Hill Country from I-10 overpass.

Quite a mailbox holder.

One of the country roads we walked.

Swallows nests beneath an I-10 underpass.

Well-kept farm along our route.

North Creek.

Cypress trees along Cypress Creek.

Even the turtle is relaxed!

Another road we followed on our Volksmarch.

Cypress Creek, Comfort, TX

The August Faltin House pictured below at the intersection of Hwy. 27 and Fourth Street in Comfort, Texas, was constructed in 1896. For years this has been considered one of the town's finest homes. Decorating the front gables are bargeboards with patterns in brick in two colors. The front wrap-around gallery was added in 1937. The original rock and iron fence was overturned by a huge flood in 1978. (Source: Boerne Public Library files, August, 2000.)

August Faltin House, the only home in Comfort to have an elevator.

One of the antique stores in Comfort.

Pomegranate tree blossom.

Pomegranate tree blossom.

Cassin's kingbird (I think).

Llama farm.

Farmland

Cacti supplementing a fence.

Cool front yard - surfboards, paddleboard, kneeboards and a
boat for an awning over the entry walkway.

Longhorn

Paul Ingenheutt Home. See plaque below.

An architect's office.

An old gas station repurposed as a pizza restaurant.

Love this.

That ended our Volksmarch for today. I will report about Saturday night on Monday for my "S" word. Enjoy your weekend.

The end.

Travel Bug out.