Jarrell, TX

Last week what was, hopefully, the last arctic front of the season (we don't handle those so well) rolled in. When that happens around here, temperatures drop from the 80's to the 30's or lower in a matter of hours. As it was still near the warmer end of that range, I looked out and saw the clouds signifying the approach of the front, and went out and took some photos.

I love weather in Central Texas. It is never, ever, EVER boring!

When we first moved to Jarrell, Texas, 15 years ago, it was a classic small town Texas rural village. And we liked it that way - that's why we moved there. While the school had new buildings, it still had (and still does) the original building built in 1916. There was a one street downtown that held the Jarrell Supermarket, Eagle Bank, Ginger's Beauty Salon, the post office, Jarrell-Schwertner Water Supply, a gas station, the Speedway Inn, the liquor store, the volunteer fire department. Across the highway was Doc's, which survived two tornadoes (including the Big One, the F5 that hit shortly after we moved there, May 27, 1997) and Pat's Cafe.

Since that time, Jarrell has incorporated, it has a handful of subdivisions and land has been purchased and made into MUDS for future subdivisions. Businesses have moved to town or opened (one of my favorite's is Ruby's Cafe, featured elsewhere in this blog). The nighttime sky, once one of the glories of living near Jarrell, is fading fast with all the lights. There's a new truck stop with LOTS of lights; there's even a McDonald's (no stop light, not even a blinking yellow, anywhere in town, but we've got a McDonald's). A new high school was finished a few years ago, and a new elementary school just opened east of I35, with, of all things, an apartment community going in next door to it. (Most of the people who bought their 10 acre tracts on that road for their home in the country, a few years back, have their places up for sale - driving down that road yesterday I noticed that all but two had four sale signs out front).

The post office (where I received our first batch of mail-order chicks - it's really sort of cool to walk into the post office and hear it cheaping) moved to a new building on the I35 frontage road. Then Eagle Bank did. Schwertner Bank built a new building over there, too.

A new strip center, Cougar Plaza, went in on the west side of I35 over by Sonterra subdivision. A Mexican restaurant went in, as well (you can get a pretty good breakfast there), and a laundromat, and such.

It's sometimes a bit overwhelming, considering we thought we might be moving too far out. I miss the country quiet sometimes, and find myself eyeing bits of land still further out. But we'll adjust, I suppose, and it is nice to have good places to eat just five minutes down the road.

Latest development is just that - a commercial development that's breaking ground on January 6, over by where the post office and the banks are. A 300 foot high water tower is under construction, to serve Jarrell Town Center (I thought downtown was the town center?), a development figuring to have a large grocery store (hope Jarrell Supermarket will still be there!), retail, restaurants (hope they're local - there's some good cookin' in this town that beats the pants off chain food), a travel center and hotels to serve the 60,000 vehicles that TxDOT figures drive through Jarrell on I35 every day.

It's interesting watching, and living through, the growth of a small farming community into something else. Will be even more interesting to see what it turns out to be when the evolution is done. We started out with a chance to do it right, and only time will tell if we were up to the challenge.

Living out on the ranch, we've often had to drive into Austin, or at least Georgetown, for good pizza whenever we get the craving (or plan our pizza cravings around someone being in town and have them pick it up on the way home, and as everyone knows, pizza cravings should be spontaneous!).

Then, one day when we'd driven up to Brookshire Brothers in Salado and Green's Sausage House in Zabcikville (yes, we are all about the food, why do you ask?), we noticed a place on the highway, out by itself, right as we took the exit to head home. Made a note to check it out.

A few weeks later, we did. We will never be driving into town for pizza again!

Five minutes from the ranch, in turns out, is a hidden treasure, probably the best pizza I've ever had (though I could wish for a deep dish crust, I'm perfectly happy with their Italian Sausage, red onion, bell pepper, mushroom and black olive on a whole wheat crust, maybe throw on some spinach to get my greens, or their Meaters specialty pizza). We used to get pizza once every two or three months - now it's a regular Friday night tradition. I haven't managed to try their Alfredo sauce pizza yet - keep getting stuck on the tomato/basil sauce version and have a hard time getting past it.

Trust me, it's really worth the drive. Technically in Salado, closer to Jarrell, and MUCH closer to Prairie Dell, but really easy to get to - just take I35 exit 280, head to the west side of the highway, grab your pizza (or eat it there), and it's just as easy to get back on the highway heading either direction. You'll be glad you made the effort - but, on the other hand, I suspect you'll find yourself with a new addiction.

The geese mentioned in my prior post were a hint. Yesterday confirmed it. Beautiful blue sky, sunshine, temps in the high 70's. And the flowers decided to come out and play! It's springtime out here on the ranch near Jarrell, Texas.

The plum tree by the house put out not only buds, but blossoms!

Likewise, the peach tree in the front yard had budded out a couple of days ago.

Yesterday, some decided to bloom - it was just too nice not to!

These purple flowers are usually our first harbinger of spring, beating the others by a couple of weeks, but this year, everyone decided to party at the same time!

Wild flowers also put in a show. I used to pick bouquets of these flowers (I can't remember their name), weeds, really, for my mother, when I was a tiny girl growing up in East Texas. They still hold fond memories for me - she had a green thumb and a garden that was a showplace, but she was always delighted to receive these offerings.

The animals all were delighted that it is spring in Central Texas, as well.

This little calf (another sign of spring) is trying mightily to find milk in the hay that the big cows keep insisting on eating. Much puzzlement at "Why are we doing this, again?"

Texana Donkey Girl came over to chat across the fence about the weather.

Even the goldfish (enjoying the droppings of bits of hay left by the horses in the horse tank as they drank) were enjoying warmer water!

We may have some coolish weather, still, maybe not (as the old saying goes, "Don't like Central Texas weather? Wait a minute!"), but it's sure good to see it's on its way after the "interesting" winter we've had out here in the country in Williamson County!

I went out to throw some hay to the horses and donkey girls and cows a little while ago. Got a couple of cart loads in the feeder and was filling the cart again. Had heard some geese overhead, heading North, a bit earlier, and suddenly realized that they were REALLY REALLY LOUD! (The ranch here outside of Jarrell, Texas, is on a major migration route, so we're used to seeing all sorts of birds coming through this time of year, but this was really a racket.) So I stopped what I was doing and went to where I could see better. Phil was already watching, and had spotted them.

Rather than the regular "V" of geese that we usually see, there was a giant spiral of geese, all in one place, yelling their fool heads off. Going round and round and round, an enormous number of them. We were trying to figure out what they were doing, and looking for the binoculars.

Then, suddenly, a smaller V took off from the spiral and headed northeast.

A little while later, another smaller V took off.

Gradually, a few geese at a time, the giant spiral turned into perhaps 5 or 6 Vs, leaving one after another in a row.

In the meantime, we could hear another flock coming in from the south.

Then another one.

And another one.

And another.

All told, including the giant one that broke into several smaller ones, there must have been 10 or 12 flocks heading north.

I think it's spring, folks. The geese have spoken.