The day started early - I was rolling out of bed at 4 a.m. to be rolling out of the driveway just after 5 a.m. to be in Navasota, Texas by Bentley's 8:30 a.m. ring time. Even though it is hard to start that early I've come to enjoy these early morning drives in the darkness, just me and the dog driving in dark and silence. The morning dawned beautifully with a slow sunrise, a few bluebonnets, and a little fog hanging over one area. I tried to enjoy it as much as I could, but was keeping a close eye on the clock as I was panicked that we were going to be late. I shouldn't have worried as we pulled into the fair grounds just after 8 a.m., making it in 3 hours. I only had to make one quick pull over stop to get Bentley untangled from the doggie harness which we will not be using again!
After the show we headed back into Navasota. Last year when I came to the show I had thought then that I needed to come back and explore! It is a wonderfully historic town and I picked up a lot of fodder for Doorway Into the Past!
 |
| Built in 1930 this was the Navasota High School, today it is the district's administration building |
Bentley is a good traveler and he was a good sport about exploring the sites I wanted to visit. He entertained himself with smelling the wind and the ground. At one point we were in a large grassy area and I just dropped the leash and let him snoop around while I made pictures. I wasn't worried about him getting too far away and he will come on command. He needed a little reward for being so good!
I've been wanting to visit the W C Mercantile store since I bought native Texas alpaca yarns from them at the International Quilt Festival. They are right on the main street of Navasota in an old building, of course. So many yarns, so many beautiful colors. I loved the squeaky old floors and was reminded of the comforting feeling I always had in the shop in New Braunfels where I took my first quilting classes.
Besides yarns they also offer fibers for spinning and there was a group of ladies in the back with their spinning wheels taking a class. As I checked out I discovered that they had a small weaving loom that makes strips 15 inches wide (I think I see another trip back to Navasota in the future to get this!). Yes, I did buy some more alpaca yarn as well as several skeins that reminded me of the vivid reds and blues seen in stained glass. I got so excited that I forgot to check the fiber content - it is 100% wool so I've got to find a light open pattern to use for it.
Bentley was a good sport in the yarn shop, too. He tolerates the stroller and sat on the very end most of the time. He was tethered in so he couldn't jump out, but he did try to dig out! I had flashbacks to the stories my mother used to tell about how I detested riding in a stroller!
I have more stops to make in Navasota, but they will have to be saved for another trip. It was time to move on so we made the drive back to Giddings and ate a late picnic lunch before doing more exploring. Navasota and Giddings both grew up around the railroad and the trains continue to chug noisily through both. I've gone through Giddings so many times and am always prepared to wait for a train. But that isn't too bad as there are lots of old buildings to look at while you wait!
One stop on today's agenda was the Lee County Courthouse. It is undergoing a restoration program and I can't wait to go back after it is done. This delightful architectural gem was built in 1899 and underwent a restoration in 1982. The current restoration is being done in cooperation with the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.
The afternoon wore on and I knew we had miles to travel, so we finally had to leave Giddings. Driving home we were in the sun and traffic was slow. But it didn't matter as we were finishing up a wonderful day trip, the best therapy in the world!
