This year, Baby Bird and her best friend, Tara, planned and carried out a special Mother’s Day surprise! I was told to pack cowboy boots and be prepared for some outdoor activities. We dropped Georgette the baby goat off with a pet-sitter and headed to Waco.
Our first stop was Magnolia Market at the Silos, owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines. I’d heard of Magnolia Market before, of course, but I’d never visited. It was as gorgeous and gracious as you’d expect. We browsed a little and had a lovely al fresco lunch. We’ll have to go back again, because we didn’t even explore the half of it.
After pedicures, we headed to our Airbnb, a barndominium on a rural property. The interior looked as if it had been furnished straight out of Magnolia Market! It was a lovely, restful space. The property had a cow and a calf, an adolescent horse, three miniature horses, and two miniature foals. We enjoyed watching them eat hay from a round bale and petted the minis through the fence when they came over to check us out. I’m always interested to see how other rural folks have their properties set up. This one was very neat and orderly and well thought out. I took pictures of their foaling shed and some of their fencing and sent them to the husband.
Next, we went to Brazos Bluffs Stables for a sunset horseback ride!
The ride was truly glorious. Most of the trail was in shade, pleasantly cool after a hot day, and occasionally opening into stunning vistas. The horses all had their distinct temperaments and personal histories. We alternated walking with trotting, which gave me a chance to practice my posting.
Our trail guide, Ruthie, was great–helpful, pleasant to talk with, and knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna. I filed away lots of details to use in my current book, whose heroine, Susana, owns an equine center and wants to put in trails for trail rides.
The folks at Brazos Bluffs are putting in some Airbnb facilities so people can stay on site. This cabin would be lovely for a writing retreat with Mary and Cheryl one day.
We rested for a few minutes at the top of the bluff to take some pictures, then rode back in the dusk.
After the ride, we got some Whataburger, because Texas. My jalapeno burger was delicious.
In the morning we checked out of the Airbnb, had a delightful brunch at Our Breakfast Place, and headed home. On the way, we stopped at a Texas Travel Center and picked up some Texas swag. Looking forward to putting some of these on the four-wheeler.
Georgette had a wonderful time at the pet-sitter’s house. She made a doggy friend, got a bath, and learned to potty outdoors after drinking her bottle. My little goat is practically housebroken!
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, in beautiful surroundings, doing fun things with excellent company.
