Nothing but nothing is better than accidentally arriving in exactly the right place at exactly the right time, and last Saturday it happened to me again. Not like it’s a big secret, I mean look, there it is in all caps right on the permanent sign. Monthly Jam 2nd Saturday. But I hadn’t read the fine print, so when I popped over to Fayetteville after popping into Bellville on the way to La Grange on the way back from Sealy (yes, I do spend Saturdays like this), the spontaneous clusters of musicians gathered for the Monthly Jam on the Square was all surprise to me.
Folks were too busy playing for me to ask questions like “are you famous?” or “can I download that?” or “where ya from?’ Maybe I’ll get there a little early next month so we can chat a bit. Or maybe I’ll slide in all rushed from stops in Nechanitz or Serbin or New Ulm. Early or just in time, hope to see you there.
“Bridges become frames for looking at the world around us.” -Bruce Jackson
This shady span across Cummins Creek seems to have a special way of framing things, not only with its rusty steel grate base and iron truss structure, but also with its stories and symbols. In fact, the Arts for Rural Texas group in Fayetteville had a recent one night showingof works by over 30 artists, poets, writers and other creative types, all inspired by their experiences on Willow Springs Bridge.
Maybe you’d be intrigued by the story of the fiery end to the original wood bridge, or by the scattered ashes of a devoted fisherman, or by the mysterious notes frequently found by strangers, or by nothing more than a lonely bobber trapped in the brush. Why not bring yourself here and see what you see?
It’s always amazed me to see how the Antiques Week vendors take almost every single antique out of Round Top when they leave. Really, only a charming handful remains. The fabulous Lizzie Lou and Junk Gypsy World Headquarters and a few other spots in Henkel Square are usually open every weekend. And there are some special Big Red Barn shows and auctions. And you can find plenty of antiques in La Grange or Burton or Carmine or Brenham. But how many folks have visited Round Top during the off-season and been surprised to find a town full of music and pie and fine art and clothing boutiques, not a town full of antiques?
The newly arrived Round Top Vintage Market should help fill the void. Barbara Griffin and Pat Boyd have taken Emma Lee Turney’s wonderful antique mall (man oh man I miss that MOUNTAIN of quilts in the back on the left…) and brought in loads of new vendors with bunches of vintage finds.
There’s some dynamite mid-century fun, and long aisles of decor inspiration from Show vendors like the Vintage Round Top, and quite a few things that lean just so. I’ll stop with the and and and and ands if you promise to stop in some weekend soon, or during the Show when a snow cone won’t do because you need full-on air-con relief.
I took a late spring wonder-wander drive around RT last weekend, and thought you might like to share in my roadside donkey moment. To experience these sweeties for real, just head out Round Top Road from downtown and the pasture will be on your left in about half a mile.
Because pictures are often enjoyed best when accompanied by a story, I googled “Round Top Donkey” to see what would pop up. These lines from a book called The Times of Round Top by C. Thornton are exactly what you need.
“Paula Giese (b.1919) rode her paint horse, Vergil, four miles from the family farm to attend Round Top School.
Paula tried to ride her donkey, Stump, to school but she could not always rely on Stump. Sometimes he would sit down when he did not want to go anywhere.”
Gotta love Stump. Now here’s your moment of donkeys.
The enthusiastic welcome wore off quickly once it became evident that I offered nothing more than timid, armpit-over-the-barbed-wire, city-girl neck scratches. Bring carrots.
The good news? You've discovered The Crush List. The not so good? I haven't been actively posting here for a few years now, which means the never terribly reliable details about my crushes are even more unreliable. Antique vendors have switched venues, shops in town have moved or passed on, donkeys may or may not be in the same front yards... In spite of the risks of massive misdirection I've left the site up in hopes that it still achieves its goal - to inspire you to visit Round Top for the Antiques Show or any time you have the time.
With that said, I leave you to explore this random list of my very favorite things about my very favorite place. I’ve tried to capture the area’s special pieces and parts. Some are big deal, some are small gestures, some are legendary and some are just tiny pip and squeak.
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