Monday, March 8, 2010

Summers Mill

This past weekend was spent at Summers Mill Retreat in Salado, Texas. Salado is an old town that is located about half an hour north of Austin. It has become an art and antique center--a perfect weekend get-away. Below is one of the cabins available to stay in.


This sweet little church had beautiful stained glass, and a German history.


There were many places to stop and sit and enjoy nature.



Although, it says it is an ostrich farm on the sign out front, I only saw one, who seemed rather lonely to me.










I found myself sitting in a rocking chair on the porch gazing up at the huge live oaks.



I thought this fence was whimsical and fun.

Our time at Summers Mill was over before we knew it. I felt I was just beginning to relax when it was time to leave, and I look forward to going again someday.

















































24 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

I can almost feel the peacefulness of your weekend, just by viewing your pictures. That bicycle fence is really cool looking. May you still feel the relaxation of the weekend as you go about your daily business.

FlowerLady

Marie said...

So quiet and peaceful. A lovely retreat. I can imagine myself there taking time to enjoy nature.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Hello FlowerLady! So glad to have you stop by. I had such a lovely time. I think it is so important to have some solitary time away from your daily life. It brings a renewed energy and clarity you can't find otherwise. I loved the bicycle fence. I would start looking for old bikes at garage sales, but don't think our Homeowners Assoc. would approve.
;-)

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Marie, It was so very peaceful. It's amazing how restorative a couple of days can be!

ShySongbird said...

Dear Jenny it certainly did look a very peaceful place to retreat to and relax. What a pretty and unusual little church that was. I hope you get the opportunity to go again and perhaps stay longer.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Dear Shy Songbird,

I took pictures of all the stained glass, but didn't include it in this post. Each window was different. Behind the pulpit was the largest glass of Jesus. There were three stained glass windows on each side of the church. One depicted a dove, another the Bible, and the other a lamb. All the walls, flooring, pews, pulpit were golden oak which had darkened over the years to a rich reddish golden brown. The stained glass just glowed in the darkened space.

Wendy said...

Oh Jen, it would be so nice of you could post your pics of the stained glass. They sound beautiful!

I'm glad you got some time away. It does bring about a renewed sense of energy. And relaxation. I also loved that bicycle fence. And your oak pics. This is what I look at from my back deck - trees, but at this time of year, there are no leaves.

Thanks for sharing.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Wendy,

All our trees are bare too except for the Live Oaks. Everything is starting to pop though. The Bradford Pears are in full bloom. I've noticed some blooms on the Red Bud and Crab-apple. The temperature got up to 78 today! I think Spring has Sprung!

I will try to get the stained glass pics posted in the next few days.

ShySongbird said...

Dear Jenny I'm back already :) I realised I had missed the bicycle fence, I only realised what it was when I enlarged it. I have never seen anything like it! At first I thought it was wooden but reading one of your replies it sounds like they are actually old bicycles or have I misunderstood? I am fascinated by it now :)

Susie said...

That looks like a wonderful place to visit. I'm with you, that fence is so cute.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Hello again dear Shy Songbird! Yes, they were real old bikes that had all been painted white and welded together to make a fence. What fun!

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Hi Susie! It was a beautiful, peaceful place. We have our Ladies Retreat for our church there every year. This is the first year I have participated in a long time. I have always felt I needed to be here for the granddaughters, but they have gotten old enough to leave with their Papa for a while. Although my daughter lives with us too (the girls' mother), I have always tried to take over on the weekends for her to give her a little break.

Rose said...

This looks like such a relaxing place to spend the weekend. You must have had a wonderful time. The bicycle fence is so clever--what a great way to recycle old bicycles!

beckie said...

A lovely, peaceful retreat. I am so glad you had time to relax and spend a little time with nature.

Rock rose said...

How wonderful to be able to just sit and relax. How many of us do just that? That bicycle fence is incredible and what a great way to save old bicycles from the landfill. I have seen the same thing done with old tires but it wasn't anything like as nice.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Rose, it was a lovely time out in the country...I am ready to go back! It is so nice to stay where there is no TV, no computers...nothing to distract you from nature. It takes awhile to adjust, but once the connection is made, you don't want to leave.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Beckie,

It was so lovely and peaceful--very much a mountain top experience. It was quite jarring to come back to reality...but all good things must come to an end! I hope I can make the retreat again next year--who knows, maybe I can go up a couple of days early!

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Hi Lancashire Rose, Isn't it strange how we don't take the time to get away from the hustle and bustle of our lives more often? We somehow feel guilty when we take that time out for ourselves to just "be". It made me feel so much more focused and centered. I imagine your cruises do that for you.I have had the chance to go on these retreats for several years and never felt I could take the time away...how foolish! I plan to do it again next year if I am able.

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Sounds like you had a fun and relaxing time. Those gnarly old oaks are wonderful--I'm assuming burr but I don't know if they grow in TX or what would be the equivalent. :)

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Monica, those are Live Oaks that I took photos of. They are already starting to shed their leaves this Spring as the new ones emerge.

Nola said...

Looks like the perfect place for rest and relaxation. That's the cutest fence I've ever seen; somebody had a great imagination!

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Nola, isn't that fence awesome? I would love to have one like it--I could just imagine the Home Owners Assoc. reaction to it! LOL!

A wildlife gardener said...

Beautiful peaceful church with stunningly beautiful stained glass...thanks for sharing :)

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Dear Wildlife Gardener,

Happy Spring! I'm glad you enjoyed my photos of my special retreat. I thought the little country church was lovely, and it was my pleasure to share it with you.

Jenny