Bluebonnets Part 2

We noticed in a San Antonio newspaper that there would be a "bluebonnet walk" just to the west of the city.  Since we were still on the hunt for the Texas state flower and since at least one of us needed a little exercise, we decided to check it out. 

The event was to be held at the Shooting Star Museum just south of Castroville.  The town lies about a 45 minute drive southwest of Boerne.  Founded in 1844, it is known as the "Little Alsace of Texas."  Alsace is a region of France on its northeastern border with Germany and Switzerland.  Apparently its heritage is traced back to that region. 

According to its website (http://www.txtransportationmuseum.org/shootingstar/) the museum: "is dedicated to the preservation, perpetuation and exhibition of vintage aircraft, historical aviation items, antique automobiles and early 20th century farming equipment and gasoline engines."  Whew!  Most people would call it junk in a shed.

So we drove our newly washed truck down two gravel roads and onto the property.  Driving into the property we knew we were in trouble.  The parking lot had one other car belonging to the caretakers.  We visited here about 7 years ago and did enjoy the landscape.  But this year for the advertised  bluebonnet walk, there was dirt, dust and gravel.   It was a much too dry a year for these wildflowers.  We did find a few that had gone to seed.  You would think that an establishment that advertises a "bluebonnet walk" would not force you to walk 100 miles somewhere to find them.  Ah, the disappointment.

But we did tour the museum.  It was free after all.

 

 

The museum was a large shed used by tinkerers to tinker on their old vehicles, planes and what not.  A little bit of everything from the 20th century can be found here.

 

 

 

 

Gasoline engines, anyone?  Many of these are from old washing machines.  They claim that each engine runs.  We did not test that assertion.

 

 

 

All types of farm supplies were also evident including John Deere seed containers.



 

 

And how a shipping container for lutefisk arrived here from Norway was a well kept secret.  Perhaps some Norwegian took a wrong turn in Stoughton.

 

 

Instead of bluebonnets outside, we found an old passenger transport from a long lost railway station. 

 









 

 

 



The "museum" was a working shop with various members in and out to do their thing.  It even included a quilt shop and a military uniform display.  But not even a vase of bluebonnets!  Oh well.  Maybe next year.