Friday with Friends!

Poston Gardens  was the main destination of our day-trip, yesterday, with Andy and Kay. But - first things first! On our way we stopped at the Little Czech Bakery, in West, for a breakfast of kolaches! They were delicious, and were a perfect start to our day.

Poston Gardens, in Waxahachie, TX, is a 60-acre tulip farm, planted and tended by two tulip farmers from Holland. There are several different fields, each with rows and rows of brilliantly colored tulips.

We strolled through two or three of the fields, stopping now and then to pick a tulip to take home. We purchased a pass that allowed us to pick 20 tulips, so Kay and I each pulled ten to take home. We weren't sure they'd survive the rest of the day in the back of Andy's vehicle, but we wrapped them in damp newspapers and hoped for the best.

From the tulip fields, we headed to historic downtown Waxahachie, which was great fun! Waxahacnie boasts lots of artsy shops, antique shops and restaurants. We decided to eat lunch at the Dove's Nest, a gift shop and restaurant with a French Country air.

Leaving Waxahachie, Andy drove us to Old Fort Parker, a historic site near the city of Groesbeck. Not having grown up in Texas, nor having attended school here, I was not at all familiar with the story of the Parker family. The Parkers and a number of other pioneers traveled to Texas, together, in 1833. They built the fort and lived inside the stockade walls, trusting the walls to offer protection from Indian raids. The most famous family member, Cynthia Ann, was captured by Indians, as a child, in 1836 and adopted by a Pahuka Comanche family. She later changed her name to Naduah and married Chief Peta Nocona. She bore him three children. In 1860 the Texas Rangers attacked the Comanche camp and re-captured Naduah and her infant daughter. After living the life of a Comanche Indian for many years, she was now returned to her family in East Texas. Sadly, neither she nor her baby daughter survived the transition. At the age of 37, only six months after the death of her baby daughter, Naduah (Cynthia) also died "of a broken heart," longing to return to the free life of the Comanche.

Cynthia Ann Parker "Naduah" on day of re-capture by the Texas Rangers, with infant daughter.

From Groesbeck we headed back home, stopping along the way for another bite to eat. When we got them home, our tulips were wilted and sad looking. I put them in the kitchen sink, sprayed them with a cold shower of water and then put them into a vase with fresh water. By morning they had perked up and were no longer drooping. They are now sitting on my kitchen island, a proud reminder of the fun day we had yesterday with our good friends.