San Antonio Missions, the third one.

Hello, everyone. It's been busy around the home place, and I forgot to post anything for a few days.

The third of the San Antonio Missions, going from south to north, is Mission San Jose. 

As you have surely noticed by now, these sites are fairly spread-out and even if one drives a car instead of walking between them, the visiting will give a healthy walk all by itself.

Mission San Jose has a more involved history than the first two. Its full name was actually San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo. 

approaching the front. 

After the Franciscan fathers founded the mission, it later was operated by members of a different order. They did some repairs, and made their own typical arches as they did so. In this photo some of both shapes are visible.

The vee shaped one at the back was one of the refurbished arches. 

This covered entrance has a large collection of opuntia pads, also called nopales, which being left to themselves have sprouted. There was no indication of why they spread out the pads like that. They seem to have been there for some months.

This carved cross is at the top of the front of the church.  Below it are some lovely carvings of saints, restored, and a wooden door with geometrical carvings, also restored. 

The retablo of the church. As y'all can see, the local parish is keeping it in use and pretty.

There is a museum in one of the buildings which has photos and explains the history of various restorations and visitors over the decades.

With a little judicious cropping, I am getting better at keeping the photos upright. Fray Antonio was depicted in the typical habit of a Franciscan missionary, with his walking stick and hooded cape. I think someone enlarged, and maybe added color, an old painting. It's hard to tell if the object in his hand is one of the "ladder" type of rosaries. These are still around, though less common than the single strand form. 

 There is a souvenir shop in the Park Service visitor center, and helpful people at the desk.

San Antonio Missions, The Second One

Hello, everyone. The weather around the home place has been its usual August self: hot, sunny, and dry. There might have been a few drops, but not enough to be an actual watering. And we planted fall seeds this week, in hopes that something will come from them.

But returning to the missions, after our visit to San Francisco de Espada, we drove back along the city streets to San Juan. 

Sadly, the Blogger app refuses to let this view of the surviving aqueduct display right-side-up.

Also at the aqueduct are some of the old terraces. The bottom of this little set of terraces has the river bank. The river flows under the aqueduct. These are on the way from San Francisco to San Juan, so we stopped to see them, too.

The missionary fathers built a church, as usual, 

The interior of San Juan Mission. The large figures at the side are carried in processions.

They also set up the Stations of the Cross outside so everyone who wanted to could participate in the devotion.

The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is buried in the tomb. As y'all can see, the later walkway was poured going around the stone markers.

San Antonio Missions historic sites (edited to remove fox photo as that was already posted)

Hello,  everyone.  I was out of town for a few days, but now have returned home. I saw some interesting things on this road trip.

Mission S. Francisco de Espada, near the Loop 1604 south portion, was the first of the mission churches we visited.

The mission front garden (there is a community of believers that come to pray and someone looks after the landscaping near the church building) was surprisingly colorful for August. In addition to the sunflowers in bloom, they had some beautyberry shrubs with berries. (The purple things) I didn't know beautyberry would grow so far south! I think San Antonio is in about zone 8b in the USDA growing zones map. Now I wonder if beautyberry would consent to grow in 9b, about 7 F degrees warmer on the winter cold days, I guess.

The front of the church. The reddish flowers on the left are poinciana, which is gorgeous in bloom but a freeze will at least knock it to the ground. They might be growing it on hope, and expecting the plants to return from the roots if the temp gets down to slightly below freezing.

Wildlife on the move

Hello, everyone. It's always fun to see an unexpected animal.

This fox was out for a stroll near the Mission S Francis De Espada historical park on the south side of San Antonio. I didn't know they come in that color variety. 

Tapas ideas, American style

Hello, everyone.  We love eating pinchos and tapas so much when we're on the Camino. At home, we get to missing them. Sometimes we try to make some of our own.

Cucumber rounds with tuna and pomegranate on the blue plate, also bread rounds with soft cream cheese and wild salmon on the yellow plate

Cucumber with dates, walnuts, and goat cheese. After making these we concluded that peeling and making thick slices of the Cucumber and scooping out the middle with a melon baller would work better.

Bread rounds variety: cream cheese with wild salmon, slices of meatball with Mexican cheese blend, cream cheese with piquillo pepper relish, combinations of the above. This last plate was turned sideways by the Blogger app, I did crop it but the first version was still in memory or something like that.

I always feel like I need to use the test stitching

Hello, everyone.  Today I finished a book tote. It started out as test stitches for the embroidered brown pillow last year. The pillow went to its new home, but the test swatch sat there staring at me. For months. Reminding me that something should be made from it.

Fortunately there was more of the red duck in the stash.

It is lined and has a slip pocket. There is also a small D ring at the side for a key chain or charm. It's the right size for many hard cover books, too. 

Fabric: cotton duck canvas from stash, quilting cotton lining also from stash.

Another class project finished

Hello, everyone.  Today's finish is a sewing club project that we started last February.  It's the Sisters Common Thread Caddy Pad. I did the "Junior" size because that's the one that fits my travel iron. They also have a tiny size and a regular size. 

This is a combination iron tote and small ironing pad. 

The front cover of the instructions.  If you shop carefully you can get a pattern that includes the silver toned heat resistant fabric for the inner surface.

The finished tote. (Yes, I did stick the iron in it without removing the official Rowenta cover. It's late.) I followed the directions as written, pretty much. It's been a while since I started the project

 I did make a stitched box for attaching the handles, though, even though it will probably not have a lot of strain to contend with. I just like it this way.

Fabric: a fat quarters of quilting cotton for the outside in a lilacs and leaves abstract print. Binding and handles are from stash fabric, as also the yellow buttons and the elastic loops.