Santa's New Sleigh

Desperate for a giant red Christmas bow atop a shiny new car while suffering through the December car commercials, I gussied up in my not-so-fancy-I’m-poor-but-I-deserve-a-deal-on-an-ever-so-gently-used-cream-puff-vehicle outfit, I grabbed My Future Husband and headed to the Big City. The used car world was my oyster. 
Click for More

Growing Up In Bandera

My granddaddy Kindla's old tool shed was off limits for me in my early years. I was fascinated when he took me in there with him. I saw tools that were completely foreign to me. Old wood working tools of every type in that "look but don't touch" environment. My fascination was understandable considering the only tool I had at home was an old pair of slip joint plies that I used when working on my bike.
Click for More

This month at the Medina Library

The Medina Community Christmas will be Dec. 11, at 4:30 p.m., at the library. The library will be closed Dec. 24-27 for Christmas, and Jan. 1 for the New Year.
The library will open at 11 a.m., on Monday, Dec. 8, and close early at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
Click for More

Lakehills Library in November

The Lakehills Area Library has a new fundraising event coming in December. We are having a Goldrush! Bandera Jewelers Master Jeweler Jordan Marcum will be at the library on Monday, Dec. 8. Bandera Jewelers will donate half of their profits from both Monday and Tuesday to the library. Join us to support the library and earn some extra cash!
Click for More

Paul Petersen Ponders
Children push us out of comfort zones

One summer, Lee bought a bacon-flavored soda from a store in downtown Fredericksburg. He tasted it, looked like he was about to gag, and then asked me if I wanted any.
“Sure—when Pluto collides with Earth,” I said.
Click for More

Sublime Rambling
Peace Sign

I read the book by Stephen King called “Hearts In Atlantis.” There is a part in it that attempts to explain the Peace Sign. The book is about the 1960s, which I well remember.
Click for More

The Bull Pen

Click for More

This month at the Bandera Kronkosky Public Library

The Bandera Kronkosky Public Library featured artist of the month is Caroline Dechert, whose work in pastel, acrylic and watercolor will be on display.
Click for More

Sailing the Pacific
How the Manila galleon shaped international trade

In March of 1521, Portugese explorer Fernando de Magallanes docked off the coast of Cebu in the Philippines, achieving the first European navigation from the Atlantic Ocean to Asia. The same year, Spanish General Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec empire, expanding the Spanish-owned territory from California to South America.
Divided by the Pacific Ocean, the Spaniards needed a way to commute between their newly-established sovereignty. Thus was the birth of the Manila galleon.
Click for More

A Walk Down History Lane
with the Bandera Natural History Museum
How Juan de O'Donojú y O’Ryan helped end the Mexican War for Independence

Mexico's independence from Spain took a decade of war. None expected a Spanish general of Irish descent to play an integral role in achieving peace.
Click for More

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a Quetzalcoatlus
Life-size replica on display at the Bandera Natural History Museum

Taller than a giraffe, wider than a city bus, and able to soar over tall buildings in a single bound, the Quetzalcoatlus (pronounced Ket-sol-coh-aht-lus) ruled the skies about 80 million years ago.
Click for More

*The views expressed by our columnists, writers and artists do not necessarily reflect the policy, position or opinion of the Bandera Prophet.