If you live in or visit Central Texas during autumn, you may find yourself treated to one of Mother Nature's most spectacular sights. The majestic monarch butterfly makes an annual 2300 mile migration from Canada to Mexico and -- guess what? -- the Hill Country sits smack dab right in the middle of one of the main flyways.

Watching an active bald eagle nest is a real learning experience. The first day we saw the nest and two of the three adult eagles, we knew we needed to learn more about bald eagles and their habits.

Joe Pena, well known in the Western saddle-making trade and owner of the Joe Pena Saddle Shop, Uvalde, Texas, often is asked for magazine and newspaper interviews. His 65 years of experience make him one of few remaining craftsmen who can give information on making Texas saddles. Shop displays of leather goods and the inviting smell of fine leather provide the perfect backdrop for Pena as he explains his methods.

Throughout life, certain people become molded into one’s memory. There is your mama, Willie Nelson, and (drum roll, please) Terry Pembroke. Currently a horse trainer teaching at Post Oak Farm, Pembroke is simply one of those spunky characters impossible to overlook or forget. With a zest for life, and a love for horses, this philosophic cowboy keeps accomplishing more with every sunset to the West.