Summertime . . .and the fishin' is lazy. If there's a single Texas fish that signifies summer, it has to be the catfish. Sure -- you catch cats year round, but right now, when the days are long, the sun is warm, and the livin' is easy, many anglers turn to Mr. Whiskers both for sport and for the skillet.

Rushing by on the Interstate your eye is caught by the shaded green lawns, inviting pond and coffee shop that are the grounds of the Stagecoach Inn Hotel and Conference Center. Turning off the highway to visit Salado is well worth leaving home early or returning late to spend some time on Main Street enjoying this unique and friendly village.

Each morning, from sunrise to sunset, on a ranch 20 miles west of Johnson City on Highway 290, an elegant, long-haired man can be seen hoisting, moving and positioning sculpture three times his height and 100 times his weight. Here is the newest star of cultural enrichment in the Texas Hill Country - Johann Eyfells at The Eyfells and Eyfells Foundation, international headquarters for Receptual Art.

"I started with 20 men and three wagons from Fredericksburg in January, 1847." That's how John O. Meusebach, Mason Courthouse - Mason, Texas Commissioner General for the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, described his last official mission. He had already submitted his resignation, but agreed to travel north of the Llano River to make one more treaty with the Comanches who dominated the area now known as Mason County.

Lampasas' natural springs have been a centerpiece for the community for hundreds of years. The name Lampazos, was given to the area river by Spanish explorers in the 1700s. The name is said to have been derived from a Mexican river in Nuevo Leon, also known for its natural springs.

Ray Mulesky, of Evansville, Indiana, wasn’t planning to write a book about the Texas Hill Country. In fact, his early objective was simply to research the history of his wife’s great great-grandfather, who had Thunder From A Clear Sky enlisted in the Union Army in 1862.

Quilters feel very much at home in the Hill Country, partly because they can find nearby quilt shops that carry the best available fabrics and other supplies. Equally important, those same shops offer quilting classes, while quilt guilds and numerous clubs provide opportunity for socializing with other members who also are "addicted" to fabric arts and crafts. Historically speaking, quilting is not new to the area.

There are many rites of spring in the Texas Hill Country, but none may be more joyous than the annual return of the Old Settler's Music Festival. Founded 18 years ago, the festival has grown to be one of the top five events of its kind in the U.S., and it's right here in our backyard.

Tuesday morning. Nine o'clock. Sunlight filters through the plate glass windows at Strickland Drugs on the Blanco square. The old wooden door creaks open and in steps a man dressed for work and his toddler son, who's carrying a green sippy cup filled with milk. After conferring about a prescription, the two disappear among the four aisles of greeting cards and merchandise. "No, don't touch that," a masculine voice says from somewhere across the store. "Where'd you get that? Let's put it back....

The tech crash of the early 2000s was blessing in disguise for many people. Some found new ways to redirect their creativity while others returned to simpler lifestyles, realizing their true 'callings'. They succeeded in salvaging a nest egg from the experience and placed the money in the right place and time. Pat and Bill Appleman fit into these categories and are now leading enviable lives amongst nature and elegance in a place they’ve properly named Creekhaven Inn.