A stunning spring at the Ranch; the generosity of Po-Po Family Restaurant

By Bebe and Sissy Fenstermaker

Spring is stunning this year. We have had more rain than usual but it has not diminished the pure saturated greens one bit. This year it seems there are more variations of green than I remember. The mesquites are bright acidic green; willows push out new grayed green leaves; the pecans and maples, the latest to leaf out, add an interesting yellow-green dotting to the tops of the trees. Lush grass keeps the cattle and horses happy while I'm eyeing the overabundant horehound plants all around the Barn. I have a smelly weed-shredding job ahead. Every rose in the yard is ready to explode in bloom. The primroses, creamy crow poisons, bluebonnets, and Indian paintbrushes make driving anywhere a pleasure.

The agaritas began spring fragrance in early March, followed quickly by mountain laurels. With no question, the prize for fragrance and bloom went to the mountain laurels. Even the smallest bush was draped with long violet blooms equally spaced apart. Very close to the house, two white and a pale lavender laurel glowed among the others. Now the huisaches are filling the air and, in the yard, my sweet olive sends orange blossom scent through the house.

The porch has new occupants. The chicken house has two less. There has been some rough stuff going on among the chickens and two hens are recovering down at the house with me. One is in bad shape, undergoing homeopathic nursing; the other is just fine and could go back to the chicken house, except that she lacks a few feathers in strategic places and has to stay a little bit longer. Her name is Smarty, a name I'm not too proud of, but she got it as a chick; the little thing seemed to pick up the how-tos faster than all the rest. As she grew up she mentally slowed down enough to make me wonder about the name. She was last at everything, even reluctant to eat the spinach that the others adore. I was not surprised when she fell victim to "penned up too long" chicken syndrome, also known as "too many meetings" human syndrome.

Here at the Ranch, one does not go off leaving the chickens loose. Coons and coyotes lurk during the day. They do not mind waking up from their daytime sleep to nab an unwary chicken. There is no such thing as a wary chicken, so one has to provide for their safety. However, staying penned up too long wreaks havoc from the inside. Chickens are not the brightest things.

Smarty has lived up to her name. She quickly caught on to the system down here and has begun to rule the yard. She has undertaken the dual jobs of Official Pecking/Gardening Chicken and Supervisor (Nailer) of Dogs and Cats. I never had a chicken that was faster through the screen door than me. She hovers at the door and, when I'm not paying attention, shoots past me, disappearing under the table. She uses the poor barn cat's humble bed for her nest. He hates to come in at night to a chicken egg I've forgotten to remove. Smarty finishes the cat food, informs me that I've forgotten to feed the wild birds, and trudges up and down the outside of the screened porch waiting for her chance. If I stand too long in one spot she jumps on my shoe laces; if I push her away, she take umbrage, puffs up her feathers, and comes back with a beady eye. We are all trying to be pleasant but it is wearing thin.

Our Native Plant Society Boerne chapter has presented its first S.U.N. Award. The award is for "standing up for natives" and was given to Bob and Dani Vollmer, who successfully defended their urban native garden from bureaucratic standardization. A neighbor turned them in to the City of Boerne as a neighborhood hazard; he did not like their muhly and bluestem grasses, wildflower prairie, or their arbors covered with rare native clematises. He said they were a fire hazard and that their garden brought snakes and mice into the neighborhood (completely ignoring his own rock piles and the fact that he regularly feeds deer corn). Bob spent hours documenting their careful plant selection and expenditures, their years of hands-on landscaping work to establish the garden, their mowing schedule, and, most importantly, the huge amount of water saved by using native plants. He prepared and delivered a packet in person to each city council member, asking if they had any question he needed to answer. When the hearing date arrived, there was a fairly well-educated city council judging the case, who, after listening to both sides, decided in favor of Bob and Dani. In addition, the city council said it would look into amending the city ordinance that gave rise to the issue. The Vollmers are real "standing up" heroes for the native plants of Texas .

Bebe Fenstermaker

The following account of woe turned out to have a positive aspect. A couple of weeks ago the starter on the pickup went out while I was running errands in San Antonio. After being towed to a garage to have a "new" starter installed, I was back in business again. A week later on a Saturday afternoon, Bebe and I drove up to Po-Po's, a legendary restaurant northwest of Boerne to meet friends from Ft. Davis who were driving through. We were a bit early and after sitting in one parking spot decided to move to another one. I turned the ignition key and nothing happened, just like a week earlier. Nada! We went into the restaurant to ask for the use of a phone to call another wrecker for another tow. Jenny Tilley, one of the owners, graciously obliged. She asked if we had a way home. No we didn't. She amazed us by offering the restaurant's catering van. Jenny took the key off the hook and we walked out to the van to so she could show us how to "operate" it. We had a delicious meal as usual, a good visit with the folks from West Texas, and then departed in the van for home. We were a moving advertisement for Po-Po Family Restaurant. I don't know many, if any, other businesses that would lend a stranded customer a vehicle to go home. However, the Tilleys would. I couldn't say just how I know that, I just do. Bebe and I will always be very grateful for the kindness shown us that day.

Po-Po Family Restaurant not only serves delicious food but also has a fascinating history. In 1929, rancher and dairyman Edwin Nelson built the structure to be a dance hall. The Great Depression was also in full swing and as it became worse, fewer people could afford to buy gasoline to get there. Consequently, the dance hall failed. In 1932 Edwin "Ned" Houston, who ranched across the road, purchased the structure. He started a restaurant in the former dance hall and named it Po-Po Café. That is where our tie with Po-Po began. Ned was married to our aunt, Martha Green, Mama's oldest sister. Mama even worked there as a carhop. Years later, she still remembered how thrilled she was to receive her first tip, five cents! Ned was a rancher and exported livestock to such notables as Pancho Villa in Mexico, Batista in Cuba, Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, and Somoza in Nicaragua. Ned sold the restaurant in 1934 and after that it had several owners. In 1950 Luther and Marie Burgon bought it and developed one of the finest family restaurants in the area. They started the wonderful plate collection, which adorns the walls. The Burgons sold Po-Po in 1981. Jerry and Jenny Tilley and son David purchased it in 1983 and have run it ever since. Po-Po draws customers from out-of-state and out-of-the-country. If it is a delicious meal you want, take the six mile drive north of Boerne on IH-10 to the Welfare exit and go until you see the famous EATS sign. You won't regret it.

Sissy Fenstermaker