Of Kolaches and Ducks

---

Well, I have decided to make a quick little weekend trip down to the Houston / Beaumont area a warm up posting, a sort of “lets try this out and see how it goes” kind of thing. My trip was two-fold. First I was going down to take care of some personal business and as a more enjoyable side benefit I had a duck hunt scheduled.
It all started of very early Saturday morning (well not VERY early, but early enough). Leaving home with the truck all loaded and driving through town before too many people were awake is always fun. It gives me that good feeling like when you were a kid getting up at the crack of dawn to go camping. So skipping breakfast and getting on the road, I started down highway 71 on my way to I-10 and then to Houston. Skipping breakfast was no mistake, not today anyway. About an hour down the road is a little town called Ellinger. It’s not much more than a wide spot with a couple gas stations, some craft/antique shops and a place or two to eat. However when traveling 71 between Houston and Austin, Hruska’s (pronounced ROO-ska) in Ellinger is THE place to stop. This is the typical small town one-stop gas station, convenience store and diner. Where else can you fuel up, pick up some Mlaeck’s Bohemian Pasta and eat some of the best kolaches around (sorry mom, but yours are still better) One step inside and you’ll understand. My typical stop includes and ice cold Dr. Pepper from the cooler and standing in line to get one or two, of a whole assortment, of kolaches and pigs in a blanket which, for the uneducated reader, are two entirely different things, both of which I would be happy discuss with anyone caring to know the difference.
Back on the road happily toting a small white paper sack with two fresh hot klobasneks (pigs in a blanket) and a cold bottle of Dr. Pepper, the rest of the drive to Houston was relaxed and uneventful, well, as uneventful as driving across Houston can be.

****Disclaimer ****Warning****Adviso****: If guns and hunting offend your personal belief structure then you should probably find something else to read right now.

Having taken care of my business Saturday I got up Sunday morning at 3:30 to pick up my brother Chris and drive an hour east of Houston on I-10 to the town of Winnnie for a morning of duck hunting. There we met some friends at the Waffle House eating breakfast. We weren’t the only hunters there however. Half of the small dining room had camo clad men of all ages occupying nearly all tables. A few minutes after 5:00 AM, after waiting only a little while, a man walks in wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops, nods to the waitress and cook and quickly makes the rounds shaking hands and greeting everyone there. This was Paul our guide, and if I didn’t know better I would have thought he was running for office.
Shortly after Paul arrived, we were back in the truck following his tail lights through the early morning darkness. With a quick couple of turns and a few miles down the road, we were unloading the trucks and heading out to the blind. By a quarter of six we were securely placed in the blind, with a decoy spread strewn both in front and behind us, waiting for the sun to rise. The weather was great, with the temperature hovering in the low 70’s and a slight South East breeze blowing us in the face. There were a few clouds and a hint that a rain shower might pass by, but the clouds started clearing the higher the Sun rose. The morning’s hunt ended around 10:30 with a total harvest of three teal, one spoonbill and one speckle belly goose. Not a good day by any stretch, but the guide has invited us back to make it up to us.

So for now, it’s back home for a few days to get ready for another trip, but this time it will be to the western half of the state. More to come in a few days.

---

Photos

Hruska's
This is THE place to stop when driving between Houston and Austin on highway 71.

Waiting in Line
There is always a line for fresh Kolaches, but they are fresh and hot and you'll have them in your hand before you know it.

Paul Bringing Them In
This was our guide Paul. He really worked the birds for us.

Comments

[DEVON........]

YOU ARE KINDING RIGHT???
BOHEMIAN NOODLES....... ARE THEY BIG,STRAPPING AND STRONG!? ....YOU PUT THEM IN A HOT SITUATION AND THEY GO "ALL SOFT---ON YA?" HA HA LOL....... POOR OLD BO-HUNKS! AND STAY AWAY FROM ALL THOSE "SPICY-SAUCED GIRLS!"....LOL DR