Patron Saint

The Saint Arnold brewery was named for the patron saint of brewing, a man who taught people that how to brew beer, which would keep them from drinking tainted water. For that, apparently, he was made a saint.

Each Saturday afternoon, the brewery opens their doors to the public for a two hour "tour" and tasting. The tour costs five dollars, and visitors are given a small tasting glass and four tokens to fill the glass. Visitors are allowed to trade up their glasses, receiving a dollar off the larger logo glasses. So long as the glass you're holding has the brewery's logo on it, you can get it filled for a single token. On subsequent visits, you are allowed to bring your previously purchased glassware. Five dollars for a souvenir glass and four fresh, quality beers is quite a deal.

The "tour" starts at a little after 1:00 p.m. and consists of a short speech going over the history of the brewery, and perhaps something about their beers. To be honest, standing in the vast warehouse it was really difficult to discern anything that was said. Following the talk, the tasting begins. Tasting stations (also known as tapped kegs) are set up around the hall, with their various brews on offer. At 3:00 p.m. the tasting ends and the hall clears out.

The brewery is scheduled to be moved to a new location, a bit closer to downtown Houston. Hopefully the tastings will continue.

For more information on the brewery and tastings, visit the Saint Arnold Brewing Company homepage.

Monkeys Found!

The Idle Monkey Trainer finally found some monkeys. Sadly for me -- and perhaps the primates -- they were already in confinements and docile.

Or, perhaps, just lethargic. In either case, the monkey trainer remains idle. As were most of the animals in the hot Houston afternoon.

Take me out to the ball game...deep in the heart of Texas

On a beautiful, if wickedly hot, Sunday afternoon I ventured out to watch the Houston Astros take on the Philadelphia Phillies. I am not a huge baseball fan. I cannot discuss the sport with any depth or insight. But I do enjoy getting out to a stadium every once in a while, to sit in the sun, have a couple of overpriced beers, and see a game. At Minute Maid Park, however, despite (or in part because of) the sunny day and heat and 40% chance of rain, the roof was closed and air conditioning turned up high. Which, was probably just as well. The heat and 24oz. beers would not have mixed well.

One singularity of seeing a game in Houston is that in addition to the now requisite God Bless America, and the traditional Take Me Out to the Ball Game, comes a rendition of Deep in the Heart of Texas. All complete with lyrics, of course.

Also, there is, for some reason I could not find, a rabbit.

Goliad State Park

Over a hot weekend, the Idle Monkey Trainer took to the road -- and was reminded what it is like to drive across certain parts of the United States: long, flat, an occasional cow to glance at along the way.

About three hours from Houston is the small town of Goliad, sitting along the banks of the San Antonio River. It was near here in 1749 that the Mission Nuestra Senora del Espiritu Santo de Zuniga was moved from the coast.

The Mission was the center of a huge cattle ranch that supplied Spanish colonial areas as far as Louisiana. The Mission also tried its best to convert the local population, who would take on elements they thought beneficial, and ignored those they did not, much to the frustration of the Spanish. The Mission is now the focus of Goliad State Park, which also hosts a memorial to Colonel Fannin, killed in the Mexican-American war along with hundreds of his men, the birthplace of General Ignacio Zaragoza's Birthplace, who commanded a unit of the Mexican army that defeated the French and whose victory is celebrated on May 5th each year.

It is also the home of the Presidio La Bahia.

The Presidio is where the declaration for independence of the Republic of Texas was signed, on the alter, which is still used in services each week. Nine different flags have flown over the Presidio -- Spanish, Mexican, Texan and the U.S.