The Murphy sisters visit our Texas Guest Ranch.

“There are six Murphy girls and we all grew up in Dallas. Three of the sisters now live in Texas and three have homes outside of Texas (Washington State and Wyoming). We are very close sisters and love to get together whenever we can. Our parents, both deceased, were proud of their heritage and when we were growing up, we often heard stories of our grandparents and great-grandparents. About two years ago, we began talking about a reunion where the six of us would travel around Texas and visit places of interest to our family history. We chose to explore the history of our mother’s paternal ancestors, and set about doing some research; our reunion turned into a Pilgrimage in search of our Texas ancestory.

Our main guideline was concluding our trip in the town of Wheelock, Texas, founded by our great,great,great grandfather, Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock, who founded the town. (His great grandfather, Eleazar Wheelock, was the founder of Darmouth College in New Hampshire!) As children we had attended Wheelock Reunions with our grandparents. These reunions, always on the first Sunday in May, have been held on the grounds of the Wheelock Cemetery for over 100 years.

Martha took charge of planning the itinerary, and asked each sister for suggestions of where to visit. We took out the map of Texas, circled all the locations, and “connected the dots”, so to say. Starting in Dallas, we had 8 nights on the road which included travel to Tyler, Kilgore, Jacksonville, Palestine, Mexia, Austin, San Marcos, San Antonio, Seguin, Cat Spring, Brenham, College Station, and finally to the birthplace of our ancestors, Wheelock, Texas.

When we realized our visit to San Antonio was not far from Cat Spring, we knew we had to make plans for a visit to see our family friend, Skeeter Hagler. What an amazing and unforgettable experience to visit Blisswood Texas bed and breakfast! We had no idea what we were about to experience when we arrived at the entrance to Blisswood. We followed Skeeter to the picturesque gazebo, passing many, many lovingly-cared-for animals along the winding road before arriving at the White Gazebo alongside the peaceful pond with its little bridge, and abundant flowers, vines and lush foliage. We were truly awed by the setting and the beautifully prepared luncheon of luscious cheeses, colorful fruits, croissants, chilled wines and crisp, “fresh from the garden” salad greens!

Our time with Skeeter and Carol at lunch (how does she do it!) was followed by a tour and an “all too brief” good-bye as we had to depart for the next destination on our pilgrimage.”

Thanks to Martha Murphy for writing this. We always love to hear from our guests.

Dragonfly on a blade of grass

Our Central Texas vacation ranch offers a blissful respite from busy lives. Guests may explore our 600 acres at their leisure, stretching out for a nap in the shade of a live oak, or in a sunny field.

Immerse yourself in the simple beauty of the world at Blisswood Texas bed and breakfast.

Photo taken at BlissWood by Pulitzer Prize Winner Skeeter Hagler.

BlissWood’s own photographer, Skeeter Hagler, will be available to capture you in the bluebonnet fields surrounding our Central Texas b&b. We are now taking reservations for private photography sessions, whether you are a guest here at BlissWood or not. Call 713-301-3235 for reservations.

Have Skeeter create beautiful portraits of your family among the bluebonnets.

Wildflowers at Blisswood

Pulitzer Prizewinning Photojournalist Skeeter Hagler is coming to Blisswood this weekend, April 17 – 19, for a photojournalism workshop. The workshop kicks off Friday night with a delicious dinner at Carol’s at Cat Spring Restaurant, where Skeeter will offer opening remarks. Participants will learn what it is like to work as a real photojournalist and carry out an assignment from start to finish: through the shooting, editing, layout, criticism, and printing stages. Skeeter and his knowledgeable staff will work closely with workshop participants, guiding them on how to get the perfect shot, select a few photographs from the hundreds taken, and create a moving visual narrative. By the end of the workshop, students will have developed their eye and honed their skills as a photographer. They will also have a real feel for what it is like to work in the field.

Skeeter Hagler

Since the workshop is being held at Blisswood at Lehman Legacy Ranch, why not stay at premier Texas bed and breakfast Blisswood during the workshop? Set on 650 acres of lush Texas land, with many farmhouses and cabins scattered privately among the live oaks, it is the perfect spot to stay while you tap into your creativity. You are welcome to bring your own food and cook for yourself, or enjoy the award-winning cuisine at Carol’s at Cat Spring Restaurant, just down the road; the Almond Crusted Whitefish will undoubtedly inspire a great work of art.

For those of you who haven’t heard, our Texas Bed and Breakfast was privileged with the presence of famous Pulitzer-prize winning photographer Skeeter Hagler for an exclusive photo workshop over the weekend of November 7-9, 2008.

Skeeter described the weekend as a “perfect photographic weekend. Everyone was there for one purpose: to share information about photography and become better photographers. We lived and breathed photography for two days!”

There were 12 participants of varying age ranges, some in their mid to late 50′s as well as a few of Skeeter’s students from the University of Texas. Skeeter, a native Texan and Austin resident, has held these kind of photography workshops all over the nation. However this was the first he had ever held locally and said it was quite the learning experience and a unique Texas Weekend Getaway.

“I was pleasantly surprised. Some of the participants I thought would be the most amateur took the best photos! These workshops are also social gatherings; we drank a lot of wine and beer and looked at photos and talked about the art of photography.”

Skeeter says he feels lucky that he has spent his whole life working as a photographer, and yet he still gets excited about it.

“This workshop was really unbelievable,” said Skeeter, “Perfect weather, perfect location, perfect company.”

These photos really help to capture the beauty of the ranch, and I hope they will encourage you to consider Blisswood for your Outdoor Texas Wedding or your Texas Romantic Getaway.

I guess that’s why Skeeter Hagler choose our lovely home on the range for his innovative and once-in-a-lifetime event: The Blisswood Photo Workshop. November 7 through 9, this weekend is going to be like no other!

Skeeter Hagler is a Pulitzer-prize winning photographer and a native Texan. He won the Pulitzer for his documentary on the modern day cowboy. So I guess I understand what attracted him to the ranch!

The weekend retreat and workshop is going to be for those who wish to learn about photojournalism and gain real-life experience working under the critical eye of an editor and have demanding daily deadlines. It’s gonna be exciting!

Students will be learning about how to make their photos talk: creating a visual narrative. Skeeter and his staff want to give every student on the retreat the chance to learn about making important, meaningful photography and give them skills to carry them into the future.

The weekend will include lodging on the ranch, dinner a Carol’s Restaurant both nights, and lots of fun!

It is a pretty amazing oppurtunity – and we feel so flattered that Skeeter would want to make Blisswood the location of honor for this exclusive and intriguing event.

If you want to know more about Skeeter, see some of the photos he has already taken here at Blisswood, or learn more about the event, please check the Blisswood Photo Workshop Site.