A Roadtrip to Kerrville to scout for Totality

In case you don't know there is going to be a Total Solar Eclipse that will travel across part of Mexico, the USA, and Canada.

I am making weekly videos on TIKTOK about the eclipse and why people need to make the trip to see Totality (99.9 is not good enough). So for fun I will update this blog post on the bottom with those. I may also go to different areas in the path and if I do I will link future trips posts at the bottom similar to what I did when we drove the 48.

Also at the bottom is some real good links to follow for eclipse info so if that is what you are looking for scroll down.

If you came here looking for info about our paranormal investigations please follow this link: Travelers Paranormal that will get you to all social media.

But now on to Kerrville!

So after working overnight Tuesday-Wednesday on 4/26 we got a cup of coffee from Street Coffee in Pleasant View TN, packed, and headed west to Texas to check out where we wanted to watch the eclipse. Now as you can see from this map there are locations far closer to our home in TN than Kerrville so first let me explain why I chose that spot.

When the 2017 eclipse passed over my house that day was literally burned into my mind as an amazing experience. And I knew I wanted to experience it again. In that eclipse our time of Totality was a little over 2 minutes and to me it felt like so much longer. I had a party at my house that day and I remember at one point during Totality getting concerned that I had lost track of time and needed to start warning people about using their solar glasses again. I looked at my timer and realized there was still a full minute left. In Kerrville Totality will be 4 minutes and 25 seconds! Double the 2017 time... Also there was one phenomenon that we couldn't experience from our location and that was seeing the shadow of the moon approaching. I don't know if the Texas Hill Country will be high enough but I thought it would give me a good chance. I also selected this location because the 2023 Annular Eclipse will pass that same area and I can pick a spot for the Annular and judge whether that seems a good place to return for the Total.

For basic info about eclipses this is a blog I wrote in 2017 with some info I used to present at a library, charter school, and community center leading up to the eclipse.

Eclipse Info

This is a blog about the day of the 2017 eclipse

The Day!

Now for the trip. As I said we had worked overnight so I wasn't sure how far we would drive Wednesday before stopping but I knew it was going to be a leisurely drive. Our first stop will become a road trip tradition....we stopped at the Memphis Ikea for lunch, you got to eat somewhere so why not have some Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam. The trick is to find all the short cuts to get to the restaurant without looking around and trying to buy something.

I didn't realize how much of our drive was actually in the Path of Totality but basically from the time we passed Little Rock Arkansas and on to highway 30 we were in the Path. Obviously there are varying degrees of time and cloud cover probability but that is a lot of area for people to come visit. 

We stopped for the night in Sulphur Springs, Texas. There was bad weather coming in and I didn't want to be driving in rain at night. We went to Backstory Brewing because the name was great and reviews showed food however they did not have food at that time. 

We ordered a flight to try several beers and pick one to potentially bring back to the hotel with us. While we were there we began talking with a couple of guys at the bar. They told us that Superior Bathhouse Brewery in Hot Springs Arkansas was the best brewery in America. Which I have to say seemed like a big claim but these guys were certain it would stand against any brewery. 

The next morning we were off on our way after a quick breakfast at the hotel. We only had 6 hours left to drive and were hoping to get to Kerrville around 1-2pm. Well you know what they say about the best laid plans...

We had stopped at a gas station in Waxahachie Texas and while trying to fill my car the gas kept stopping. I thought that it was an issue with the pump and so only put in five gallons before leaving. Awhile later I stopped at a Buc-ees and I had a similar experience. Then when I turned on the car the "check engine light" came on. Which is never something you want on a road trip. I went to a couple of auto shops to see if they could read the error code but our hybrid was not connecting to their portable machine so we made our way to Johnson Brothers Ford in Temple, Texas. The staff there was great! We told them we were on a road trip- the TN plates were a give away as well.  They worked us in to the schedule and were able to diagnosis the issue. Unfortunately the part for repair would need to be ordered which didn't make sense for just passing through. We were able to drive and they gave us the info to bring to our repair shop when we got home. We were delayed from our original time table but it wasn't horrible so we set back out towards Kerrville. 

When we reached Kerrville we had a list of things to do.

1st stop and get the official eclipse shirts and glasses on sale at the local park.

2nd visit the tourism office to find out about upcoming plans.

3rd check in with the hotel where I have rooms reserved for the Annular Eclipse. I know this is a smaller event but I made the reservation a year in advance and wanted to be sure the reservation still looked good. In 2017 I saw several people refer to hotels canceling on them and changing rates. Which sounds terrible but I also know that not only is there high demand from people looking to travel but it doesn't help that people will make reservations in three or four cities planning on canceling last minute depending on the weather. So I wanted to reiterate that this was my only hotel I was not canceling this was it for me.

4th was a stop at the Kerrville Hills Winery where we stopped in and had a tasting and relaxed.

This was one location I wanted to look at for potential viewing however the Total Eclipse is a Monday and they are closed on Mondays. Whether the owner does decide to open or not will be up to them. However the location is beautiful. And for eclipse viewing it is perfect since you drive up a hill to the winery. There is a very large open viewing area around it. The parking lot is small but if they were open I would consider this a great spot. Also the owner sounds like a fantastic human being who not only loves producing wine but also facilitates others to create their own by allowing them use of his incubator. He has helped with the production of over 30 wine brands.

5th was a stop at Cafe at the Ridge. I have been following them on facebook for awhile and the food looks amazing! And it tastes as good as it looks!.

The Cafe has a back seating area and an open parking lot in front. This definitely looks like a good location to comfortably watch the eclipse and I know they are planning some kind of event I just don't know details. 

6th and final stop for the day was at the Pint and Plow Brewing Company in Kerrville. This was another potential viewing location. Beer was good and they had a very comfortable seating area also something about the hobo writing adorning the building facade felt very welcoming. There were some trees and other buildings around but the eclipse will be high in the sky and should be visible.  Having just eaten at the Cafe we weren't looking at food but they do have a food menu and they have a coffee menu! One thing I have learned from travel to all 48 contiguous states and just an in general love of craft beer is that brewers pay close attention to ingredients. 

Finally (with a growler from Pint and Plow in hand) we went back to the hotel where we will stay for the annular eclipse and made our way to our room for the night. We watched some youtube videos and finished the growler before heading to sleep. Tomorrow we were going to go to San Antonio to see the Alamo, check on my hotel there for the total eclipse, and then start the long drive home.

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then before taking the road to San Antonio, we stopped at our last planned Kerrville stop. PAX Coffee. PAX is located in the heart of Kerrville just steps away from the Guadeloupe River.  I know the town is planning events and I assume aside from their large beautiful park the river front will be another gathering place for visitors. 

Whether I will view the eclipse from any of the businesses I visited in Kerrville or not I'm not sure but I know I will be back to all of them. Each one was unique and speaking to the staff they were inviting and welcoming. It will be interesting to feel the change in town between a regular Thursday to the day of the Annular Eclipse and finally the Total Eclipse.

The drive to San Antonio from Kerrville was a very important step in the trip because on the day of the eclipse we will need to take highway 10 from San Antonio north about 60 minutes to get to Kerrville. Now this has been much debated in my mind. Because I know I want to leave extra time to get there. The drive should be an hour but with a crunch of people heading to the hill country what will it look like on the actual day? Highway 10 is in good shape. For the most part it is two lanes in either direction. There is a service road on the side for a bit and a few times where it opens to three lanes for a short time. So I am feeling confident that with car loaded already the day of the eclipse we should be able to eat breakfast the hotel and then be on the road by 6:30am. We will see the eclipse. Our hotel is in the path (but only 40seconds of totality). Within a 20 minute drive we will be over 2 minutes of Totality. It will just be more comfortable at an actual place rather than on the highway.

When we reached San Antonio we went to try and see the Alamo... note try.. if you clicked on the link above that says 48 contiguous states you saw the first road trip was called "My Luck right" and earlier in this one we had to stop at a Ford Dealer for repairs. Well luck and I have always had an on again off again partnership. Its ok it builds character and a helpful appreciation for disappointment. Though this was also on me a bit. I did not know that there is a month long festival in San Antonio that culminates in the last week of April where basically the whole city is shut down, parking is way to expensive, and lots of people are everywhere. One kind Texas Ranger offered for us to leave our car, if we were going to be 20 minutes, with  the vendors who were unloading but seeing the Alamo takes longer and since we know we will be returning to San Antonio we decided to skip it.

Next I went over to my hotel which is surrounded by all the shopping you could ever imagine or want! In fact a lot of what we saw of San Antonio was all the shopping you could ever want. I spoke to the clerk there to look at my reservation, confirm I did need it, that we would be traveling with a dog, and  a pet fee was no issue. She said it all looks good but did advise me to call maybe three months out. I am probably going to continue calling each month and check in again in person when I go for the annular eclipse. Anything I can do to confirm yes I need and want that booking!

From there it was time to head home. It was almost noon so the drive home was going to be split in two days just like the drive there. And since it was going to take two days....... we stopped at Hot Springs Arkansas to try Superior Bathhouse Brewing.

It is a really good brewery and while I don't know if it is the best in America it is easily in my top five of breweries which is a list that spans across America. From the monster Bath flight board to the food to the interior decor to everything this brewery was the full package. Also for those keeping track of the fact that I said most of our drive was in the path of Totality.... this brewery and hot Springs will be a destination location for the big event! The large National Park will most certainly be an attractive location for anyone who wants an experience alone in nature for the eclipse. The town is a vacation town so those looking to party also seem like they will find many options on the main road. Now the only down side is like I said before the sun is in the sky and the eclipse is close to midday so it will be high. Hot Springs is very closed in (at least the main tourist road is as is the tree covered national park). Make sure you know what direction is what when looking to the sky.

From there the drive home was easy and we were home by midday Saturday.

TIKTOK videos

There will be an eclipse!

Road trip to Kerrville

Humans Interested

Celestron Eclipsmart

Don't be afraid to ask!

Be safe Be Mindful

Jackpot!

Bon Jour Ste. Geneveive, MO

The ingredients are ready for awesome!

Find your spot in Totality!

Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis and the Sun and Moon Cafe

Eclipse humor

Paducah, KY

Cape Girardeau

Explore More and make a trip out of it!

Bailey's Beads

99.9% is not enough!

Kokomo thinks you should see the eclipse

Make it a trip!

Size and distance makes the eclipse

The Sun Spotter!

Visiting the Sun King

Make it a trip!

Special guest coming up!

Annular eclipse this week!

The Ring of Fire

Great Resources!

Interactive map by Xavier M. Jubier

Mr. Eclipse

Time and Date

Dr. Kate Russo

Go See The Eclipse

Walking in Memphis

A few years ago I had ordered product from Ikea to get delivered to my home however it ended up being more of a hassle than it was worth and I went to the delivery companies warehouse to pick it up. So this time when I needed some more shelving units from Ikea I placed an order online at their Memphis location with the plan to pick it up. I had a week off from work, literally the last week of the fiscal year and the last chance to use 2019 vacation time. So we scheduled Gypsy Rover's spay surgery and gave a week to watch her and make sure she healed. We had several plans of things to get done around the house including putting together bookshelves for collectible items that have still been boxed up since I moved.

Of course I wasn't going to just drive to Memphis and pick up the bookshelves. If I was going to lose a day I was going to make it worth it. I checked with the vet to make sure that we would be ok to take Gypsy on a trip. She loves the car and sleeps in it so that was good and I could pick her up and take her out of it so she didn't climb in. So with the vet's approval we aimed to take her out at the end of the week.

Now I knew that we would be limited by having Gypsy Rover with us so I only planned on hitting some outdoor sights so places like the famed Peabody Hotel and the Civil Rights Museum were immediately out of the question.








We had one stop before reaching Memphis and that was a giant praying mantis reading a book outside a library in Jackson, TN.











Next we went to the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park to see "Cancer... there's Hope". This statue is the work of Victor Salmones who considered it to be his finest. At the back of the labyrinth are five people who represent those suffering from cancer and their caregivers. The front three have left the labyrinth after successful treatment.

Cancer ...  there's Hope"

Near the Memphis Zoo is Veteran's Plaza which has several monuments in it dedicated to soldiers from Memphis and Shelby county who served in several different wars. Among them was a WWI Dough Boy made from melted down pennies collected by children. And a monument to the famed WWII bomber Memphis Belle and its crew.

The Memphis Belle monument was a plaque with an image of the Bomber and it's crew as well as a statue of Margaret Polk, the inspiration for the bomber's name, looking skyward.  Margaret had dated pilot Robert Morgan before his deployment and he named the plane after her. The Memphis Belle flew in 25 European Theater Missions between November 7, 1942 and May 19, 1943. 

Next we stopped by the Galloway Methodist Church where in December of 1954 Johnny Cash, Marshall Grant, and Luther Perkins performed together for the first time for a ladies social club. It was the start of a long career for Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two.

Then we headed over to a shopping center to visit "Chimes Square". A bell tower had been converted by local artists into a giant wind chime and to keep with the Egyptian theme of Memphis the clapper looks like the eye of Horus. 

That got me wondering a bit about the history of the city and what the connection was to Egypt. The city was once home to the Chickasaw tribe who inhabited most of Western Tennessee. Like many other tribes in the early history of America they were forced to move westward into Arkansas through force and unfair treaties. 

On May 22, 1819 John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson founded Memphis which became the westernmost city in TN. It's location along the bluffs of the Mighty Mississippi, often called the Nile of America, was why the name Memphis was chosen. Memphis had once been one of the most important cities in Ancient Egypt with a location along the powerful river both cities were primed to be centers of industry, commerce, and trade. 

However Memphis' position on the Mississippi also lead to several epidemics of yellow fever. During the 1878 epidemic the population of the city fell to 20,000 with estimates saying of those remaining 17,000 were ill. Those who remained were the poorest of the citizens who couldn't afford to leave and others who stayed to help take care of them. That sad history brought us to our next memorial in Martyr's park along the banks of the Mississippi. 

At this point we left the car at Martyr's Park to walk along the river front and visit a string of small parks. The walk gave us a good opportunity to continue working on leash walking with Gypsy as well as her excitement at seeing people. When she pulled on the leash we would stop walking until she came back to us and walked with the leash loose. When joggers or other park visitors passed by we had her sit and stay until they passed. 

The riverwalk was an obvious choice because we had the puppy so were limited to outdoor/dog friendly locations and in particular there was a statue I wanted to see because of the story behind it. On the afternoon of May 8th, 1925 river worker Tom Lee was on his 28 foot boat named Zev on the Mississippi. While on the river Tom witnessed a large boat capsize. He made multiple trips to the boat and shore to rescue the passengers and is credited with rescuing thirty two of the 72 passengers. One survivor, J. M. Wood, was quoted on a sign near the Beale Street Landing as saying "We all owe our lives to Tom Lee. That's all there is to it." The passengers of the boat had been members and family of the Engineers Club of Memphis and the organization showed its appreciation to Tom by purchasing a home for him and sending him a Christmas gift every year until he passed away. The city also gave Tom a job as a sanitation worker.

The city also erected an obelisk in honor of Tom in 1954. The base explains:

"Tom Lee with his boat Zev saved thirty-two lives when the steamer U.S. Norman sank about twenty miles below Memphis May 8, 1925. But he has a finer monument than this- an invisible one. A monument of kindliness, generosity, courage and bigness of heart. His good deed were scattered everywhere that day and into eternity."

However the heading on the obelisk, which may have seemed appropriate in 1954, today strikes the viewer as inappropriate. The monument refers to Tom Lee as "A very worthy negro." I know that whoever wrote the statement and added that did not do it to belittle or insult Tom Lee.  I think the beauty of the rest of the statement about the invisible monument- the 32 lives and all those they touch- being a testament to Tom had the best of intentions. But even the best of intentions can be misplaced. When asked about his actions Tom Lee was quoted as saying "I guess I didn't do any more than anyone else would have done in my place." I think Tom did more than a lot of other people would have done and I think that is what they were trying to say on the obelisk. They thought they were honoring Tom with that phrase but instead the statement is belittling, divisive, and unnecessary. And I believe the city also recognized that. They could remove the obelisk but instead they clearly marked it as erected in 1954 and commissioned a new monument to Tom. And the new monument is beautiful.

I think the new statue by David Alan Clark was unveiled in 2006 and is a fitting tribute to Tom Lee's heroism. I found the detail in the statue and the outstretched hands beautiful. 

The park also has several other historical plaques and markers celebrating some more of the riverside city's history. For example one historical marker honored a visit from James Audubon on December 1, 1820 on his way to New Orleans. He stopped and sketched several animals and birds and eventually would publish Birds in America. Another plaque honored James Alfred Hyter "Ol Man River". James served three years in the US Army and became a Memphis legend for his performances at the Memphis in May Sunset ceremony when for 20 years (1978-1997) he ended the ceremony by singing Ol Man River. One article I read said that he would sing encore after encore and one time sang six encores of the song. The plaque honors him for his musical performances that brought a "diverse people together in common celebration of life on the Mississippi River." Another historical information board showed the routes of the Trail of Tears and the forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands westward into Oklahoma. The board had a quote from a song expressing the pain of those who were forced to leave their lands:

"I have no more land. I am driven away from home, driven up the red waters, let us all go, let us all die together and somewhere upon the banks we will be there." -Sin-e-cha's Song.

Another mentioned the visit of Alexis De Tocqueville who stopped near Memphis during his visit to America in 1831-32. During his visit he observed and took notes for his book Democracy in America published in 1835. 

And then I reached the moment I had been looking forward to from the first time I had ever heard the song "Walking in Memphis". I had looked forward to walking in Memphis and specifically on the famous Beale Street. The plan was to walk up Beale street to Dyer's burgers, a Beale street eatery that has been in business since the early 1900s and eat our burgers and fries in Handy Park. 

We saw several famous landmark buildings as we approached the cobblestoned Beale street including the Orpheum Theater, Peabody Hotel, and BB Kings.

Again I knew I would need to come back sometime without Gypsy Rover so that we could go into the Peabody Hotel and see the Peabody Ducks, take a riverboat ride on the Mississippi, and maybe even visit one of the music spots to hear some amazing blues music that Memphis is famous for but I was not prepared for the surprise I got when we walked up to Beale street. Namely a sign that said no animals (or reptiles) allowed on Beale street. 

So Meg took Gypsy Rover over to the Fedex Forum and sat at some picnic benches while I walked over to Dyers to get lunch. Now the story behind Dyer's on Beale is that in 1912 Elmer Dyer opened his restaurant with his secret to the unique burgers served is the ageless cooking grease. The burgers and fries made today are cooked in the same oil that was used when Mr. Dyer first opened his shop. It is strained and cleaned but has never been changed.

The burgers came with mustard pickles and onions on them and as I waited at the counter for my take out I could see the cooks working hard cooking the fries and burgers in their famous oil. Then I walked the block over to the home of the Memphis Grizzlies.

We had been planning to walk around Memphis some more but after the surprise at Beale street we decided to walk back to the car and drive. On the way up we saw a historical marker for the "Clothier to the King" the plaque told the story of Bernard and Guy Lansky. Their shop was known for it's vibrant colored cloth. Bernard Lansky told the story of his first meeting Elvis:

"Bernard recalls looking up one day and seeing a young man looking at his windows. He walked up to greet him and told him, 'Come on in and let me show you around.' The young man said, 'I don't have any money, Mr. Lansky, but when I get rich, I'm going to buy you out.' Bernard told him, 'Don't buy me out, just buy from me.'"

We walked back to the car at Martyr's Park and drove to the Memphis pyramid. Originally the pyramid was supposed to be a sports arena and a set of three but only the first and largest was built. Today it is a giant Bass Pro Shop with a hotel, restaurant, and an observation deck. We couldn't fully explore  the observation deck again because of the puppy so again going up to the top will be something we do on a return trip. But it was very worth the visit to be able to practice some awesome sit stays from Gypsy Rover. 

Next up was another spot that we will have to return too, The Lorraine Motel where on April 4th, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated by James Earl Ray while he stood on the balcony in front of room 306. Today the Lorraine is a Civil Rights Museum. A wreath marks the spot where King stood when he was hit by the bullet. 

Leaving the Lorraine we headed out to Ikea and the entire point of the trip. We pulled into the Memphis location and I parked in the fifteen minute loading zone. Once inside there was clear signage pointing to where the internet pick up area was. I had ID and my email with my order info ready. Behind the desk I saw several carts lined up with orders and immediately spotted my bookshelves. The employee behind the counter checked my name and info and got my order. I was out and had it loaded easily with in the fifteen minutes.

The only thing left to do was grab some dinner. Once I had decided we were going to Memphis I contacted several area breweries to see two things 1 if they were dog friendly and 2 if they sold growlers with their logo. High Cotton Brewing answered me almost immediately. They loved dogs and they were always welcome in the brewery and they had their own growlers. A bonus was that next door was a restaurant.

 It had been a long day for the puppy and the first time in almost a week that she had really been out so we got her set up with her dinner and some water and took off the cone so she could comfortably eat and relax. I also ordered a flight of their beers so that we could pick one for the growler to take home.

The Burger

The restaurant next door is called the Edge Alley. The menu was filled with delicious descriptions of fresh locally sourced ingredients.

Tennessee Ham Flatbread 

Ballet Cake

It was a hard choice but after tasting each of the beers we settled on the Razz Wheat to take home with us. It was a great brewery and a very satisfying dinner which set us up for a good drive home. The trip is easy Interstate 40 connects Nashville with Memphis. So I didn't even need a GPS for directions. Overall it was a long day and we were worn out when we got home but it was totally worth it to get the bookshelves and just have a nice relaxing day out. 

Home Improvements Part Deux

Well we took another quick trip down to my house in TN. And by quick trip I mean quick. We left NY on a Thursday afternoon and were back on Monday by midnight.

Saturday was the busiest day as I got up and started working early. I changed the last of the locks and deadbolts so that now all my locks are the same key and all are the finish and quality I want. In total I changed nine locks and I now also know how to re-key locks (an added bonus).

A couple of weeks before the drive I had gone to Ikea to look for bookshelves. I settled on the Billy style and bought two large bookcases and two small book cases. So Saturday morning I started putting them together. Assembly went well and was pretty quick. All four together cost about $200.

As I am looking to furnish my house I have gone to a few stores looking for different ideas. I really like things I have seen at Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn. Sadly I'm not so much a fan of their prices. I went to Ikea figuring I would look there for book shelves and dressers so I could save on those. I never thought about Ikea for couches and chairs. I don't really know why I just always figured they wouldn't be as comfortable and wouldn't hold up well. While I was strolling around the Ikea showroom my opinion began to change. I saw one love seat/chaise lounge which had storage under the chaise lounge section and the loves seat could be pulled out to make a sofa bed. Not only did I really like the extra storage but the pull out feature would be great for when I have company. Now back to the bookshelves.

Assembly went well and I really feel like the quality of Ikea furniture has improved since the last time I bought furniture. To me quality shows not only in material but in little details and one detail really struck me in it's simplicity.

These are the shelf pins that stick into the side of the bookshelf and the shelf sits on top of it. Notice how they are rounded. Each shelf has a matching area chiseled out so that the pins fit into the shelf. It made the shelves much more secure and added stability to the overall book shelf. I didn't have time to unpack books onto them but my wonderful sister did so here are a few pictures showcasing her decorating skills.

When I finally get down to TN I will probably take a trip to the Ikea in Georgia and get 2 more of each book case and maybe even a couch. I will then have wall to wall bookshelves for around $400. Near where Meg works there is a furniture store and they had arm chairs with script writing on them. I figure add two of those and a side table and the room will be finished.

The next order of business was to put together a green house I had bought at the beginning of the year. I have great plans for gardening when I get down there. I figured starting the greenhouse will give Meg the ability to start on some herbs and with the greenhouse she will be able to grow them year round. The green house is 7x8x10. And after seeing it Meg is now thinking she might want to add a lime and a lemon tree to it. In the warm months they will enjoy being outside and then for the colder months they will still get lots of light in the safety of the green house.

Now while I was building the green house my Mom was outside trimming the numerous rose bushes I have around the house. The previous owner must have really liked rose bushes because there are at least three in the back and I think another three in the front. Anyway I kept hearing a dripping sound as I was building the green house and my Mom heard it too. Eventually Meg came out and pointed out the source of the noise. It was a bunch of Cow Birds. I took video and it might be hard to hear but if you watch you will see the bird puff up a bit and then hear the water noise.

The trip was a good one and it was nice to be at my house. It's crazy to think that I have now owned my house for a year and a half. Meg and I have made many plans for what we want to do with the landscaping and I look forward to being down there to do it.

Anyone have any good suggestions for the green house, other than herbs, a lemon tree and a lime tree?