Danced in ice and fire
For shots that last forever
Crazy
Sang a passing bird
– by Charlotte S.G.
There is a resort called Tres Lunas (Three Moons) buried in the deep red state, Texas, hidden behind the muddy unpaved road, away from the pollution of civilization. 
It was on a chilling winter day that we arrived – Christmas Day, to be exact. Despite the holiday decorations, the towns and roads we passed looked like inhabited by ghosts. The last two miles of the trip wasn’t a pleasant one – unpaved roads in the Hill Country, no more words needed to explain why.
Just when we passed a small stone sign saying Tres Lunas by the road, the iPhone started playing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. It was under this inspiring sound track that the resort revealed itself to us. Passing an iron gate with deer decor between the low stone walls, climbing onto the hill overlooking the infinite grassland with black cows, beside a large tree as green as one in summer, we found the welcoming classic brick and stone house waiting for us. 
As I got off the car and breathed in the smell of the south countryside, the unpleasant sensation of the journey was replaced by an inspiring atmosphere, a longing for the nature, and a spirit ready to be freed. A pair of chairs had been thoughtfully setup on the hill, facing the lower land, which connects all the way to the blue sky. On a sunny day, I should love to sit here all day. 
The hosts, Kelly and Brian, live in the property and run the business by themselves. They are a charming couple, with two kids and a cat. Kelly showed us around the main house, the living room of which looked like a step backward of time. In front of the comfy leather sofas, there was a real fireplace that burned real wood. On the bookshelf and on the table, there were books about Texas, about life, and about God. There were paintings on the wall, the most impressive of which was a dancing girl dressed in red – a girl on fire. Beside the dining table, through the floor window that watched the nature outside, a pool could be seen. That’s the most attractive gem of this place – a pool under the stars and connects with the sky.
It was winter, too cold for one to jump for a swim. But part of the pool could be heated into hot spring. When the steams rose from the pool, it was a luxury that no spa could match to soak in the hot water, facing the infinite pool and watching the sunset. 
Our house, which wasn’t the main house, but a smaller one behind it, enjoyed its own privacy, with full kitchen, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The decorations were homy and classic, not as artistic as the main house, but good enough considering we could make barbecue and hotpot by ourselves here. The beds were a bit too soft for us, but everything else was perfect, especially the lavender lotion, hand wash, shampoo and conditioner. 
One nightmare traveling on Christmas was that all restaurants were closed, as well as supermarkets. Kelly kindly provided us with snacks that could help us last till dinner, which we had booked in advance, foreseeing the little trouble. There were chairs outside our house for watching sunset, or just the cows. But from a busy city, we were not used to sitting still yet, so we had a walk on the trail near the house to kill time before dinner.
We passed by two big dogs behind fence before reaching the trail, which went a bit up the hill so that we could see the landscape – grass was mostly yellow, but trees still green, sky cloudy, and human pollution far away. This unnamed quiet trail, in my opinion, was even better than the state park that we visited later, because of its quietness and the infinity feeling under the sky. 
The dinner was a fulfilling one, starting with shrimp and salad, following by pork, asparagus and corn, and finishing with breads pudding and ice-cream. It was prepared by Kelly and Brian themselves. I was impressed, as it was good enough to compare with one from a high-end restaurant. Kelly also made the decorations in the dinning room. They said they bought over the business just a year ago. I don’t know how it was like before, but they surely have turned this place into one of the most attractive resorts I’ve known, and have made quite a successful business, as they said the place was fully booked over the year. 
It was sad that we picked rainy days to visit, and wasn’t able to see the milky way, or even the moon. I can imagine how romantic it will be, sitting in the hot pool, overlooking the grassland, showering under the stars. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the sunset and got a few good pictures.
The south was a different taste, and the hill country a different life – relaxing, natural, warm(-ish), and far.
