Small rocks memorialize the Kerr County flooding. Photo: Nicole Cobler/Axios
👋 Nicole here. My mom and I headed to Fredericksburg for a weekend getaway, and I was reminded what makes the Hill Country so beautiful.
We hiked Enchanted Rock, sipped local wine and ate an excellent dinner at Hill & Vine. We obviouslybrought home peaches.
The city was bustling with families, bachelorette groups and couples, but it was clear that the town was reeling from the devastating floods that hit neighboring Kerr County.
Zoom in: We stepped into the Fredericksburg Art Guild and found two artists painting rocks. They were part of a community effort to send hand-painted stones to Kerrville, where Wild Birds Unlimited is building a memorial garden.
An artist told me that painting has been a way for residents to process the tragedy and honor those lost in the flood.
Outside, colorful rocks lay drying in the sun, bearing messages "Kerrville Strong" and "Fredericksburg loves Kerrville."
One rock simply read: "7-4-25 Lila Bonner" — a heartbreaking tribute to the 9-year-old from Dallas, one of at least 27 Camp Mystic campers who died in the flood.
The bottom line: "We hope this will give folks of all ages a chance to express your feelings about this tragedy," Wild Birds Unlimited owner Kevin Pillow wrote on social media. "These will become an important part of a reflection garden we hope will stretch as far as the eye can see."
