Turn Around

This is the view from the backside of that shot from the last post. Of course, I walked across to the other side of the road to avoid taking a picture of the highway. That hill in the background is Soldiers Mound. The original name of the place was Anderson's Fort. In the late 1800's, Colonel Anderson commanded a garrison of Buffalo Soldiers on Soldiers Mound. The last of the Great Warrior Chieftains, Quanah Parker, still roamed the Plains and the cemetery here has a memorial in the area of the graves of the Buffalo Soldiers who died in this campaign.

Small Town, America

This is a shot of my hometown from the hill that overlooks the town at the base of a large wooden cross. I have always liked to park at this spot and watch the world go by. I can remember in my youth when the main drag was filled with cars every weekend. It is a very rare occasion when it is that way anymore. Now when I speak of my small hometown, maybe you will know that I am not exaggerating one bit.

Memorial Park

A simple shot of the memorial park in my home town. The plaque at the base of the flagpole lists the names of the folk that have left to serve our country and did not find their way back home.

In trying times it is more important than ever to remember those who have sacrificed all so that we may remain free.

Thank You

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Pixie for designing the awesome template on this page. She did a very good job and completed it in one day. She expressed that she did not know much about the west but I think that she captured the look perfectly.

The Hanging Trees

In an area named Red Mud, which is named for the red color of the dirt lining the canyon walls, is a small spot in the road where the trees overhang the road. In areas of East Texas and other parts of the country, this is no big deal but here in the Rolling Plains it is a rare thing indeed.

When I was back in school, it was a popular place to cruise through with girls. The legend is that these trees were once used to hang rustlers and others that needed the noose. I have never seen documentation that this ever took place but this general area is known to have strange goings on.

Down the road is a deep canyon and a hill known as "Nigger Hill" with the legend that a black man was beheaded there and every once in a while balls of light dance around and it is said that the man is searching for his head. I have seen these lights on a few occasions and though I am a great skeptic, it does send a chill down my spine witnessing them.
Texas Tech University came out to the area to study the strange lights in the area and could never definitively decide what caused this phenomena.

There was also an old abandoned church that had an alter for black masses. It has been torn down now but it was always creepy driving by it and wondering if any Satanists were actually practicing some sort of witchcraft in the old church. There was also a house along the road that local legend said was home to a gruesome murder of a woman and children by the husband and father.

I do not know if any of these legends are true. I only know that it helped get the girls to cuddle closer as the car passed beneath the branches of The Hanging Trees that would scrape across the top of the cab.

(I hope that no one is offended by my repeating the name of the hill. I did not give it this name and to change the name would be false. People of every race from the area know it by this name. Sometimes a name is just a name. Again, I would like to apoligize to anyone who reads these words and are offended.)

The Wooden Windmill

In the hot and arid West Texas, water means life. If one was lucky their spread had a creek or river running through it but for the most part water meant a well. The winds of West Texas were perfect for use of the windmill.

Most of the windmills nowadays are made of gleaming metal and submersible pumps and electrification has outdated many of the windmills. The old wooden windmills to me are far more interesting to look at as the mill turns and creaks and brings forth the lifegiving element of water.

Caprock Canyon Trailways State Park

Here a few of the pics taken during my excursion to Caprock Canyon Trailways State Park on a Field Trip. I had a great time and would like to express my appreciation to Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Bateman and Mrs. Pascal for having me along. I would also like to thank Park Ranger, Mrs. Rose, for the awesome visit to Clarity tunnel to watch Two Million Mexican Free Tail Bats fly out in a massive column of bats. It is an experience that I shall never forget.

This is a shot of how water erosion has sculpted a natural tunnel.

There is so much of the park that I did not get to see. The two mile hike during a 100 degree day forced a long lunch layover. After lunch, we were given a slide show of some of the bats ingenous to the area and what to expect for the bat fly out. The kids were also shown skulls and artifacts from the area, including a Mammoth tusk from the Lake Theo Site located on the park and then we went outside for a demonstration in thowing a spear with the use of an atlatl. An atlatl is a device used by Paleo-Indians for hunting Ancient Bison. It was a short stick with a hook on the end. The hunter would affix his spear to the hook when used properly this doubled the speed and thrust of the thrown spear. For a link to a short Wikipedia definition of atlatl, Click Here.

After that was a weinie roast and then off to the tunnel. The Clarity Tunnel was the last remaining tunnel in use in the State Of Texas. The drive to the tunnel across the old train tracks was about 15 miles over numerous wooden bridges and one very long concrete one. This is a shot of the view from one such bridge. It wasn't easy getting a shot from a moving Suburban across this dusty trail and this in no way justifies the breath taking view from these bridges.

This picture of the Clarity tunnel is taken from the State Park Website as it was approaching dark when we arrived at the tunnel, but I really felt that a picture of the tunnel needed to be on this post.

The Double Mountains

I live in what is known as the Rolling Plains of West Texas. I was born and raised below the Llano Estacado or as it is known 'The Caprock'. Above the Caprock on 'The High Plains', the land is flat but below The Caprock the land gently rolls and is filled with canyons and mesquite and cactus. There is not much in the way of elevation but The Double Mountains stand out from miles away. I remember well my first sight of them as a small child and thinking how grand and magnificent they looked. Even now, I can look upon them with a certain wonder of how they stand so proud upon The Rolling Plains, even though they are but anthills compared to the mountains in Northern New Mexico, where I lived for a short while. The world is a large place when you are a child but sometimes memories loom larger.

The Brazos River

These pictures were taken off of a bridge over looking the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River. As I was driving by the birds were tranquilly sitting along the riverbed. When I stopped on the other side of the bridge and walked out to take my pictures the birds took off and flew all around my son and myself. They were in such a panic that a few of them crashed into the guardrail. I have always admired this view of the river. If it was not for the sight of the electric poles it would seem like stepping back in time.

Why Another Blog

I really enjoy doing my out and about posts. I must admit that I am not much of a photographer but I enjoy taking pictures of the world around me. Hopefully it will be a place where my friends can go and see how the rural world in which I live helps form the person that I am.

I am not actually hiding this blog. It is listed on my blogroll but I did not put it on my profile. If you have found your way here then welcome to my view of Texas!