Out And About In West Texas

West Texas Winter Wonderland

2006-11-30T21:41:00.000-06:00

The forecast called for a light dusting of snow. We received a little more than a dusting. I enjoy the snow but the blowing wind made for a little more windchill than I cared for.

Change of Season

2006-11-09T21:23:00.000-06:00

The difference between the green of the ground cover and the changing of the Scrub Oak leaves makes this pic seem disjointed. Much like the weather lately. Last week the highs were in the high 40's and low 50's today it got in the low 90's.

In The Distance

2006-11-07T09:58:00.000-06:00

Not to much to describe in this pic. Just a horse and some hay sitting out in a pasture under a bright blue sky. But I thought that it made an interesting shot.

Old And Abandoned

2006-11-04T22:28:00.000-06:00

It was probably a workhorse in it's day but this old combine has stood a lonely vigil along the Crosbyton Cutoff for as long as I can remember. I couldn't decide whether I liked the shot better in b& w or color so I just stuck one of each in the post.

Hey It's Hay

2006-10-30T13:05:00.000-06:00

One of the greatest innovations to farming in my eyes was the advent of round bales. Built to be picked up by hay forks installed to a tractor or pick up, they drastically cut out a lot of manual labor.

I hated loading square bales with a passion in my youth. Eventhough it was a way to make a quick buck, it was definantly not easy money. You sweated your balls off bucking up hay in the summer just to freeze your ass off in the winter putting it out for the cattle. Now it can be done from the comfort of an air conditioned or heated cab. Now that is progress worth having.

King Cotton

2006-10-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

Once more it is harvest time in West Texas. Although Cotton isn't quite the king crop that it once was it is still an intregal part of the farm economy. My father and his father before him were cotton farmers. But the farm economy is pushing towards more and more land being farmed by fewer and fewer people. Seeing these large fields and imagining the homes that once stood upon them; The homes of countless farming families that have been squeezed off the land; one wonders if progress is all that it's cracked up to be.

The Palace Theatre Shining Bright

2006-10-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

I had posted the above pic a few months ago over at Blugstuff and had promised to show a pic of the sign lit up at night. As promised, here is a pic of the Palace Theatre sign all lit up in it's former glory.

I just love the old theatre signs. The movies just don't seem the same in todays big mega-plex's.

Texas Pride

2006-09-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

On Highway 82, east of Crosbyton, Texas, stands this barn that displays it's Texas Pride. It is nice to see everything greening up again.

The Canyon - A Haiku

2006-09-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

Looking over the canyon

After a summers warm rain

Gazing in wonder

Washout

2006-09-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

Where the recent rains have washed down the canyons, there have been left some reminders of how the force of nature leaves it's mark on the land.

The Dugout

2006-09-14T13:08:00.000-05:00

This is a replica of the Askins - Shaw dugout that was originally built around 1878. The Askins Family were one of the first settlers to Dickens County. The dugout was a popular and common sense approach to home building for the early settlers. There was not a lot of timber so by building a dug out it certainly saved on building wooden walls. John Askins traveled all the way to Colorado City, TX in order to buy the tin for the construction of it's roof. That is over 90 miles by mule.

When my family moved into this part of the world in the late 1800's, they built a dug out that must have been very similar to this one. Nothing is left of the original dugout but a slight depression in the ground. Most of the building material was used on other projects after the family built their non-dugout home. Waste not want not, that was the maxim for these early settlers.

The Snake Pit

2006-09-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

Here is Jones Stadium. I took the picture from the old press box in order to give a good look at the stands. It is unusual as the stands are only on one side of the field, so the visitors sit right alongside the hometown fans. It is built into the side of a hill and is much like a smaller version of the Sun Bowl in El Paso. The stadium earned it's name from two different sources according to who you get your information from. One source will say that it is due to the snakes living in the hill and another source will say that it comes from the style of play from the home team. Either way it was a great place to play when I was in high school and now that I am an adult, it is a great place to watch a game under the Friday Night Lights.

One thing that you might have noticed is the fact that the middle of the field is the 40 yard line. A few years ago, due to the declining population, the school went to a six man football schedule. If you have never caught a six man game, I would recommend it. It is a fast paced game with a lot of scoring most of the time. Although I still long for the day when my old alma mater played regular 11 man football. But any football is better than none.

Old Fence Row

2006-09-11T17:56:00.000-05:00

Just an old fence row that time has forgot. Blow sand has built up around it. Weeds and grass burs have grown upon the blow sand. Once again nature attempts to reclaim it's own.

Elusive

2006-09-05T14:35:00.000-05:00

This is sort of like a 'Where's Waldo' pic. Can you see the turkeys? You will most likely have to click the pic to enlarge it, in order to find them. I took this shot right before dark as the turkeys were moving to their roost.

The dumbest wildlife question that I ever was asked happened when I was 16. As I was out and about on the ranch, where I grew up, an out-of-state hunter stopped and asked me how far a turkey ran when you shot it, as he chased one for half a mile after hitting it. I told him that if you shot right, about two steps.

I don't think he ever asked me another question.

Off To The Races

2006-09-03T12:34:00.000-05:00

This turtle scooting through the rain reminds me of my childhood. I can faintly remember when I was five years old, my father and a couple of his cousins took me to the turtle races. First we went out and caught a turtle and proceeded to the turtle race.

The turtle race started as turtles were placed under a washtub in the middle of a large circle. When all the turtles were placed the washtub was raised and the race was on. In the first heat, the first turtle to cross the finish line was deemed the winner. In the second heat, which took much longer, the last turtle to cross the circle was deemed the winner. My turtle won both heats. I must have been a natural turtle racer.

One reason that my memory is so foggy is due to the fact that my father thought it would be funny to set me up as a bartender dispensing beer from the keg for the beer drinkers. Being young and curious, I partook of the keg as readily as filling up cups when no one was looking. When I was finally caught, I was pretty looped. Dad tells the story of how he drove me around for hours trying (unsuccessfully), to sober me up before having to take me home and face the wrath of my mother.

The Hayne's School

2006-09-01T06:43:00.000-05:00

Before Integration, black children were bussed from up to forty miles away to be taught at The Hayne's School. It is in the Freeman Addition of my town. The Freeman addition was once a large community. Now only three or four families live there as the town has become integrated. The dilapidated cinder block building is a reminder of how 'separate but equal' was really only separate.

The bottom picture of the playground with the abandoned merry go round seems haunted to me. I can almost hear ghostly laughter in the background.

The Grain Elevators

2006-08-29T18:39:00.000-05:00

The tracks are long since gone and the whistle of the train is no longer even a distant echo of memory but the silos stand at the edge of town as Sentinels to a time gone by.

Mesquite Beans

2006-08-26T10:47:00.000-05:00

We have a pretty good crop of Mesquite Beans this year. My grandfather often told me that the Mesquite Bean is one of natures checks and balances. In dry years when the crops were bad, the Mesquite Trees put forth an abundance of beans for sustenance. I have only ate mesquite beans once. When I was very young a great aunt made up a big pot of these beans. I don't remember it being very tasty but in the old days it had to beat starving to death.

Ripening

2006-08-24T18:51:00.000-05:00

The fruit of the Prickly Pear Cactus is ripening. The fruit is rather a pain to eat although they are sweet. If you have never had them then imagine a pomegranate with thorns. Many old timers made some very good jelly out of the prickly pears.

Stone

2006-08-23T17:56:00.000-05:00

i am but a dirty stone
thrown into a stagnant pool
a thud a sickly splash
ripples quickly vanish

all that's left of me
is lying in the murky waste
drowned dumb dead as stone
cold and uncaring

i stare from the shallow sludge
sunlight drifts downward
too weak to warm
too feeble to illuminate

here i wait
patiently silently
for the storm
to wash me away

Cabello

2006-08-21T17:30:00.000-05:00

It had been reviewing my posts and realized a gross oversight on my part. I do not know how I managed to wait this long before posting a picture of horses. I hope this rectifies the situation somewhat.

And you might also notice that the rains of the past two weeks have really made a difference in the pastures. A little bit of green is starting to come back.

Catfish & Bar-B-Q

2006-08-15T07:19:00.000-05:00

Another rainy day shot. This in my opinion is one of the most inventive signs that I have ever seen. Besides having a really cool sign, this little joint in Post, Texas has some huge Catfish plates and the Chicken Fried Steaks melt in your mouth.

Rain Cloud

2006-08-12T21:20:00.000-05:00

Isolated thundershowers have been moving through the area the last day or so. The rainfall is not near enough to help with the drought but it is thankfully bringing down the temps a little and any rain is welcome.

The bottom shot is where I turned around from watching the rain clouds and just shot a pic down the road. It may be goofy to just take a picture of the little farm to market road but the picture reminds me of the line from a Robert Earl Keen tune, 'The road goes on forever and the party never ends.' It also illustrates just how isolated thundershowers can be here in West Texas. I have seen it to where it will have a good rain on one side of the road and the other side of the road stays bone dry.

Silver Falls

2006-08-07T14:08:00.000-05:00

Located four miles east of Crosbyton, Texas is one of the states best roadside park. The top section is handicap accessable, contains well maintained toilet facilities, a tornado shelter, manicured lawns, picnic tables under awnings with barbeque grills but a short walk down the stairs and the area is kept to close to a natural state. A few steps down on a patio overlooking the bottom of the park is a sign cautioning visitors to proceed downward at their own risk. The water seeping from the ground makes the steps rather slippery in spots.

At one time it was a large waterfall with a good size pond but with much of the ground water in the area being pumped out for irragation water to water crops and with the drought the water is but a trickle of it's former self. It is still a very nice spot with large Cottonwoods and green vegitation.

On most weekends it is a well visited stop for travelers on U.S. 82. Lots of area people come to picnic and play vollyball on the upper tier. I have always enjoyed the relative peace and quiet of the bottom. Where only the sound of light traffic interrupts the trickling sound of the water.

Patriots In West Texas

2006-08-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

Today I had the honor of attending the funeral service of Andrew Velez. A soldier who fell defending freedom in Afghanistan. I stood bearing an American flag in an honor guard. As first the family passed by and then the soldiers bearing the coffin, it really struck me what a debt all of us owe to the young men and women defending this way of life that far to many take for granted.

This family has given so much. First the eldest brother Freddy fell in Iraq and now Andrew in Afghanistan. It was a small thing to stand with the Patriot Riders as they made sure that Andrew's family were able to bury him in all the dignity that he deserved. It is a shame that religious zealots with a twisted view of Christianity would try to desecrate this service. But they did not succeed. The overwhelming presence of The Patriot Guard Riders and those that support the dignity of our defenders kept these contemptible creatures from disrupting the service.

Whether you are hawk or dove makes no difference. These men were issued their orders and followed them. They died in the defense of our freedom as was their duty. It is our duty to remember them and respect them. It is good to see that never again will our soldiers come home to a country that spits on their good name and curse their deeds. That is a shame that I hope this country will not forget but will learn from. These are our sons and daughters, our fathers and mothers, our neighbors, and our friends.

I hold my head up high and will defend them against those that would seek to blemish their honor. So that they may hold their heads up in pride at the honor that they do for us. I am proud of all of those who do the same.

Putoff Canyon

2006-07-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

This is the roadside park/historical marker north of Jayton, Texas. From 1900 - 1914 it was an artist retreat and resort. Zane Grey visited this resort and used the area as the background in his novel, 'The Thundering Herd.'

I recently came across an interview with Robert Duvall, who stated that, " The western is America's Shakespeare." If that is so then Zane Grey was one of it's founding bards.

One unusual aspect of this rest area is the large spacious public restroom. At the rear of the rest area is a turnstile leading to acres and acres of pasture land. As you can see in the bottom picture this outdoor restroom is well used.

Another Dry Photo

2006-07-26T12:13:00.000-05:00

Just to emphasize the drought a little bit, here is a shot of cattle grazing in the bed of an empty stock tank that was once a pretty good fishing hole also. At least the soil here has enough moisture for a little green vegetation. I had a relative that once burned the needles from cactus in order to give his cattle something to eat. The cows love the cactus but it is a dangerous drastic measure. The cattle will start liking the cactus too much and when the rains come and there is enough grass to graze the cattle, they will eat the cactus; thorns and all. Needless to say, this is a very unhealthy thing for them.

A Dry Post

2006-07-23T16:22:00.000-05:00

Much too often here on the Rolling Plains of Texas, the promise of early spring rains and green grass fade away to the harsh realization of a parched land deep in the midst of drought. But even in these times, there is beauty in nature if one looks for it.

Pumpjack At Sunset

2006-07-19T20:46:00.000-05:00

The sight of an oil well at sunset would look a lot prettier if it was one that I owned. Especially with crude oil at 78 bucks a barrel.

He Shoots, He Scores Again

2006-07-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

Woo Hoo, they sent me the action figures as a thanks for reviewing that game site a while back. I couldn't believe it when I opened the mail and there they were, not one but three action figures. I will post them all in Blugstuff sometime next week. This is Tough Shit. I went over and gave one to Big D. It is a Turd Superhero named ShatMan. He has a collection of Superhero Action Figures so I couldn't resist giving him shit. But I do believe that I will keep this one. Maybe I can do a contest on Blugstuff and give away the other one. It is a lumberjack that is appropriately named for a contest over there. That way I can give away Jack Shit for a prize. But I just wonder what kind of contest could I do. I was thinking possibly a 'Talk Shit' contest. What y'all think?

Leapin' Lizards

2006-07-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

Lizards are plentiful in this area but you don't see these very often. Mostly they are those green gecko looking ones. There are some mountain boomers that are fun. When you chase them they climb up on their back legs and run away but if you turn and run the other direction then they will chase you. That's always good for cheap laughs.

He Shoots, He Scores

2006-07-11T17:18:00.000-05:00

I finally found that Trailer Trash Figure that I was talking about on Blugstuff a while back. I am psyched since it only took three tries to get the one that I wanted out of the vending machine. After seeing it live in person, I must say that her makeup is quite the image of Tammy Fay Baker.

Nothing Much

2006-07-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

This pic didn't turn out like I hoped but I spent about ten minutes waiting for that damned bird to fly to an area where I could get the moon in the background.

Congratulations

2006-07-01T08:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, Dan and Breezy. It was a lovely ceremony. I wish you all the best as you go through life together.

Dickens Springs

2006-06-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

I am pretty busy without a lot of time but I have many pictures of one of my favorite places in this part of the world. Even in the harshest of droughts this is one of the few places where the land stays green. I will be posting more pics and stories of this place in the coming posts.

Mesquite Tree

2006-06-24T08:17:00.000-05:00

My grandfather often spoke of how this land looked before the Mesquite Trees came and in some areas totally took over. I can hardly imagine the look of rolling grasslands and vistas before their arrival via cattle from Mexico.

They do make a pretty tree if given the room to grow and not just the bushes scattered thickly in pastures as they are seen most of the time. I had a great aunt when I was young that would pick the beans and cook them. She told me that they were a staple during dry years. In dry years the beans make their biggest crops. It wasn't all that good but I suppose it would help you survive when the planted crops died in a summer's drought. I suppose it must be natures insurance program in an inhospitable world.

The Buffalo Soldiers

2006-06-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

I while back I did a post on Soldiers mound and mentioned the memorial at our local cemetery. I thought that I would post a few picks of the memorial.

The area of the cemetery where these soldiers are buried was a very lonesome one when they were first interred there. On a far corner against a hill. The rocks forming a terrace give a rather lonesome look to the memorial. The marker was put up in 1936 and before that time only simple wooden crosses marked these soldiers final resting places in the frontier far from their homes.

I thought that I would add a link for additional stories of these brave men who were named the Buffalo Soldiers by their adversaries that named them for their bravery.

Click here if you wish to learn more. I have also added a painting by Michael Grey that shows Mackenzie in his final battle with Quanah Parker.

Lonesome Memorial

2006-06-15T07:50:00.000-05:00

I am still researching a little history of this site. So I will post another pic later with a little history around this memorial. I just liked this b&w picture so I thought that I would post it today.

Bob's Oil Well

2006-06-13T20:03:00.000-05:00

This is Bob's Oil Well in Matador. The owner wanted his station on the corner of US 70 and Texas 70 to stand out. It was originally constructed with a wooden derrick over the station then later a steel structure was erected. In it's heyday it was a major tourist attraction with a diner, station, petting zoo, and rattlesnake exibits. The building was in disrepair but the outside of the station has been refurbished and the local organization that worked to repair it is awaiting more funding to do renovations to the inside of the building. It will also be nice if they can get enough funds to light the derrick is it was; a beacon along the highway for travelers.

I have added a link to Preservation Texas. The group had listed it as a historical structure under the threat of extinction. The article on Bob's Oil Well is halfway down this page. Click here.

Abandoned Rock House

2006-06-11T11:43:00.000-05:00

Lovely but lonely, this rock house sits about 15 miles from the closest town. I love the red star above the entrance. It is a small touch that makes this simple rock structure really stand out when driving down the road. It is a shame that no one lives here. I can picture myself sitting on the front porch and watching the sun rise over the rolling plains.

Dickens County Jail

2006-06-09T20:08:00.000-05:00

The jail was built of the same material as the courthouse. When I was in school one of our field trips was to the jail. The most vivid memory that I have of the field trip was the cell that was built for the hanging of prisoners. There is still a ring in the ceiling with a trap door under the ring. It was a perfect 'Scared Straight' moment.

I have added a link to the Dickens County website with a little more history of the jail. Click here.

The Courthouse

2006-06-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

I seem to have misplaced my photos of the rock house that I was going to post. So I have decided to post these photos of the County Courthouse in Dickens.

The Courthouse was built in 1891 from natural stone. I might be partial but it is one of the most unique and understated County Courthouses in Texas for it's age.

I have also added a pic of the plaque that was placed commemerating the erection of the building. What really strikes me is the number of schools in the county at the time of it's incorporation. There were 37 schools in the county at that time. Now there are only two schools. One has to remember though that at that time schools had to be located in such a way that children could walk to school and most of these schools were simple one-room affairs and one teacher would teach students of all ages.

My grandmother walked two miles to a one-room schoolhouse located about two miles from her house. My great-uncle Herman taught at the Red Mud School, which was a simple one-room school, at the age of 17. Education has certainly changed since 1891.

East Mound Cemetery

2006-06-02T21:41:00.000-05:00

The entrance to the East Mound Cemetery was built in the late 1800's. In that day and age the entrance was built wide enough to permit a small wagon carrying a coffin into the grounds. As you can see by the tracks, the entrance is rather narrow. A family car barely fits through the gate and larger vehicles must go around. This cemetery is just east of Matador, Texas.

Turn Around

2006-05-31T19:44:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-26T08:33:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-24T23:11:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-22T19:40:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-20T09:12:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-17T22:14:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-13T15:40:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-13T15:37:00.000-05:00

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!