TREADING WATER AS FAST AS I CAN....

We managed to go on a picture-trek this weekend but it's been a cyclone of activity since the weekend so I am late in posting! I forced myself to do the taxes tonight and then finished the online application and submission of the FAFSA form for Ross to be eligible for federal college monies. Whew!!! So relieved to have that behind us. He's applied for quite a few scholarships so hopefully we will begin hearing from some of these folks.

The gorgeous county courthouse below is the courthouse for Denton County, Texas. The county seat is likewise named Denton, and coincidentally, is the home of University of North Texas where Ross hopes to attend beginning in Fall 2009. (He's been accepted, just don't know about funding availability and the like). The courthouse was built in 1896 and appears to be constructed of the abundant limestone in Texas.

After every imaginable picture from every imaginable angle was recorded by the camera, we hit the road and stopped in this near-extinct town. It is Tioga, Texas and its claim to fame is the birthplace of Gene Autry. Wow!! Who knew??? All the shops are deserted and there are not many signs of viable business.

Continuing on our quest, we entered Gainesville, Texas... the county seat for Cooke County. This courthouse isn't nearly as impressive as some others we've photographed.

What was impressive in Gainesville was the historic home tour near the downtown area. We walked the sidewalks and captured photos of many period homes. This is only one of many, but it is also a favorite.

This historic church had some truly wonderful windows. The symmetry and form "spoke to me" through the camera lens. One thing strikes me as interesting when I look at the photos when I upload them from the camera. The trees are bare of leaves so one can see the entire structure. In the late spring and summer it would be extremely difficult to get such detailed shots.

Many of the downtown businesses had tiles or other entrances declaring the name of the firm or its purpose. Many of these stores are no longer in business, but the names at the doors remain.

These tiles were very colorful and very well preserved. The shop was empty.

This tiled entrance was so charming... and also no longer in business.

Until the next time....

HMMMM....

Last night we ate one of our homegrown winter tomatoes. It was delicious!! About the time I was clearing the table I realized something..... in all the months I've taken pictures of the growing veggies I've never once taken an "after" picture showing them cooked, sliced open, or in any other way prepared. I plan on rectifying that with the upcoming spring garden.

I have already planted red onions, white onions, and shallots. I put cucumber seeds and heirloom tomato seeds into seed-starter peat pots last night. Will keep you posted and take pictures soon.

Tomorrow we head north of Dallas to Denton. H wants to go to a gun show and I want to take a picture of the Denton County Courthouse. I also copied the directions to a Denton quilt shop... but I won't tell anyone until its "too late".

Until then....

THIS WEEKEND

There are no adventures this weekend. I have "the crud" and don't feel well enough to do anything.... and that includes celebrate Valentine's Day. Hope all of you have a LOVE-ly day.

Until I feel better.....

HISTORICAL SQUARES

Saturday was a beautiful day. We woke to temperatures already in the upper 50s so it wasn't surprising the final high for the day was expected to be in the upper 70s. (Usually a 20 degree spread from low to high is the average each day). We headed to Granbury, Texas which is about 75 miles from Dallas on a highway southwest of Fort Worth. The town is advertised heavily in all the Texas travel brochures because every building on the charming downtown square is on the National Registry of Historical Buildings. Granbury is also the county seat of Hood County, Texas so naturally the county courthouse is a prominent feature.

The square is filled with antique shops, tearooms, 50s soda fountains, and every other nostalgic kind of boutique or shop imaginable. The first one to catch my eye was The Pan Handle. It boasted itself as a gourmet tool shop. They didn't exaggerate! There were kitchen utensils I didn't even know existed. I left that shop a few dollars poorer.


The Opera House. Again, every building has an historical marker denoting the origins of the building and what was the original use.

Here is the county courthouse.... Hood County, Texas. Made of limestone.

We ate lunch in this cute little soda fountain. Poodle Skirts, Elvis records, a jukebox, and the "old fashioned" tables completed the look.

Another side of the downtown square.

Although Granbury was charming and quaint, it didn't quite have the same small-time feel that the towns we visited a couple weeks ago conveyed. It was definitely a "ladies luncheon" kind of place and SUVs full of city women descended upon the town in large numbers. Some of the shops were so crowded one could barely move. It was too much of a tourist destination to suit my tastes.

We got back on the road and took a different route returning to Dallas; one that took us further south before turning back to the north and east. We stopped in Cleburne, Texas to take more photos. This alley appealed to the lens of the camera. The door and window on the first building are actually painted to look like doors and windows... not the real thing.

This is the county courthouse for Johnson County, Texas. Cleburne is the county seat and likewise had a downtown square. It was picturesque but didn't boast the historical designation of Granbury. This courthouse was built in 1912 so it wasn't of the same architectural style as those built in the 1800s.

This church displays its founding date as 1877.

These 2 homes were a block off the town square. Overall the day was full of adventure, walking, discovery, and photographic opportunities. Thank you, H!!

Until another time....

OOPS.... I forgot....

I forgot to include something in my story about the trip to Fort Worth. As the TRE train headed west I spied an animal walking along the tracks in the opposite direction. First I thought the critter looked like a very furry German Shepard. Then I noted the color was gray-brown so I changed my thought to wolf. I was wrong... it was a coyote!!! I thought they were nocturnal and much smaller. Maybe this one was just hungry. No, I didn't get a picture. We came upon the animal too quickly to get the camera ready. By the time I aimed his direction he was gone.

Until the next adventure... which will be tomorrow....

A TRUE COWTOWN

The annual Fat Stock Show in Fort Worth, Texas is an event to which I look forward each January. The 'special other' reminds me frequently that I am nothing but a redneck. I love the country sights and sounds too much to be anything else.

Nothing says T-E-X-A-S quite as much as a longhorn steer. The horns on this old boy easily spanned 8 feet.


Baby goats were in a pen for picture taking. Many little children were photographed with these babies that day.

Another area especially for "city children" (who might not otherwise get to see this sight) featured farm animals and their babies. Here a momma sow and her piglets awed the crowd. I counted 14 babies.... no wonder momma was sleeping at the opposite corner of the pen!

Last year I was charmed by a cute little boy who told me all about his rabbit. This year I was again stopped by a little boy asking "would you like to pet my rabbit?" Something tells me it was the same boy. I didn't want to share his entire face since he isn't mine to show, but when I asked if I could take his picture with his rabbit he smiled "for the camera" like a seasoned expert at showing.

Walking into the cattle barn, one is immediately struck by how busy, loud, and crowded the place is. Country music blares from multiple boom boxes. There are the sounds of cattle mooing, people laughing, workers yelling to each other as they prepare the animals for show, and the whirring sounds of the hoses, clippers, and vacuums perfecting the appearance of the livestock.

The sheep have been competing in the adjacent barn.

The goats were just finishing a day of events as well. Notice the Fort Worth police PICKUP TRUCK!

This cow was very protective of her 12 day old calf. Calves accompany their mothers to the show ring if they are not yet weaned.

This is one of the largest bulls I've seen. It is thrilling to walk in such close proximity to the animals. At times one has to stop to allow a cow or bull to pass as he or she is being led to the ring or to the bathing area. A young bull can get rambunctious if he passes a cow he wants to know better (i.e she is in heat). It is good to be ever mindful of what is going on in case you need to get out of the way in a hurry.

Getting the cattle ready for show. They are showered in one end of the barn, then taken to a special "gate" where they are blown dry, fluffed, trimmed, smoothed, and in every other way made to look special so they stand out to the judges.

This shot tickled me. All the cows were laying the same way, facing the same direction, tails curled under the same way.

A shorthorn.

Another sight that tickled me. There was a white cow, then a brown cow, and finally the brown and white animal. Vanilla, Chocolate, and Swirl.

In the show arena. I am always very impressed with the judges at these events. They explain in detail the positive and negative attributes of each animal, explaining also why one is superior or inferior to its competition. The judge usually also gives suggestions about what the owner needs to work on to get the animal up a level for showing in the future.

One barn has nothing but herds for sale. They advertise how many females are pregnant, when they are expected to calf, etc. These animals are more afraid of humans and more skittish; unlike the show animals who are used to interaction with humans.

This was a beautiful stallion. The breed is a Gypsy something Registry and the horses are not unlike Clydesdales. They have feathered feet, very long manes and tails, and some sported long hair under their chins, reminding me of billy goats!

The final sights of the day... the midway.... and the colors in motion.

Here is the train station for Amtrak, the TRE (Trinity Rail Express between Dallas and Fort Worth), and also the Greyhound terminal. The architecture is delightful.

Until the next adventure....

A QUANDARY

This past weekend we took the train to Fort Worth so we could attend the 2009 version of the annual Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, also known as the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show and Rodeo. It was a beautiful day and the crowd was abundant. My quandary.... I took so many pictures that I don't know how to narrow them down for sharing. Will work on that and then post a few next time.

Until next time....