Brrrrrr!

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 42 degrees, high 45 degrees, clear and windy with gusts up to 40 mph

The weather has gotten cold again, with high winds and a wind chill down to about 34 degrees. It sure makes it tough to do anything outside, so we stayed inside most of the day. Another couple of cold days and it should warm up a little on Sunday and Monday.

Carolyn had another appointment with the physical therapist today. The therapist added some new exercises for Carolyn to do, and a couple of them made her nauseous. The physical therapist says that Carolyn is doing well with the therapy that she has done so far, but we don't have any idea how long she needs to keep seeing the therapist. Carolyn has been told that the vertigo is something that she will always have problems with from time to time, but that the therapy she is going through will give her some tools to help her contend with it when it does flare up.

Can you believe this is the last day of January?

Today, I am going to give you some information about Glen Rose, Texas, the little town just down the road from where we are staying. Glen Rose is located at the north end of the Texas hill country where the Paluxy River joins the Brazos River. This town began with the establishment of a trading post in 1849 by Charles Barnard. The area became an Indian reservation in 1855 and he had to move. When the reservation was abolished in 1859, Mr. Barnard moved back and started another store. In 1860, he built a flour and grist mill. Since Mr. Barnard had started the town, he named it Barnard's Mill. Catchy name, right?

This was the beginning of the present seat of Somervell County, the second smallest county in Texas. The mill became a central part of the community, serving as a dance hall, meetinghouse, and in later years as the town hospital. By the 1980s it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1871, Mr. Barnard sold the mill to T. C. Jordan of Dallas for $65,000. Mr. Jordan's wife, a native of Scotland, decided to rename the town to reflect its natural surroundings. At a town meeting in 1872, residents agreed on the name Glen Rose rather than the alternative proposal, Rose Glen. A post office was opened there in 1874, and Glen Rose became county seat of the newly formed Somervell County in 1875.

There is a lot of natural beauty in the area, which draws tourists to see several attractions, including:

Dinosaur Valley State Park, which has 113 million year old dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River bed.

The Promise, a musical drama of the life of Christ, every Friday and Saturday, September through November 11.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, a 9.5 mile scenic wildlife drive to see exotic and endangered animals

The historic downtown Glen Rose square featuring shops, restaurants, a museum, and the historic Somervell County Courthouse.

Barnard's Mill & Art Museum, built in the 1860s and registered with National & Texas Historic Places.

Comanche Peak Information Center, where visitors can learn about the generation of electricity using the atom.

Expo Conference Center, better known as the Rodeo Barn, which has events almost every weekend.

The Squaw Valley Golf Course, a 36 hole course owned by the county. This is one of the finest municipal courses I have seen.

Creation Evidence Museum, which gives a scientific look at Creation.

Glen Rose claims to be the Blue Grass Capital of Texas, and they have festivals each April and October.

As you can probably tell, we like the area a lot.

More later. Be careful.

Today's Town - Glen Rose, Texas: America's Dream Town, USA Winner, 2004