Sightseeing in Waco, Texas

Waco, Texas

Weather: low 57 degrees, high 80 degrees, cloudy, light breezes

We had an early start ( for us), out by 0930. We stayed so busy we didn't get home until almost 1500 hours. The primary focus of today's trip was to visit downtown Waco so we could see some of the famous landmarks and get pictures of them. In addition, this trip was intended to familiarize us with Waco, and figure out how hard it is to get around. We think the town is laid out in such a way that it makes it easy to go wherever you want. By the end of the day, we had a pretty good idea of how to get just about anywhere we want to go.

Our first stop was in the free downtown parking just across from the Civic Center. We noticed that there seemed to be a high number of law enforcement officers, as well as some soldiers. The soldiers were using dogs to search vehicles and the bushes. Parked in the back of the center were several remote TV broadcast trucks with their satellite dishes deployed. I walked around the east side of the center on my way to the river to get some pictures, and noticed Mike Huckabee's bus parked in the parking lot. Aha, I thought. Huckabee is here for an appearance. Wrong, he was here yesterday. Eventually, I made my way around to where I could see a marquee for the center, and everything was explained. The wife of the past president of the US was due here at noon for an appearance, and all the security was for her safety. People were lining up with their signs and hats, even though it was still almost two hours before the junior senator from New York was due to arrive. We made sure we were finished with what we wanted to see in the area before the throngs made it crowded. That is, if there was a throng. I'm not sure how popular the junior senator is in this area.

First on my list of things to see was the ALICO Building, which was the tallest building west of the Mississippi and south of the Mason-Dixon line when it was completed in 1911. During the tornado of 1953 which destroyed much of Waco, this building came through with virtually no damage. The building is still in use today. I took a picture of the building, but my Internet connection is too slow to upload it. I'll try to pass the picture on when we have a better connection.

Next, we saw Waco's Suspension Bridge, which was the longest single span bridge west of the Mississippi at the time it was built in 1870. It provided the only pedestrian and wagon span across the Brazos River. At this time, it is only used for pedestrian traffic.

The McLellan County Courthouse was just down the street, and I took a picture of it's dome.

Some historical facts about Waco: The town was named after the Waco Indian tribe that lived in the area.

The town was incorporated in 1857, but lots were being sold as early as 1849 for $5.00 each.

Dr. Pepper was developed by pharmacist Charles Curtis Alderton in 1885.

Baylor University, the largest Baptist university in the world, was moved to Waco from Independence, Texas in 1886.

The area around Waco has very fertile soil, and it was renowned for the the amount of cotton grown. The first Cotton Palace Exhibition was held in Waco in 1894.

One of the deadliest tornadoes in Texas history struck Waco 5/11/53, killing 114 and injuring 1097, damaging 850 homes and destroying 96 buildings. Property damage totaled $51,000,000. Imagine how much that would cost now.

Prehistoric mammoth bones were discovered in 1978, with 24 mammoths excavated so far.

After visiting downtown, Carolyn wanted to visit a couple of craft stores. That took a couple of hours, after which we went over to Sam's Club to pick up a few things we needed. Then it was time to go rest. Later on, we took a short ride west of town on US 84 to see what was out that way. By the time we got back, it was time to settle in. Tomorrow, I want to go to the Dr. Pepper museum.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Crawford, Texas: Home of the Texas White House and President George W. Bush

Not all who wander are lost.

Texas Ranger Museum

Waco, Texas

Weather: low 41 degrees, high 74 degrees, clear skies, winds 20-30 mph, gusting to 40 mph

The RV was shakin' and rockin' from the high winds. Thought I was going to say something different, didn't you? It is a good thing Carolyn is not suffering from vertigo because she would have had a tough time of it today with the way the RV was moving. It was blowing so hard I thought our pets, Abe and Mabel, were going to fly away.

We got a fairly late start in the morning, and didn't get into town until lunch time. By that time, we were getting hungry. One of the park hosts suggested that the best chicken in Waco was Bush's Chicken, which we had never tried. Since one of their restaurants was on our way, we stopped and tried it. I have to say, the camp host steered us well. We think the chicken is very good.

After eating, we drove to the Texas Ranger museum, located just off I-35. What a great museum this is, with a detailed history of the Rangers and excellent exhibits. The museum shows how the Rangers came into being because of Indian raids and outlaw activities. In addition, it details how the role of the Rangers changed over time as the needs of the state changed. At this time, there are well less than 200 Rangers on active duty. That is a very low number for a state of this size and population. That is the way it has always been. Back in the 1800s, two Rangers would be responsible for as much as 50,000 square miles, and have to share a pack mule between the two of them.

One reason for the low number of Rangers is psychology. It is felt that the low numbers fosters a mystique about the Rangers that causes the criminal element to think twice when the Rangers are becoming involved in a case.

The Rangers are famous for sending small numbers to put down trouble. A famous story that readers may have heard of relates the time years ago when a sheriff asked for assistance from the Rangers in putting down a riot. A single Ranger arrived and the sheriff asked where were the rest of the Rangers. The Ranger replied, "One riot, one Ranger". They were involved in the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde, helping put an end to their crime spree.

After our tour of the museum, we decided to go back to the RV and take it easy. Got to get the meditation time in. I took some pictures of our campsite and Lake Waco, formed by damming the Bosque River. The lake is almost 7200 acres. Unfortunately, I am having problems uploading some of the pictures, so I'll pass these on when I get a better Internet connection.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Houston, Texas: Energy Capital of the World

Not all who wander are lost.

On The Road Again

Waco, Texas

Weather: low 28 degrees in Gen Rose, high 64 degrees in Waco, clear skies, calm winds until the afternoon, then winds up to 20 mph

The title of this post should give readers a clue that we have left Glen Rose. We were there for five months, when we only expected to be there for about a month. Some good things came out of the time spent in Glen Rose, including visiting with friends and finding out what was causing Carolyn's vertigo problems. However, after five months, it's time to hit the road again.

When we got up this morning, we were not sure if we would leave or not. After checking today's weather, we decided that we would probably not have a better day to start traveling. We took our time getting ready and pulled out about 1030 hours. Our destination was Waco, because we have passed through there several times, but have not stopped. There are several things we want to visit, and a US Army Corps Of Engineers (COE) campground on Lake Waco that we want to stay in.

After a loooong drive of 60 miles - just kidding. It wasn't long at all. It was a beautiful day, traffic was light, and the road was good. Perfect conditions for traveling. We are parked at the Speegleville COE campground. Our closest neighbor is about 150 yards away, and there are only two other RVs here. We are about three miles west of Waco.

After parking and setting up the RV, it was near 1400 hours, and we had not eaten lunch. Since the Backyard Burger restaurant is only about three miles away, we decided we just had to have one of those great hamburgers. Ummmm, boy!! Good!

After getting back from lunch, we set up the satellite dish so we could watch TV. After such a busy day, it was then time to meditate a little, which I did. I think Carolyn did too, but I didn't catch her with her eyes closed. Of course, she could have been meditating with her eyes open. Some people are able to do that. I haven't been able to master that feat yet.

Tomorrow, we plan to do a little sightseeing. Our campsite is next to the lake, so I'll take some pictures of where we are parked and put them out with tomorrow's post.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Eagle Lake, Texas – Goose Hunting Capital of the World

Not all who wander are lost.

False Summer

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 40 degrees, high 52 degrees, clear, winds gusting to 3o mph

Yesterday's nice weather was just a teaser to make us think we were in for warmer temperatures. It has turned cold again, with wind chills down as low as 30 degrees today. The low tonight is forecast for 30 degrees. Along with the cold weather and high winds is an increased wildfire hazard. The humidity levels are very low, which makes the possibility of fires even greater. The area needs rain badly. Note in the weather report above that we had winds up to 30 mph. We try not to travel unless we have to when the wind is that high.

We did not do much today except go into Glen Rose to Burger King for a Croisanwich. That seems to be our favorite breakfast sandwich. Throw in some tater tots and a Diet Coke, and we're set.

Later in the day, I put our tripod away. The tripod is placed under the fifth wheel tongue to provide more stability when parked. Putting the tripod away is one more thing I don't have to do when we get ready to leave.

Not too much happening beyond what I wrote above. I started reading a new book by Patricia Cornwell (Book Of The Dead), surfed the web a little, walked, and did my exercises to keep my left rotator cuff from acting up. Carolyn worked on her crafts and did a little reading.

We had pork chops smothered in a gravy mix, frozen field peas and butter beans mixed together (they were cooked), and potato salad for dinner. I'm going to have watch how much I eat with that kind of meal. Very tasty.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Lakeland, Florida: A True Sense of Place

Not all who wander are lost.

Warmer Weather

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 47 degrees, high 92 degrees, clear skies early, partly cloudy later, windy

Summer may have arrived!! Look at the high for the day. Of course, Wednesday morning the temperature is supposed to be down in the low 30s.

We did a few more tasks in our inexorable march toward getting ready to leave this area. Carolyn wanted to clean the carpet in the RV, so I helped her get everything out of the way. We washed a load of clothes and I lubricated several items on the RV, including the landing gear, entry steps, and slideout gears in the living room.

While Carolyn was cleaning the carpet (ever notice how I find something else to do when she gets on a cleaning jag?), I went to Granbury to pick up a few things at WalMart. While in Granbury, I went by Discount Tire and had the valve stems on the truck tires changed out to steel ones that are shorter. In addition, I had the tires balanced, since the tire monitoring sensors weigh 0.7 ounces, and I don't know what it would do to the tires if I didn't get them balanced with the extra weight. The monitoring system seems to be working as advertised as far as letting me know what the tire pressure is at a moment's notice. You can actually see the pressure going up as the tires heat up from running down the road. We may not ever have another problem with a tire, but the odds are that we will. Hopefully, the monitoring system will help us avoid the costly damages we have had in the past.

Late in the afternoon, the wind started increasing. The forecast is for winds up to 40 mph tomorrow, and high winds are also forecast for Wednesday. We'll see if that affects when we leave. The RV is like pulling a wall down the road, and high winds can really affect the handling.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Chattanooga, Tennessee: Choo Choo Town

Not all who wander are lost.

Installed Tire Monitoring System

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 44 degrees, high 70 degrees, clear skies, light breezes

Carolyn did not feel very good today, waking up with stuffiness in her left ear, which is usually an indication that the vertigo is trying to act up. As a result, she tried to take it easy most of the day. There are also some indications that stress may contribute to flareups of the vertigo, so we have even more reason to not get in a hurry.

I did a few more chores outside in prepation for leaving this next week. Our truck has leather seats, which we did not want when we bought it. However, the deal on the truck was so good that we decided to go ahead and take it. I treat the seats on a routine basis to keep the leather from drying out and cracking. So far, the treatment seems to be working. One time before when I treated the seats, it made them so slick we were glad to have seat belts to help keep us from sliding around. We still found ourselves sliding down until some of the slickness wore off.

Another task I did was to install the tire monitoring system we bought a few days ago. I found that the air pressure gauges I have been using were all overstating the pressure in the tires anywhere from 4 psi up to 15 psi. I got rid of all of the gauges except the one that is off by 4 psi, and added enough air to the tires to get them up to 80 psi. After making sure all tires were at 80 psi, I started adding sensors to the tires, one at a time. Each sensor has a unique identifying number that is identified with a particular tire location. If we take the sensors off for any reason, we have to make sure we put them back on the same location on the truck and RV, since the monitor will identify that sensor number with a particular location.

The system is on and operating, and the only thing left to do is give it a field test, which we will do in the next few days. Once we get used to how to monitor it and obtain readings, I think it will give us earlier warning when we start to have a problem with our tires.

We have a few things to do tomorrow, and then it is just a matter of deciding when to leave. Part of the day was spent watching Tiger Woods overwhelm Stuart Cink to win the World Golf Match Play Championship. History is being made by Tiger Woods, and it is impressive to watch him do things that no one else has ever done.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Burkburnett, Texas: You’re Home Now

Not all who wander are lost.

Preparations

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 36 degrees, high 74 degrees, clear skies, light breezes

After a late start to the day, we made more preparations to leave this area. I vacuumed the inside of the truck and wiped everything down. After that, I wiped the outside of the RV down, having to use a black streak remover in order to get the worse of the dirt off. Carolyn did some dusting and straightening of cabinets, and we washed two loads of clothes. In between chores, we watched Tiger Woods win his two matches in the World Golf Match Play Championships.

Carolyn made some great egg salad for lunch. Normally, I wouldn't rave about something as simple as egg salad, but it is nice to have Carolyn feeling better. When she feels good, she is more inclined to cook, instead of us going out to eat so much. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't mind eating out, but she had been sick with the vertigo so long that eating out was getting a little old.

Speaking of eating out, we went to Dairy Queen for dinner tonight.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hope, Arkansas: Birthplace of President Bill Clinton

Not all who wander are lost.

Tire Monitoring System

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 34 degrees, high 54 degrees, cloudy early, clear in the afternoon

With the way the weather started, we didn't think we would be doing much outside. However, it cleared up and got warmer after lunch to the point that I decided to see if I could get some things done in preparation for leaving here in the next few days if the weather holds.

I removed everything from the basement and vacuumed it out. There wasn't much to vacuum, but it makes me feel better knowing that the basement is clean. I went through our storage containers to see if there was anything I needed to get rid of, and only found one thing: a telephone cord that we don't have any use for. While I had the containers out, I put some items that we had been using away so we wouldn't have anything loose in the basement. During the work on the basement, I also dumped our holding tanks. After a rest to recover from all that hard work, I checked the water in the batteries on the RV and truck to make sure the water levels were okay. One of the battery terminals on the truck has some corrosion, so I will clean that up tomorrow. I also checked the air filter on the truck, and it was fine.

Oh, I almost forgot - before I did all that work above, I checked the air pressure in the tires and added air where needed. I was so busy, I didn't get to meditate. I need to slow down some.

I went through the tire montoring system to make sure everything was shipped that I needed. While reading the material, I noticed that I may have to change the valve stems on the RV tires because the valve stems may be the wrong ones. If I can find time in my busy schedule tomorrow, I'll see if I have a problem there or not. Below is a picture of the system, with a quarter to the side to give some idea of the size of the components.

While I was doing all this hard work, Carolyn went to the bank in Benbrook with Denise. When she got back, she finished caulking the bath tub.

If the weather remains good tomorrow, we'll do some more preparations on leaving. No rest for the weary.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Burkburnett, Texas: A Historical Past, A Promising Future

Not all who wander are lost.

Our African Violet

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 39 degrees, high 45 degrees, cloudy, winds up to 15 mph

We had our periodic dental checkups today, and passed with flying colors. Carolyn went to El Chico's with Denise for lunch, and I passed because it is not my favorite Mexican restaurant. In fact, it doesn't even come close. That's just my opinion. Carolyn has a different one. We don't always agree on everything, and that's fine.

When we owned a house, we had a lot of plants and flowers in the yard. Carolyn got a lot of pleasure from working in the yard, and when we first went on the road, she missed that part of owning a house. In an effort to make up for not having the plants to work with, I bought her the perfect RV house plant. It is a violet, and I'm sure it is one of the most traveled flowers ever. It has been all the way to the west coast and the Northwest, and back and forth several times between Texas and the southeastern part of the US. When we get ready to hit the road, you can see it quivering in anticipation of seeing new country and meeting new people. A picture is below.

This violet is so easy to take care of. It never has to be watered, fertilized, or pruned. The only thing we have to do is dust it occasionally and make sure it is placed in a safe place when we travel. It always looks fresh, and we don't have to worry about a black thumb killing it. In other words, the perfect plant for our lifestyle.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Wichita Falls, Texas: The Gateway to Texas

Not all who wander are lost.

Road Trip

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 54 degrees, high 75 degrees, cloudy early, then clear

We took a road trip today up north to Wichita Falls. There was really no reason for the trip, other than wanting to ride a little. So, we did some riding. It was a nice day for a ride, with warmer temperatures and clear skies. Traffic was light, and at times there was not another vehicle within sight.

Our route took us up US 281 through Mineral Wells, Perrin, Jacksboro (this sounds like it should be in Kentucky), Windthorst, Scotland, through Wichita Falls to Burkburnett, and back. The countryside is mostly rolling hills with some small mesas. Trees consist of several different types of oaks, mesquite, and cedar. The primary use of the land appears to be ranching, with some farming. The area around Windthorst, which has a German flavor to it, is used for dairy farming. Once you get past Mineral Wells, the gas wells seem to be less in number and there are many more producing oil wells.

Wichita Falls is a city of about 100,000 people, but it has a small town feel to us. Sheppard Air Force Base is north of the city, and we saw several military jets in the air.

On our way back, we stopped at Fort Richardson State Park in Jacksboro to tour the area. This park is the site of one of the frontier forts that were built to protect the people from Indian and outlaw raids. The fort was built in 1867, and was used until 1878, when it was abandoned. Only a few of the original buildings are still standing, including the hospital, morgue, bakery, magazine, enlisted men's quarters, commisary, part of the guardhouse, and the commanding officer's house. There is also an RV park on the grounds, and we would like to stay there sometime. The picture below is of one of the buildings still standing at the fort.

Jacksboro is located in Jack County, and was one of the few areas in the south to vote against leaving the Union. The courthouse is fairly modern, and not the kind of courthouse we normally take pictures of. The courthouse is in the center of town, and is located on one of the largest courthouse square areas we have seen.

The tire monitoring system I ordered arrived today. We'll try it out tomorrow. The acid test will come when we leave here with the RV.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Windthorst, Texas: City of Champions

Ho Hum Day

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 32 degrees, high 64 degrees, clear skies - very nice day

Today was another of those ho-hum days, with little going on except for a few small chores in town and a little work around the RV. It seems like everytime I go to Granbury the traffic is worse. While in town, I noticed that the price of gas and diesel has increased since the weekend. I don't know what alleged crisis is out there now driving the price up. If the doomsday news that the newspeople like to put out doesn't convince people that we are in a recession, the price of fuel will push us into one.

We caulked around the bath tub between the backsplash and tub. We were surprised that the caulking lasted as long as it did, considering how much everything flexes in an RV when traveling. Just another of the little things we have to do occasionally. Of course, you have to do maintenance in a house, also.

Another little chore I did today was to check out the running lights on the RV. All the lights are working at this time. I didn't want to wait until the day we leave to find out if we had a problem with the lights.

Yesterday, I ordered a system that will allow us to monitor our tires while traveling. We are hoping this will allow us to avoid the types of tire failures that we have had in the past. As we use it, I will pass on our experience with the system.

Like I said at the beginning, just another ho-hum day.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Cuero, Texas: Wildflower Capital of Texas

Slow Sunday

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 37 degrees, high 58 degrees, mostly clear skies

We started doing chores that we need to do to get ready to move on down the road. I checked the water heater relief valve, and it appears (at least at this time) that it is not leaking. It looks like the use of WD-40 on the internals worked. The air compressor we use to air up our tires had never had the oil changed, so I took care of that little task. We washed a couple of loads of clothes, cleaned out the vacuum cleaner, and blew the dust out of the electric heater we use. We have a tool box mounted in the back of the truck. I went through that to make sure everything was there that needed to be, straightened up the contents, and got rid of a couple of things that we no longer needed.

As can be seen from the paragraph above, it was a fairly mundane day. Some days are like that. When those days occur, we have learned to appreciate being able to take care of those things that need to be done, but can be put off, if needed. Even though I am not working, life would get pretty hectic if we stayed on the go all the time. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Bartow, Florida: The City of Oaks and Azaleas

Dog Attack

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 43 degrees, high 60 degrees, mostly clear, winds to 15 mph

It was great to see the sun again, and have things start drying out. I know we need the rain, but when it comes, I can't wait for it to leave.

Since we have been traveling by RV, we have had two tires blow out, one on the RV and one on the truck. Each of them caused over $1500 worth of damage, in addition to the inconvenience and stress. I have started looking for a tire monitoring system that will allow us to know what is going on with our tires as we are traveling. It seems to me that it would be less expensive and safer to be able to know when a tire is having problems so we can stop and check it out before it self-destructs, causing damage to the RV or truck. I'll keep everyone posted on what I decide to do.

The road I walk on for exercise and health has all the atrributes I look for when walking. I have gotten to know several of the people that live on the street. It has very little traffic, it is a dead end street, and the dogs are kept behind fences. I don't mind a dog that is behind a fence barking at me, he is only doing his job. What I do mind is a dog or dogs coming out of a yard or running free getting after me. What is even worse is to have dogs that are accompanied by their owner getting after me, and the owner does not control them.

I was walking this afternoon when two Boston Terriers came out of a driveway and started barking at me. About the same time, their owner came out with his daughter on a bicycle. The dogs started darting at my legs, one from the front and one from the back. They sounded as though they were going to eat me alive. The owner did nothing to control them other than to tell them to come on. Of course, they ignored him. The dogs followed me for about 200 hundred yards, and I did my best to keep them from biting me.

Eventually, the dogs turned around and went back, while I continued on my walk. As I was walking back (remember, dead end street), the dogs saw me and started their attacks again. This time, they kept it up for about 300 yards, until I got tired of it and concerned that they were going to bite me. At that point, I picked up some rocks and threw them at the dogs, which made them stop. The owner decided he had better get his dogs under control, and took them home. He never apologized.

I have no problems with people having pets (we have two pets that are very low maintenance). Where I have a problem is when the people don't control them properly. Hopefully, I won't have a problem with those dogs again.

That was the high point of my day. I hope everybody else had a good day. This next week, we will be making preparartions to hit the road again. Still no decision on which way we will go. Maybe we will let it be a surprise.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Chattanooga, Tennessee: Choo Choo Town

Miserable Weather

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: Miserable. Low 34 degrees, high 39 degrees, heavy rain at times, then heavy mist, winds up to 20 mph.

The day is pretty well up summed in the weather report. The weather shut down all outdoor activites except for a walk I took in between the rain storms. Even the walk was less than what I usually do because it was so cold and wet.

I talked on the telephone to my brother Roger, who is working on a project at the Watt's Bar Nuclear Plant in Tennessee. It was good to hear from him, and we are glad everything is going well with him and his family.

The majority of the day was filled with TV, watching a couple of movies, surfing the net, and reading. Carolyn worked on her crafts. Tomorrow is supposed to be better, and we hope to be able to get out some.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Chattanooga, Tennessee: A Great City By Nature

Mineral Wells, Texas

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 36 degrees, high 45 degrees, cloudy, misty, windy

Today we stayed inside keeping warm. As you can see from the weather, it was chilly here. We still managed to do a couple of little chores, including repairing a drawer slide for the chest in the bedroom.

In addition, we have had a minor leak with the pressure relief valve on the water heater. It has not been bad enough to stop us from using the water heater, but it has been in the back of my mind that I needed to repair it. Removing the old valve was easy, and you'd think putting a new one in would be easy. Well, it would if the new valve would fit. I found that the new valve, even though it appears to have the same dimensions as the old one, could not be installed. It appears the new valve is slightly bigger or else there is something wrong with the threads. When I found that the new one would not work, I took it back to the store and got another one. Same story. And this is not my imagination. Carolyn tried to get the new one started, and had no success. Denise, our friend who lives next to us and has over 30 years experience in appliance repair, could not get it started. So, I installed the old valve back in the water heater. Denise suggested I spray the inside workings of the valve with WD-40 to see if that will allow the valve to close properly. I'll check it tomorrow to see how well it is working.

Tonight we were invited over to Jerry and Joyce Brown's (owners of the park) house for chili. The meal was appropriate for the weather. The food was good, as was the company.

Yesterday, we were in Mineral Wells as part of our road trip. Today, I'll pass on what we observed and some of the history of the area.

In 1877, James Lynch, his family and 50 head of livestock left Denison, Texas, and headed west for a drier climate and relief from malaria. When the family got news of Comanche attacks further west, they decided to settle down where they were, in a valley among the hills of Palo Pinto County.

Although the location the Lynch family decided to settle in was beautiful, it was four miles from the only water source, the Brazos River. By the summer of 1880, a well driller agreed to drill a well in exchange for some of the family’s oxen. At first, the water’s funny taste worried the family, so they watered their livestock with it for a time to test its safety. Soon after the family began to drink from the well, they found they were feeling better.

News of the “healing” water spread quickly. Neighbors began trying the water, and within a month strangers were showing up on the Lynch property, asking about the water. Almost immediately people were coming by the thousands to try the water. Lynch’s well produced 100 gallons per day, so he was forced to have guests sign a declaration affirming that they were sick and in need of the water. With the popularity of the water spreading, the town of Mineral Wells was laid out in the fall of 1881, with Mr. Lynch naming himself the first mayor.

Several wells were drilled soon after the city was laid out, but the most famous mineral water well brand was the Crazy Water from the Crazy Well. The well is currently located at the Crazy Water Retirement Hotel. The well received its name because, the story goes, a demented elderly lady drank from the Crazy Well twice every day and overcame her illness. The crazy lady story could well be true, because in Mineral Wells most of the mineral water wells have a significant amount of lithium, which is used to treat various mental and mood disorders today.

Stories of Mineral Wells' healing waters brought tourists from around the world in the early part of the 20th century. Soon bathhouses, drinking pavilions and spas began to open to cash in. The trains that brought visitors also helped the mineral water companies distribute their products outside of the area. Entrepreneurs found more a more efficient way to ship the waters--namely by shipping the minerals only in crystal form. Those who bought the crystals could add them to their water and instantly have Mineral Wells mineral water.The massive advertising campaign led to the intervention of the Food and Drug Administration’s directive to cut back on advertising and stop claims that the mineral water was a cure all. Once that happened, the city's boom based on the water was all but finished.

T.B. Baker, hotel entrepreneur, saw a chance to cash in on the thousands of tourists coming to Mineral Wells to drink and bathe in the local mineral water which was said to have medical qualities. After a visit to Arkansas, Mr. Baker decided to model his hotel, already under construction, after the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, at a cost of 1.2 million dollars. The Baker Hotel enjoyed one of the most gala openings in history on November 22, 1929 and remained open until the late 1960s.The Baker was one of the nation’s most glamorous hotels for 25 years. It has been described as a city in itself. Consisting of 14 floors and 450 rooms, the Baker offered the finest in resort hotel services.

The hotel still remains empty, even though there have been several attempts to re-open it. It is strange to see a building as large as this hotel in the middle of Mineral Wells standing idle with broken windows.

The town and surrounding area appears prosperous, depending on oil field services, farming, ranching, and tourism. We were there on a Thursday, and traffic was heavy. A lot of new construction is ongoing, and this is probably one of the places that have not noticed a slow down in economic activity.

Just outside of town is the Lake Mineral Wells State Park. We drove through and checked it out in the event we are in the area with the RV and need a place to stay. We think it is a nice park, and it would be more than adequate for our needs.

More later, be safe

Today's Town - Charleston, South Carolina: Where History Lives

Palo Pinto

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 41 degrees, high 72 degrees, partly cloudy, windy

Happy Valentine's Day to all the sweethearts.

We took a road trip over to Palo Pinto and Mineral Wells today. In the interest of not getting too wordy, I'll only talk about what we saw in Palo Pinto and our trip over there, along with some of the history of the area. I'll catch everybody up on Mineral Wells tomorrow.

Palo Pinto County is located about 50 miles northwest of where we are staying. Our route took us through the very small towns of Lipan, Santo, and Lone Camp. The little towns may have been of some consequence 100 years ago, but they are just crossroads now with small businesses that serve the areas. The road over to Palo Pinto is a two lane road that passes through some of the most rugged countryside in the area. Palo Pinto is Spanish for painted post or tree - the Indians in the area painted tree trunks along the banks of the north fork of Palo Pinto Creek.

The first white man in the area is assumed to have been William (Bigfoot) Wallace, who surveyed the area in 1837.

In 1856 the Texas State Legislature established Palo Pinto County from parts of Bosque and Navarro counties. The county was organized the next year, with the town of Golconda chosen to be the seat of government. The town was renamed Palo Pinto in 1858.

At this time, the town of Palo Pinto has few businesses, but is the seat of government for the county. The courthouse is here, as are several old homes, old jail, and other reminders of the roots of the town. It appears that the citizens of the town are attempting to build a tourist industry out of the history of the area.

Even though Palo Pinto is the county seat, the largest town in the county is Mineral Wells, which I will write about tomorrow.

More later, be safe.

Today's County - Palo Pinto County, Texas: A Land, A River, A People

Last Doctor's Visit

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 30 degrees, high 64 degrees, heavy frost this morning, clear skies, calm

Carolyn had her last visit today with the doctor that has been the lead in treating her vertigo. She has been released to carry on normal activites again. We are hopeful that the tools she has been given to help her manage the vertigo when it strikes again will help her to get over future episodes.

We have not decided when we will leave here yet, nor where we will go. There are some tasks we need to take care of, plus we have a few local sights we still want to visit and write stories on.

We received our absentee voting ballots today, and immediately filled them out. We'll put them in the mail tomorrow. For some reason, I don't have the enthusiasm for voting this year as I have in the past. Could it be because none of the candidates embrace the ideals I believe in? I voted for the candidates I thought came closest to what I believe in, but I am under no illusions that they will do what they say they will.

Comache Peak is a local landmark that dominates the countryside, and is located about three miles north of us. Actually a mesa, the peak rises 1,229 feet (above sea level), which is about 400 feet above the surrounding countryside. It was thought to have had ceremonial value for local tribes and was a look-out point for game and enemies. The Comanche Peak Nuclear Station, located about four miles south, was named after the local landmark.




The picture above was taken about eight miles away.
This picture was taken about four miles away.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Leesburg, Florida: The Lakefront City

Cleburne, Texas

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 41 degrees, high 57 degrees, clear, windy

A line of thunderstorms passed through the area early this morning about 0330-0400. Lots of lightning and thunder, and it rained hard for about 30 minutes. The rain was welcomed, since the area is so dry.

We took a drive over to Cleburne today so we could look around and get some pictures of local landmarks. Cleburne is the county seat of Johnson County and on the route of the old Chisholm Trail. There were a couple of smaller settlements in the area that were combined, and Cleburne was formed in 1867 in order to have a more centrally located county seat. The town was named in honor of Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne, under whom many of the men had fought during the Civil War. The major growth of the town in its early years was caused by machine shops that supported the railroads that went through the area. The population of the town at this time is about 25,000.

Cleburne still uses the courthouse that was built in 1912, even though it looks newer than that. The building is undergoing renovations to allow its use for the future.

As you come into Cleburne from the west, there is a park that is used to celebrate the area's history, especially the part that deals with the Chisholm Trail.

One of the things we like to look for in our travels is murals and old signs painted on the sides of buildings. This one, as does most of the ones we see, depicts some of the events that occurred in the past in the area.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Cleburne, Texas: It’s A Great Place To Hang Your Hat

Abe and Mabel

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 59 degrees, high 74 degrees, cloudy

We are expecting thunder storms, with the possibility of hail tonight. Bad weather is always something we try to keep an eye on, but even more so at night because we can't see what is happening. Hopefully, it will be weaker than projected.

We were going to go to Cleburne today to do some sightseeing and take pictures, but the cloudiness was not conducive to taking good pictures. We decided to wait until the sun is shining before we go out again. In the meantime, I took some books back to the library in Glen Rose, and checked out more. In the afternoon, I took some videos back to the library in Granbury and picked up some more for viewing when there is not anything on TV.

Last night, we watched The Passion of the Christ. It is a violent movie, and by the end of it, I found myself looking away when the violence starting seeming a little over the top. What we saw in the movie was probably less than what actually happened.

Several days ago, I promised that I would introduce our pets to everyone. When we started traveling, we noticed that a lot of people had pets with them. The pets ranged from little dogs to huge dogs, cats with a lot of hair to cats with almost no hair, birds, fish, horses, guinea pigs, etc. We decided we would have a pet, but after talking about it, we obtained two pets, because we didn't want a pet by itself to be lonely. Much like having two dogs so one dog would not be lonely. After thinking about it and discussing all the options that are available, we decided to get two flamingos. Now, I know that a flamingo is an unusual pet, but we like to keep people guessing about what we will do next. The flamingos are named Abe and Mabel.

Note that Mabel is turned away from Abe a little. She is ticked off at Abe for being out late with the other boy flamingos last night. Abe is on the left and Mabel is on the right. The obvious question you might ask is how do we know which one is Abe and which one is Mabel. It's just like when a family has identical twins. They always know which twin is which. I mean, look at them. Can't you see the differences?

I'll keep everyone posted on Abe and Mabel's adventures as we travel across the country.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Weatherford, Texas: Cutting Horse Capital of the World (I know that's three mottos in a row for Weatherford, but I thought they were pretty original)

Slow Sunday

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 32 degrees, high 74 degrees, clear skies, calm

Just another beautiful day in north central Texas. It is amazing how nice it can be here when the weather is like it has been the past few days.

I had intended to show everyone some pictures of the dominant natural feathure of this area, Comanche Peak, which is located about three miles north of us. However, the pictures I took do not do justice to how the peak, which is actually a mesa, dominates the landscape. We'll try again in a day or two.

Today was another of those slow days we have occasionally, where we didn't have much happening. The only time we left the RV was to take a couple of pictures of Comanche Peak, and that was not a success. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

In the meantime, be safe.

Happy Birthday, Joyce.

Today's Town - Weatherford, Texas: The Peach Capital of Texas

Weatherford, Texas

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 32 degrees, high 70 degrees, clear and calm, 16% humidity. A beautiful day.

Today is our daughter Lori's birthday. Happy Birthday, Dear.

Since the weather was so nice, we decided to take a short trip over to Weatherford, located about 25 miles from where we are. The drive over there is through some of the prettiest countryside you could ever want to drive through.

Weatherford is located 20 miles west of Fort Worth, and is growing rapidly. The population is about 25,ooo, and you can find just about anything you might want in the way of stores. A lot of building is going on, the traffic is heavy, and the town does not appear to be ready for what is coming at them. Several famous people are from here, including Mary Martin, who created the Peter Pan role on Broadway, and Jim Wright, speaker of the House of Representatives.

Famous cattle driver Oliver Loving is buried here in Greenwood Cemetery. After being attacked by Indians in New Mexico in 1867, Loving’s dying wish to his friend, Charles Goodnight, was to be buried in his home, Parker County. Goodnight brought the body back six hundred miles by wagon for burial. If this story sounds familiar, it should. It is the inspiration behind Texas author Larry McMurtry's novel, Lonesome Dove.

A year earlier, Goodnight had invented the first chuckwagon which carried everything needed to cook for the cowboys on a cattle drive that would later become known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail.

Boze Ikard, who served with Goodnight and for whom the character “Deets” was named after in Lonesome Dove, was also buried in the Greenwood Cemetery.

Also known as the Cutting Horse Capital of the World, Weatherford is home to hundreds of professional trainers, Hall-of-Fame horses and a life-size bronze cutting horse.

Named by the State Legislature as the Peach Capital of Texas, Weatherford and Parker County growers celebrate each year at the Parker County Peach Festival, Weatherford’s largest event. More than 35,000 visitors come to Weatherford to enjoy homemade peach ice cream, peach cobbler, peach pie, peach juleps, peach smoothies, and just plain peaches.

More than sixty Queen Anne, Victorian, and other beautiful homes built at the turn of the century sit along the streets. The crown jewel is the Parker County Courthouse. Located in the geographical center of the county, this courthouse is the in the heart of downtown.

Along with all the stuff I listed above, the area also has some urban legend stuff, consisting mainly of the claim that a big, hairy ape-like animal roams the area. A cast has been made of a foot print, but it is only for the left foot. So, is this a one-legged booger, or does he have a peg leg?

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Weatherford, Texas: Growing With Tradition

Global Warming Versus Global Cooling

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 38 degrees, high 74 degrees, windy, clear skies

Today was a quiet day for us. I did manage to start wiping the winter dirt off the outside of the RV. The way I do it uses very little water. Since I keep the walls waxed, it is easy to wet a rag and wipe the dirt off.

I was so busy doing nothing I did not have time to take pictures of our pets. I promise, I'll get around to it. And while I'm at it, I'll take pictures of Carolyn's plants.

I'm sure everyone heard about the tornadoes that ripped across the south this week and killed more than 50 people. That was a terrible loss of life and property. Did anyone see the comment that John Kerry made that the tornadoes were caused by global warming? It must be a heck of a talent to be able figure out what Mother Nature is doing and why, and to be able to say it with certainty. No wonder he is a US Senator. The rest of us don't have a private line to Mother Nature.

I saw where Canadian researchers are saying that the small amount of sun spot activity in the current 11 year sun spot cycle could lead to global cooling. I wish the doom sayers on both side of the global warming versus global cooling controversy would get together and come up with a consensus on this stuff. Of course, that would be too much to ask, with both sides getting money to research and bolster their positions.

Carolyn fixed a great potato soup for dinner. Along with ham and pepperjack tortilla rollups, it was very tasty and filling.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Burnet, Texas: Bluebonnet Capital of Texas

Good News

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 39 degrees, high 60 degrees, clear, windy

Carolyn had an appointment with her physical therapist this morning, and she received some good news. The therapist thinks she is ready to be released, and was going to contact the doctor to update him on how well Carolyn has been doing. If the doctor agrees, the therapy will be complete. We know that there is still a possibility that Carolyn may have occasional problems with vertigo, but the therapist has given her some tools to use that should help keep it under control and lessen the impact when it occurs again. We will call the doctor to see if and when he wants to see her. After that, we will begin making our plans again.

I mentioned in yesterday's post that we were going to be making a road trip in the near future. After Carolyn's therapy this morning, we drove north out of Fort Worth to the Oklahoma state line. No reason for the trip other than to see what was up that way. In a few words: not very much. The countryside consists of rolling hills with scattered mesquite and oak trees. Once we were past the metropolitan Fort Worth area, there was very little to see. But, now we know. That is part of the attraction to traveling for us. We always wonder what is around the next curve or over the next hill.

Tonight, we watched the season premiere for Survivor. I'm not sure how long we will watch the show after the first week. We tend to get disgusted with the lying and back stabbing that goes on, and the one that we usually want to win is gone early most seasons. We'll see how this season goes.

In a future post, I'll let everyone meet our pets.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Valley View, Texas: A Town of Choice, Not Chance

Where Would You Like To Go, Dear

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 30 degrees, high 54 degrees, clear skies, mild winds

Today was one of those that we have where not much was going on. The weather was nice, everything was done that needed to be done, and we just piddled around. I wiped the truck down to get the dust off of it, Carolyn worked on her crafts and her exercises for the vertigo, we did some reading, watched a movie, I took a long walk,,,,,,,,,

We talked a little today about taking a road trip north of the Fort Worth area. We have never been there before, and we always like to see new country. Could go as early as tomorrow, depending on what comes up.

Tonight, Carolyn asked me what I would like to go with the chicken for dinner. I told her whatever she wanted was fine with me. That reminds me of an experience we had many years ago when our daughters were still little girls. Boy, they grew up fast.

Anyway, getting back on subject. We lived out in the country on five acres of land, with my brother Terrell and his wife Kathy living on five acres next door. We had a large garden that was very bountiful, producing more food than we could ever eat. However, I did my part to eat as much of it as possible, because I like fresh vegetables.

One afternoon, Carolyn said, "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we go get a hamburger for dinner?"

Does hamburger sound familiar?

My reply was, "I would really rather have something at home."

Wrong answer. I should have said "Whatever you want to do, Dear."

She cooked a dinner that was a five piece masterpiece that was so bad. I couldn't say anything, except "This is so good." And I ate it.

I learned my lesson. Now, when Carolyn asks me if I would like to go out to eat, I just smile and say, "Where would you like to go, Dear?"

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Hope, Arkansas: A Slice of the Good Life

Folic Acid

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 40 degrees @2100 hours tonight, high 70 degrees @0700, cloudy most of the day, windy

This morning about 0230 hours, I was awakened by something that sounded like a threshing machine driving by on the highway. I never could figure out what the sound was, but a few minutes later, I started hearing thunder. In another five minutes, it started sprinkling, and within another five minutes, a downpour hit us. It only lasted about 20 minutes, but a lot of rain fell. There was a threat of rain until noon, when it started to clear up. The wind was blowing hard, and we are expecting a low of 33 degrees in the morning. Cold weather has returned.

Carolyn had an appointment with her physical therapist this afternoon. The therapist says Carolyn is doing very well, and there is a chance that she will be released from the appointments in another week or so.

While Carolyn was at the therapy office, I went to the library in Granbury to try to find a few videos to watch. The Granbury library is okay, but we like the one in Glen Rose better. After that, I stopped at the gas station to buy diesel for the truck. I expected that it would take about 25 gallons to fill the truck. After the fuel had been pumping in for a couple of minutes, it shut off because I had reached $75.00 on the purchase. Apparently, the store will not allow a single purchase on a credit card to exceed $75.00. What kind of business is that?

After I picked Carolyn up at the therapist's office, we went to the local mall (WalMart) to pick up a few things. We noticed some nice melmac dishware that we both liked, but held off on buying because we want to make sure that it would be the right color, pattern, etc.

Did anyone see that the president has proposed a budget of $3.1 TRILLION dollars?? How many zeros is that? I saw that members of Congress were saying there is no way that budget will pass because it is too much. Anyone want to bet that Congress will pass a budget that is more than the president asked for?

I saw on the news this morning that researchers in South Korea have found that a shortage of folic acid (vitamin B-9) in older people contributes to the possibility of having dementia or Alzheimer's Disease. Folic acid is present in leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas, and some fruits. It can also be taken as a supplement. The researchers claim that a drastic decline of folic acid causes as much as three times as many cases of dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

I bought some folic acid, but I can't remember where I put it.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Denver. Colorado: The Mile High City

Slow Day

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 69 degrees, high 82 degrees, mostly cloudy

We were going to clean the carpet in the RV today, but the weather looked too much like rain. We did go ahead and wash the rugs and a load of colored clothes. I also took care of dumping our holding tanks. Someday, I'll tell you about an adventure I had while dumping the tanks about six months ago.

Carolyn was not quite up to par today with her vertigo problems. She felt off just a little, which tended to make her want to stay off her feet. Hopefully, she will feel better tomorrow. Even though we are optimistic about the way her therapy for the vertigo is progressing, we also know that she will experience bad days. Our hope is that the bad days become fewer and fewer.

The Super Bowl was yesterday, and I did not watch any of it. I think it is overhyped and played by a bunch of spoiled, overpaid prima donnas. I'm not sure when I started feeling this way, but I haven't watched the game for several years. Thinking about it a little more, I have gotten to where I don't even like watching pro football.

I have been looking at the different possibilities for going to Alaska in the event we are able to this year. Most people seem to drive all the way up and back, some fly up, rent a car or RV, and then fly back. Others take a cruise ship and sightsee from the ship along the coast. And then there are those that take their RV up on the Alaska Ferry, get off in Alaska, do their sightseeing, then drive home. Or, they might drive up and take the ferry back to Washington State. There are so many combinations of things that we can do. However, the most important thing I have to do at this time is help Carolyn recover from her vertigo issues so we can do whatever we want.

We didn't have much going on today. Maybe we'll have something more interesting tomorrow.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Fort Worth, Texas: Cow Town

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 60 degrees, high 79 degrees, partly cloudy, light breezes

Can you believe this weather we are having? I could get used to this.

Carolyn's exercises continue to go well, and we are having to hold ourselves back from becoming too optimistic about how they are making her feel. We can see almost a daily change for the better with her vertigo problems. Sure does make us want to hit the road.

Speaking of hitting the road, we took a mini road trip today (~60 miles) so we could get out and enjoy the nice weather. We like to take the back roads and see what we will find. Our little trip took us south through the thriving Walnut Springs metropolis, popoulation 775. I think we passed three other cars while driving through the town. From Walnut Springs, we turned west to Iredell, another booming town of about 500 people. Both little towns probably had more people years ago when they were the retail areas for their locations. Progress seems to have passed the little towns by, and Iredell seems to have suffered the most. When we drove through the old town area, we could see where all of the buildings still have walls standing, but the roofs have fallen in.

After leaving Iredell, we drove to Meridian, the county seat of Bosque County. Meridian has a population of about 1500 people. Below are a couple of pictures that we took of the Bosque County Courthouse, built in 1896. This courthouse is still being used by the county.

As can be seen, the courthouse is well preserved.

After returning home and resting for a short time, I took the truck to the car wash to wash about two months of dirt off. Then I returned home and wiped the truck down to remove the water spots. It looks pretty good right now, but we may get some rain on Tuesday. If so, I'll try to stay at home until the rain passes so the truck won't get so dirty.

After a fried shrimp dinner that Carolyn prepared, we watched TV, read, and worked on the computer. All in all, a good day.

More later, be careful.

Today's Town - Meridian, Texas: Top of the Hill Country

Traffic

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 37 degrees, high 74 degrees, light breezes, clear skies

It was nice to have warmer weather for a change. We did not have to keep the heaters on all day, and in the afternoon, it was possible to go outside without a coat on. Carolyn said she saw some daffodils starting to peek out of the ground, so the outlook for the weather to get better is good. The weather has been dry, and the area only received .27 inches of rain in January. Some rain would be nice for the area, even if I would rather it didn't.

The new exercises that Carolyn is doing for her vertigo tend to make her sick at her stomach. The worst is one where she turns in a circle two times to her right. After doing that particular exercise, she has to sit down and recover from the nausea. It also gives her a mild headache. Another exercise she does is using the treadmill at a slow speed for three minutes. This exercise is designed to encourage her to make her strides longer and not look at her feet as she is walking. She has been suffering from the vertigo for so long that her body has developed some habits to compensate that she will need to stop doing. The exercises are designed to do that. The last two days, she has been off just a bit due to the new exercises. We are hopeful that her body will adjust to the new exercises, allowing her to start doing normal activities again.

The area of Texas that we are in (north central Texas, ~40 miles southwest of Fort Worth) is going through a big gas and oil boom (mostly gas). Drilling rigs are set up just about everywhere we go. Along with all the drilling activity comes pipelines being laid. There is a tremendous number of big trucks hauling equipment and material to support the drilling and pipeline activities. The trucks, which run 24 hours a day, are causing a lot of damage to the roads. Additional traffic is caused by the workers that are attracted to the area by the jobs that have been created. There is no doubt that the area welcomes the economic boost that comes from the oil and gas activities, but I have heard a lot of people complain about the traffic. It is like a Catch 22 situation - if there was no oil and gas activity, the traffic would not be so bad, but the area would not have the economic boost. Personally, we like the area a lot, and we know the boom will not last forever, so we can live with the traffic. When the boom is over, people will probably complain about the economy being slow.

As I have the time, I am going to attach more pictures of items of interest. Above is another

picture of a dinosaur track with my foot beside it to give a reference for size. This footprint was taken from the bed of the Paluxy River, which passes through Glen Rose.

Another picture is of the first post office in Glen Rose. This is a far cry from we have today, but it served the purpose. It looks like a corn crib to me.

We went to the Dairy Queen in Glen Rose tonight for a hamburger and fries. It seems like we have missed something unless we have a hamburger from there at least once a week. This gives us our fine food fix for the week.

More later, be careful.

Today's Town - Alvin, Texas: Hometown of Ryan Nolan

A New Month

Glen Rose, Texas

Weather: low 25 degrees, 63 degrees, clear skies, windy

Can you believe how fast the first month of the year passed? When I was working, it seemed like the time just crawled, and that was with me liking what I did and the people that I worked with. Could it be because I am really liking this retirement deal? Or could it be because I am getting older? Whatever it is, there does not seem to be a boring day. There is always something to do or look forward to. As I have said before, every day seems like Saturday.

One of the things I really like to see in Texas is the old courthouses. There are some beautifully preserved old courthouses that the smaller towns seem determined to save. In the process, they are also helping create a tourist industry. One of the towns, in addition to Glen Rose, that has made a real asset out of their older buildings and history, is Granbury. This town of about 6,000 people is located about eight miles away from us. Earlier this week, I wrote about some of the quirky histories of people in and around Granbury. Their courthouse seems to dominate the area, and can be seen for several miles. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture, but will post one when I get it.

One courthouse I do have some pictures of is the Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahatchie, Texas. Again, a beautiful old courthouse that they are trying to save for posterity. Here's a couple of pictures.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Dane Vang, Texas: Danish Capital of Texas