Fence No. 6

Manning Farm

Nacogdoches County, Texas

I love the mixture of ferns and vines which twine around and through this old fence.

Dawn on the Attoyac Bayou

State Theater ~ Sierra Blanca, Texas

Streetscape ~ San Augustine, Texas

San Augustine has long been known as the Cradle of Texas Independence

Windows ~ No. 2

Alleyway

San Augustine, Texas

Outdoor Plumbing

Rear of an historic building in Lufkin, Texas

I wonder if these pipes are held together with duct tape.  What about the pipe that appears to be in between the slats of the blinds in the upper left?  However, I do love that phone number ~ 119!

26/100 Strangers ~ Jason

I met this gentlemen while a friend and I browsed through an antique store in Nacogdoches.  My friend had met him before.  It turns out he lives in an apartment above the store next door to the proprietor.  He had some old books he was bringing down to put on consignment.  He told us about a monthly auction in town and reminded us of some of the town's flea markets.  He said he usually has a booth at a couple of them.  He overheard me asking the proprietor if he had a bottle sprinkler top (Remember when we sprinkled our clothes the night before we ironed them?  Actually, remember when we ironed our clothes?)  A little later Jason advised that he was pretty sure he had one of those bottle tops upstairs in his apartment somewhere and if I'd leave him my phone number he would give me a call and give it to me if and when he found it!  Isn't that sweet?  Thanks, Jason, for being Stranger No. 26.

Ruins in a Small Town

This shell of a building, which probably suffered a devastating fire, retains some of its previous beauty ~ red bricks, arches, vines ~ and has been turned into a downtown picnic area in Center, Texas.

Back Doors No. 6 ~ San Augustine Alleyway

I've done a lot of walking around both in front of and behind buildings in small towns of East Texas, but by far this is my favorite alleyway.  I first encountered it about a year ago during a visit.  I returned to live here last December and it didn't take long for me to return to San Augustine.  It is very old for Texas (the 1820s), has a historic marker about every 30 feet all through the town since it was one of the prime areas for the political fueling of the Texas revolution for independence from Mexico and then later for the establishment of the government of the Republic of Texas.  I love the orange color of the water-stained plaster and the contrast of the sooty fire damage from who knows when ~ maybe as early as the 1890 fire which destroyed much of the downtown area.  Isn't it interesting that I've never walked around front to see what kind of business this is today?  Like I say, back doors are often more interesting than front ones.

Stephen F. Austin ~ The Father of Texas

Stephen F. Austin

1783 - 1836

Memorial on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University

Nacogdoches, Texas

Born in Wythe County, Virginia, Stephen F. Austin, known as the Father of Texas, led the second but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of Texas  in 1821 by bringing 300 families from the United States after receiving an empresario contract from the Mexican government.  Austin played key roles in the fight for independence from Mexico and later in the government of the Republic of Texas.  Only nine months after Texas successfully won its independence, Austin caught cold and died of pneumonia.  His last words were, "The independence of Texas is recognized! Don't you see it in the papers?"  The state capitol is named for him, and I dare say that almost every town in the entire state has a street called Austin.

Fence No. 5

Another Fence from the Manning Farm

Nacogdoches County, Texas

What Am I?

Okay, all you smart blogger friends, I need your help.  What is this and what was it used for?  I found this interesting object while walking in an alleyway in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona.  It was about three and a half feet from the ground, flush with the exterior of an old building.  Its dimensions were approximately 24 by 18 (at least by my memory), and as you can see, it was hinged from the top.  Although the bottom was immovable, I got the distinct impression that it would be pushed from the outside toward the inside rather than vice versa.  It had been immobilized so I could not get the plate to move in either direction.  I'm thinking maybe it was some type of kindling box for a wood stove (but it would seem more logical to have the hinges  underneath the door rather than on top), and I have found online a Majestic brand of stoves, although I could not find any reference to any antique ones.  Have any of you ever run across something like this in your background or your studies or travels?  I'm hoping someone out there can solve the mystery.

The Road Trip Comes to a Close

Linden, Texas is the gateway to the Piney Woods of East Texas so once I got to Linden, I knew I was close to the end of my trip.  Linden is home to the Music City Texas Theater.  The facility will hold 25 percent of the town's population and hosts several concerts throughout the year.  (The theater has a seating capacity of 450 and the town's population is 2250.)  Upcoming concerts scheduled are the T-Bone Walker ("Daddy of the Blues") Blues Festival, a Summer Bluegrass Show featuring Hickory Hill, and Doyle Dykes, a fingerstyle guitarist.  Linden's native sons include Scott Joplin, T-Bone Walker, and Don Henley, lead singer and guitarist of The Eagles.

Last stop on the trip home was Jefferson, Texas, a quaint little town filled with history, lots of antique shops, and beautiful historic homes.  Below is a small sampling of some of the things I saw in the two hours I spent there.  And because I had one of the best barbecue brisket plates I've had in a long time, I'm definitely going back when it's cooler to take in all the sights.  

Thanks for joining me on my road trip.  I drove 3,131 miles and went through places such as Concord, Reklaw (Walker spelled backwards), Maydelle, Palestine, Beverly Hills, Early, Bangs, Claude, Goodnight, Memphis, Estelline, Oklaunion, Magnolia, Electra, Belcherville, Paris, Reno, Blossom, Detroit, Malta, New Boston, Boston, Old Boston (yep, all three), and Maud.  I had a grand time.  Hope you did too.

Moving on Down the Road ~ Barns, Wind Power, Eagles

Rock Barn

Saint Joe, Texas

Daybreak near Muenster, Texas

Wind Turbines

Shortly after sunrise in Lindsay, Texas

An older, more traditional form of wind power

Building detail in Paris, Texas