The Birthday Party (Guest Photographer)

My daughter (larasreadingroom.blogspot.com) is today's guest photographer and she shared this picture of my grandson taken at his birthday party this weekend.  It was such a classic that I had to share it with you!  This is the first of his birthdays that I've missed and I felt very lonely on the big day.  He and his friends enjoyed an afternoon at the Enchanted Island, a children's amusement area at Encanto Park in Phoenix.  I think he will be one of those marathon roller-coaster riders when he gets a little older.  If you're curious about the hat, he has always chosen to wear a crazy hat on his birthday.  This one is a repeat from last year so I guess he really likes it!  (Sorry I exposed you to a double-whammy on this one, Magpie!)

I Wonder If I Should Eat These Flowers

8/100 Dogs ~ Jubal ~ Corgi Mix? Red Heeler?

Jubal is my mom's dog.  He is the best dog ever.  He's very obedient and does everything she tells him.  She believes he is a corgi mix.  His face looks like a corgi but he is waaaaay big and his legs are much too long.  I think he's most likely (especially being he is a native of East Texas ~ when is the last time someone saw a corgi in these parts?) a red heeler.  Anyone out there have any thoughts?

Main Theater

The old Main Theater is located on Main Street in downtown Nacogdoches.  It has been closed for a number of years and the building is pesently for sale, if anyone is interested in owning an old movie theater in East Texas!

Sidewalk Cafe

Although a bit breezy, it appears that it was warm enough for lunch outdoors

today in downtown Nacogdoches.

Happy Cow

Our local feed store. 

It was even lit up during the Christmas season, which made the cows even happier!

Bluebird Condo

Wanted:  One bluebird family for two-unit condo.  Large unit has air conditioning provided at no extra cost.

This little bluebird duplex sits atop a fence post between our driveway and the front pasture.  We're hoping a young bluebird couple will move in there this spring, but maybe we'd better make some roof repairs first!

Harrison County Courthouse (Texas No. 2)

Many of you who have followed my blog for a long time know of my interest in historic buildings and I frequently posted pictures of them here when I lived in Phoenix.  My interest is the same ~ just transferred to a different part of the country.
Even though I grew up in this area and knew that Nacogdoches was an historic spot, I really never thought about how much history was around this entire area when I was younger.  Of course, when I was younger, I wasn't too interested in history.
So I'm now on a quest to learn more about the history of this region and I've decided to, when the time is available, to take short day road trips to find out more about where I live.  It gives my mom opportunity to be rid of me for a few hours (and me the opportunity to ~ well, you know).
My first minitrip was this weekend to Marshall, Texas, the county seat of Harrison County about 60 miles north of us.  Marshall sits right on I-20 about 30 miles from the Louisiana border.  Marshall has about 25,000 population and was founded in 1841, after the Texas war with Mexico for independence but before statehood. The Harrison County courthouse is the most beautiful, elaborate courthouse building I believe I have ever seen.  The town is also replete with Victorian-style homes, some of them constructed pre-Civil War.

This beautiful Victorian-style queen of the downtown square was constructed in 1900 after the second courthouse in Harrison County was destroyed by fire in 1899.  It has been used as a museum since 1986 but has much worldwide publicity as being the star of the annual Wonderland of Lights.  The building is adorned with over 2 million (count 'em, 2,000,000!) and attracts approximately 750,000 visitors each year.  I'll be one of them next year, that's for sure.  There simply wasn't time to plan a visit this year after my arrival in mid-December.  Hopefully by then I will have learned how to take pictures of lights at night!

This shot taken from the east side of the building (the photo above was from the north side) gives a perspective of the size.

Details of the dome include clocks on all four sides (none of which displayed the correct time), carved eagles at each corner and in the middle of each of the four sides, a bell  (which was actually ringing as I snapped this picture) and a winged Lady Justice with sword and scales.

Sterne-Hoya House ~ Nacogdoches, Texas

The Sterne-Hoya house is one of the oldest houses in Texas still standing on its original site and is listed in both the National and Texas Registers of Historical Places.

Adolphus Sterne built this wood-frame dog-trot house in 1830. He and his wife were German immigrants and passionate Texas patriots. The Sternes hosted many leading figures of the day, including Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Chief Phillip Bowles, and Thomas J. Rusk, among others.

On the grounds of the house is a historical monument dedicated to the New Orleans Greys, a volunteer regiment of soldiers formed in New Orleans with the assistance of Sterne to help Texans fight in the war for independence against Mexico. One company of Greys came through Nacogdoches in late 1835 where they bivouacked in Sterne's peach orchard and were entertained at a banquet where their hosts served roasted bear and raccoon meat and champagne. Sterne provided guns and horses for the group. The two companies were decimated during the battle at the Alamo and the massacre of Goliad where Texas soldiers were summarily executed the morning after surrendering to Santa Anna’s forces and only seven of the original 120 survived to fight on April 21, 1836, at San Jacinto, the battle which won Texas its independence. The Greys came from Louisiana, Virginia, Great Britain, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Ireland, Germany, Kentucky, South Carolina, and New Jersey.

The Sterne family lived in the house until 1869, when the widow Sterne sold it to her neighbor, Joseph von der Hoya, for $550. The Hoyas, a prominent Nacogdoches family, owned the house until 1958, when they deeded it to the City of Nacogdoches to serve as a library and then later a museum.

7/100 Dogs ~ Miniature Pinscher

Zion Hill First Baptist Church ~ Nacogdoches, Texas

Zion Hill First Baptist Church, the oldest African-American Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, was organized in 1879 and in 1914 moved into this gothic/Victorian building designed by the noted German architect Diedrich Anton Rulfs, whose designs are a major contribution to the visual and architectural history of Nacogdoches. In 1987 the congregation, practically bankrupted by the upkeep on the church, moved to a new building. The church is now owned by the City of Nacogdoches and has been renovated, although what its eventual use will be is presently undecided. The church borders Oak Grove Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in the city in which several prominent historic figures are buried, including Thomas J. Rusk, Secretary of War of the Republic of Texas, a general in the Texas army which defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto after the massacre at the Alamo and Goliad, and who later became a United States Senator from the State of Texas.

Paint Horse

Photographed in Shelbyville, Texas

Rainy Days and Mondays

The Party Crasher

Cow 24 was just downright determined that she was going to be included in this picture!

Twins

Okay, I know I said I couldn't get a picture of the twin kids together.  I guess that was a little white lie because I actually did get one, but you can only see the hind quarters of one of them in this photo as they lay intertwined in the goat house for an afternoon nap.

The twins had a cousin born one day after their birthday.  The owners didn't even know their aunt was pregnant, but a visit to the goat pen one day after the twin's birth revealed another baby goat.  Just to show you that kids truly are the size of puppies when born, here is a picture of my hand holding cousin's two front feet to give you some perspective of the size of these sweet little animals.  And, yes, Brenda, I'll try to feature the twins growing up.  If they are billys (or is it billies?) they probably won't last long in the goat pen but maybe we'll at least see them through adolescence!

Puppies!

I promised puppy pictures from First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas.  Here they are!

How many beagles can you count in this pile?

I hope this sad little boxer found a good home.

Australian shepherds hamming it up.

6/100 Dogs ~ Yorkshire Terrier

First Monday Trade Days

Dog Alley

Canton, Texa

Half of a Pair

This one-week-old kid's twin is the owner of the tail to the right.  I simply could not get them together in one photograph.  They are as frisky as puppies and bounce all over our neighbor's goat pen.  They are actually the size of large puppies at this age, but they grow so quickly within just a couple of weeks they won't look like the same animals.

Comment re the house with no steps at the front door:  This house is over a year old and is owned by a young bachelor who grew up in the "neighborhood."  He just hasn't gotten around to getting any steps as yet.  He and his guests access the house via the back door.  I hope he doesn't sleepwalk!

Tarnished Angel

I was in Nacogdoches today and had a few minutes to spare when I stumbled across this cemetery near downtown.  I could tell there were old gravestones in it so I grabbed the camera and set out in 30-degree misty weather to see what I could find.  I got halfway across the cemetery when I realized there was no memory card in the camera.  Drat!  Then I remembered my little point-and-shoot was back in the truck in my purse and the cards for both cameras are compatible so I hiked back and then retraced my steps looking for this tall angel.  By the time I got there my hands were frozen and my feet were cold.  She is quite dirty but I'm sure to clean her up would require scaffolding because of her height and her stonework would probably crumble.  I found the grave of a hero of the Texas Revolution and since coming home and doing a tad of research I discovered that many prominent persons in Texas' fight against Mexico for independence are buried in this hallowed ground.  Nacogdoches touts itself as the oldest town in Texas, as does San Augustine, a little town known as the Cradle of Texas Liberty, about 60 miles to the northeast.  Both settlements were hotbeds for political activity in the early 1800s.  There are many historical markers around Nac because of all this important history and as the weather gets better and I get to know the layout of the land a little better I'll be looking for pictures of historic places.

No Short People Allowed

... unless they have stilts, of course!

Just for the Birds

A few days ago my bloggie friend Sharon over at Phoenix Daily Photo had a post about birds, a big flock of them that reminded her of the Hitchcock movie.  Well, yesterday as Truck and I were coming home from a day in the city (that's Nacogdoches, population 35,000), just as we rounded a curve on one of the country roads that leads to our home, we encountered Sharon's birds' Texas cousins ~ all 5,000 of them it seems.  They were feeding in a field and their numbers probably spanned at least a hundred yards or more.  They went on for quite a distance to the left of this photo.  I would need one of those panorama gadgets to get them all.  As quietly as possible I pulled over on the side of the road and grabbed the camera (after the almost deer fiasco of earlier in the week I try to keep it ready and handy at all times).  I definitely wanted them to fly but I didn't know whether to slam the door or clap my hands or let out a rebel yell.  I just slammed the door and about half of them went up in a giant swoosh while the ones to the left of the photo outside of camera range continued eating as if they were deaf.  After this bit of excitement (things are a little slow in rural East Texas these days) on our way home Truck let it be known that he was grateful all those crows or whatever they were flew away from us rather than over us!  I am learning that Truck is rather wise and occasionally imparts some rather philosophic thoughts.

5/100 Dogs ~ Jezebel ~ Terrier Mixed Breed

I photo'd this little cutie in Dog Alley at Canton, but she was NOT for sale.  She was scampering around with her owner who was eying some exotic poultry.  I think she has some Yorkshire Terrier in her and what else I have no idea; maybe some Skye.  She probably weighed about five pounds and is the most photogenic dog I've ever photographed.  Every picture I took was just perfect.

Dog Alley

My favorite part of First Monday Trade Days in Canton was Dog Alley, the area where animals of all variety are for sale.  We saw ducks, geese, chickens galore, goats, cows and calves, horses, mules, donkeys, pigs, and of course dogs.  Dogs and more dogs.  We saw hog-huntin' dogs and pedigreed dogs, cattle dogs, big dogs, teeny dogs, and weenie dogs.  The dog thing kind of smacked of puppy mill to me, although I certainly have no proof.  It's just my belief that serious dog breeders concentrate on only one breed and many of the vendors' cages contained multiple supposedly pure-bred breeds all together.  I saw lots of puppies but very few moms with those puppies, another red flag to me.  I just urge anyone to make sure where your puppies are coming from and do not support puppy mills in any way!

Now for some animal pics!

The geese were napping and I suppose dreaming of flying in formation while out on maneuvers.

This little chihuahua pup was soaking up the rays from a heat lamp.

This little kid looked like he wanted to escape from the goat pen!

My New Trompin-Through-the-Woods Boots

It is absolutely astounding how quickly humans can adapt themselves and assimilate into new environments.  Why, just yesterday Truck and I sauntered over to Center, a bustling town of 5,000, where I had a dentist's appointment (which, by the way, the dentist's office had more state-of-the-art equipment than did my dentist in a city of 3.5 million, which is somewhat hard to believe because there's a goodly number of people around here who don't even have teeth!).  After seeing the dentist I wandered around a little bit, stopping by Wal-Mart for some supplies, getting gas at Wal-Mart, and getting a Subway sandwich inside Wal-Mart.  I decided to wait until the next visit (probably next week) to get a prescription filled, a manicure, a haircut, and my eyes checked.  After all, you don't want to wear out your welcome. 

After I left Wal-Mart I found myself walking right in the front door of Tractor Supply Company and asking the clerk if they had any of those cute patent-leather rain boots before I realized I didn't want anybody to think I was being uppity so I quickly blushed and recovered my composure to say, "Excuse me, my good friend who is a city girl is coming for a visit soon and she'd like some of them thar plastic trompin-through-the-woods boots that y'all  have in your sale ad for $19.99."  He gave me a big grin (he obviously hasn't been to the dentist in a while!) and pointed over yonder in that direction where I found a selection of four different styles.  I immediately decided on the polka dots over the pink ones with black puppies on them and boy was I ever lucky that the last remaining pair was just my size.  Don't you just love the cute hardware accessory buckle on the side?  And I think you'll agree with me that no one would ever dream they're not real patent leather!

People Watching

When you go to a large event, or even such places as airports, watching the people that cross your path can be a lot of fun.  When I went to First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX, last week I found my camera was drawn to people more so than items.

You have to really beware of all the scooters that are zipping all over the place.  The indoor pavilions are teeming with people, some on foot, some on these scooters that are for rent.  Then of course you have the strollers ~ I actually saw more dog strollers than I saw baby strollers.

You don't have to be a farmer to wear overalls these days.  My cousin has taken to wearing them in his retirement and one of my uncles who is a retired schoolteacher has worn them for years.  I've never seen the romance in overalls. 

This dude wasn't a person but he exhibited a commanding presence near the entrance of one of the indoor pavilions.  He was about 7 feet tall and I finally determined that he must be a werewolf hiding behind a pig's nose.   

And this is the first-class prize winner.  Dozens of people streaming by his vendor area where he was selling pure-bred puppies in Dog Alley didn't faze this gent one iota.  It's a good thing his wife was standing vigil over their wares because someone could have just walked off with one of those little bundles of fur.  As I clicked his picture she spoke up and said she might as well offer him for sale too because he was just another old hounddog!

Morning Surprise

This morning when we opened the front door there was a herd of eight deer grazing in our side pasture just about 15 feet away.  This is the third time I've seen this small herd on our property since I've been here but this is by far the closest they have ventured to the house.  My camera was handy and it had the 250 mm lens on it but the card was still in the computer from last night's download.  I quickly got everything put together and started taking pictures through the glass door, which was streaked and running with the moisture of the cold morning.  Luckily I had on a sweatshirt and a couple swipes with my arm cleared it off better than I expected.  After a short moment they crawled under the barbed wire fence and crossed our driveway into the hay meadow where they hung around for another 45 seconds or so before running across the road into the woods.  A car came by while they were nearing the road but they simply waited until it had passed before disappearing into the forest.  With the exception of muzzle loaders, deer season for rifles and bows has ended and in another two weeks they will be safe from the hunters for another year.

Horse Traders ~ First Monday in Canton, Texas

In the 1850s when the circuit judge stopped in Canton, Texas, on the first Monday of each month to hold court, people from across Van Zandt and surrounding counties came to the courthouse square to watch the proceedings and take care of business. Many brought their own goods to sell or trade, including produce, farm equipment and livestock. It was common to see wild horses which were rounded up in the region for sale on Trade Day. Canton's First Monday earned a statewide reputation as the best place to buy a good horse or to swap a horse with another owner. During this period the event was commonly referred to as “Hoss Monday.”

In the 1940s, as the tractor became commonplace and the need for horses declined, hog and dog trading became popular. Buyers came from surrounding states to purchase the finest cholera-free pigs sold anywhere. First Monday also became the place to find a good hunting dog. Dog trading became so popular that many began referring to First Monday as "Dog Monday."

First Monday Trade Days start on Thursday before the first Monday of the month and continue through the weekend through Sunday. Some say it is the largest flea market in the world. One can find collectibles, furniture, arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, tools, produce and lots of good junk. Dog Alley is the area to go to find just about any kind of animal you want, from livestock to exotic poultry to AKC-registered dogs of every breed known.

I’ll post some other First Monday pics here for the next few days.

To see one of the horses these dudes had for sale, jump over to FKH Photo Journal.  But first, take a look at a close-up of those pink boots.



They Say with Age Comes Wisdom

One day I came home from a walk with lots of excitement to tell my mother that I saw a beautiful hawk soaring in the blue sky above.  She said, "It was probably just a buzzard."

And when I zoomed in on the picture, of course I discovered she was right! 

May your new year bring you opportunities to soar as high as the clouds in the sky but to always remain grounded and learn from the wisdom of your mother.