Country Classic

Near Henderson, Rusk County, Texas

Linda Llama - The Truth Revealed

For those of you who have been following the Adventures of Linda Llama, I must inform you that there is somewhat of a scandal here on Pine Hill because it has come to light that Linda is NOT who we all thought.  Yes, friends, Linda is an imposter.  The neighbors are all whispering, there is some embarrassment to be admitted, some of the more crass citizens are actually snickering.  So I feel it’s just best to come right out and tell you, put the rumors aside, and start fresh with a clean slate.

As you may remember, at some point last year Linda’s mate met with an untimely death and she has had no friends or loved ones other than a bunch of cows and a couple of donkeys since then.  But a few weeks ago I brought you the news that Linda had some new companions, Dolly  Llama and her little daughter Molly along with a new male to be gradually introduced to Linda.  Linda finally discovered the new llamas and started hanging around in the area where they were corraled.  Eventually Dolly and Molly were turned out of their enclosure so they could roam the farm to their hearts’ content and mingle with the other animals.  But one day Mrs. Powers That Be happened to notice some very strange activity between Linda and Dolly.  That’s when the cat got let out of the bag, for, you see, Linda is NOT a female!  Here all along we thought “she” was just a cute little girly-girl when in reality she should have been named Larry !  Yep, you got it.  Linda is a cross-dresser and has been dressing in girl llama fur and fooling us all!  So now instead of writing about how pretty Linda is I guess I’ll be telling you how handsome Larry is.  I know this is a shock to you all, but we must go on. 

I still have yet to introduce you to the new boy on the block.  The Powers That Be are thinking they’re a little heavy in the boy llama department right now so we’ll have to see what develops in the future!

A Jeep with a Sense of Humor

Ellis County Courthouse - Part 2

The original vault of the Ellis County Courthouse is now used as the office of the District Clerk.

The District Court courtroom is a work of art with its beautifully carved railings and judge's bench.  Note the Texas lone star above the judge's chair.  I would have loved to have gotten closer but I didn't get permission to take pictures inside the courthouse so I just snapped off a few and tried to remain as discreet as possible as I got a glimpse of this courtroom.  The next time I visit I'll have to speak with the District Clerk and try to obtain permission and take some proper photos.  The courtroom has an overhead balcony area which seats additional spectators.  I'm of the belief that this is a working courtroom.  A wider shot shows the lawyers' tables to be complete with computer hookups and other modern technical  accessories.

Ellis County Courthouse (Texas No. 31)

The Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie (pronounced WAUCKS - AU - HATCH - EE) is believed to be the most photographed courthouse in the state.  It was designed by the famous architect J. Reily Gordon and was constructed in 1897.  It is similar in architecture to the courthouses located in Sulphur Springs (Hopkins County) and Decatur (Wise County).

The Romanesque Revival style building is constructed of gray and pink granite, red Pecos sandstone, and cream-colored sandstone.  An $11 million renovation was completed in 2002.  The renovation was so meticulous that the red sandstone needed for repairs was obtained from the same quarry which provided the sandstone for the original construction in 1897.

The Clock Tower

The Entrance

For some photos depicting what is behind those entrance doors, come back by tomorrow and I'll give you a peek.

About Ellis County and Waxahachie

Ellis County has a population of 150,000.  Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, and Ernest Tubb, the country singer and songwriter, were both born in Ellis County.

Waxahachie has a population of 30,000 and is party of the greater Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex being located 30 miles south of Dallas.  Several box-office movie hits have been filmed there, including Tender Mercies, Places in the Heart, and The Trip to Bountiful.

Bright and Early

I never knew there was a Bright and Early Coffee and Tea sign at the Bugscuffle crossroads in Rusk County, Texas, until recently when I drove past and could actually see it because the leaves had fallen from the trees in front of this old country store.  Bright and Early advertisements were once prevalent on the sides of barns and old stores throughout Texas and other areas of the South but today they're a rarity.  In fact, after doing a little research, it is believed that this particular ghost sign is the last remaining one in East Texas.  If you use your imagination you can see parts of the words "Coffee and Tea" underneath the yellow painted portion of the sign.  By the way, there are several communities in Texas called Bugscuffle.  This one is near the somewhat larger community of Reklaw (Walker spelled backwards).  I've photographed one other Bright and Earl sign in my travels around Texas.  That one was in Hico, Texas, a small Central Texas town, and it was posted on this blog this past summer.  If you're interested in comparing the two, you can see the previous one HERE.

Issues

I'm currently having some security problems with my Internet system.  Norton views it as a medium security risk but I don't want to take too many chances with my system or yours, so until I get the issue resolved I'll refrain from using the Internet as much as possible.  I'll try to comment on your blogs via my smartphone and I'll be able to read your comments tht same way.  I need to get up about 3 a.m. to hopefully have a chance to actually speak with someone at Norton.  I'm ashamed to say that I don't have a clue how to have an online chat with them.  I welcome change but I'm just old enough that I'd really like to speak with a real person.  I just hope the person I get to speak to speaks English!  Because I'm nonconversant in Pakistani, Urdu, Farsi, or even Spanish!

Best Friends

Texas Zebra

Many large ranches in Texas have exotic animals that graze right alongside cattle and horses.  I spotted this zebra enjoying lush grass in a pasture in Erath County near Stephenville.

Reb Cabbage?

I'm always on the lookout for unusual signs or signs with catchy phrases or misspellings.  I couldn't resist snapping a quick photo of this one at a farmers market in Phoenix this past fall.  There are actually over 700 hits for "reb" cabbage on Google but in several random clicks on links it was "reb" in the headline and other references in the article were "red."  Is there such a thing as "reb" cabbage or is this just a common typo?  What do you think?

Goodbye Sweet Friend

My mom's sweet dog, Jubal, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge last night.

My blogging and commenting has been sporadic for the past couple of weeks coping with Jubal's final days and a hospital stay for my mom earlier this week.

These pictures of him in a field of clover and bluebonnets last spring were among my favorites of the year.

My mom says Jubal is the best dog she ever had.  And she's exactly right.  He did everything she told him to.  Probably a collie mix, he would have made a wonderful service dog had he had the training.  They were roommates for sixteen years.  That's an extraordinary life span for a dog.

My mom is 91.  She and Jubal, up until about two weeks ago, walked down the drive up to the mailbox twice a day every day except when the weather was too wet.  He was always with her every step of the way.

Goodbye sweet friend.  We will miss you.

Linda Gets a Makeover

A few of you had commented on the last couple of posts of The Adventures of Linda Llama that Linda was beginning to look a little shabby.  Well, here she is in her new do.  Mrs. Powers That Be spent a few days recently giving Linda a much needed makeover.  Now that she's all soft and combed and without all that dirty grimy stuff in her beautiful coat, her highlights really shine!  I almost didn't recognize her the first time I saw her with her natural hair color.  It's amazing what a little grooming will do for us ladies!  So keep that in mind, girls, the next time you get a little frazzled looking, head on out to the salon or the spa for a little bit of pampering.  It will bring out the new you!

I don't have any  news to report on the new additions to the herd, Dolly and Molly and as yet, the undisclosed name of the new male llama, but a little birdie tells me that there is going to be some shocking news announced in a press conference in the next couple of weeks.  So, please, stay tuned daily for The Adventure of Linda Llama (drum roll here)!

Limestone County Courthouse (Texas No. 30)

The Limestone County Courthouse in Groesbeck is not built of limestone but is rather constructed of brick, concrete, marble, and tile.  This rather formidable building in a relatively small county was constructed in 1924 and is a fine example of classical revival architecture with Beaux Arts influences and is a variation on the most common themes of early 20th century courthouses.

Limestone County voted 525 to 9 in favor of Texas' secession from the Union during the Civil War.  I guess they knew which side they wanted to fight for!  Located in North Central Texas, in its early days it was a dangerous place to live.  In 1836, the year Texas gained its independence from Mexico, nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker, whose family built the nearby Ft. Parker, was captured by Comanche Indians while several other of her family members were killed during the raid.  Cynthia's half-breed son, Quanah Parker, was the last chief of the Comanches.

Limestone County has a population of 23,000, while Groesbeck, the county seat, has only 4,000 residents.  Groesbeck is located 100 miles south of Dallas and 135 miles north of Austin.

Leader of the Pack

This is the same dog featured on Friday's post with his goat friends.

45/100 Dogs - Lab Mix

I found this big white dog with a herd of goats while driving in a rural area.

Both dog and goats came up to greet me but we were separated by a locked fence.

They seemed happy to have some company.

Painting Cow

This is my current favorite billboard.  I'm sure there's more than just this one across the country but this one happens to be located between Nacogdoches and Lufkin in East Texas on U.S. Highway 59.  And what is this cow painting?

Joining in with Signs, Signs

Johnson County Courthouse (Texas No. 29)

Construction was started on the present Johnson County Courthouse in 1912 after its predecessor courthouse, built in 1883, burned to the ground on April 15, 1912, the same day as the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic.  One of the architects, who had studied under Frank Lloyd Wright, chose Wright's distinctive Prairie Style which focused on horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs, and disciplined use of ornamentation as the architectural style.  It was constructed of red brick and stone at a cost of $44,685!  This photo was taken just as the sun was rising so the majority of the sun's light is shining directly on the upper two floors and the clock tower.  A building across the street was shading the lower two floors, making the colors in the photograph somewhat incongruent.

Johnson County is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and its recent growth is attributed to the two large cities to its northeast.  A present day population of 151,000, it was named for Middleton Tate Johnson, a Texas Ranger, politician, and soldier who established a fort to the north which later became known as Fort Worth.  The county seat is Cleburne, population 30,000.

Who's Your Daddy?

The gentleman who leases our pasturage has Black Angus cows and a Charolais (white) bull.  Usually the breeding produces gray or white calves.  But this little fellow showed up a few weeks ago, with a definite Hereford lineage.  So did Big Daddy's genes produce a throwback or did the neighbor's bull come a callin' through an unknown hole in the fence?  Whatever, he sure is a little cutie pie!

Hey, Ma, isn't it about time for a little snack?

But first let me see what's going on over here on this side of the barn.

There was nothing happening over there so I'm back for my snack.

Come on, Junior, let's head down to the pond for a spell.

Oh, the pond, the pond.  Hurray!  Yipee!

Let's race!  Last one there is a cow patty!

The Professor

Write a caption for this photo!

Here's mine:

All right, class.  Today we'll be exploring the theory that apes originally walked upright 

and evolved from a lower developed species known as homo sapiens.

CAMERA CRITTERS

Snugglers

African Crested Porcupines

Ellen Trout Zoo,

Lufkin, Texas

Washboard Willie

Washboard Willie and his wife, Wishboard Wanda, can be seen at country festivals in Texas and Louisiana (and perhaps even more areas).  Always drawing a crowd , this one-man band composed of Larry Hiskett was formerly a licensed landscape architect who became hooked on a somewhat zydeco-style of Cajun music, and while recovering from injuries in a motorcycle accident in 1987 he went into show business.  Wanda is the perfect cheerleader for Willie but I unfortunately did not get a picture of her.  The original Washboard Willie was William Paden Hensley from Columbus, Georgia, a Detroit blues musician who specialized in playing the washboard.

Billy the Kid and Hico

In the 1940s an old codger by the name of Ollie Roberts, aka "Brushy Bill" Roberts or William Henry Roberts, a resident of Hico (pronounced HIGH-co), Texas, claimed to have been the outlaw Billy The Kid.  Although his claim has been pretty much debunked, the little central Texas town of Hico has capitalized on his infamy and the town has become somewhat of a tourist attraction.  Billy The Kid keeps the commerce of Hico in good shape with the local museum, a statute of the outlaw in the center of town, several antique stores, a well-known restaurant known far and wide for its chicken fried steak, an ice cream parlor, a fudge shop, and plenty of authentic ghost signs.  It a fun little place to visit.  Joining with other sign sillies at Lesley's Signs, Signs.  Check it out!

Harrison County Courthouse (Texas No. 2) Revisited

This is my best nighttime photo (it's actually my first nighttime photo so I hope it's doesn't remain as my best!) and I have my friend Amy from Rose Street Reflections to thank for it.  During the Christmas season Amy had some wonderful nighttime photos on her blog and I was bold enough to just come right out and ask her what settings she used to capture them.  And I wasn't a bit surprised when she e-mailed me back and gave me some settings because that's just the kind of person she is.  I've been a little intimidated about learning much about my camera and I had yet to jump off the camera cliff into manual settings but I wrote down Amy's suggestions, unpacked the tripod (had to spend another 20 minutes remembering how to use it), threw all my stuff in Truck, grabbed a friend, and headed north 60 miles to Marshall the night after Christmas to attempt to photograph the Harrison County Courthouse, the grand dame of Texas' historic courthouses.  The annual 2 million light Wonderland of Lights show was winding down and I wanted an opportunity to at least try to capture a photo.  We were able to park within a half-block of the courthouse but of course there were barrel barricades set up in front to keep traffic out and just as I got set up in below-freezing temperatures, along comes an official and parks right in front of me and my tripod!  So with a little cropping I almost got rid of the pickup that so rudely introduced itself into my composition.  The photo isn't spectacular and I took about 20 different shots at varying settings and this one was the best, although it's still too dark in places and the sky is less than spectacular.  I kept adjusting the aperture and the shutter speed but I completed forgot about the ISO.  Duh!  Amy said she had left ISO on auto but it went to 3200.  Mine didn't climb above 400.  So if I had ramped it up a tad, maybe my photo would have been a little brighter.  But it's a start.  I don't like lugging a tripod but if I want to take nighttime shots I'll have to give in.  I obviously need a lot of practice but I think I can learn.  Thank you Amy for sharing your knowledge and your talent.

Please stop by Amy's place.  She has beautiful pictures and she's a very sweet lady.  If you have any interest in seeing the original post of this courthouse, the link is here.