Llano County Courthouse (Texas No. 66)

Constructed:  1892
Architectural Style:  Romanesque Revival
Materials:  Sandstone, limestone, granite, marble
Original Cost:  $47,000

The clock tower was restored and replaced in 2006.  The tower appears to be secured by wires to something, probably adjacent buildings.  I didn't notice these wires until looking at the photos on the computer.

The county seat is the city of Llano, population 3,200, 100 miles north of San Antonio, 235 miles northwest of Houston, 210 miles southwest of Dallas, and 310 miles southwest of my home near Garrison, Texas.

Llano is the Deer Capital of Texas.  The Llano Basin has the highest density of deer in the United States.  The area is also known for its production of granite.

Note:  The pronunciation of Llano is LA-no, as opposed to the Spanish pronunciation of YA-no or JAH-no.  Texans are known to have their own version of pronunciation of certain words but if anyone would ever say YA-no/JAH-no, they would be laughed out of town!  Excuse me, out of Texas!  There is even a YouTube video on how to say "Llano" with the word "Texas" following the pronunciation. "Llano" is a Spanish word meaning "flat."

Foggy Morning

A young buck sporting velvet walked up out of the fog to graze in the pasture behind our house this morning shortly after daybreak.  I took this photo with a Canon 5D, which happened to have the best lens already attached to it and which also happens to have a rather noisy shutter.  One click and he is on high alert.

Several more clicks and he turns and hightails it (maybe this is where that word has its origins) back into the woods.