20/100 Dogs ~ Lavender ~ Chihuahua Mix

What originally attracted me to Lavender was a little triangular-shaped tuft of hair right behind the the center of the crown of her head. I thought she was an unusual breed, so I asked the representative of the shelter at the PetsMart I was visiting about her.  She replied that Lavender was a Chihuahua mix but quickly pointed out some very critical injuries that Lavender was recovering from, a split skull and several areas of skin which had been ripped from her little body by a vicious attack from another dog.  The tuft of hair was the result of suturing her scalp back together in the area of the skull fracture.  Her prominent underbite made her look more than a little bit mean but there was just something about her that drew her to me.  The foster mom said she didn't have a mean bone in her body and that she was a lover of lovers.  I wanted to bring her back to Texas with me but now was not the time.  She didn't find a forever home the day I met her but I'll bet she's found the perfect human by now!  The next time you want to add a pet to your family, please remember all the wonderful animals that are available in shelters and through rescue organizations.

Road Trip Finale (Red River and Cass County Courthouses - Nos. 14 and 15)

In Clarksville I found the Red River County Courthouse, which recently underwent a renovation which included the rebuilding of the courthouse clock, nicknamed Old Red.

Built in 1885, the courthouse boasts turrets and buttresses of  yellow stone cut from a nearby quarry.  Because its architecture is part Victorian, part Gothic, and part Italian Renaissance, someone once described it as Late 19th Century Debatable. The courthouse clock ticked from 2:30 p.m. on May 27, 1885, until it developed troubles and was electrified in 1961. This saved the janitor 30 minutes of hard winding once a week, but four months later, at 4:35 a.m. on a June morning, Old Red started striking and struck her bells 120 times before someone pulled the plug.  Someone described it as “the night that got later than it ever has been."

The Cass County Courthouse in Linden is the oldest continually operating courthouse in Texas.  Construction began in 1859 and it opened in 1861, but it wasn’t actually completed until 1865 because of the disruption of the Civil War. It was a two-story, Italianate style building made of locally fired brick with a hipped roof and a central, square drum with a small cupola on top. It retained this appearance until 1900 when an addition was built onto the building’s east side. The front and rear entrances received two-story, pedimented porticoes with gabled roofs and two pairs of Doric columns sometime afterwards. In 1908, a tornado  destroyed the building’s cupola. The courthouse was repaired and the cupola restored the following year and other repairs were eventually completed by 1918.

In 1933, a fire damaged the upper floors and the courtroom in the center of the building. Repairs were completed the next year, but the cupola was not restored and a third story was added. The building’s brick was later covered with stucco and painted white with tan trim.

In January of 2008, Cass County was awarded a grant from the Texas Historical Commission for $4.4 million towards the restoration of the historic courthouse. Along with the addition of updated electrical and plumbing systems, the interior and exterior will be returned to their 1934 appearance, restoring the original colors, ceiling molding, cornices and other architectural details and removing the dropped ceilings. Structural changes to the building since its construction make it impossible to return the building to its 1860s appearance.

Linden is not too far from where I live so maybe in a few months I'll return for a picture of the new and improved Cass County Courthouse.

The last stop on my return home was in the historic town of Jefferson.  Even though under 3,000 population it is a tourist mecca, filled with historic homes turned into bread and breakfast establishments, antique shops, artsy boutiques, and plenty of things to see, including its fair share of biker visitors.

 

Brickart in Jefferson

Thanks for coming along with me on my road trip to Arizona and back.  It was a great one and I hope you've enjoyed the pictures I've shared.  I went through such famous places that you've all heard of (but maybe never realized they were in Texas) such as Concord, Palestine, Beverly Hills, Memphis, Chillicothe, Paris, Reno, Detroit, Clarksville, Malta, New Boston, Boston, Old Boston, and Carthage.  And then there were those memorable place names of Reklaw (Walker spelled backwards), Early, Bangs, Goodnight, Oklaunion, Magnolia, Electra, Belcherville, Blossom, and Maud.  I photographed ten courthouses and ooh'd and aah'd over each of them, drove 3,131 miles and savored every single one of them.  I hope to do it again, maybe to some other state next time, or maybe just back to Arizona.  Texas is a big enough state that I could go a different route several times.  In the meantime, I'll share with you my day trips as they come up  because there's lots of Texas to cover.  So wishing you good travels in all your days to come.

Courthouses (Clay County - No. 13), Gas Stations, Funeral Homes, and Theaters

Clay County Courthouse, 1884

Henrietta, Texas

Brick and Sandstone Italinate Design

The present-day dome replaced an original clock tower on the building

An old gas station in Saint Joe, Texas, is now home to an antique shop

Scarborough Mansion, Bonham, Texas

Constructed in 1897 by A. B. Scarborough, president of First National Bank of Bonham, Texas, the architecture is a combination of Gothic, Grecian, and 17-Century styles.  Unique features include stained-glass windows, nine fireplaces, a three-way fireplace opening into the foyer, library, and parlor.  In addition to second-floor bedrooms, the house has a third floor attic room that was used by children for roller skating.  Today it is known as the Wise Funeral Home.

Plaza Theater, Paris, Texas

1926

Art Deco Architecture

Current home of the Paris Community Theater

Memphis, Quanah (Hardeman County Courthouse No. 12), Chillicothe

Traveling through North Texas I encountered several small towns where there seemed to be a recurring theme:  past days of grandeur, present days of slow decay.  Three such towns were Memphis, Quanah, and Chillicothe.  All three downtown areas were comprised of very large two- and three-story brick buildings, town squares, and wide streets.  These towns were born because of the railroad in the late 1800s and their viability was later enhanced by agriculture, primarily cotton.  All three appear to have lost the majority of their population most likely because of economic factors surrounding the decline of the railroads and the loss of many of America's farmers, therefore forcing families' breadwinners to seek employment in urban areas.  Here are some tidbits about these three cities.

Memphis Hotel, now a retirement center

Population from 2000 census: 2500

County seat of Hall County

In 1926 50 miles of city streets were paved with bricks

Today most of the downtown retail establishments are vacant

An extremely large vacant building in Quanah

Population from 2000 census:  3,000

County seat of Hardeman County

Named for Quanah Parker, the last Comanche chief who was born near this area in

the Wichita Mountains

Like Memphis, most of the downtown retail area is vacant

(A local told me Quanah loses approximately 600 residents each national census,

which means in 50 years it will no longer exist)

 

 Hardeman County Courthouse

Quanah, Texas

Constructed:  1908

Two vacant retail stores in Chillicothe

Like Memphis and Quanah, most of downtown Chillicothe is vacant

Population from 2000 census:  800

It has a nickname of Iris Village, which explains the window paintings in the above picture

Route 66, Heart Palpitations (Donley County Courthouse No. 11), and Rattlesnakes

Gas Station Mural on the side of a gas station in Tucumcari, New Mexico,

along Old Route 66

Oh, be still, my heart!

I think you know me well enough by now to not be surprised when I say my heart actually had palpitations when I drove up to the Donley County Courthouse in Clarendon, Texas.  Even though its staircase does not lead to a second floor (take note, Magpie!) it's still got to rank pretty high on the list of most beautiful courthouses in Texas, if not anywhere for that matter.  The Romanesque Revival structure of stone and brick was constructed in 1890 and renovated in 2002.  It is the oldest functioning courthouse in the Panhandle area of Texas.  Clarendon had a population of 1974 in the 2000 census.  How does a place so small support a courthouse like this?  Keys words:  Texas Panhandle, oil, natural gas, and helium!

   

Sign at rest area near Memphis, Texas.  Instruction duly noted.

On the Road Again ~ Return Trip to Texas

Bungee Mania

Heading back to Arizona with a truckload of goodies.  Even though my truck has a full-sized back seat, I brought back too much to fit, so I had to get creative with bungee cords and plastic to ensure my treasures didn't fly out the back or get wet.  That lump behind the plastic box which looks like it might contain a body is actually a new bird bath for my mom.

Get Your Kicks/On Route 66

From Texas to Arizona I traveled along a southern route but on the way home I went the northern way pretty much along the old Route 66, now Interstate 40.  Many of the towns along the original highway have restored the gas stations, motels, cafes, and tourist digs to preserve that piece of history.  The above mural was photographed in Holbrook, Arizona.

The Land of the Navajo

The scenery through the Navajo Nation is stark but beautiful, hot and full of light.  Just look at that blue sky!

Arizona Road Trip ~ Flagstaff and Sedona

It's almost time to start heading back home.  (When you read this I will have already returned, but I need a few days to bring you the return ticket of my Arizona road trip.)  My last two days were spent in Flagstaff and Sedona.  Most of you are aware of the giant duststorm which hit Arizona (also called haboob) last week.  I left the following morning to drive up the mountain to Sedona and Flagstaff.  I took a detour off the interstate highway to go through Sedona and the dust from Phoenix's storm the night before had been swept over a hundred miles into the red rock country making photography a nightmare.  It was so hazy and dusty that after one or two attempts I put the camera away and decided I'd return the next day after the dirt had settled a bit.

Flagstaff is full of wonderful photo ops.  I lived there back in the 1970s when it was a bit quieter and not so much of a tourist attraction.  In fact, it was totally different then than now, although the influx of the summer tourists and winter skiers is good for the local economy.

You must have known that you would see a picture of the Coconino County Courthouse!  I actually worked here shortly after moving to Flag in 1972, but I don't remember it being such a beautiful building.  Of course it's been restored now and then it was just looked upon as an old-fashioned, dilapidated, musty-smelling building.  It's certainly one of the community's crown jewels.  The red stone Romanesque Revival structure was built in 1894, expanded in 1925, and restored in 2002.

After spending most of the morning walking around downtown Flagstaff, my longtime friend Sara (we've been friends since the 1960s) and I drove down the hill through Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona.  With vistas like these you can see how this place is one of Arizona's top tourist attractions, second only to the Grand Canyon.  Many believe the scenery is even more spectacular than the Grand Canyon.

We had lunch and walked around with the other tourists looking at all the sights and I felt like I had found a couple of friends when we walked past these two cuties.  Tracy of Life Is A Road Trip featured some of the stars of Javelinas on Parade on her blog back in May.  Aren't these just adorable!  Oh, speaking of pigs (or rather feral hogs) some of you continue to ask about our hog problem in Texas.  They struck again while I was visiting Arizona, this time within just a few short feet of the front door.  They managed to root all around some of our crape myrtle trees, and now we have that big ugly hog trap sitting right in eyesight of the front door!  But no hogs have been captured as yet.

After returning to Flagstaff, we drove up toward the Snow Bowl on Mt. Humphreys (9200 feet elevation) in a summer afternoon rainstorm, which is typical of the mountains during July.  It was a bit chilly up on the hill and the clouds and fog made for some dramatic skies.  I love Flagstaff!

Tomorrow:  On the road again. 

P.S.  Somehow the font got changed in the middle of the story and even though I've gone back into edit and changed the font THREE times, Blogger won't let me change it.  So sorry for the lack of continuity. 

Jerome

On the road to JeromeI took a day trip to Jerome, an old mining town, while visiting with my daughter.  It once was an actual ghost town but it has come back to life and is filled with historic buildings, wonderful shops, and beautiful scenery.

My favorite Jerome sign

 

Jerome is built on the side of a mountain

I have some more Jerome pictures to show you sometime in the future, along with Sedona and Flagstaff where I've spent the last two days.  I'm leaving today for the return trip and will hopefully arrive on Sunday, so there are many more road trip pictures to come.  Once I get home I'll have unlimited Internet access so I hope to get caught up on everyone's blog within a short time.  Thanks for being such great bloggie friends!

But It's a Dry Heat!

It's been so hot here even the yard sales have moved indoors!  There have been two days of 118 in the past week so needless to say I haven't ventured out to take too many photos.  However, on Saturday I visited my favorite farmers market, and I apologize for being so tacky but of the few photos I took there, the following was my absolute favorite!  I thought it contained great composition and colors!  Don't you?
Oh, by the way, the fellow in the background on the right with the hat is my favorite tomato vendor.  He has a farm in Casa Grande and grows artichokes and tomatoes and eggplant.  He was No. 5 of my 100 Strangers Project (found on my "other" blog) and actually remembered me and remarked that when he looked at my picture of him he remembered why his wife married him many years ago!  I thought that was a nice compliment.  And, yes, I need to get back to the 100 Strangers Project.  It's a great way to improve your portraiture skills and meet new people at the same time.

A Grand Visit

 Em has grown taller since I left in December but he still has the same sweet snaggle-tooth smile!

And Grandboxer Sammy is still a couch potato.

Heading Toward Phoenix ~ Day 3 ~ Arizona Road Trip

Scene from the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church

Miami, Arizona

Arizona At Last ~ Day 3 ~ Arizona Road Trip

Just over the border from New Mexico.  I got off I-10 in Lordsburg, New Mexico, and traveled U.S. 70 through Western New Mexico and Eastern Arizona.  I figured the trip would be more fun than just driving down the interest the rest of the way into Phoenix.  In some aspects I was right; in others, wrong.  The roads in Arizona are very superior to those in New Mexico, although the speed limits were not as generous.

The first town I encountered was Duncan, a quaint little town in a sweet little agricultural valley.  I don't believe this was a "real" store but some sort of tourist operation, but it was early in the morning and wasn't open for business upon my arrival.

The scenery is looking more and more like Arizona.  We're entering Apache land, home of Geronimo.

Van Horn, Sierra Blanca, Deming ~ Day 2 ~ Arizona Road Trip

Day 2 of my road trip found me looking for the Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, Texas (population 2500).  Designed by famed architect Henry C. Trost, sometimes referred to as the architect of the Southwest, the hotel opened in 1930 at the crossroads of the forthcoming Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains, and Big Bend National Park.  It operated as a hotel until the late 1960’s when Interstate 10 opened and a majority of the traffic bypassed the little town of Van Horn. Soon thereafter it became the Van Horn State Bank.  In 2007 new owners embarked on a $2.5 million renovation and the historic hotel is now back in business as the El Capitan.  The renovation was no small feat since all the bathrooms  had been removed when it operated as a bank.  

Sierra Blanca, Texas,  (population 500) looks like the town that progress left behind.  Most of the streets are dirt, most of the retail establishments are closed, and even this old windmill appears to be missing a blade.

Deming, New Mexico (population 14,000) is a bustling little town probably because there are few places for travelers to stay in Southern New Mexico.  Day 2 of my Arizona road trip started in San Angelo and I had planned that it would end in El Paso, but I pushed on another hundred miles to Deming.  While driving around downtown in the late afternoon I literally stumbled upon the Luna County Courthouse which was a real treat because this beauty didn't show up as a possible photo op in my trip research.


Not too many pictures on Day 2 because the entire day was spent on Interstate 10 and there were few places to stop.  Tomorrow:  Day 3.

Goldthwaite, Zephyr, Rowena ~ Arizona Road Trip Day 1 ~ Texas Courthouse No. 9

Are you getting just a little tired of courthouses?  Not too many more to go on this leg of the trip, I promise.  This is the Mills County, Texas, Courthouse in Goldthwaite.  Classical Revival style, constructed in 1913 after the original courthouse was destroyed by fire, renovated with a grant of $5 million from the Texas Historical Commission in 2008.  The county seat of Goldthwaite has a population of just 1800.

Scurrying on down the road I did one of those slam-on-the-brakes maneuvers, turned around and went back to take a picture of the World Famous Zephyr Store (their title, not mine!).  It looks like its fame has waned somewhat.  Zephry's current population is about 200.

I made it a point of stopping by Rowena, Texas.  How Rowena got its name is a great story, so here goes.  In 1888 a railroad section house was named Rowena Station after a woman who was either (1) the paramour of a local entrepreneur or (2) the wife of the railway clerk.  I suppose this means there were two women named Rowena in the area.  Postal authorities would not grant a post office under that name because it was felt to be too similar to another Texas town called Ravenna.  So for a few years it became known as Baronsville, and then Bolf, but in 1901 the postal dudes changed their minds and decided that Rowena it was.

Rowena was the birthplace of Bonnie Parker and was the scene of a bank robbery that made national headlines in 1968 when Doc Newton decided to make one last try at robbing a bank.

The population is estimated to be about 700.

This vintage fire truck was parked in front of a portable metal building on the main drag in Rowena.  Although obviously somewhat of an antique, with its rather modern looking hose reels on the back and relatively new beacons, I would venture to say that it is Rowena's current fire truck.


My first day on the road of this trip came to an end not far from Rowena in San Angelo.  It is quite a metropolis compared to all the little towns I had been through earlier in the day and I was tired and hungry and didn't want to drive downtown so I called it quits.  Tomorrow we'll venture through West Texas and into New Mexico.  I'll bet you thought this first day would never end!