My Neck Of The Woods

That would be anywhere in the Lone Star State! I talk about Texas all the time (and always on Saturdays). Hope y'all enjoy. Thanks for stopping to "set a spell!"

It’s A Storytelling Festival

March 10, 2010

It’s happening this weekend: The 25th Annual Texas Storytelling Festival! And, it’s right here in Denton, Texas from March 11-14, 2010.
It hardly seems possible that it was twenty-five years ago, when a friend of mine had a dream. Finley Stewart, about whom I have posted before, wanted to bring together storytellers and [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Reflecting on Caldwell County Courthouse

March 10, 2010

I adore old courthouses. I marvel at the care that was taken a century or more ago to build the government seat. Courthouses built in the late 1800s, even those built in tiny towns, often have lovely architectural embellishments. Have you noticed that most government offices we build these days are sterile, [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

You Could Smell Their Pits A Mile Away

March 7, 2010

Not their armpits … their barbecue pits. Our noses told us that Smitty’s Market was near long before we spotted the place. Although the town of Lockhart has four barbecue joints, and calls itself “The Barbecue Capitol of Texas,” we were in search of “Smitty’s.” It had been named one of the [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Suspended In Time

March 2, 2010

I stood on the wooden planks of this suspension bridge in Waco and closed my eyes, trying to conjure days long ago. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, it wasn’t hard to imagine a herd of Texas cattle, with their eyes rolling in fear, jostling and shoving each other on this bridge as they crossed [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Outlaws in Pilot Point

February 17, 2010

I forgot to tell you the Bonnie and Clyde connection to Pilot Point, Texas. I showed you a picture of the Farmer’s and Merchants Bank (which is now an art gallery), but I didn’t tell you its historical highlight. You didn’t see the bank? Check out the post about “bare nekkid ladies.” [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Snow Art is Ephemeral

February 13, 2010

I couldn’t resist heading out to take more pictures of snow. Once it is a day or two old, it loses much of its magic, but perhaps you can still imagine it. This is what it looks like in my neck of the woods.
I wish I had taken a night picture of the [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Tough Times in Tioga, Texas

February 9, 2010

The tiny town of Tioga, Texas squats on Highway 377 in Grayson County one town north of Pilot Point, where I showed you the bare nekkid ladies on the mural. Tioga was established back in 1881 and was famed for its mineral water. Today, it seems like it is holding its breath and [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Bare Nekkid Ladies in Pilot Point, Texas

February 8, 2010

Pilot Point is a tiny town in Grayson County, Texas on Highway 377, which is my neck of the woods. In 2003, a local business commissioned a mural for the side of his business that caused a pretty big stink across the country.
Not that one, of course. Nobody in this town would object [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Jelly Vendor

January 25, 2010

Driving the Texas highways (which is my neck of the woods), there are often vegetable stands in the spring and summer that tempt me to stop to peruse their offerings. Still, I was surprised to see a truck at a highway intersection in midwinter offering Mahaw jelly. When the man waved at me, [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

A Gas-tronomical Adventure at Chef Point Cafe

January 2, 2010

A five star restaurant at a gas station? Yes, you can find that in my neck of the woods. Chef Point Cafe is nestled inside this Conoco Station located on Watauga Road in the Texas community of Watauga … population: 24,005, SAA-LUTE! Oops, my Hee Haw roots are showing.
Nowadays, most gasoline [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Dancing Around In Cypress

November 23, 2009

An intrepid reporter would have let nothing stand in her way in her quest for a story to give you about Cypress, Texas when she visited. Driving in rush hour traffic to find a location would not have shaken her steely resolve. In cold and rainy weather, she still would have taken her [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

San Antonio At Night Is A Delight

November 9, 2009

When I started my series of posts called “my neck of the woods,” I didn’t want to talk about the Alamo, because that’s what every tourist knows. However, one cannot be in “The Alamo City” without snapping a picture of it.
For those of you who don’t know The Alamo City, bless [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Creating Art At Sunrise Pottery

November 3, 2009

I went to Artisan’s Alley in San Antonio with little hopes of holding on to my pocketbook. I had visited the shops there before and I knew that temptation awaited me.
The tiny shopping center is located at 555 W. Bitters Rd., and you won’t find it unless you are looking for it. I definitely [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Ghost Busting At The Menger

October 31, 2009

I felt the chill begin at me knees, and swiftly rush to my heart. I felt as if I had entered an industrial freezer, but it was only the hallway of the Menger Hotel. Gooseflesh rose on my arm as I gasped. Beside me I heard my friend Judy gasp at the [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Stepping Back in Time in Salado, Texas

October 28, 2009

As I travel south from Fort Worth to San Antonio, I often get my “mouth set” for a stop in Salado, Texas. It has been a resting place for traveler’s since long ago. This tiny town north of Austin on Interstate 35, was once bisected by The Chisholm Trail but before that the Comanche [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Off To See The Wizard Wells

October 26, 2009

The lure of the road sign that pointed northeast toward “Wizard Wells” finally became too much to ignore. I’ve seen that sign for years … and wondered about it … but I never took time to investigate. Curiosity got the better of us, so we detoured from Highway 114 in Jack County. You [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Bizarre at the Henderson Street Bazaar

October 24, 2009

Every now and then, my husband and I start itching to go to a flea market. Several weeks ago, we sashayed down to the Henderson Street Bazaar in Fort Worth (1000 N Henderson St.) to see what they had going on there.
We love garage sales and flea markets … don’t y’all? Raise y’allses [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Jupiter House Java In Black And White

October 11, 2009

I enjoy making people jealous. Sorry. I’m wicked like that. If you saw “my” coffee house, you would turn green with envy. So, I thought I would show you my morning “routine.” Being a coffee addict, I have to go to Jupiter House, on the square here in Denton, to [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Only Good is served at Café Garibaldi

October 9, 2009

With a name like “Café Garibaldi,” one might think “Italian food.” One might be wrong! The menu includes Mexican food and on Wednesday nights Peruvian food! This schizophrenic little restaurant in Denton, Texas is a hidden jewel. It is my “good” for this Friday.
Truthfully, I wasn’t going to tell you about [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

Full of Hot Air In Plano

September 19, 2009

We are just back from the “Lite Up The Night” hot air balloon glow at the Plano Balloon Festival.

The festival is in its 30th year, but I haven’t been to it in at least twenty years. I enjoyed seeing the kaleidoscope of colors and watching them glow in the dark. More pictures will [...]

Did that whet your appetite for more? →

← Previous Entries

The Authenticity Pledge