Posts tagged as:

My Neck Of The Woods

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, [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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.” [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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, [...]

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Tattered Lace Curtains

January 10, 2010

On a recent walk, before the weather got so cold, we ventured into the Solana complex near Southlake. Years ago I often exercised on the hiking trail they had for their employees. No. I didn’t work there, but no one ever stopped me. That’s where we saw the beautifully entwined trees [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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North Texas State Fair Parade

August 25, 2009

A parade! I love parades, and this Saturday in Denton we had one to kick off the 2009 North Texas State Fair and Rodeo. No, that would not be the same thing as The State Fair of Texas, which is at Fair Park in Dallas and has Big Tex. And, no, the [...]

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Alien Buried at Aurora?

August 23, 2009

When I performed at the Newark Public Library, I met a woman who had grown up in Wise County. She looked pretty smart, so I asked her, “Is there anything nearby notable enough to photograph?”
“Well,” she said. “Let me think a minute … have you seen the alien cemetery at Aurora?”
“Say whut?” [...]

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Sweetie Pie’s Ribeyes In Decatur Has The World’s Best Baked ‘Tater

August 22, 2009

Maybe that generalization is a little sweeping, but the baked potatoes at Sweetie Pie’s are darned good!
Now, doesn’t that make your mouth water? But, wait! You don’t know how they cook them. That’s the part that fascinated me. See, they have these two enormous vats, with racks to hold the baked potatoes. [...]

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