A Glimpse of North Texas Countryside

Texas is a very large state, a little larger than the country of Afghanistan and slightly smaller than Turkey. After fighting Mexico in 1836, this land became The Republic of Texas until it entered the Union in 1845. There is a small part of the population who would love to revert back to being a sovereign republic rather than existing as one of fifty states. Their passion is very similar to the emotions and passions held by some people living in the deep Southern part of the United States, regarding "Dixieland." 

There is lots and lots of space in Texas. I live in central Texas, so when I travel to other regions of the state, I appreciate the diversity of the countryside, so I would like to share a few images of the shrubs and grasses of north Texas, as well as a couple of images which show the solitude to be found outside the cities and towns.

First of all, this is a close-up of the blooms of the yucca plant, a beautiful succulent found in many parts of Texas. I found this one on a hillside south of Fort Worth.

The spring flowers are still blooming. I am not sure what kind of bushes and grasses are in this field; nonetheless, just looking at this field shows that Texas is not a brown desert landscape. There is lots of green in Texas.

This home sits atop a hillside, all by itself. The view is probably magnificent.

Finally, a shot of a lone cyclist heading away from civilization. No traffic, no people, just soft breezes and warm sunshine. Sweet!

Time For Donuts

Today, we are going to follow my grandchildren as they go to the donut shop near their home in Benbrook, Texas. ( Benbrook is a bedroom community on the southern edge of Fort Worth.) 

Donuts are a favorite breakfast treat for Americans. It is not just for Texans, but Texas folk eat their fair share of these tasty little cakes. For those of you who have never eaten a donut, let me tell you about them. They are almost always round, sometimes with a hole in the center, sometimes not, and usually about the size of a clenched fist. They are always sweet. Some are made with a sweet yeast bread type dough that is deep fried, then dipped in a powdered sugar glaze. Some are made of a cake-type batter and baked. Some are filled with gooey jellies and creams. 

 Here are some of the treats we saw in the donut shop. On the left, there are kolaches filled with a cream cheese confection. In the other tray, there are cake donuts and the deep fried yeast bread donuts.

My two grandchildren stand in front of the display case, trying to choose which one they want.

Ahhhh, how about a donut with lots and lots of colored sprinkles?

 Yes, that is what both grandchildren pick.

It is no surprise that Ellie eats every delicious crumb.

Here is the donut man. That's what we call him since we don't know his name. He and his wife make the donuts in the back of their shop. I asked him if I could take a picture of his kitchen. He looked kind of taken aback, then laughed and said, "One dolla...one dolla for picture." Not a problem. I took a dollar bill and laughed with him as I put it in his tip cup.

 

It doesn't look very fancy, or very clean, for that matter. Oh well....the donuts were delicious. Sometimes, it is not a good idea to find out too much about how our treats are made. Sometimes, we just need to enjoy them without looking behind the curtain. These donuts were very, very good.

I Spy....One Last Look Out the Train Window

When I packed for my train trip, which was supposed to last for about five and a half hours, I took my Bible, my crossword puzzles and my camera. I wasn't sure what I would feel like doing to pass the time, so I wanted to be prepared. 

Once the train started its run, however, I could not take my eyes away from the ever-changing view. It was kind of like a treasure hunt, for I never knew what would pass in front of the window in the next few seconds. I held my camera up for a while, snapping a few pictures, then I would put it down, only to discover I missed something even better....

So, by the end of the 300 mile trip from Fort Worth to San Marcos, I took almost 400 pictures. After narrowing down the choices, I still ended up with too many to share, so I finally decided on about 40 or so, in other words, about 1 out of every 10 that I took!

Here are the last of them with just a few comments about why I like these above the other 350 or so...

The Temple train station was by far the most interesting. They have a "collection" of old trains on display (if you can call a bunch of trains a collection). We were told repeatedly not to venture beyond the fence, but as you can see, not everyone followed that injunction.

Ok...I adore red barns!

For all you farmers out there, I included a few shots of the crops that have been planted. However, I don't know what they are...sorry about that.

This is one of the very small towns we passed. Often, the main street is the only street.

The train travelled through many farming communities. Grain silos abound.

This lone chimney stood among piles of bricks and lumber.

Now, here's a shot that just made me smile. It has everything...a little church, clothes hanging on a line to dry, a couple of old pick up trucks, a tiny camper, and a man grilling on a large barbeque grill.

A lot of the roads in rural Texas are just dirt and caliche, like this one. In the dry summer months, cars kick up trails of white dust as they pass.

Here's one of the microwave towers that allow us to talk on our cell phones wherever we go.

And here's another farm. This farmhouse reminds me of my own little cottage. My house has a different style roof, but the layout looks very similar.

Miles and miles of wire cross Texas, carrying power to all the cities and towns.

Football is a big deal in Texas. Here is a football stadium. I think it is for a high school, but I am not sure.

A bale of hay, a windmill and a mobile home...home, sweet home for some lucky family.

On a grander scale, here is a two story farm house with a big rig sitting in the driveway.

There is some major highway construction going on in Texas, including a new north/south highway to relieve some of the congestion on Interstate 35. Here, ground has been cleared, pipes are waiting to be put in place, and a tanker of who knows what is resting on supports about 15 feet in the air.

During the hot summer months, I am sure this community pool will be filled with kids.

I am not sure, but I think this is a concrete plant.

As we approached Austin, the landscape changed dramatically. This is a very upscale parking garage.

But this is a very downscale junk yard. In the background, you can see some of Austin's taller buildings.

We passed so close to this building that I could not even get it all in frame.

Finally, outside Kyle, I saw this lone red boat parked in a storage facility...a fitting end to my collection of train trip pictures.

The View From the Train Window..Fort Worth to San Marcos on The Texas Eagle

Not many comments today, just a montage of what I saw as I gazed out the window of the Amtrak train coming home from Forth Worth, traveling almost 300 miles south to arrive in San Marcos, Texas.

Here's one of my favorites....a classy old airplane, maybe the famous DC-3, sitting in the midst of several small,  modern passenger planes.

Of course, there are lots of Little League games being played every Saturday during the spring. The Amtrak train tooted it's whistle several times as we passed by.

I wish I had spotted these horses before they were almost passed the window. Don't they look wild and free?

Someone turned an old freight car into a barn. Cool.

Friends, I can't help it...I will probably post at least once more with some of the fun stuff I spotted as I travelled. Bear with me and I promise I will move on to other topics soon!