Seguin's Fourth of July Kids (2012)

Americans celebrate our independence with lots of red, white and blue. As I walked the parade staging grounds, yesterday, I had a great time visiting with the folks who were going to be in the parade, as well as the spectators. 

I came across a float filled with children dressed up as some of the icons of American history. This little boy shows a natural instinct for how to pose for a photographer. 

Here are three more of the float's participants...the little girl represents the Statue of Liberty, the boy with the beard is dressed up as Abraham Lincoln, and the boy with the red, white and blue face  paint is supposed to be Benjamin Franklin.

This little girl was sitting on one of the floats, and as they travelled the parade route, she caught my eye.

These two girls are patriotic "angels" riding in a little train that advertised for Angel Pest Control. I have seen that company put some really cute entries into the parade over the years.

Fourth Of July Celebrates Freedom...It Doesn't Come Cheap

Today is July 4th, the day Americans celebrate freedom. Traditionally, we celebrate with parades and fireworks. Seguin pride's itself on putting on the largest parade of any small town in Texas, and this year, there were about 150 entrants in the parade. Each year, I get my camera and walk the streets lining the parade, taking pictures of the participants and their floats so that I can share some of the patriotic celebration with my friends and readers around the world.

Today, I am starting my series of blogs on the Fourth of July with a few photographs of the heros of our country, the folks who have served in the different branches of our armed service. These folks  believe that the only way our country will stay free is if we have soldiers who are willing to defend our country against all aggressors who wish to destroy the United States of America. These men and women do not make our foreign policy, they do not choose where they will serve, they just selflessly go where they are sent and do what they are told to do. So, we are still free today, and I wish to say thank you to each of them.

Here are a few of our servicemen who were in the parade. They are our heros.

A Typical Family Reunion, Texas Style

Family is soooooo important. When God has blessed a family with lots of members who grow up and have lots of family of their own, then there comes a day when everyone has to make special plans just to get everyone together, once a year or so.

So, here are some photos from a typical Texas family reunion, along with a little commentary on some things that a person will find if they just happen to get invited to attend a family reunion.

First of all, someone has to choose a location, some place where there is space for folks to set up lawn chairs, and enough tables for everyone to be able to eat without having to use their laps as tabletops.

Next, in my humble opinion, there should be some sort of water...a river, lake or pool to keep the kids busy while all the old folks catch up on all the news.

A pavilion is always nice. This one is available to people who live nearby, as long as they make a reservation in advance.

Food....now, that's the best part! Usually, it is pot luck, with someone doing a little barbeque, and others bringing the side dishes. Paper plates are a must, by the way.

Here's a very traditional reunion meal....dixie plate, plastic knife and fork, brisket with barbeque sauce, beans, cucumber salad, macaroni salad, guacamole and a couple of cherry tomatoes. Yummy!

It is always an added bonus if someone volunteers to make home-made ice cream. This batch was made by cranking the sugary sweet milk mix by hand. There were plenty of boys to take turns turning the crank handle until the ice cream was done.

Oh, and if there is water, with swimming, there will always be big boys throwing little boys into the water. Always. The younger boys scream as they are captured and hoisted in the air, but they keep coming back for more, so they must like it.

 Not everyone in the family has a boat. You just need one uncle or grandfather or dad to bring his pride and joy, and the faster the boat, the better.

At this reunion, which took place on the Colorado river (not the same river that is actually in Colorado, by the way), one boat was not enough for the crowd. Later in the day, someone rented a jet ski, which several people enjoyed.

At some point, everyone has eaten their fill, visited enough, and worn out all the kiddos. It is then time to go home. Everyone packs up their coolers and lawn chairs, passes out hugs and kisses, and promises to meet again.

That's a family reunion, Texas style.

Town Lake on a Friday Evening

I made another train trip, last week, and happened to pass Austin's beautiful Town Lake region as the sun was moving lower in the sky. It looks like there are quite a few folks enjoying the water.

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.