Symbol of a Bygone Time

 

I know this is not the first time I've led off with the photograph of a Longhorn.  They are picturesque critters and I enjoy seeing the colorful beasts in the pasture.  This one is in fact a Corriente Cross cow and not a pure Longhorn -- whatever such might be.

Painted and splashed with colors galore
She grazes the Great Southern Plains
Not know how symbolic she stands
Of an era dimmed with age.

Once great herds of clicking horns
Trailed up from the brush 
To markets the railways had reached
On their transcontinental quest

Of populating the western reaches
Of a country just beginning to feel
The strength of the mightly economic engine
Swelling with power of imagination

Into the vast unknown lands
Of bewildered tribes who found a new enemy
Much stronger than their ancestral nemises
With whom they had fought for ages.

She and her kind fed the westering hordes
As well as those left behind 
In the growing cities where
Food must be imported from elsewhere.

Today, she is as much a relic
As the American Bison
And the painted natives
That she helped to displace.

The Cycle of Change

I've heard it said that the way we start a new year sets the pattern for the coming year.  If that's the case, it will be one of getting up early!

There's a certain symmetry to writing 2020.  I realize after looking at the image above that I might should have spent a little more time and "drawn" it rather than writing.  It is a little sloppy.  I'm sure someone who is versed in analyzing handwriting will have something to say about the way I failed to close my O's.

I'm sure that many of you have resolutions for the coming year.  If you are so inclined, please comment with some of them -- they must be suitable for all audiences.  If you are not so disposed, that's okay as well.  My list is short this year; write more.  Yes, as I write this I am acknowledging that I need to write more -- no, not necessarily longer posts on this blog, but serious writing.

I wonder what this new decade will bring?  The History Channel says: "In the Roaring Twenties, a surging economy created an era of mass consumerism, as Jazz-Age flappers flouted Prohibition laws and the Harlem Renaissance redefined arts and culture."  Will the 2020's be a repeat?  After all, we are seeing a strong economy and "mass consumerism" is definitely the norm.

If you look back to the 1820's there were some interesting things happening.  Maine and Missouri became states, President Monroe announced the Monroe Doctrine, Moses Austin and his son Stephen F. Austin were establishing a settlement at San Felipe in the Mexican state of Texas, Napoleon died on the island of St. Helena, aluminum was discovered and the Rosetta Stone was translated.  Oh, and the Democratic Party was created.  That one is particularly interesting since they broke off from the Democratic-Republican Party over Andrew Jackson who was much like our current President in that he was supported by the rural parts of the country and known for his stubbornness which gave rise to the donkey as the symbol of the Democratic party.  My how history runs in cycles.  I expect a new party to break off from the Democratic party in the 2020's; it will be the Democratic Socialists.  It will occur after backlash over the rising socialist tendencies creates a split within the party.  It might happen as early as the next election cycle.

Also, in 1826, the first photographs were taken and in 1829, a patent for the "first typewriter" was filed.  There is some question as to it actually being the first, but it is the first that was well documented.  Both of those inventions contributed to this morning's post.  It is amazing to me that both have been replaced by the hand-held computers we carry around with us everywhere we go which are known as cell phones.  I suspect that name will soon be replaced by something more encompassing of their functionality.

What will the decade of the 2020's bring?  Any predictions out there?  Will we return to the moon?  Make it to Mars?  Will we see the 30's bring another depression such as followed the 1920's?  Perhaps the 2030's will be more like the 1830's and Texas will secede -- this time from the U.S. rather than from Mexico.

Enough of the prognostication.  Maybe I should add a resolution to focus more on the present?  I like science fiction too much for that.  I also like history.  Maybe if we balance the two....

Lessons in an Old House

I am drawn to old buildings like this one I ran across on a back road in Central Texas a few years ago.  Those were some tight living quarters, but for the era in which this was built, it was common.  I took the image from the road and resisted the urge to walk out to it since I didn't have permission.  If I recall, there was a barbed wire fence in the way, I just took the shot over the fence.

To me, a building such as this that has withstood so many years of the elements is a reflection of the folks that built it.  They were tough.  There was no running water, no electricity, no indoor plumbing.  I'm sure they had a garden for vegetables and a milk cow in a pen out back.  Much of their table fare was likely supplied by hunting for a rabbit, or some other wild game.  Trips to town were few and a major endeavor.

We surely take a lot of things for granted these days as we live in our palaces and have our meals delivered.  I suspect there are lots of folks who couldn't handle it.

There are still tough people -- even in this country of luxury.  They aren't the kind of "tough" portrayed in the movies which depicts "toughness" as violence; they are the kind of "tough" that endures hardship and challenge and that overcomes the obstacles that continually seem to be placed in their path.  They survive in spite of the odds which seem to be stacked against them.

I'm not talking of the "silver spoon" folks who have a network of financial and other help, I'm talking about those who are born in circumstances that put them at a disadvantage, yet are able to rise above that life to one of productivity and success.  Some see success as the poor kid who ended up as a star athlete, or entertainer; what I'm referring to is the one who worked to provide for his family while getting a high school education and then went on to college and a job where they learned skills that allowed them to rise within the organization, or perhaps to step out and start their own business.  In a way, they are the pioneers of today.  They pave the way as an example of overcoming the odds.

In today's world it seems to be "the thing" to take advantage of ignorance.  I see ignorance as an opportunity to educate.  Maybe I'm a bit altruistic, but I believe the responsibility that comes with the blessings I have received is to pass on the things I have learned to those in need.

My post drifted a bit. 

Subjects of the Crown

The old Spanish Missions often included a Presidio, or fort.  The image above is from inside one of the towers along the wall which surrounded the compound at Mission San Jose in San Antonio.  The round holes are gun ports.

Small groups of Spanish Priests and their acolytes would trek into the wilderness of the New World accompanied by soldiers.  The soldiers aided in the subjugation of the natives by protecting the clergy and helping to provision them until sufficient numbers of natives could be "tamed" to provide the labor to support the missions.  The stated purpose was to Christianize the natives, but the efforts were supported by the Crown because they wanted easy access to whatever riches might be discovered.  The mission efforts were backed by the government because they wanted to grow their power and areas of domination.

In all of South and Middle America, the Spaniards killed large numbers of the male natives and "married" the women.  The resulting mixed blood people were more easily controlled because of their familial ties -- even though they were second class citizens.  They became the peasantry of the New World.  There are still multiple terms used to describe the percentage of Spanish blood in people in Mexico.  Being fully Spaniard carries prestige not enjoyed by those of mixed blood.

In North America the story was somewhat different.  The small number of French who penetrated the continent sought to trade with the natives.  They were focused on furs and other trade goods rather than gold and mineral riches.  The French trappers often married into the tribes with which they traded.  The English, however, took a very different approach; they simply annihilated the competition.

There were exceptions, though, and those exceptions account for the large percentage of white-skinned population in the U.S. that contain native DNA.  Usually, ahead of the "official" spread of European-blooded population across the continent, there were brave souls who ventured into the wilderness without sanction of the authorities.  They were looking to escape the highly regimented control of the British Crown's colonial policies which placed lands in the hands of a few.  Those explorers were trappers and traders and just people looking to find a place to live in peace on a piece of land that was their own.  They were willing to fight for that privilege.

With the exception of a handful of government sponsored trips, it was only after those explorers had become established and their numbers sufficient to support a viable economy that the federal powers followed with military might.  The spread of "civilization" was through the efforts of individuals first, rather than a deliberate government-controlled plan; however, the wealth that was "discovered" or, built, from the wilderness attracted the powers-that-be and control was soon sought through military might.

To a large extent, it is the descendants of those explorers who populate the middle (flyover) part of the North American continent.  They are the ones who feed the world through their agricultural ingenuity and persistence against the elements.  They are also the ones who seem most to cherish their freedom to pursue the livelihood of their choice without government interference or, support.  They are the "thorns in the side" of those in power who want only a subservient population who will do their bidding without protest.

A Prickly Symbol

I have been trying to avoid political posts, but this old Yucca makes me think of our embattled President.  I'll let you figure out the symbolism.

This image was taken at Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas, a few years back.  The mission was founded in 1720.  Official activities of the mission ended in 1824 and the buildings fell into disuse, being occupied by soldiers, the homeless and occasional bandits.  The mission was restored beginning in 1933.

History is filled with the struggle of those who are "civilized" and their attempt to subjugate and "reform" those who remain "heathen."  European powers fought the Mongol hoards, in Africa the Colonial powers fought against the many tribes who were native to the land -- often enslaving them.  On the American continents it was a similar story with European powers "taming" or, destroying those who were here first.

As the world was conquered by the Europeans, there occurred a blending of the blood in such a way that there remains within those of us living today, a streak of the "wild" people who were overcome.  I suppose that brings me full circle to the political aspects of the image that heads this post.  I think we are still resisting the conquering European mindset that has infiltrated political institutions and that is why so many stand with the President in his resistance.  In him -- despite his prickly nature -- is seen the fight to remain independent rather than subject to the powers of those who would govern.  That is, at heart, why the "common" people support him.  It isn't about his style, or his policies so much as it is about seeing him as one who is fighting against the concentrated power of those who would rule rather than serve.  We recognize his imperfections yet see in him the hope of breaking the corrupt "deep state" that sees itself as above the law.

It really has nothing to do with opposition to "climate change alarmists" or, isolationism, or, any of the other "global" issues.  It is about freedom.

Europeans don't understand that mindset since most have never fully escaped the feudal institutions built on royalty versus commoners.  They have never really experienced freedom in the way those who conquered the interior of the American continents did.  Those of us in rural areas of the U.S. still have the blood of that freedom coursing through our veins.  In our hearts we remain free and that is why those in power or, in the crowded cities of the coasts, despise us.  

Yep, I got political.

"Midway" - Worth Seeing

We decided to take in a movie yesterday.  The weather was lousy and not conducive to much enjoyment of anything outdoors, so we went to see "Midway."

I have to admit that I was skeptical of any "remake" of one of the great war movies of my youth, but I was completely impressed by this one.  It was better in many ways than the one made back in 1976. 

The Battle of Midway, which occurred between June 4 and June 7, 1942, was a major turning point in the war in the Pacific.  After Pearl Harbor the U.S. needed to strike a blow against the Japanese carrier groups and in the Battle of Midway successfully destroyed four Japanese carriers.

After the "intelligence failure" of Pearl Harbor and the disastrous impact it had on the Pacific fleet, the U.S. determined to strike back.  Several initiatives were launched including Doolittle's Raid against the Japanese homeland (April 18) and the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4-8).  The Doolittle Raid was largely symbolic in that it showed the ability of the U.S. to strike Japan, but it also was a psychological blow to the Japanese who believed their country was invulnerable to attack.  The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first major sea battle involving opposing carrier groups in which the sea forces never sighted each other.  The battle was fought from the air.

I won't spoil the movie for you, but I do highly recommend you go and see it.  There are a couple of minor "historical glitches" in it, but overall, extremely well done.  The biggest surprise to me was Woody Harrelson as Chester W. Nimitz.  He played the part perfectly.  I also would encourage you to follow the links and read the history before you go to see the movie. 

Imagination and Scenic Places

Some places fuel the imagination; White Sands National Monument is one of them.  This image is one sent to me by my daughter from their recent trip to New Mexico.  It is a place I have never been, although I have been very close to it.

The monument is within the Tularosa Basin which is also contains Holloman Airforce Base and the U.S. Missile Test Range.  The basin was home to many ancient cultures before the entry of the Spaniards in the 1500's.  Few places have seen such a sweeping transition culminating in the testing of missile defense systems and nuclear weapons.

The white dunes are composed of gypsum which is widely mined and used for such things as fertilizer, plaster, sidewalk chalk and drywall.  It is a wonder the dunes are intact rather than a part of someone's living room!  Alabaster is a variety of gypsum and was used by sculptors in ancient civilizations for some of the most beautiful pieces ever created because of its whiteness.

I remember a a child taking trips to southwestern Oklahoma to visit my Dad's family.  Just outside of Duke, Oklahoma, is the American Gypsum plant.  The soil in that area is full of gypsum.

In many places across the southeastern part of the Texas Panhandle, in the Rolling Plains region, especially near the rivers which cross the area, are outcroppings of gypsum.  Sometimes it is in friable crystalline layers embedded within the red clay soil and in other places forms large crystals.  The Old English word for gypsum translated as "spear stone" because of these large crystals which resembled a spear tip.

As a fertilizer, gypsum is a source of sulfur and was once known as sulfate of lime.  In areas where the soil is deficient in sulfur and calcium it created almost miraculous results.

Gypsum can be a problem in the water -- especially in natural water sources where it is at concentrated levels.  It causes a brackish taste and potentially, diarrhea.   If concentrations are too high, livestock will seek other sources of water.

To me, the dunes inspire thoughts of alien landscapes.  Apparently Steven Spielberg thought the same thing because if you are a fan of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" you will recognize the landscape in part of the movie.  Click on the link to read about it.

A Chuckwagon and a Stew Contest

There are few things that draw attention faster than a chuckwagon.  This authentically restored wagon belongs to some good friends of ours who know how to make you feel you have stepped back in time to the cattle drives.  This weekend it is parked at the Hopkins County, Texas, world famous stew cook off.  This is the 50th anniversary of the event and our friends usually take home the Grand Prize.

The rig utilizes a large canvas "fly" that covers the food preparation area and provides room for some seating.  It is a cool and rainy year, so additional "drops" which create a wall along the north side were hung to keep the rain out.  Even the stakes for the fly are hand cut Bois d'arc reinforced with rawhide for extra strength.  The woven bottom chairs and wagon-slat tables are also authentic.

Ignore the plastic trash can and bag of charcoal and focus on the chuck box which has a foldout work table as well as storage boxes and trays.  On the table in the foreground, the box is full of handmade from Mesquite, wooden utensils, including ladles, spatulas, stirring paddles, serving spoons and scoops for flour and sugar.  The keg at bottom right contains the sourdough starter which is used for the bread which includes loaves as well as Dutch Oven biscuits.

Everything is cooked in cast iron.  The firebox is used to build a large bed of coals which are then placed on and under the Dutch Ovens and as a source of heat for the coffee pots and the cauldron of beans you see cooking.

The Dutch Ovens sit over a bed of hot coals and have additional coals on top to create even heating.  These contain potatoes and onions while others contain Beef Brisket and still others are used for Cobblers.

The contents of each oven are periodically checked to ascertain readiness.  Everything is timed to come out to perfection at just the right moment.

Although you can barely see it for the steam, this is one of the Briskets.

Here the brisket is being sliced for serving.  The potatoes and onions are in the foreground and in the top right corner is the cauldron of beans and pork sausage.

It's hard to beat the taste of properly prepared Brisket.  Notice the "bark" along one edge.

Here is a view of the steaming cauldron of beans and sausage.  There was quite a line ready to be served by the time the meal was ready.

Of course, the meal wouldn't be complete without Dewberry Cobbler made in the Dutch Ovens from locally picked wild Dewberries.

The only thing that might have made the meal any better would be some Blue Bell Ice Cream to go on top of the cobbler.  Although it is thoroughly Texan, it just wasn't around when the wagons followed the herds to market.

Chuckwagons weren't typically seen in this part of Texas back in the late 1800's, but this one adds a real sense of that period to the annual Stew event.  It's a lot of work, but it is a labor filled with joy and a love of the authentic cowboy lifestyle of long ago which is still practiced on many ranches in the western states.

A Little Trail History

The period just after the "War of Northern Aggression" was a tumultuous one.  The cattle of central and southern Texas had multiplied and gone wild while most of the adult male population was serving the Confederate cause in states far to the east.  Without fences, the animals had spread into the rugged Edwards Plateau region to the west of the primary settlements where ownership was questionable.  The opportunity to gather some of the unbranded stock and send it to northern and eastern markets allowed many entrepreneurial types to establish empires that last even today.

The National Road which connected the old, yet fast-growing village of San Antonio to the fledgling community of Dallas and further points, offered a guideline for herds heading north and east toward the railroads which were slowly making their way west across the plains after the war.  Missouri was the obvious choice and a few small bunches of cattle had been driven across The Territory by way of Fort Towson to Fort Smith, Arkansas, on the old Military Road and then up through Missouri as far as Saint Louis.

Because of the fear of Texas Fever, the good folks in Missouri soon refused to allow the Texas cattle into their state and a more direct route up the Shawnee Trail became the favored passage north. It connected to the National Road where it crossed the Red River north of Dallas and headed toward Fort Gibson and Baxter Springs before following the eastern edge of Kansas to the stockyards in Kansas City where eager buyers awaited.  It was 1865 before Jesse Chisholm, a long-time half-breed trader, established a wagon road from near the site of present-day Oklahoma City northward toward Council Grove and Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Much like the highways of today, the cattle were driven up various connecting trails that led in the general direction of their destination.  Those trails were a bit "fuzzy" because the routes varied slightly, depending on available grass and water.  Modern highways often follow the same general trails.  It is interesting to me to think about those cattle drives and the hazards they faced any time I travel those highways which I know followed their paths across the plains.

Air Show Time!

Yesterday was the first day of the Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show.  If you are in the area, you might still have time to go see it today.  It is only the second time I've ever attended an air show, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The lineup this year included the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels as well as an F-16, F-22 Raptor and an F-35.  The performance of all of those aircraft is impressive and it is no wonder our military forces dominate the sky.

To me, though, the aircraft that brought a lump to my throat is the one in the image above; the P-51 Mustang which arguably was the most innovative of its time and gave the British and U.S. forces the edge they needed to win the air war in World War II.  The speed and maneuverability of this plane is impressive even today, almost 80 years after it first rolled off the assembly line.

A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress even made a low-level flyover pass.   It has been a workhorse for the U.S. military for over 50 years and is expected to remain a part of our military presence until after 2040.

If you have never attended an air show, I would encourage you to do so.  The Alliance Show is one of the bigger ones, but there are many smaller venues around the country.  In the meantime, here's a link to a video (not mine) of the Blue Angels.

Plant a Tree, Leave a Legacy

Everywhere we have lived -- unless renting -- we have planted trees.  Yes, we have moved quite a bit through the years and it has amounted to a lot of trees.  I suppose our proclivity toward planting them goes back to having grown up on the Texas High Plains where the only trees were those either planted by, or, descended from those planted by the residents.

This small tree (about 4 1/2 feet tall) now stands in our back yard as a replacement for one which we had to take out a couple of years ago.  Its predecessor was a Willow Oak (Quercus phelos) which was over 100 years old and 60 inches in diameter.  It was home to numerous squirrels and literally covered our entire backyard.

The tree in the photo is a transplant from our land out north of town which lies on Horse Pen Creek which is a tributary to White Oak Creek.  You guessed it, this is a White Oak (Quercus alba) which I thought appropriate.  It is a bit more tattered and torn than you would find if you were able to purchase one at a nursery.  The trouble is that White Oaks aren't usually a commonly stocked tree at nurseries because they aren't typically used for landscaping.  They tend to be slow growing and become extremely large over time.  There are documented instances of White Oak trees living up to 450 years; that's a long time to sequester carbon!

The White Oak produces beautiful wood and is commonly used for furniture, cabinetry and barrels.  White Oak has long been used for making wooden barrels.  It is sometimes told that Elijah Craig, a Baptist Minister, was the first to create Bourbon Whiskey in the late 1700's.  He had a small distillery which utilized white oak casks for storing his product.  A fire swept through his cooperage and left a charred ruin.  Being the frugal entrepreneur, he decided to utilize the charred kegs which imparted a reddish color to the stored product and Bourbon Whiskey was born.  There are other stories of the origin of the product, but the Baptist background provides an interesting twist and the legend has remained and is embodied in a product that bears his name.  I'm not advocating, or advertising, merely reporting the connections.

Trees, like history, are viewed in years.  When you plant a tree, you plant for future generations.  Through the years, we have sometimes had occasion to pass by a previous residence where we planted trees simply to see how they have grown.  Some have died, but others tower far above their humble beginnings.  They provide haven for birds and shade for children.  They break the howling winds and in a few locations, catch tumbleweeds.

Planting trees is a way to mark your place in history -- at least temporarily if you view it on a cosmic scale.  I appreciate those who left the trees behind which offer shade today.  Perhaps someone in the future will look at this White Oak and take a moment to reflect on those who planted it.

Remembering and Reflecting

This photo is of the larval case of a moth of the Psychidae family; we call them bagworms because of these "bags" they leave hanging on trees and shrubs.  The cocoons consist of silk spun by the larva and whatever material is at hand such as the leaves of the tree on which it hangs.  If in large numbers, they can strip a tree of foliage fairly quickly.  I remember as a child my father telling us that if we saw one to pull it off the tree and crush it.  He was very protective of his trees.

My spouse took this photo one day recently as we were out checking cattle along the edge of the woods.  The cocoon is illustrative of the attitude we often take; we try to blend into our surroundings and hide (although that isn't the purpose of a cocoon in the life cycle of this creature) in order to avoid facing something.  We build walls and cover our heads until all we must deal with is the most immediate; the rest of the world becomes irrelevant -- at least in our minds.

Today is a day of remembrance.  It is the anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York that was the single largest terrorist incident in our history.  It was a tragic event for those affected either directly, or indirectly.  It was a horrific occurrence that should not be forgotten.

We, as a proud country, reacted to the attack.  We sought out those who supported and incited the perpetrators and through our military response, hopefully prevented further attacks from occurring.  I am concerned though, that we have focused on the symptom and not the cause.  No, I am not one to say that we are to blame for someone attacking us, yet I wonder if our attitude toward other people contributed to the hatred for our country that led to such attacks.

This country is wealthy beyond anything ever known previously in history.  Many people see that wealth and are enraged by jealousy.  They don't see the good this country has done through the years of our existence; they instead see what they perceive as exploitation of resources by some companies at the expense of other nations.

Neither those in this country who see only that we were attacked, nor those in other countries who blame this country for their distressed conditions acknowledge that the issues are complex and driven by human motivations that are of the lowest form such as jealousy, greed, envy and hatred.  We pull ourselves into a cocoon and hide from the reality of the global political and economic situation which nurtures evil tendencies.

There are no easy answers, but pulling into our cocoons and hiding from the deep issues that fuel such feelings is not one of them.  It is an attitude of waiting until the next event that shakes us to our very foundations, just as the events 18 years ago did.  Life is too precious to be spent hiding from reality.  We, instead, need to be reaching across boundaries in an effort to come together with those who see things differently that we might prevent the cancerous growth which is constantly seeking to take root in our hearts which leads to such things.

Big Tracks

No matter where you go in this old world, people have been there ahead of you.  I think that's why history appeals to me as much as it does -- I want to know what they saw before I got there.

Several times each year I pass through the small community of Saint Jo, Texas.  It lies on U.S. Highway 82 to the Northwest of Fort Worth.  It is one of those places that tend to slide right by as you travel by automobile across the country.  It was once a very important community.

It was founded in 1849 by Prince Singletary who entered the area in a fruitless search for gold.  He found it to be an ideal place to settle near the head of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.  It grew in importance as various military expeditions crossing the area discovered it as an excellent camping spot.  Later, it was considered to be a crucial way point on the cattle drives as they headed north.  It was one of the last places to obtain supplies before heading across the Red River into Indian Territory.

Only in the imagination can you see signs of the old cattle trails.  The land forms suggest the likely path the cattle were driven on their long journey north.  Of course "the trail" wasn't what we might envision when we hear the word, it was spread out and varied somewhat in course depending on which herd was passing through.  The cattle had to forage for the grass as they walked, so each herd's path would diverge slightly in search of grazing.  The common points of convergence would be water sources and river crossings which constricted their flow to specific points.

Saint Jo is still in the heart of cattle country although it is not far from the thriving cities of Fort Worth and Dallas as well as smaller, but quickly growing communities in the surrounding area.  Some day it will likely be swallowed by suburbs that seem to expand in an endless quest for more land on which to build houses and industry.

I'm sure the citizens of Saint Jo would initially disagree, but there is value in preserving our heritage in places like this.  There is even greater value in conserving the precious resources that made this an important point on the early trails crossing the area.  At the head of an important watershed crossing the eastern portion of the state, it is critical that natural land forms and plant communities be maintained to protect quality for those downstream who are dependent upon it as a source of clean water.  The real issue however, isn't currently the land use around Saint Jo, it is the land use further downstream where urban and suburban development have engulfed the river and surrounding watershed with concrete and asphalt which causes frequent and severe flooding in the event of heavy rainfall.

The best solution to those issues is to ensure the land continues to be used for grazing which is the ideal way to maintain grasses and tree belts to mitigate rapid runoff and provide natural filters for water entering the system.  Saint Jo was important for the cowboys heading north because it provided relief and supplies from the trail.  It is important today because it is at the heart of a way of life that protects millions of people downstream.  The ranchers that come to the The Lazy Heart Grill or, the Stonewall Saloon seen in the photo above, probably aren't aware of how important their operations are to preserving the quality of life for the myriad people who live down state.

Heart of the Farm

It stands against the wearing time --

Rusted, used and worn --

With smells of dust and hay and horse

This massive ancient barn.

A place of shelter filled with things

Of wonder to a child

Like harness, old and brittle

Hanging on a wooden stall.

There's a set of scales with hanging weights

Suspended from a chain

Used to weigh the cotton sacks

And calculate the wage

For Pickers paid by the pound

Harvested each day

And stuffed in sacks they drug along

As they stooped under its sway,

The new is parked beside the old

As time has changed all things;

A diesel tractor now is there

Where plow horses once stood

Patiently waiting to be harnessed

To the wagon on which was piled

The heavy sacks of cotton

To be hauled to the gin.

Through it all the barn has stood

Witness of the change

From cotton crop to livestock;

Still the heart of the farm.

Flour, Farming and Food

The flour mill in the photo is a reconstruction from the 1930's built on the site of the first flour mill in Texas, which was constructed by the Spaniards at Mission San Jose around 1794, located in what is now San Antonio.  A small acequia, or canal, brought water from the San Antonio River into a chamber below the one you see here which houses the mill.  The flowing water turned a wheel which drove the mill.  This photo was taken a few years ago when we toured the mission.

This small mill provided flour to the communities which grew around the mission.  It was a part of Spanish efforts to "tame" the Indians by converting them from the use of maize (corn) to wheat for making bread.  It is interesting to me how the influence, to some extent, went the other way.  Today, corn tortillas (a primary form of bread) are preferred by many of the descendants of the Spaniards.

There is archaeological evidence that man has been milling wheat since almost 7,000 B.C.  The earliest mills were simple and the feat was accomplished by rubbing the grain kernels between two stones, or by pounding it with one stone against another.  The Romans are believed to be the first to utilize water power to mill flour around 100 B.C.  The industrial advances of the 19th Century caused rapid changes in milling because of the harnessing of better power sources. The early mill stones could be turned at faster rates and the friction generated too much heat.  Roller mills were adopted in the late 1870's.

The reason for milling grains is the the hard bran, or outer layer, which must be broken in order to access the endosperm which is the part of the kernel that provides the most easily digestible nutrients.  Purified flour has had the bran particles removed by a sifting process that leaves only the endosperm.

Flour milling is one of the greatest time-freeing inventions of mankind.  On a trip to Niger in 2009, I observed the women grinding millet into flour with a wooden mortar and pestle.  They spent a large part of their day just grinding enough flour to make bread for their family.  That bread was cooked in outdoor ovens made of mud bricks.  They spent the entire day working to feed their families with very primitive methods.

Today, we hear many people bashing modern agricultural practices and the way we turn those products into food.  Few of them realize that without those methods, they would be spending their days undergoing backbreaking labor just to eat.  The next time you go into a grocery store, take a few minutes in the bread aisle to view the huge variety of breads that are available to purchase.  As you do so, realize that the labor used to produce them wasn't your own.

I will readily admit that I prefer homemade bread.  I am thankful my wife loves to bake and enjoys bread making.  I am also thankful that we don't have to grow, harvest, thresh and mill the wheat in order to have flour to make that bread.  I appreciate the farmers and food technology that has freed us from those difficult tasks.

Colonization and Spreading Agriculture

Texas contains the sites of a number of old Spanish Missions.  Many of those Missions were also a Presidio, or Fort, in which troops were housed.  The photo above, is a portion of the housing which formed the walls of the enclosure at Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo in what is now San Antonio, taken when we took a trip there a few years ago.

In my mind I hear the rattle of gear and the sounds of conversation as the troops lounged during their few leisure hours.  Most were probably in the shade of the large oak trees during this time of year due to the oppressive heat of the summer.  Their job was to protect the Mission which served as a frontier outpost of the Spanish Empire as they sought to consolidate their claims to vast stretches of North America in their quest for riches.

The Missions were the first sites of European-style agriculture to find its way into the Plains.  Most of the tribes they encountered were hunter-gatherers.  The Missions also introduced cattle, horses, burros and mules. Texas Longhorns are descended from early stock brought to the Americas by the Spaniards.  Escaped draft animals, milk cows and cattle for beef intermixed in the wilds of what is now Mexico and Texas to become what we know as the Longhorn.  The wild Mustangs of the American Southwest are descendants of escaped horses used by early explorers and settlers moving into the region from the south.

The Pueblo Indians of the Southwest learned much of their agriculture, blanket-making and other arts from the Spaniards who introduced sheep and goats to the Continent.  Prior to Spanish Colonization, most of those groups relied heavily on hunting, or gathering seeds.  Corn, beans and squash were likely already grown by some of those tribes, but the knowledge of South American Indians was also brought north by the Spaniards as they carried their slaves, captured from tribes far to the south, along with them.

It is difficult for me to fully imagine the hardships faced by those earliest pioneers into the wilderness of the American Southwest.  They left some mighty tracks across the land, but they are mostly invisible to us today because they are hidden within the commonness of our everyday life -- like ranching, cattle, horses, irrigation, corn, beans, sheep and goats.  Yes, corn and beans were domesticated and utilized first in the Americas by "first Americans", but their utilization on such a wide scale should be attributed to the Spaniards who saw them for what they were -- the true gold of the Americas.  That legacy lives today as American farmers and ranchers feed the world.

Mills, Music and Movies

It pays to keep your eyes open as you drive around the country.  Not too far from where I live is the small town of Wolfe City.  If you happen to be passing by on Highway 11 you might spot this old building sitting off in the trees on the south side of the road.  The signage on the side (which you can barely see) says, "Texo Feeds."  It appears that it might have been an old feed dealership.  I have never walked out to the building and taken a closer look, but the height of the porch/dock at the larger door appears to be about right for a wagon loading dock.  I can just imagine an old farm wagon, pulled by mules, being loaded with bags of oats, or other feed.

Texo Feeds is interesting because it is associated with "Light Crust Flour."  If you happen to be north of Fort Worth on I-820 around I-35, you will see a large concrete grain terminal on the BNSF railroad tracks off in the distance.  On the side are printed the words, "Home of Light Crust Flour and Texo Feeds."  It is the old Burris Mill which was originally dedicated in 1936.  It is great advertisement for the small, but fast-growing city of Saginaw.*

Light Crust Flour was known far and wide because they also had a radio station which featured the "Light Crust Dough Boys."  The band was made up of Bob Wills, Herman Arnspiger and Milton Brown.  They later became the Texas Playboys and Bob Wills brought Texas Swing music to the world.

The Governor of Texas from 1939 to 1941 was W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel.  He later became a U.S. Senator in the controversial 1941 race in which he defeated Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson.  O'Daniel had previously been an official at the Burris Mill prior to being fired in 1935 after a series of disputes.  It was then that he formed his own band called the Hillbilly Boys and his own flour company.

Although their name more closely resembles that of the Foggy Mountain Boys, known for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, the band from the hit film "O Brother, Where Art Thou," the Soggy Bottom Boys, is loosely based on the Hillbilly Boys band of "Pappy" O'Daniel who entertained likely voters in his quest for political office.  Although based in Mississippi, you may recall that the Governor in the hit movie was also named Pappy O'Daniel, who bolstered his popularity by offering a pardon to the members of the Soggy Bottom Boys.

I suppose my post this morning is a bit circuitous in nature, but there are plenty of dots to be connected.  There is a lot of interesting history just waiting to be discovered; it's almost covered up by trees and a bit out-of-the-way, but it's out there if you just look.

* Light Crust Flour

** O Brother Where Art Thou?

Some Things Last

Monument Rocks, on the Smoky Hill River in Kansas, is a little off the beaten path today, but it was once an important marker for travelers headed west.  The formations are also known as the Chalk Pyramids.  They are made of Niobrara Chalk and are the remains of an ancient seabed formed during the Cretaceous Period.  I made a side-trip to them a number of years ago and was happy that I did.  They are an interesting remnant of a time long ago.

I was browsing through old photographs on my computer and came across these.  They made me think about how some things, and some people, manage to weather the onslaught of time much better than others.  These have managed to stand for roughly 80 million years.  I don't think I will make it that long.

These formations make me think of the things that endure no matter what fad may come and go -- things like integrity and honesty.  They are anchors to which we can hold fast -- or, be held fast -- in times of storm.  When all else fails, they remain.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Do every thing in love." -- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Coronado's Quest

As I gaze across the silent plains
My mind plays tricks on me;
Through shimmers of the rising heat
There appears to be
Figures
Moving silently.

In my head I make the leap
To a time so long ago
When Coronado crossed this land
And he didn't know
What
He might see.

I think of how he may have paused
And raised his hand to halt
The mighty train that followed him
Whose sweat had turned to salt,
Crusted
On their skin

As unknown strangers there appeared
And sat upon their steeds
So alien with feathers in their hair
Aware of growing needs;
Water,
Source of life.

In unknown tongue and gestures
One pointed to the east
Then turned his shaggy mount
And seemed not the least
Concerned
For safety.

Soon, there before them yawned
The canyon of the Tule
Hidden in the vast domain
Where Comanche rule
Protected
By isolation

These warriors of the open skies
Who feared no beast or, man
Led parched and weary soldiers
To quiet pools where they can
Drink
Their fill

Before moving on in search
Of wealth they had been told
Lay hidden in this sprawling land;
Cibolo, made of gold,
Enticing,
Leading on,

Never to be found.

Drifting Mind, Drifting Herds

The period just after the Civil War is one of my favorite in American history.  It was a time of rapid westward expansion into the sparsely settled Plains and mountain fastnesses of the young and growing country.  It was the time of great herds moving northward from the brushy wildness of Texas to the nearest rail head.  Sometimes my mind thinks on what it would be like to be upon those great drives....

Tired from weeks upon the trail

The steers stood slowly.

Colorful hides contrasted with the green lushness

Of early Spring grasses

That drew them ever northward

To the markets that awaited

At the end of the trail.

Squeaking leather signaled

That the horsemen were mounting

For another day of monotonous,

Plodding steps upon the sod

As ever forward moved

This mobile feast toward the rails

Which would carry them eastward

To their demise

And resurection

As sustenance for the growing,

Thriving,

Westward advancing

Civilization.