Showing posts with label Historical Marker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historical Marker. Show all posts



§ Update....


Okay, let me get this out of the way. Sandra commented in my flower bud post "we did not have to baby ours they grew like crazy". Oh, but I do around Hootin' Anni's abode!! I've lost so many plants over the years because of dear hubby! Both in pots on patios AND in the ground. He knows nothing about them. When he works in the ground, supposedly pulling weeds, he doesn't know the difference between a weed and a plant. If I'm not around, I can go out an hour after he starts yard work, and half my plants have been pulled up and in the weed pile. He's also known to spray weeds and insects ...from my blooming plants and killing them! Once it was Grass...dead as a door nail. Yes, I have to baby them, and keep them 4 feet [at the least] from him!! Or he'll kill 'em. Gives a whole new meaning to social distancing.
I started reading another book. This time it's a biography about Lady Randolph Churchill. Winston Churchill's mother. It's quoted: Jennie Churchill had two hundred lovers of whom she married three. Also, American born, she was soon to be into British aristocracy marrying in 1847 to Lord Randolph after a three day romance! In this marriage, devoted to her husband, she gave birth to Winston, and other children. A truly fascinating woman of her time.
Then, an update about the new plant blossom! The very next morning, after I posted a photo of the bud, it was in full bloom. And gorgeous. We also noted when I went out to get a picture to share, another bud forming at the top of one of the cuttings. Ms. G told me the parent plant is now 50 years old. So, it definitely comes from good stock. Did I say it's gorgeous?!! Also in my comments Ginny wanted to 'see' the wrought iron planter...it's really nothing special, just to keep the plant from dragging on the ground as it begins to drop to side edges of the pot. Early that morning, before sunrise, I was debating whether to drive up toward San Patricio/Bluntzer Texas area...about a half hour later, the rain came down. I decided to nix the idea for then. Around 9 a.m., the rain had stopped, but still overcast and a threat of more rain to come, but I wanted to get to an area called Wright's Pond since there are reported egrets breeding and nesting around the deadwood that borders the pond. I'd seen photos from other birders. I told Bud, you can stay home and eat lunch by yourself, or come with me and we can go out after I get photos of the egret colony. He jumped up [fastest I've seen him move in a long time. lol] and, off we went. While we were there and I was taking pictures, Bud said "There's a goat by the fence." Hmmm, I hadn't noticed...but he knows I like goats. I walked down the ranch's drive a bit on foot and got a picture. So sweet. We then stopped along the roadside and took a photo of an old school in the area. The building is dated 1939. And odd part of it all is, the state of Texas Historical Society has a historical marker plaque on the grounds...but as you can see, the property is posted "no trespassing". I took a couple of photos and left. By that time it was 11:30. Time to seek out a restaurant. We went to I HOP back in Corpus. After we got back home I looked up the history of the school/town of Bluntzer, Texas. "The town was a stage stop." I'm assuming there were two schools [but not at the same time] the first opened in 1870s and was flooded from the hurricane of 1919...relocated to the one in photos here...1939.


...and to continue showcasing my Trolls...

My 9th Troll Share

TROLL DOLL COLLECTION
Troll of Sherwood Forest


circa: early 80s



§ In the Company of Kings!



Texas State Historical Markers


One day, recently, it was a beautiful day. The morning was cool [for South Texas] and the sky was an indigo blue with cotton ball clouds! I hopped in the car and drove to Kingsville, Texas. Kingsville is named for Richard King and the King Ranch. The ranch land stretches from the outskirts of Corpus Christi through several counties south...from the Gulf of Mexico west through other Texas counties....covering nearly 900,000 acres...over 1200 square miles!  I stopped at Bishop, Texas along the way and walked the small town park and back through the creek bottom in search for birds.  I spotted egrets, herons, kingfishers, whistling ducks, and a couple of lark sparrows.

At Kingsville my first stop was the ranch's visitor's center.  They have lots of history books, several feeding stations for birds, etc.  I walked the center's grounds and only saw doves...I was hoping to see the Texas's Green Jay, but it wasn't in the books.  Oh, but I saw some long horn cattle!!!


Another breed of cattle started by the King Ranch [recognized by USDA in 1940], origins of mixing Brahman and Short horns in 1918,  is the Santa Gertrudis -first photo- and a Longhorn -second photo-


A Longhorn and the original King Ranch Chuck Wagon



A man made brook at the Visitor's Center


A replica [?] of a ranch bunk house



The Flying "W" is the King Ranch Brand and looking out on the ranch land for as far as you can see!


Kingsville is also home of the United States Naval Training Base...once the pilot trainers graduate from Corpus Christi NAS, they move on to Kingsville NAS to train flying jets...



After about an hour there, I drove to Dick Kleberg [Dick Kleberg was a son-in-law of Richard King] Park.  Woodpeckers, shrikes, and gulls were the only species there...I continued to walk raising my step count before returning home...






§ The Mission....



Before leaving our first stop at the presidio in Goliad, Texas, I took photos of the birthplace of General Ignacio Zaragoza. Zaragoza - a Texas/Mexican hero who defeated the French in 1862. The Battle of Puebla took place on 5 May 1862, near the city of Puebla during the French intervention in Mexico. The Mexican victory, of this particular battle, is celebrated yearly...its celebration is regional in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is celebrated as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). There is some limited recognition of the holiday in other parts of the country [Old Mexico] although this holiday remains very popular in the United States where it is celebrated yearly as Cinco de Mayo.





Just down the highway a short distance from the presidio and Fannin Memorial area we stopped to visit the La Bahia Mission [also known as Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga] Considered today to be one of the most successful missions in Texas, converting many to the Christian faith, La Bahia Mission is a 'resurrected' mission from the 1700's original that went to decay. By rebuilding the mission, excavation allowed for many artifacts to be found, and original stone to be used in refurbishing the mission as you see it today. Tho rebuilt and not the 'first' mission on site, the mission received a listing in the National Register of Historic Places.






While Bud and Erik perused more of the artifacts and read the description of just about everything...I hightailed it out to the nature trail to view the San Antonio River. Last Spring the river flooded and did a lot of damage to the grounds, so, most of the river trail was still closed to the public. But the park warden pointed out which trail was still safe for me to walk! Taking only a few photos of birds [cardinal, bluebirds and  thrasher and vultures soaring silently high above] here are some photos of what else I saw along the trail:




When we met back at the parking lot, we decided to stop for lunch before heading to the old town and the courthouse. We knew the courthouse would be closed for the holiday so there really wasn't much hurry. Besides the threat of rain kinda put a damper on the afternoon.  We also wanted to make a stop at Refugio, Texas before heading home, and we had made reservations for dinner at a restaurant in Corpus for that night...


The Hanging Tree in front of the courthouse, the courthouse and part of old town Goliad

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