About this time of the year, October 1974 took us down past Huntsville to do a drainage project. It was a new development on Lake Livingston called Waterwood. It was aptly named, especially that year. We were in a piney … Continue reading 1974 was a really wet year over in San Jacinto County, Eastern Texas
The name “Falfurrias” antedates Anglo association with the area, and its derivation is uncertain. Town founder Edward C. Lasater claimed that it was a Lipan word meaning “the land of heart’s delight”. Others believed that it was the Spanish name … Continue reading Ever Wonder Where The Town Of Falfurrias Got It’s Name
Ruby Waggoner was my dad’s mother. She and my grandfather had divorced when Cecil was very young. He was raised by his dad, Theron and a host of aunts, uncles and his grandparents. Ruby Lee, Grannie Ruby or Grannie was a big part of our life going up. She lived in Austin and visited her often. She was one funny old gal that laughed a lot and made the rest of us laugh. Any time after I was grown and had projects around North Austin, I’d stop by even if for just a few minutes. One day she and I … Continue reading The Fire
This story is one of the more puzzling things I have encountered lately. In about 2010, I pulled up to the Shell Station and dropped someone off that had been riding with me. I was on the side of the … Continue reading The Man – Goat Head – 2008 (the inscription that was on the lid of the box)
I just drove into a vacant piece of property that I sold to LCRA the year before. Actually I was taking a shortcut to my office. As I drove to an area that few people drive to any more there was a young lady that had parked her Prius in the middle of the road. It took her a few moments to discover that she wasn’t alone. As I set watching she was running and leaping with her hands outreached. It all looked very graceful. After a bit she looked around and saw me, and came back to move her … Continue reading Could I Have Just Found Peter Pan?
I always wondered where the name “Pedernales” came from. This is what I found. The name “Pedernales”, first used in the middle 18th century, comes from a Spanish word for the flint rocks characteristic of the riverbed. Continue reading What’s In A Name
I wonder if the cooks on traildrives scorched the beans, if they still ate them? I think I know the answer. Wasn’t like there was much of a choice. I’m sure that’s where much of the bellyaching about sorry food came from, scorched beans. Continue reading Scorched Beans
One time when we were talking about borrow or bar ditches and crowns in the road, those terms are critical that make roadways safe during rainy conditions. That reminded me of another road building term. When you hear about the amount of super in a curve, (which I guarantee most of you never have) that actually is short for Superelevation. That is how much slope there is in a curve or how much tilt there is. If you notice racetracks have varying degrees of slope, depending on the speed that will be used during a race. A highway curve is … Continue reading How About Some Highway Talk, To Get The Morning Going.
I was down at Turkey Bend one time visiting all the old Hall women as they were referred to. This consisted of sisters, Mabel Hall Wilson, Earlie Hall Croft, Mamie Hall Franck, and their sister in law Libby Hall. They all lived there in one little wad, so when you went to visit one, you just about needed to make an afternoon of it, but it was always a pleasure to do so. I always called them Aunt, not because they were my aunts, but out of respect. I’m not sure why that was respectful, but it was. I know … Continue reading You Can Take The Boy Out Of The Country, But………
It appears that they had an Annual Farm & Ranch Night each year – players would compete in cow milking contests, egg toss and hog calling and perhaps other contests. These were on Double Header Game Days and this was done as a filler between games. There doesn’t seem to be a lot written about this practice. What do you recall? Continue reading Who remembers this about the early years of the Texas Ranger’s Baseball Team:
Angora Chronicles 