Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

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Season's Greetings!!

We hope you and your family are enjoying the holiday season. 

I seem to have lost a few parts of the year, having a bit of brain fog will do that. I think back over the year and it feels like we didn’t do much traveling at all, but in reviewing the calendar I find we actually did quite a bit, but it was primarily early in the year. 

For one thing, it seems we’ve entered into the age of healthcare taking priority over other issues, for ourselves as well as the dogs and Kendra. Looking back over the calendar there are a lot of appointments! That seemed to occupy most of the summer months, which worked out alright as it was too hot this year to do anything else! 

 In Jan- Feb we took a trip of about 5 weeks to Arizona for mini reunion and a brief visit with some of the relatives in southern California. 

We met up with Steve’s youngest brother for a couple of days camping in the Anza Borrego desert. Dale camps there frequently and he’s a great tour guide.   He took us to an area where a local sculptor, Ricardo Breceda, has placed several amazing, huge metal sculptures. There are dinosaurs, human figures, and some fantasy figures.

Somehow the sculptor managed to make them look at home in the wide open spaces of sagebrush and cactus, right next to paved roads! 

One such sculpture starts on one side of the highway and appears again on the other side, as if it had burrowed under the road. 

The trip also included a stop in Fort Davis, a Texas location we’ve been wanting to visit. 

The University of Texas observatory is located there, and they have wonderful public programs. There's a nature conservancy attraction with wonderful plant collections, the restored fort, and more to visit.

In March we flew to California for memorial service for Steve’s mother, who passed away last November. It was a really nice service and enabled us to see distant relatives we hadn’t connected with for several years. 

Kendra and the boys accompanied us, and so the boys had the opportunity to experience the Pacific Ocean for the first time. They enjoyed the waves and of course digging in the sand! 

Based on the boys’ interests we visited as many of the California tourism sites as energy and time would allow, including a dinosaur related museum and the battleship USS Iowa, so it was a great trip!

In late April we took a short trip to north Texas to visit Palo Duro Canyon (known as the Grand Canyon of Texas) We also visited Ft. Richardson, which figured largely in the early history of the state and is well restored. It was all fascinating, and the scenery was wonderful – and very different from our part of Texas. 

In reviewing the calendar I also note the primary reason we didn’t travel much in the summer…..most of the notations were for physical therapy appointments, some leading up to my knee replacement at the end of July and others after the surgery to get back in shape. The anesthetic for the surgery accounts for some of my brain fog I think, at least that’s my theory for the moment! They say it can take up to a year to recover. 

I had lots of entertainment during the first days following the surgery. We have a few Ring security cameras that aren’t installed so we can move them around the yard. We put some near bird feeders and some under the house where we’d been hearing odd noises. Every morning when I got up I’d check the camera displays on my computer. 

I watched raccoons, foxes and armadillos milling around the back yard almost every night. That was fun but not really surprising. Here's a photo of one of the foxes watching a raccoon eat the bird seed on the ground. They seem to coexist pretty well. The cameras we put under the house were a bit of a surprise – we learned we were being visited by opossums, skunks, rodents, and neighborhood cats. We’ve taken steps to close off their access, at least until someone digs another tunnel! 

December has been a busy month. First, we celebrate our 51st anniversary!!! 

Steve spent lots of time and energy upgrading and repairing some systems on the RV as well as trip planning – his favorite hobby. To celebrate we tried out all the RV improvements on this most recent trip. Our destination, near Houston, was the Stephen F. Austin State Park. The park is historically the site of the birth of Texas, as it was the land grant from Mexico that eventually became the state of Texas. We had a great time and enjoyed walking the trails and enjoying the early winter scenery. 

Unfortunately during this year we lost both our dogs. Shiner passed away in early October of age related issues. 

Watch left us 3 days after we returned home from this last trip from cancer that was fast moving and not treatable. We often found them resting together like this, touching paws. 

They really were buddies, and their passing leaves a giant hole in the family. We miss them both, but vowed to take our time about getting another one. 

We of course had birthday celebrations to spice things up – Raylan is now 10 years old, and Jaxen is 13 (yikes!) It seems just yesterday that we were announcing their arrival. They are still being homeschooled and seem to be thriving, finding plenty of time to pursue their art projects, video games, and swimming in the backyard pool when it’s warm enough. Kendra and Scott share teaching duties and that seems to be working out well. 

Early this month we visited with Kendra and the boys and watched them decorate their tree. It seemed like a good opportunity to take a photo. In this family it’s usually difficult to get more than two people to stand still long enough to take a group photo so this is a rare exception in this family! 

We do hope you and your family have had a good year. I know as we all get older (hard to believe it happens to our children too, isn’t it?) we develop health and other concerns that can become all consuming and cast and unwelcome light over everything. Your close bonds as a family are something you can really lean on and be thankful for. We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year!

The Worshams

Stephen F. Austin State Park

This park's location is important not because of the landscape, but because of it's historic significance. Stephen F. Austin chose this area as home base for es­tab­lishing Anglo-American colonies in Texas. The historic plaque commemorating the site of Austin's colony explains the details. 

The place to start for a background on Texas's birth and fight for independence is the museum, known officially as San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site. This is the location, on the highway just outside the park entrance, is where Steven F. Austin first established his colony in 1823. The colony grew to become the social, economic, and political center of American immigration to Texas before independence. 

This life-size sculpture greeted us at the entrance to the museum

The museum includes a variety of period artifacts, murals and other artwork that provide an overview of life at the time. The gift shop has a variety of the usual items for sale, and the staff are readily available to answer questions. 

Outside the walls of the museum one enters into a small village of log buildings, all well maintained and often populated with volunteers dressed in period clothing and going about their daily chores. On the day we visited there was only one, a blacksmith. He happily explained his tools and the project he was working on. 

The campground here in the park is situated in a mixed forest of cedar elm, water hickory, Osage orange, sugar hackberry, pecan, Mexican plum and western soapberry.  We're visiting in early winter, so most of the branches are bare, and the only wildflowers are a few Turk's Cap blossoms still hanging on. The native holly, also common here in the campground, is still covered with red berries. The birds will do away with those soon as the weather turns colder. 

We planned only a short trip, as we're approaching Christmas and there's a lot to do to prepare for Santa's visit, so we only had time for one more site visit. The Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge is only a 30 minute drive (19 mi.) northeast of the campground. It's a great place to get an overview of the amazing natural history in this coastal plains environment. 

The center moved into a new facility not too long ago and they are still getting organized so they weren't officially "open" when we visited. There was an employee in the building however, and when she saw us watching the video of the Prairie Chicken Dance in the entrance area she happily opened the door so we could visit inside. The collections and displays are all focused on explaining the importance of protecting the species, their traits and the overall ecology of the area. 

The displays in the visitor center include an extensive taxidermy bird exhibit and some lovely artwork by students. The activities the staff plan for busy seasons are clever and entertaining for everyone, but especially suited for school age children. 

Browse the photos in our photo album for this visit to get  better idea of the scenery and the museum itself. The center's official grand opening is expected to be in the spring for their "Boom and Bloom" festival (The 2023 Attwater's Prairie-Chicken Festival, Booming and Blooming Festival will take place on the second weekend of April, unless it falls on Easter weekend, in which case it will be the previous weekend.) 

The "boom" is the male performance during mating season, and the video in the entrance lobby shows staff members and visitors demonstrating the steps to this "dance" ritual. It's a really entertaining way to introduce some rather interesting animal behavior! Here is a short but amusing video explaining the purpose for the "boom" dance, and a more scientific  8-minute video exploring the issues around the survival of this species as well as the steps being taken to assist in their survival. 

There are several bird blinds around the nearby pond and a short trail so it's easy to get good viewing angles, also a nice place to set up your easel or camera.

The town nearest the campground is Sealy. It's a small town, but necessary services like groceries are available, there's a Walmart so you can pick up whatever you forgot, and there are several choices for restaurants, auto parts, etc. We drove around in town on the first day in the park just to get our bearings. There are a few interesting shops in the old original downtown area too. . . including a quilt shop! If you're a quilter, look for the Wooden Spool.

The park gift shop has an extensive collection of T-shirts, hats, stuffed toys, games and collectables. Sites are all pull-thru, nicely spaced in the wooded area. Many have large grassy areas that are perfect for kids or campers with pets.  

Restrooms are nice, clean, well designed with shower accommodations for individuals using wheelchairs in all - men's, women's, two family and one "handicapped" restroom.

The campground is surrounded by multiple walking/biking trails that all seem well maintained. 

We really enjoyed wandering through the woods, especially since the weather was mild. The birds were fairly active, and we found a few stray wildflowers still blooming here and there. The low-lying portions of trails that get flooded frequently often have some sort of bridge or boardwalk over them. A local bicycle club has helped to put in and maintain many of the trails sections. 

Time to head for home. This was a nice respite in a busy season. 

photo album for this trip

Fort Richardson State Park and Historic Site

 THE TWO LIVES OF FORT RICHARDSON

In the 1850's the Texas Emigration and Land Office was offering land grants, drawing large numbers of settlers. This land, of course, already had residents... namely the Native Americans who had lived here for generations. At first, with smaller numbers of settlers the tribes accepted the newcomers, but as the numbers increased, understandably, they began to object to the changes they were seeing in their land. The conflicts that followed are the theme and purpose for this fort, which is now a state park.

Between 1867 and 1875 southern plains tribes, largely Kiowa and Comanche, saw their way of life under attack,  leading to violent battles with the U.S. Army.  The park interpretive center has some wonderful informative displays offering insights into the Native American cultures as well as the settlers and the military at that time. 

The nearby town of Jacksboro was already settled (in the 1850's) when the northernmost outpost Fort Richardson was established in 1868. The post hospital was completed in 1870.

The fort's tasks in this "first life" were protection of the settlement of Jacksboro, as well as the northern Texas border. Cavalry and infantry troops were assigned to duty on the northern Texas frontier, and Fort Richardson was a key post during these times of unrest. The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon (see previous post) took place in 1874 and is considered the final big battle of the Red River War 1874-1875. This fort was established before that battle took place.

Life at the fort was not luxurious. Long and difficult patrols, sometimes all the way to Palo Duro Canyon 300 miles away, often in treacherous weather, illness, spoiled food, in addition to wounds acquired in battle or from the routine of daily life in this harsh environment. These patrols, along with guarding the military road connecting Fort Richards to other forts in the southwest. Of the original 60+ buildings only a few remain, and some are modern replicas. The hospital, picture below, is one of the most complete buildings at the fort. 

Foundations remain for some that have been lost to time and the elements, and those remaining are now nicely supplied with furnishings and mannequins dressed for the period so one can understand how life must have been in those early years of the fort. The infirmary, shown below, must have been miserably cold in the winter with only one small wood stove to heat the high-ceiling room. 

After the Battle of Palo Duro, the north Texas frontier was relatively secure and soldiers were no longer needed at Fort Richardson. Orders to abandon Fort Richardson were issued March 29, 1878.

THE SECOND LIFE OF FORT RICHARDSON

During World War II, Fort Richardson was reactivated and became an active Texas National Guard installation as the mobilization site for Battery F, 2ndBattalion, 131st Field Artillery Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. This "second life" is an important contribution to the survival of some of the existing/original structures. 

In early 1942, the battalion fought alongside the Dutch on the island of Java to repel a Japanese invasion. The unit and 368 sailors from the USS Houston were captured when the Dutch surrendered the island in March. The fate of the men who were fighting there remained a mystery until the end of the war. They became known as the “Lost Battalion.”

Imprisoned for 42 months the men suffered harsh working conditions and tropical diseases and injuries with no medical treatment. The 738 members of the Lost Battalion who managed to survive were liberated on August 15, 1945. There is a state historical marker near the visitor center for the fort commemorating these men. 

THE TOWN OF JACKSBORO

The nearby town of Jacksboro was originally named "Mesquiteville" when it was established in the 1850's, due to the dominance of mesquite trees in the area, the name was changed in 1858 when it became the county seat for Jack County, named in honor of brothers William and Patrick Jack. 

The population of Jacksboro was a little over 4,000 in the 2020 census, but seems much larger. Several of the historic buildings on Main Street survive, though considerable restoration is needed for some of them. Most have been repurposed from their original use as banks and hotels to now housing smaller retail businesses, restaurants, and B & B's.  It is a pleasant little town and has all the services one might need. We enjoyed driving a few of the side streets and looking at the historic homes. 

This mural on Main street depicts the various industries in the area. 

We arrived at the state park late in the afternoon on May 3. It was a long drive from Palo Duro Canyon!  With gray skies overhead we scurried to set up camp, and by 7 p.m. we were deep into thunder and lightening and really high wind. Then came the rain and hail. Not really much total precipitation but it surely came down with a flourish! 

The camping and hiking facilities in the park are some of the best we've seen. There are trails everywhere, and huge fields of mown grass where that is appropriate and natural fields of wildflowers and blooming cactus in the plentiful wide open spaces. We enjoyed our site's open space and sat outside listening to the birds. My Merlin app identified several species by their songs, but most of them remained hidden in the dense shrubbery. Little furrows in the leaf duff along the walking paths indicated the armadillos were busy overnight, and the butterflies were out if full force, sampling the nectar in the wildflowers.

Rumbling Springs the feeds a lovely gurgling stream in the middle of the park, and the nearby twin lakes area offers fishing and swimming. The campsites here are larger and more widely spaced than usual, offering privacy as well as better views of the surrounding landscape than one usually has. This is really a beautiful and well maintained park!

Check the album for more photos and information about the park and the history of the town.