Texas History: The People of Texas - Just Wired Different

Just Wired Different

 I wanted to begin our series of posts on Texas History with something that is a must read, especially for non-Texans. I bring this to your attention because many people don't understand how Texans can be so fiercely proud of their home state. Texans are extremely proud people, no doubt. It's something that is natural to us. To understand that feeling, a non-Texan must peer into the heart of a Texan and see something that is as much a part of us as is our soul. We (Texans) are just wired different than other folks, not better than or more important than, just wired different. Kind of like a PC vs. a Mac. Same kind of machine doing the same things to get to the same place, but in a different way. Just wired different.

Texas. It's like a whole other country, as the saying goes. Or, as John Wayne said, "Texas is the damnedest lady I ever saw." Both of those observations are bullseye accurate. Willie Nelson once told me during an interview, "I could be dead ass asleep on the bus and when we cross that Texas line, I can feel it." That Willie sure has a way with words, doesn't he? Being a Texan in a land far away, like I am, in Maine, gives me, perhaps a different perspective than many still-in-Texas Texans. Don't get me wrong, I love Maine. It's a great place to live and raise a family. The scenery here is very much like East Texas, pine trees everywhere, lots of lakes, ponds, creeks and rivers and good, down-to-Earth, proud people that talk funny. I miss Texas. A lot. It's home. It's like my Mother, a part of me that is eternal and undeniable. A piece of my soul, a blessing from God. Something that nobody can ever take away from me. Texas is me. And you. And your kids and neighbors and fellow parishiners at church. Texas is Us. Even the Yankees that call Texas  'home", they are Texas and Texans, and  like James Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and Stephen F. Austin, once foreigners, now us, Texans. You know, American by birth, Texan by the Grace of God. The following link is to a piece written by legendary Texan and football coach, Bum Phillips. Bum, like Willie, has a way with words. Take a few minutes to read it, alone if you can, think about it, then pass it on to your kids or grandkids, your friends (especially if they live in another part of the country), whomever. As Texans, when we talk about Texas, we don't brag, we do so with a deep-rooted pride and reverence. Because we are forged of a hotter fire.

Texas History - An Introduction

The Lone Star

The history of Texas is as varied and colorful as the land itself. Many people don't know that the history of Texas as we know it, began less than thirty years after Columbus landed in the New World. From the time of the first Europeans setting foot in Texas in 1519, to 1836 when Texas won its independence from Mexico through the Civil War years, the flags of six countries would fly over the Lone Star State.

Today, in a series of short posts, we will celebrate this extraordinary place called Texas. Our journey will begin in 1519 and take us through the centuries on a historical adventure that is second to none in its diverse, yet unique path through time... a journey that will explore the land, the people and events that shaped this magnificent place into what it is today, almost 500 years after the the footsteps of the first Europeans were fresh in the sand.

It was on this date in 1845 that , after nine years as the Republic of Texas, that Texas became the 28th state to join the Union, by treaty with the United States.

Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Texans and citizens of all lands, it is with great pride that I humbly present to you..."the damnedest lady you ever saw"...

Texas.

Tomorrow Is a Very Special Day - Here's a Preview

The Lone Star

I wanted to post this announcement tonight so you'd be aware of what is going to be our feature tomorrow on Three States Plus One, because tomorrow is a special day for all Texans. It was on December 29, 1845 that The Republic of Texas became the State of Texas, entering the United States as the 28th State in the Union.

I am thinking about doing several small posts, each of which would cover a specific period in Texas History, from the 16th Century to the present. That's a lot of territory to cover, but I think it will be well worth the effort when all is said and done. I promise to make each post as concise and informative as possible. This type of format will also allow you to read each entry as your time constraints dictate, without getting about half way through a single long post and being interrupted by something pesky...like work.

It promises to be a lot of fun taking a look at the events and people that shaped the land that is like no other place on Earth. It's your home. It's my home. And it's like a whole other country. It is Texas.

The Blizzard of 2010: The Aftermath

When I went outside a few minutes ago, I saw something very strange. There was this big, yellow ball in the sky. I came back in and fired up my laptop and put my Google Fu to good work. After doing some exhausted research, I learned what this strange orb was. According to Wikipedia, this object is called the Sun. It's been what seems like forever since we've seen in it, I needed documentary evidence to prove what this object was. I am relieved to know that what I suspected it to be was indeed true.

While outside, I snapped a couple of more photos that show the aftermath of the Blizzard of 2010. I was able to walk around the parking lot in our section of the complex and got some close ups of the reminders of what we experienced over the course of Sunday night and all day yesterday.

The first photo shows where some of the snow was plowed off the parking lot into the courtyard. the peak of this pile is about six feet tall.

The second picture looks like snow on the ground. It is indeed snow on the ground, but the snow has filled up a big hole which acts as a drain with about six feet of snow!

The big pile in the next photo is some of the snow removed from part of the parking lot in front of our apartment. This pile of snow is at least seven feet tall!

I haven't even looked out the back door yet, so I may have more photos to post later today. My best guess of how much snow we got is between two and a half to three feet! It's difficult to tell because it was so windy that the snow didn't exactly settle like it would on a less windy day. In case you missed the live blogging I did yesterday as the blizzard hit us with all its fury, you can look it over right here.

It was quite an experience, as one weather guy put it, to witness tropical storm strength winds with snow falling at 2 or 3 inches per hour. It's still December for a few more days and winter is just getting started here in New England, and I'm confident that we'll get another big blast before it's all said and done. Damn, I miss Texas.  :)

The Blizzard of 2010 Howls On! (UPDATED - Scroll Down for UPDATES)

When I went to bed last night, we had about four inches of snow on the ground, with more pouring down. And pour it did. Look at the difference in these two photos.

Before

After

As you can see, I took the "before" photo prior to receiving any snow. The "after" photo is what I woke up to this morning. The maintainence guys here at the complex were hard at work early this morning shoveling and using the snow blower and snowplows in order to make it as easy as possible for the residents to get in and out of their apartments and, if possible, into their cars. The wind has been blowing a steady 15 - 20 mph, with gusts in excess of 40 mph, so the snow is being blasted around at a pretty good clip and is not making a nice even cover on the ground or the cars. See the little silver car in the pics? Notice there's about two feet of snow on the ground next to it, but hardly any on the car itself. I estimate that we have gotten at least a foot of snow and that's fairly accurate, I'm sure. According to forecasts, it looks like we may be in for another foot or so before the snow moves out sometime tonight.

I'll certainly keep an eye on things and pass along any updates that might add to this story. I hope those of you who live in warmer climes will get as big a kick out of my coverage of this storm as I am in sharing it with you. So, stay tuned for more later!

UPDATE 10:00 AM, EST - since posting this earlier this morning, when the the sidewalks were cleared off, we have received about 3 more inches of snow. The winds have backed off a little, but it's still quite breezy and it's snowing like hell. I'll be back in a little while with more info on the Blizzard of 2010, including a new photo or two.

UPDATE 11:40 AM, EST - I miscalculated the snow fall in the previous update, I should have said we had gotten an additional six inches, not 3. Since that time we have received an aditional 3 more inches. Snow appears to be falling at a rate of two to three inches per hour. That's a lot of snow. Some drifts of 5 feet can be found around the complex. The snow that was plowed from the parking lot is being put into mounds at seven feet tall. More accumulation is a given. Back in a while with more Blizzard News!

UPDATE 12:43 PM, EST - It's still snowing like hell, but the end is supposedly in sight. In sight as in sometime tonight. I have seen many heavy snow storms here in Maine and in Colorado, high in the Rockies. This one will be noted not just for the prolific amount of snow it has and will continue to dump, but because the winds have been constantly gusting to 35 - 40 mph for the last 18 hours. It's hard to measure the amount of snow that has fallen, but I am sure that at my house we have gotten close to two feet, with some drifts up to 5 or 6 feet around the property. The maintainence crew plowed the parking lot about 3 hours ago and we've gotten several more inches since then. It's a wild scene. As I look out my back window while typing this update, I can barely see the building about 30 yards behind us. The wind is vicious and the snow is "falling" parallel to the the ground. :) See you later with more updates on the Blizzard of 2010!

Looking out across the courtyard after plowing

UPDATE 1:35 PM, EST -  I just checked in with AccuWeather and the Blizzard Warning for Augusta has been extended to 6 PM, EST. That will make it about 24 straight hours of Blizzard or Near Blizzard conditions for the area. At my house we will probably end up with near 3 feet of snow on the ground by the time all is said and done. A few minutes ago I stepped out on the front porch and snapped a few photos to share with you.

Looking across the street from my front door

See the piles of snow behind the red truck? That is snow that was plowed from the parking lot to our building. They are at least seven feet tall.

UPDATE 2:45 PM, EST - Things haven't changed over the last hour, except for the fact that we are one hour closer to the 6 PM, EST expiration of the Blizzard Warning. You can get a look at the local RADAR for Augusta at this link to AccuWeather. As you can see, we are located at the dead center of the storm so it is making little to no movement away from us. It's similar to the bull's eye on a rotating dart board. Augusta is the bull's eye of this storm.

UPDATE 6:00 PM, EST - The Blizzard Warning that has been in effect in the form of a Watch or Warning for at least 36 hours, has expired. Nothing changed over the last few hours, so I didn't even bother to add any updates. It's still windy and snowing like hell and it's gonna get REAL cold tonight with the low temperature dipping to 8 degrees. Along with a stout North-Northwest wind, chill factors could approach -15 to -20 degrees.

It's been a lot of fun Live Blogging the Blizzard of 2010 for you today and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. If anything out of the ordinary happens, I'll post it here and on Facebook. Thanks again, y'all. Adios.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AUGUSTA, MAINE!!! UPDATED (Scroll down for Updates)

Snowed In

We just got back from an overnight trip to my wife's hometown of Eastport where we visited with her family. We had a wonderful time and made out like bandits with lots of loot, including a new fishin' pole to me from my father-in-law.  :) We had plenty to eat while we were there also - chicken wings, bacon-wrapped scallops, stuffed shrimp and three kinds of pies. I am still full. It was nice to go back to Eastport because I think we will be moving there in the next few months.

We had planned to only stay last night and maybe all day today, but then this came up. This is not your basic get a foot or two of snow nor'easters, it is a full blown blizzard. Here is the technical definition of a blizzard. We are stocked up at home with plenty to eat and an ample supply of bottled water, so I think we are prepared. The only thing I am concerned about is losing power because we are at 17 degrees at 1:15 PM EST. We would definitely miss the heat if power went out. But we have each other, so it's all good. I'll try to live blog the blizzard as it happens. If you'd like to keep on top of it with me, keep an eye on the blog or Facebook or better yet, subscribe to the blog and updates will be emailed to you automatically. The sing up is in the right side bar.

If you'd prefer to watch things develop on Augusta RADAR, you can do so on Accuweather.com, Weather.com or Intellicast.com. Those are the three best weather websites on the internet. The info you would need to see what is happening where I live is: Augusta, Maine and the zip code is 04330. That will get you to the nitty gritty of the weather situation as it unfolds.

If I am able, I will update as I can with weather info and photos. For those of you who have never experienced a blizzard, it's quite a sight to behold. So,check back when you can and experience what's happening as it takes place here in Maine.

UPDATE: The snow just started falling at 6:37 PM, EST. The blizzard has begun!    

UPDATE 2: 8:22PM EST - The heavier snow moved in about 30 minutes ago. The wind is blowing pretty good now, too. I'll have another update when something good happens.

UPDATE 9:36PM, EST Since my last update about an hour ago, we have received about an inch more of snow. I am headed outside to take some more photos and will post them in a few minutes.

UPDATE: 9:52PM, EST - I took this shot while standing on my front porch. I am looking across the street at another building in our complex. If you look just to the left of dead center of the photo, you'll see a porch light about 100 yards away. I zoomed in to get a good look at it. Let's see if it's visible in another hour or so.

UPDATE 10:54 PM, EST - We've picked up another two inches of snow in the last hour, with about another 8 or 10 inches due overnight and still more for tomorrow. This will be my last update for the night. I should have some good photos for you tomorrow. Until then, Adios.

Toby

Christmas Eve Classic! 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Tis the day before Christmas and all through the place,
Everyone woke with a smile on his face,
Outdoors there's snow on the ground,
Ready to welcome the Man who is round,
The children, all happy, are dancing about,
Greeting the day with a squeal and a shout,
With Yuletide chores that we still must do,
We wish you the best, Merry Christmas to you!

I just made that up. :) It serves as a prelude to the real deal. The timeless poem that has been part of the American Christmas Tradition for almost two hundred years. With that, I happily and merrily present to you, dear friend, a Christmas Classic.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the roof there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
gave the lustre of midday to objects below,
when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
and he whistled and shouted and called them by name:

"Now Dasher! Now Dancer!
Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid!
On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch!
To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky
so up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

 I got this copy of the poem from blackdog.net. Click the link and scroll past the poem to the bottom of the page and there's a nice little history of the Yuletide standard.

To all of you, I wish the Merriest of Christmases. May God bless you and your loved ones with happiness and prosperity for all your days.


Feliz Navidad,
Toby