Taking a Few Days Off

I am taking at least a couple of days off from blogging to let my mind and body relax. I know that must come as a shock to you (that's sarcasm, BTW). I will, however, not leave you empty-handed as far as reading material goes. I happen to know that those of you with laptops and a router find great comfort in perusing my brilliant content in the john. Fitting, that. Where do you think I do most of my writing?

Here are three posts from the very beginning of this blog that have irritated and repulsed people from all corners of the world for almost a year now. Carry on.

• Texas Tidbits: Armadillos - Hillbilly Speed Bumps
• Maine Minutiae: Whales
• Colorado Chronicles: Longs Peak

The posts are very short, but there are some embedded links to some really cool information, so be sure to click on them and see what's up. The archives are full of good material, just give them a look using the search box at the top right of the right sidebar or scroll down the home page and click where it says "Older Posts" and look 'em over.

I'll see you in a few days with more of the kind of extraordinary tomes that you've come to expect from me. Actually, I'll try to do better. :)

Adios,
Toby

Texas Tidbits: I've Got a Tiger By the Tail...

Here, Kitty, Kitty...

I love animals. Especially BBQ'ed. *rimshot* I'll be here all week, folks. Be sure to tip your blog writer. But seriously, folks...I really am an animal lover...cats, dogs, whatever. I like 'em  because they are not only cute and cuddly (until they grow up), but for the companionship and undying loyalty for the low price of loving them back and a little food now and then. There's a place just outside Tyler where a few people have gone way above the realm of normal animal rescuers to something even more fantastic - Big Cat Rescuers. Yes, those kind of Big Cats. Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge is something much bigger, literally, than your local animal shelter. It's a refuge for...hell, let's go to Tiger Creek's web page for that info :"To provide rescue and rehabilitation of big cats that have been abused, neglected or displaced.". And that's exactly what they do. Wanna meet some of the residents of Tiger Creek? Click here and when you get to the Tiger Creek page, look to left of the display and click "Meet the Big Cats". It's real good stuff. Tiger Creek is known worldwide for the outstanding work they do in giving these mighty predators a home that is as similar to their  natural habitat as possible, plus the care and love they need in order to simply survive. My hat's off to Brian Werner and Terri Block and their staff of volunteers for the superhuman effort, devotion and dedication towards these magnificent felines and their on-going hard work in rescuing and rehabbing Big Cats of all stripes. Or lack thereof.

Maine Minutiae: 2nd Graders & I Learn About Early Maine

...And a Bottle of Rum

I had a hoot yesterday. I got to spend a few hours with my oldest daughter, Isabella, on a 2nd Grade Class Field Trip, hereby referred to as "2GCFT". I met a school bus full of 7 & 8 year olds yesterday at a very historic site in here in Augusta, Old Fort Western, and got the Grand Tour of Old Fort Western OFW is the oldest standing fort in the United States having been built in the mid 1750's.

Along with the above-mentioned kids and a few other parent/chaperones, I got the Grand Tour of Old Fort Western and actually found it very interesting. Of course our guides, dressed in full 1750's regalia, right down to the shoes, made their presentation geared toward second grader, it was done well-enough that it even kept my interest. The Fort was a center of commerce for the area way back when, not only for its English inhabitants, but for the Native Indians as well. On site, they have a General Store that looks like you just walked into 1750-something (and you actually do!), a class room for the kids of the time and some other really cool historical artifacts that were commonly used by Old Fort Westerners. I honestly had a good time and learned something, too. I think the kids did, too.

The best part of the whole trip, which is about 3 miles, round trip from where I sit, was spending time with Issy. She's a smart kid and was asking questions of the tour guides and answering theirs as well. The thing I liked 2nd most was being a part of my little girl's school experience. I felt like hell when I went to meet the students yesterday morning, but all that changed on a sunny, breezy Spring morning when I saw how much interest the kids showed in the tour. It's something I won't soon forget.

Here are some photos from our excursion...

St. Augustine Catholic Church

Rope for the Ships

State Capitol Building Way in the Background

A Trader's Boat from the 1750's

Texas Tidbits: 29 Years After Columbus

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.

Texas Tidbits: An All Woman State Supreme Court...In 1925? What the @^*&$?

As you know, I am always scouring the internet for unique content to post on Three States Plus One. Well, today I found a story that I had never heard of concerning Texas History. So let's explore this amazing story.

In 1924, a lawsuit was filed against an organization in which the three judges on the Texas Supreme Court were members. Therefore, in the interest of Justice, the Chief Justice and the two Associate Justices of the Texas Supreme Court recused themselves from the case. So, then-Governor Pat Neff assembled a Special Supreme Court made up entirely of women! Remember that women had been allowed to vote only since 1920! This was unheard of!

"The Dallas Morning News reported on Friday, Jan. 2, 1925, "All records were shattered and at least three precedents established on Thursday, when Gov. Neff appointed a special Supreme Court composed entirely of women. It was a healthy New Year gift of recognition to the woman barrister of today. This is the first instance a woman has been appointed to sit on the supreme bench; it is the first time a higher court is to be composed entirely of women and it is the initial case where a majority of the judges will be women."

The whole story is something that could happen only in Texas. Read the whole thing at The Texas Almanac website. It's absolutely compelling.

You've come a long way, baby.

Texas Tidbits: The Great Texas Land Rush is On!

First Come, First Served

I am on the internet for hours on end every day searching for content to post on this very blog. Some stuff I come across stands head and shoulders above the rest. Today is one of those days. I made my every-once-in-a-while stop at the The Texas Almanac website and what I found was one of the coolest things I have seen in a while. Check this stuff out.

I'll let the folks at the Texas State Historical Association (they publish the Almanac) lay it on you:

The Great Texas Land Rush!

Stake Your Claim

The Texas Almanac, The Source for ALL Things Texan Since 1857, is offering Texans the unprecedented opportunity to stake a claim to their own special part of Texas.
The Adopt-A-County and the Adopt-A-Town programs allow individuals and businesses to put their name on the Texas County or Town of their choice.

Additionally, the county or town can be dedicated to a loved one, to family pioneers or used to promote a business. But just like the original Oklahoma land rush, it works on a first come first serve basis, so hurry if you have a special county or town in mind.
Perhaps the best part of this particular land rush is that it’s all tax deductible. The Texas Almanac is part of the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), and all donations to these programs are 100% tax deductible and support state wide educational programs. For more information on the TSHA and its extensive educational programs go to www.tshaonline.org."

Is that great or what? Besides being a grand idea, it gives you, as a Texan, a simple way to give back to the State that has given Texans so much to be proud about over the last 175 years. When you "adopt" a county or town you'll also have the Honor of leaving a line of text (or two as the case may be) on the Texas Almanac website!

Like I said earlier, this is a tremendous idea more than worthy of your consideration. Hit the links above and get the whole scoop of what the deal is. I am thinking of a town to "adopt" for myself. I love it!

God bless Texas!

Texas Tidbits: Texas' Oldest Town

Downtown Nac

Snuggled tidily in the massive pine forests of East Texas lies the state's oldest town, Nacogdoches. I heard a tale many years ago of how Nacogdoches got its name. This Indian Chief, whose tribe was settled on the Sabine River on the Texas-Louisiana border, had two sons, one named Natchitoch and the other, Nacogdoche. When they became young men, the Chief sent his sons in opposite directions to create new settlements for the tribe. One son was sent eastward into Louisiana and the other to the west further into Texas. Hence, the settlement in Louisiana was named for Natchitoch (Natchitoches, LA) and the settlement in Texas was named, obviously, Nacogdoches. True or not, it's a nice story. Nacogdoches is one of the most historic cities in Texas. Inhabited by the first Texans as far back as 10,000 years ago, Nacogdoches has a rich history of Indian culture. "Nacogdoches County is located in an area that has been the site of human habitation for several thousand years. Archeological artifacts, which date from the Archaic Period (ca. 5000 B.C.-A.D. 500), have been recovered from the area around Sam Rayburn Reservoir to the south. During historic times the area was occupied by the Hasinai Indians of the Caddo confederacy, an agricultural people with a highly developed culture", says Handbook of Texas Online. Click on the link to the HTO link and they have a very good synopsis of the history of Nacogdoches. Today's Nacogdoches is home to 32,000 people and 12,000+ students at Stephen F. Austin State University. Go Lumberjacks !! Many famous athletes and entertainers have ties to Nacogdoches - Don Henley of the Eagles went to SFASU, All Pro NFL players Larry Centers and Jeremiah Trotter also attended SFA.  US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and the discoverer of plutonium, Joseph W. Kennedy, also can point to Nacogdoches as, at one time, their home. I have spent time in Nac so I can tell you firsthand that it's cool little place and you don't have to go very far to decimate the local fish population. nearby are Lake Nacogdoches, the Angelina River and Lake Sam Rayburn. Fish.Fear.Me. Trust me on this one, folks. Be sure to check out the info at the links provided in this post. There's a ton of stuff that time and space prevent me from sharing with you. If you're in the Metroplex or somewhere near it, Nac would make a nice place to take a Sunday drive to, have lunch and see the sites. The brick streets of downtown Nacogdoches await you.