Lost in Megargel

In the 1700s, near this site on Farm Road 210 just north of Megargel, French tradesmen brought goods to the Native Americans. Spanish explorer Jose Mares discovered evidence of the trading in 1787 while he hiked through there, jotting down a map for a new road. Later, the US Army camped near here while they sought a good ground for a new Indian Reservation. In the mid-1800s, the US Army escorted a Comanche exodus to Oklahoma. Outside Megargel stands a lonesome barn, seemingly abandoned by its owner.
Most of Megargel seemed abandoned today. The town, founded in 1910, flourished with a railroad, the Texas & Western, and then with the oil boom of the 20s. Times became tough for the people of Megargel during the Great Depression.
Facade of the Megargel High School, 1927.
Just off the highway towards Olney stands another abandoned building.
In contrast, a couple of eateries along the highway toward Seymour looked jolly, or maybe I demanded from myself that I perceive them jolly, for Megargel is a lonesome looking town.

From My Desktop

In Oklahoma City's Bricktown one may come upon Sisyphus pushing a sphere up a ramp.Fort Worth Zoo.

Archer County Heritage

A stone marker (circa 1878) indicates to travelers from Decatur that they have sixteen miles more of territory to cover before arriving in Archer City. Beginning approximately in the year 1849, people traveled along this route from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to California. The Royal Theatre in downtown Archer City still holds shows. Stop by one evening.
View from behind the old jail house in Archer City, now the Archer County Museum. The building served as a jail from 1910 to 1974. The American Legion maintained the building until they gave it to the city.
Eryops lizard from the Permian found in Archer County by Jack Loftin, curator of the Archer County Museum.
The first oil well drilled in Archer County became the longest producing well in Texas. For sixty-nine years, from 1911 to 1980, it pumped oil from a shallow production zone. (Miller-Andrews No. 1 Oil Well)
Spudder driller from 1946. The rotary driller replaced the spudder.
Detail on the 1946 spudder.
Tractor sitting behind the Archer County Museum.

Printing press.
The V-bar brand from the Taylor Ranches. At any one time, Taylor owned several thousand head of cattle.
Upstairs in the museum, the bars of the jail remain in place.
Mary Ann told us that the drunk tank door had the shiniest door handle and the fewest squeaks when opened. The first inmate in the jail house was a horse thief. The jail had a gallows, fortunately never used, for in 1911 Texas passed a law against hanging.
An old clock.
Looking outside one of the windows of the third floor, I glimpsed our motorcycles.
Next stop? We headed around Lake Arrowhead and then had tacos at La Michoacana.

Inside a Store

This is an unintentional image. Halloween lights light up the background as if we see real flames.

Already My Fave Renovated Shop

Downtown Wichita Falls is enjoying extensive renovations and revitalization. Here, my already favorite future downtown art gallery close to my heart.

Hermann Painted Noros' Mug

I particularly enjoy looking at this portrait by Emil Hermann. Perhaps the kind, sweet look on Noros appeals to me, in addition to the nicely-rendered artwork.Here JoAnn reads the small bronze plaque on the frame stating a bank presented the painting to the university.

Along Route 1816

Fellow motorcycle enthusiasts also enjoy a cool August afternoon.Male turkeys along Highway 367.A characteristic view of the country roads I saw yesterday, and on the right, the empty oil cans used as communication devices between pumpers and gaugers in use until a couple of decades ago.
Up close look at the cans.
Set of communication devices near Swanson Ranch Road.
Brightly painted yellow cans along 367.

In Windthorst

In Windthorst, Saint Mary's Catholic Church's plea to the Virgin for prayers as reflected by the front door.
The inside of the church seems inspiring.
The Rose window.
The grotto.
My Mr Mallory poses with Saint Mary's in the background.
A spirited bike needs a tie-down.

Jaguar Jaunt in the Morning

A quick drive to Fort Worth seemed enhanced by the clouds and colors of a storm just gone through the area.Late August usually does not afford such a green landscape; but this year we have had more rain than usual.
A Longhorn rests under a tree along with American Bison.

Hermann in the Lens Again

Catherine remembers posing for Emil Hermann in 1937. She doesn't remember the background so thinks he filled it in later. I climbed into her attic to find this painting. JoAnn encouraged her to bring downstairs to display it. CC wishes to remain anonymous, and so JoAnn may not say in her book that this is a portrait of his little sister painted by Hermann.
Skip owns the painting below, which struck me at first as unusual in that the tree is in the middle of the canvas, and that, it is effective anyway.
The J Hirschi portrait presented problems for me because of the lighting. JoAnn carried it outside in the natural light, and held it for me as she held her breath, standing as perfectly still as she could while I took the image. Some post processing in the digital darkroom revealed a little bit of the color and hid some slight damage.
Skip also owns the landscape showing autumn on the shore of a lake. Perhaps he kept in mind autumn in Ohio while he painted this landscape.
JoAnn recently purchased the landscape below, which I've taken to call "Sheep May Safely Graze."

Ambling Before Sunset

It's nice to amble about in the countryside of North Texas -- any countryside. I found the green of everything appealing, with mailboxes matching the colors of the countryside. Ambling around makes time go by quickly. On our way home I took a quick shot of the sunset.