A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-05-03....Texas, MY Texas

Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

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For the past several weeks, we've been enjoying Mama Bear's cyber tours of various states of the USA, and she will be introducing even more as her time permits, until we've visited them all. As all our hostesses live in a different state, we decided that each of us would feature our own state, and today I'd like to invite you to Waltz Across Texas with me.

Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.

Texas boasts the nation's largest herd of whitetail deer.

Jalapeno pepper jelly originated in Lake Jackson and was first marketed in 1978.

President George W. Bush and former President George H.W. Bush proudly call Texas their home, and two other Presidents were born in Texas: Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th President, was born in Denison, Texas, on October 14, 1890; and the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, was born on August 27, 1908, near Johnson City, Texas.

Texas can lay claim to: 13 Masters titles, 11 U.S. Opens, 6 British Opens, 14 PGAs, 13 U.S. Womens's Opens, 19 Vardon Trophies (awarded annually for lowest scoring average), and 9 Ryder Cup captains.

Texas is the home of other Sports Giants and Champions: The Dallas Cowboys (NFL), Dallas Mavericks (NBA), Dallas Stars (NHL), Dallas Burn (MLS), The Houston Astros (MLB), Houston Rockets (NBA), Houston Comets (WNBA), Houston Texans (NFL), Houston ThunderBears (AFL), San Antonio Spurs (NBA), and The Texas Rangers (MLB).

Six Flags Over Texas, Schlitterbahn Waterpark ........ and the Eiffel Tower. :)

Eiffel Tower, Paris, Texas

There are fourteen other American municipalities named "Paris," and more than a few have chosen to erect Eiffel Tower replicas to pay homage to their French namesake, but no others are adorned with a giant cowboy hat.

But at 60-ft. tall, it is edged out of faux-foreign architecture dominance by a mere five feet. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, TX is 65-ft. tall, built by the local iron worker's union.

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If you thought everyone wore cowboy boots, a 10 gallon stetson hat like J.R. Ewing of Dallas, and had an oil well in their back yard, you would be only partly right. Texas is made up of seven distinct regions; In some of those regions, the stetsons and boots are more at home than others. Let's take a look at the seven regions.

Cowboy boots and stetsons are at home in large parts of this region! I spent several summers at church camp in the Davis Mountains as a young teen. Sunrise, and evening services on top of a mountain - breathtaking!

Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls.....
Farmland - beautiful rows of wheat and cotton for miles and miles, wide open spaces. Cattle, horses grazing. You'll see cowboy boots and stetsons here. :)

My very favorite of all the Texas regions - I was born in this part of the country and spent my early childhood in Austin. It's the prettiest of all of Texas to me, with crystal clear lakes, rivers and streams, rolling hills, oak trees, bluebonnets, quaint little towns, bed & breakfasts and more. Just driving through this part puts me in a vacation mood.

Oh, Big D! What you do to me! The Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex! My favorite place to shop! Shopping, Amusement Parks, Sports, Dining! It's all there. 'Nuff said. :)

I know least about this region, but the fall colors are spectacular - forests, National Parks every where! A wonderful, scenic drive.

Have spent many vacations in Corpus Christi, Padre Island. Beautiful beaches. And Houston, known most recently as Space City, the largest city in Texas, has so much to offer. Sports, shopping, entertainment, fine dining, night life.

One level below the busy streets of downtown, the Paseo del Rio is San Antonio's premier visitor experience! The popular River Walk is edged by hotels, art and gift shops, restaurants and sidewalk cafes, boutiques, and live music, riverboat cruises. I love this place!

It's like a whole other country. It has roughly 262,000 square miles of land area, and another 5,000 or so square miles of water.

More land is farmed in Texas than in any other state.

The world's third largest telescope is atop Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains.

The nation's longest highway in any one state is U.S. 83. 903 miles from Brownsville to the Panhandle. (Interstate 10 is only 878.7 miles long from Louisiana just east of Orange, Texas, to El Paso.)

The world's largest spring fed swimming pool, with a 62,000 square foot surface (almost 1.5 acres) is Balmorhea State Park in the Big Bend Region. It's one of the largest man-made pools in the United States.

The world's tallest masonry structure (taller than either the Washington Monument or the Statue of Liberty) is the San Jacinto Battlefield Monument.

The world's most complete collection of working World War II aircraft is the Confederate Air Force, located in Midland (home of the Presidents Bush).

And finally, there are over 1400 FReepers who fly the Texas flag on their profile pages - more than any other state. :)

Welcome to Texas, Ya'll!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-04-03 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Pippin]

Okay, SEEYA!

[ValerieUSA]

I would guess that grasshoppers outnumber people in Texas 5000 to 1

[ValerieUSA]

hmmm... yesterday someone posted an old article on FR about the tailor to the Presidents. It was from February, I think, but posted yesterday. Today Rush is talking about that tailor and quoting that article --- now how did he run across such an old article? *L* Rush was reading FR yesterday!

[jwfiv]

Howdy, MIss Billie...a right fine and beautiful thread you offer up today...thank you. A waltz through Texas with a genuine Bluebonnet is a splendid way to start the day...)

Here's a pic of where my heart resides...on the high plains of West Texas, just outside a little town called Maple is my Grandfather's 80 acres of red dirt and cotton.

H. W. Garvin was his name...a noble, gentle man...he worked the land, loved his family , loved his Lord, and went Home in 1977. On the night Grandma died 19 years later, the great elm west of the house was split in two by the fierce winds summer.

The house is empty now, and broken down...the chicken coop and feed sheds stand like monuments, ancient and speaking of another time...the fields are tilled by a neighbor, now...but the land is dry, the crop struggles.

Maple and surrounding towns are drying up and blowing away, just like the cotton.

Still, the space and feel remain...the flat horizon crowned with distant trees, windmills, cotton gins, grain elevators and John Deeres kickin' up the dust...the big blue sky above it all.

Texas is a place where people came to be free...to have a small piece of land to plow and plant...to raise crops, horses, cattle and families.

I have a bit of that good red dirt from my Grandpa's cotton field sitting on a shelf, and in it rests his broken water cup, which I found in the ruin of the well house the last time I was there...so, part of me will always be in Texas...and a part of Texas will always be with me.

I'm a Dixie boy who's damn proud our President comes from Texas...may the Good Lord always bless and favor him as he leads the battle against enemies foreign and domestic.

And, God bless the USA...)

(Big HOWDY to all our Hostesses, and to all FRiends and FReepers here at the Finest...there's no place like home.)

[Aquamarine]

Just made a Taco Salad for lunch in honor of Texas today. :)

Big Texas size ((((((HUGS)))))) to you all!
Be back later.....

[ValerieUSA]

Crawford, TX sunset

[MeekOneGOP]

Well, we're headin' to the Lake on my buddy's ski boat in a few minutes. See ya'll manana !!

I'll hafta watch out for those man-eating tuna's !!

[ValerieUSA]

Easter Sunday, 2003, sunset in Speegleville, TX

[ValerieUSA]

Enjoy your day on the lake, Meekie
Lake Travis

[ST.LOUIE1]

Today Rush is talking about that tailor and quoting that article --- now how did he run across such an old article?
*L* Rush was reading FR yesterday!

Yep.....you're right!

He has good taste in 'Forums', eh? : )

[jwfiv]

Your photos are always extra beautiful, each and every one...but, the Speegleville and Crawford sunsets...my, oh my...verrrry nice...thank you.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Just made a Taco Salad for lunch in honor of Texas today. :)

I'm happy you didn't invite me to lunch. LOL

If/when you make a pineapple pie....count me in! LOL

[ST.LOUIE1]

Afternoon, JW!

[Calpernia]

>>>>I'll bet *you* are a good dancer. : )

Well let's give it a go! Launch the King of the Hill Theme song and come out on the floor with me :)

[MeekOneGOP]

Thank you ! Beautiful Texas sun on Lake Travis there. Thanks ...

[ValerieUSA]

Thank you. I love your story about your grandparents in Texas.

[ST.LOUIE1]

I'll bet *you* are a good dancer. : )

Well let's give it a go! Launch the King of the Hill Theme song and come out on the floor with me :)

LOL!!!

Er....will you be dancing or 'jumping'? : )

You'd better be good, wolves have four feet, and if you step on one - it could lead to serious consequences. : )

[jwfiv]

Howdy and Good Afternoon to you, Louie...)

[ValerieUSA]

The bluebonnets are gorgeous, but this time of the year you find sunflowers all over the Texas countryside

[FreeTheHostages]

I'm sooo busy! This thread looks terrific -- I'll be here tonight to take a longer look.