Out & About

 

Went over to the lake after church to see what was up. The water was certainly up because all it does in Texas is rain, every day, and this fills the lake which was once a river and before that, a vast prehistoric inland sea. But were there any fish?

I saw a couple of predators break water around noon, not untypical at Soldiers Bluff, but the couple of stalwarts manning the banks weren't getting any business, oh well. That'll surely change as the season moves on, but for now? 

Don't waste time, instead head home and marvel at the fact of a small fayre concert on the Square, what's that about? Who knows, but I checked it out later in the day and the thing seemed like fun, all kinds of food trucks, kids and some sort of pop band. 

Nice. That in mind, it seemed right to take refuge in this town's improbable cigar bar, yes there is one, and smoke a cigar, which is something I hardly ever do. It was fun, in its way, under tumultuous Texan clouds. And what will tomorrow bring?

The holy sacrifice of the Mass, 

LSP

Go West

Go West? Yes, to the town of West, a small Texan farming community known for its Czech Stop bakery on the side of highway I35. The town's named after Thomas West, the town's first Postmaster who sold land to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railway in 1881.

West grew up around the rails and prospered along with its Postmaster, attracting immigrants from Czechoslovakia who were drawn to the area by the heady lure of rich farmland and all-round opportunity. 

You can see their influence today in the catholicism of the place and its several bars or pubs, to say nothing of various bakeries, not least the notorious Czech Stop. The Czechs are there today as of the 2012 census, which credits West with the highest concentration of Czechoslovakians in the state.

The railway still bisects this curiously attractive town, though it's now sadly restricted to freight. What a shame, it'd be a far more civilized thing to be able to get on a train at Hillsboro, ride to West or Waco, have fun, then ride the rails back home as opposed to driving on the hideous and deadly I35. 

Who knows, maybe that day will return in some form or another, but hopefully not in the way of another Crush Crash. You can see all about that infamous disaster here.

Crush Crash aside, it was good to go to the Two Amigos restaurant with a crew of churchpeople, and they say, interestingly, that a congregation which meets during the week is more likely to grow than one which doesn't. Good point. 

Sound

They also say a church which actually believes in Christianity is more likely to grow than one that doesn't. Bizarre, perhaps someone should inform Pope Francis and his lesser colleague, the apologetic Archbishop of Canterbury. But therein lies another story.

Travellers Club Forever,

LSP

Need A New Rig

Here's the thing, readers, all five of you, I think I need to get a new rig. Don't get me wrong, this one's been great. Thanks, Ford and Oncor for an awesome vehicle.  But it's coming to that put money into it end.

So, a new rig. I want something that's able to get in and out of the mud at the range and everywhere else besides, that likes dirt roads in the rain, has the wherewithal to deal with horses and all of that. 

I'm thinking a RAPTOR would do the trick. Or maybe a fleet 4x4? OK, a Raptor would be cool, no doubt about it, but a regular work truck 4x4 would get the job done and still be cool, with far less things to go wrong. Like electric windows?

Also, a fleet 4x4 would cost appx $10/20k less, leaving plenty of room to buy a BOAT.

What's it to be, a RAPTOR or a FLEET 4x4, BOAT included?

Help, please, and don't fear the reaper,

LSP