Fort Worth Stock Yards and Vaquero

The family and I spent the morning at the Fort Worth Stock Yards. Even one of the cowboys was supporting K-State or maybe the purple was for their native TCU campus there. We had a great time st the Stock Exchange and there is a light bulb that has been burning since 1908. They have a birthday party for it every year.




















I have always had a great respect for folks who farm and ranch. There is something about getting up before dawn (which I do anyway), getting in a pickup truck and driving out to the barn, starting a tractor and getting down to business. I would do this in a heartbeat. The fact that a WalMart or mall would be an hour's drive at least would not bother me at all. Now I would try and finish up a little early on Friday, clean up and take the family out to eat. Some things are expected to be within the woman folks wishes and demands. As I've heard in the past, "Happy wife, happy life".

We also got to take time to watch a little horse training and a cattle drive but with only about 10 head of longhorn that day. The cowboys were real and some were outgoing and others quite. A couple of the men really took time to tell us about the life of the cowboy and about their horse and the training. Preacher told us about his horse, "Vaquero" which means Cowboy in Spanish. It is a herding horse and was chosen for it's very gentle spirit and strength. The horse and the cowboy are trusting partners. There was so much history and stories behind all the structures that we want to go back when we can spend a lot longer.

Spring during winter

The freshness after the rain

I know it's certainly not a winter photo but after today's sunny and 64 degree afternoon who wants to see winter stuff? I'm sure there will be plenty of winter next week and the weeks to follow.

This is one of my favorite photos. After an evening rain and everything is lush green and fresh. Sometimes when I look at the photo I see the beauty behind the rain and sometimes I see the beauty of the rain. I think sometimes we have to look at life that way as well. When we go through rain and storms and when we have a good foundation we stand tall and let others see that we can do it too so it encourages others.

Over the past fall season I have known so many friends who have lost family members. I myself lost my Dad just before Thanksgiving. It's tough. So tonight I dedicate this photo to all of them. Thank you for the beauty you had shown in your lives.

Come in out of the fog

Welcome to my new blog. I plan to update daily with a photo or two and probably inject a few thoughts as well. I know the new year is supposed to usher in new projects, dreams and hopes so I suspect this is as good of a time as any to start. I would love to have this blog as a 365 project but I didn't make it last time I tried but life is a bit different now and I have some more weekend time.

To start off here are a few more shots from the hike. I enjoyed the geese coming in for the day as well as watching the sea gulls migrating down the river by the thousands. I also watched a man fishing from the banks. I kept hearing splashes of water and he was pulling the fish in one after another.

I really enjoy the beauty of the outdoors even on a cold foggy morning.