Summertime

Since it is so terribly cold outside (and I'm inside looking at pics) I thought maybe I would share part of our summer 2010 vacation...

We had the privilege to visit Texas this past summer and, aside from getting lost on the highway system there, I had a wonderful time.

Casey had to work in the evenings (he was producing the radio broadcast of the Oriole's games) so we took some little trips and even went to Six Flags over Texas while we were there. 
One of the tourism brochures in the hotel had information about Stockyard Station in Fort Worth Texas and it wasn't too far from where we were staying. 
One particular advertisement said "Come see the Cattle Drive!!!"....well I'm a city girl, born and bred and I have never seen a cattle drive.....and I really wanted to see this cattle drive.... (the kids teased me relentlessly)
So my mother in-law (she drove over from Louisiana) drove us to Stockyard Station!!!

We got there JUST in time to see the cattle drive (yes, we got lost.....again)

I was amazed.....there were cowboys who drove the cattle from one end of Stockyard Station to the other....this particular cowboy let Buzz and Woody pose on his horse (they were almost like flat Stanly...)

You might think..."wow...big deal" but really I had chills...maybe even a tear or two!
See I love the Lonesome Dove book and movie and could very easily imagine going back in time to the era where the land was unsettled and these cattle were driven across states.....well, you get the picture.
I was in awe!!

These steer were beautiful.....

Their horns majestic....

I loved every minute!

After seeing the cattle drive we walked around....there were lots of shops and places to eat...
And lots of fun things to see....we found this old cowpoke in an outhouse inside a store....
He actually talked.....said funny things like "Howdy....kinda hard to do my business here while you're staring at me.....shut the dang gum door"...stuff like that....

and yes, that's a swimsuit magazine in his lap!
This was a Texas flag hung from a wooden flag pole.....very neat!

There were a lot of historical markers such as the one below commemorating the Old Chisolm Trail

The kids had to have cowboy hats to look like authentic cowboys......

Gabe

Jake got to ride little Bessie here......

And later her Big Brother Bert (I don't know...he kinda looks like a Bert to me)

Morgan had to get in onthe action......

And then we saw some dangerous criminals......

This one here was Morgan the Meanie......she's the gang leader

Then there was Cordell the Calm (don't let the name fool ya)

This character here is Dangerous Drew

Giggling Gabe......he always gives away the gang with his laughter.....

I saved the craziest one for last....

This here is Jake the Joker.....

Well, that's all....

Thanks for letting me share some summertime memories with you....kept me busy and warm for a while!

Love,

Bronwyn