GUADALUPE NATIONAL PARK. Part 3.

1. It's a stick...looks like an animal skin....or a snake.
2. The Pratt Lodge kitchen. I don't know why I didn't get pictures of the fireplace and bedroom.
3. Gene exiting the Pratt Lodge. It's a rock house that was built in 1930 and used as a vacation place for the Pratt Family. They lived in Houston and he was an oil man. They lived there full time later in 1945 for a few years. Mr. Pratt donated about 5,000 acres to the park about 1960.
4. Entrance to the lodge. This was where we had a nice picnic. You can hike farther into the canyon...but we didn't.
5. Pratt Lodge.
6. This is a picnic table outside the lodge. It's a whole piece of rock.
7. Check out the roof.
8. More trudging along.

GUADALUPE NATIONAL PARK. Part 2.

1. A pretty tree...we got to the park after postponing the trip for the past 2 weekends. The colors were still great. There were alot of people there but everyone was spread out o.k. so it didn't seem so crowded. To see the colorful trees you have to hike into McKittrick Canyon...it's the only way to see 'em.
2. This is what the trail looked like. We hiked 4.8 miles....round trip. No paved areas, nothing but rocks and roots so you had to always watch the ground and then stop to look at the views. No restrooms...and no water. It was hard but the last quarter mile was REALLY rough....at least for me...I was pretty pooped by then. I even saw and heard some "in shape" younger folks complaining. We had to cross 2 streams on stepping stones and that was kinda fun.
3., 4., 5., 6. More pretty trees.
7. A ridge against a very blue sky.
8. Gene at the beginning of our trek. The weather was fine...not too hot.
9. & 10. Mary and Gene ready to trek and trekking.

GUADALUPE NATIONAL PARK. Part 1.

This land is beautiful...yet not fit for man nor beast. Extremely barren. Cool to visit but why would folks GO there 100 years ago...or choose to LIVE there?
We left Pecos at 8 a.m. and got home at 4 p.m.
It took 2 hours to drive there.
1. El Capitan...the highest point in Texas. 8,085 feet. This mountain is part of the park but not near where we went.

These 2 chandeliers used to be in our house.

Mrs. Weatherby was a big collector of art, antiques and other beautiful things.
When the house was donated to the museum the paperwork stated that all fixtures were to remain in the house....they didn't.
Mrs. Weatherby's daughter (Murdell Holbert) took them all and when she recently moved into a retirement home in El Paso she made a huge donation to the International Museum of Art.
Apparently none of her children or grandchildren wanted any of these things.
I can't help but be a little browned off about it.
The crystal chandelier in the foreground was in our foyer and the smaller one in the background was in the dining room.
There was one in the parlor also and even a chandelier in the bathroom.
mdp

THIS IS WHERE WE ARE GOING SATURDAY. Guadalupe Mountains.

THE NORTH SIDE OF OUR HOUSE...AMAZING!!!!

I am so excited I could just pop!!!
Last night I was finally able to make contact with T.B. Pruett's grandson in Lake Jackson and he sent me this photo!
It's even better than the last one.
And he is able to answer alot of my questions about our house.
What do ya'll think?

OLD FORT DAYS-FT. STOCKTON TX. PART 4. MISC. (10/17/09)

1. Ft. Clark wagon.
2. chuckwagon.
3. army tents.
4. 5. & 6. Quilts. There were ladies quilting. See on #6 it has a square made by a Weatherby?! Their ranch is between Ft. Stockton and Pecos in a teeny town called Coyanosa.
7. stagecoach.
8. covered wagon.
9. teepees.