Gettin' Cultured the Texas Way

Great buckets of milk! I knew it had been some time since I had written, but not quite this long.

Dear oh dear.

Well, being lax in my CYiT updates does not mean things have not been going. For instance, I have found myself enjoying the cultural aspects of the Fort Worth area. And I'm not talking about cowboys or rodeos. No, I mean culture, as in the arts.

Fort Worth is not just all about longhorns and calf roping. No siree bob. In fact, it has its own Cultural District! Art museums, science museums, theaters... it's a paradise for those of us who enjoy such things.

Hailing from Chicago and being surrounded by its amazing museums since birth, I crave viewing some good art or seeing an entertaining play. I am very lucky to live in a city with both art museums and theaters again.

My fella and I have enjoyed time at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (he is a huge science nerd), saw a delightful show at the Casa Mañana Theatre starring the Van Dyke brothers, Dick and Jerry, and viewed an Impressionist exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum.

I may not go to every exhibit or show, but it sure is nice knowing that there are those options so close by.

Nope, Fort Worth is not all about cowboys and rodeos. And, honestly, I'd probably go nuts if it were! Thus far I have seen a wonderful diversity displayed throughout this area, and I am really liking it.

— E

A Cowboy is a Man with Guts and a Horse

This weekend I was able to enjoy a new experience — my very first rodeo!

Growing up in the Midwest, it's no wonder I have never been to a rodeo before. Lucky me, my fella and I received tickets as one of our Christmas presents.

Number one, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised when we not only sang the National Anthem before the show, but also prayed beforehand. I wish these values were dispersed throughout America!

The show itself was good fun. The ladies and gentlemen who participated, and their horses, are amazing athletes. I particularly enjoyed the bronco riding, calf roping, and the trick riding.

I took many pictures in the hopes that a few would come out okay. Here are a few for you to get a taste of the action:

It is something I look forward to going to again. The stock show part of it I could leave. I love animals, but it just wasn't as interesting as I thought it might be. Staring at the ground to make sure I didn't step in any droppings didn't help. I'm a city girl; stepping in animal droppings is not normal.

Oh, and I must mention that the brisket-topped nachos were ah-mazing. Only in Texas...

— E

An Ode to Westerns

Tom Mix in Mr. Logan, U.S.A., 1919

While I fancy myself a lover of cinema, or a cinephile if you will, I never got into watching many westerns. A fact confuses me since my dad actually really enjoys them.

Anyway, now that I have moved to Texas, and am around people who really love everything southern and southwestern, I have been exposed to more and more westerns.

It used to be that when I thought about westerns I immediately thought of John Wayne, or Clint Eastwood. These days I also think Slim Pickens, Audie Murphy and Dean Martin. Wait, the crooner? Yep, one in the same. Turns out he can shoot you in the leg and then sing a catchy tune about it.

Maybe it's genetic, or circumstantial, or because I'm older, but I actually really enjoy westerns, too. There's just something fun about watching the dashing cowboy save the day, and enjoying the nostalgia of a bygone time. And, let's be frank, sometimes we all just need a good, old-fashioned shoot 'em up.

As long as the dashing cowboy saves the day in the end, anyway.

— E

What Kind of Texas Cattle Goes, "Beeeeep, Beeeeep?"

"The Texas Longhorn made more history than any other breed of cattle the
civilized world has known... he will remain the bedrock on which the history
of the cow country of America is founded."

— J. Frank Dobie, The Longhorns

Photo Courtesy of Dickinson Cattle Co.

One of the things that is distinctly Texan is the Texas Longhorn.

According to the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America, Texas Longhorn Cattle began their history in America when Christopher Columbus brought Spanish herds to Santa Dominga in 1493. In 1690, the first herd was driven from Mexico, and after the American Civil War these hearty cattle became money in the pocket of many men returning from war: the cowboys. By the turn of the century, however, the breed had been driven near extinction. In the 1920's, the Federal Government provided funds to preserve a herd of Longhorns in a wildlife refuge in Oklahoma. In 1964, the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America was formed to "recognize the Texas Longhorn and its link with American history, to promote awareness of Texas Longhorn cattle, to recognize present breeders, to encourage others to develop and maintain herds and to preserve for posterity this magnificent breed of cattle."

These animals are one of the prides of Texas.  You see Longhorn paraphernalia everywhere, especially in the Stockyards (hmmm, I wonder why?).  Heck, they even name football teams after them!

Here are a few photos I have snapped of them during the Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive:

Just another one of those unique, historical links that makes Texas so interesting to me.  I recently decided that I should combine my interests in history, all things vintage and Texas into a new hobby... collecting cowboy ephemera.  I love antiquing, and now this will give me something special to search for when I do get out to some stores.  Any finds I discover will be shared here, of course!

— E