And the Rest of the Check for Gasoline...

With payday behind us and bills paid, we are about to put the rest of our hard earned money in the tank to head out of town and see family this weekend. Texas is a big place and any small trip would span a few states up North. Just think... half of the distance between Houston and Los Angeles, California is JUST the stretch of Interstate 10 between H-town and El Paso! I know. I've been down it. Half way to the Pacific, man! Not much on that journey to see, either... well - at least that you can see from the freeway, that is... or at least until you pass El Paso and get into the SW states. I10 isn't my favorite freeway, can you tell?

Anyhoo... As I prepare to give blood at the gas tank, I've gathered up a few links for you that will hold you over until Saturday.

I'll try and blog from my destination in between goofing off with family and getting a month's worth of Law and Order from Pawpaw's cable. We don't get cable or watch TV at home, so I have to get my fix on vacation. Don't tell me about who's dying on Survivor or who the latest American Idol is. I would just stare at you blankly, smile, and nod in impervious agreement. Yes, I like blissful ignorance when it comes to prime-time TV. However, shows like 24 and Law and Order, I miss. I also miss HGTV - but that is probably why I gave up cable in the first place (other than the other 99% of trash they play 24/7, that is). I turn in to a complete vegetable in front of HGTV. I have no will power to get up off of the couch or escape. Candice Olson has a spell on me. I am serious, people. I could not homeschool knowing that Divine Design was accessible in my living room. That is ALSO why I can't subscribe to Better Homes and Garden. Ask my husband or my movers - they will tell you about back injuries received by toting my past ten years worth of BH&G magazines around every time we move.

So here, the token links (don't say I never gave you anything for Washington's Birthday):

Texas Hill Country Coloring Book
My New Favorite Craft Blog (I'm in love with her pictures)
Identify Fishes in TX Freshwaters
Charlotte Mason Carnival (drat! I don't have a post in it!)

And here are a few facts about Texas from an email my father-in-law sent me:

Texas Facts

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas...

1. Orange, TX to El Paso, TX = 886 miles
(incidentally, the 886 mile marker on Interstate 10 in Orange is the highest mile marker in North America).

2. El Paso is closer to Los Angeles (750 mi.) than to Orange (across New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California).

3. Orange is closer to Columbia SC (870 mi.) than to El Paso (across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and 1/2 of South Carolina).

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach for Rice University in Houston.

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which over 8000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was " Houston."

12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island and Vermont.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as Constitution of 1845 by Republic of Texas) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas flag to fly at the same height as the US flag, and Texas may divide into 4 States if it so chooses.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities:

1. Washington-on-the-Brazos
2. Harrisburg
3. Galveston
4. Velasco
5. West Columbia
6. Austin

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (by 7 feet).

20. The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word "tejas" meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.

21. The State animal is the Armadillo. [An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies! They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.]

22. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

23. The first air conditioned building in the United States was the First Presbyterian Church in Orange, TX . [It was created by a fan blowing over blocks of ice through wooden ducts up into the chapel - to attract higher attendance during the hot summer months (circa 1900).]

24. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - TEXAS STYLE :

People here in Texas have trouble with all those "shalls" and "shall nots" in the ten Commandments. Folks here just aren't used to talking in those terms. So, some folks out in west Texas got together and translated the "King James" into "King Ranch" language:

Ain't but one God.
Honor yer Ma & Pa.
No telling lies or gossipin'.
Git yourself to Sunday meetin'.
Put nothin' fore God.
No foolin' around with another feller's gal.
No killin'.
Watch yer mouth.
Don't take what ain't yers.
Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.

Y'all have a good Day.

Yeeeehaw!!!


Buzz