Did You Know?

Did you know that not every three-year-old sleeps through the night?
      I learned that this past weekend. Can you say 'sleep deprived'? :)

Did you know Texas is finally experiencing some cooler temperatures?
      Praise God! It actually rained recently as well. Yee-haw!

Did you know you can't tell how old a rattlesnake is by the size of his rattle? 
      It's like a fingernail. It chips off at times.

Did you know a ten word telegram in 1870 was a $1.00?
      It's true. I found this doing more research for my book.
      By 1890, it was $0.40 for ten words. Here's where I found a chart on this.Very helpful.

Last but not least...Did you know God loves you?
      John 3:16. I don't know about you but that makes me smile. :)

He's a Snake in the Grass

No, really. Look at the picture. That is a snake in the grass. I've been hunting online to verify some facts for my book content. One thing I learned: we, Texans, are lucky. It stays so warm in some areas snakes never even hibernate the whole winter. Anytime it's above 60 degrees you could see a snake. Comforting, isn't it? I discovered this when I was researching rattlesnakes. Even better, right? :)

FYI: For those of you who've never heard the saying "snake in the grass" it means "a sneaky and despised person." Here's a link to an idiom dictionary if you don't believe me.

One More Stop

One last bit before I finish with the posts about my trip. :) I just realized that rhymed. Hee hee.

For so many years, I've heard about Branson, Missouri. Oh it's so great. Oh, you really should go there. Oh, you've gotta go see this... One thing they forgot to mention - the prices. Ouch!

But we did actually find great prices on a room at a resort - a water-front resort, no less. And the drive from there into town - breathtaking (and a little nauseous-making. ;) ) Let me show you what I mean with a couple pics.

200 Years and Still Standing

How many people can say they've walked around a 200 year old house? Well, after my trip to St. Louis, I can now say that I have. I got to wander around the house Daniel Boone lived in for over a decade before he died. It was actually his youngest son's home. Beautiful place - unfortunately, I could only take pictures of it from the outside.

The first story was actually built into a hill and housed the kitchen and dining room. Window sills  inside this place were a good 2 to 3 ft deep because that was the thickness of the stone walls. They believe Boone helped design the house, and I, for one, can surely believe that. The place even had holes between the windows to shoot out of at one time.

Boone's house wasn't the only attraction there. They also had a village tour of old buildings that were brought in from various locations. I think my favorite would be the church. Can we say gorgeous?! And get this - the preacher's study was a windowed gazebo-like structure outside the church. No getting married in secret back then. ;)

The Beauty Beneath

So often we miss what's below the surface by judging things by their cover. A good example of this is a cavern. That big, ominous hole in the ground hides a beauty like no other.

During my conference trip, I had the pleasure of exploring one such majestic maze. This one was used by Jessie James and his gang in the 1870s as a hide out. The river that runs within the Meramec Caverns also operated as an escape route for the outlaws and echoed throughout the tunnels with an awe-inspiring force. I imagine that rushing tumult would be terrifying in the pitch dark.

Here's a couple pics to tickle your fancy. One's inside the cavern. One's outside.

Why Fly When You Can Drive

I think flying is really overrated. I mean, how can you see the best of the scenery towering above you or rolling in waves of green beside and below you if you're in a plane. Okay, I get the fact that you can see the patchwork below you (if its not blocked by the clouds), but you miss the chance to say you've been to places like Aruba, Eureka, Lebanon ... and without having to cross an ocean.


 By the way, what would you say is in that tower there? It looks questionable to me. ;)