A couple of weeks ago some of my extended family and Bob and I decided to take a trip back in time and went to explore where my maternal grandfather grew up. Dave had researched the information and had an old map to follow so we were ready and enthusiastic.
The property was a little north and west of Whitesboro, almost to the Red River, and so we had to drive for about 20 minutes from my dad's house. Mind you, it might have taken quite a bit longer had we meandered our way over the quaint country roads enjoying the peaceful drive......it might have had Dave not been driving, that is. As it was I was lucky to get a look at anything as the coutryside whizzed by. I mean, seriously, I thought maybe I'd found myself smack dab in the middle of a NASCAR race. Good grief, Dave, I know you're from Houston but take a chill pill!
Anyway, we reached our destination in no time flat and pulled in to this driveway only to be greeted by a locked gate. Dave had previously gotten permission for us to go onto the property but that didn't include a personal welcome with a butler to open the door so we did what any good country kid turned city slicker does. We climbed over.....or under, as you'll see later. Dave thought of everything so had loaded a lawn chair for Dad to sit in while he waited for us to go on our jouney. Guess he didn't feel much like climbing a fence at 95. Here's a picture of Dad and Dave as the quest began.
Here we are feeling like quite the adventurers having conquered the fence. We were ready. Ready to plant our feet on the land that our forefathers had settled and raised a family on. Well, we were hoping that was true anyway. Nobody knew for 100% sure that this was the place but we were thinking positively as we began the journey. In front from the left are Dave, me, Kelly, and Erin. Trudging along behind us were Suzy, Marie, and Bob. Amy was there but she must be hidden in front of somebody. And Catherine was taking the picture.
Okay, my very fun sister-in-law, Catherine, gets to model part of what we did several times that day. She was crawling under this fence but we did some climbing over too. Turns out there were a few other fences.
We hadn't walked very far, maybe about 50 yards up a sloping hill, and we found this very old well that we felt was definitely built around the time our great grandfather came to Texas. It was a very good sign and and a theory I chose to believe.
Here's an example of what some of the property looked like. Green, beautiful, and oh, so quiet. Isn't that what is most noticeable when you're in the country, the quiet? I love it because true quiet is very rare when you live in the city.
We continued on but kind of spread out to explore and see what each of us could find and I found something! A sort of petrified frog! Euuww! But I held on to it. I was with Catherine but Amy and Erin had run on ahead so I wanted to show it to them.
They weren't that impressed! Ya think?!?
After about an hour of tramping around the property, seeing the sights and dodging the cow patties, I found I was really enjoying discovering flowers I'd never seen before. So before we started back I decided I'd just bring one home. I had no clue what was what and the difference between a weed and a flower (heck, they all were probably weeds, for all I know) and I tried several times without much success and no tool to dig with, but finally dug up something green with a stick and my bare, and now dirty, hands. More about the weed a little later.
When we got back to where the well was we discovered, not too far away, what we thought might have been a cellar. Okay, I, being the idealist that I am, decided that this was the cellar of my forefathers. I mean, it made sense. There was the well not 20 feet away and both were on a hill overlooking the countryside. A perfect place to build a house and a life on. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.
Erin and I are posing with red faces, hot and tired from our fun and adventurous day. Notice the droopy weed and dirt in my hand? Oh, ye of little faith!
And here it is!! The weed, two weeks later transplanted in my flower garden. It was sad for a couple of days but has perked up in its new home after a little TLC and water. It's probably truly only a weed but it's a weed from the land where my grandfather played as a little boy and farmed as a man. And a reminder of the memory making day I spent with my family.
