Texas is full of historic graveyards and I love exploring them. I rarely visit modern cemeteries, unless there is someone famous buried there or a particularly unique headstone to check out. For the most part, newer graveyards lack the history, the beautiful old trees, and the finely crafted headstones and monuments of the older ones. Yesterday, however, I checked out a graveyard that has only been around since 1982. What made me curious about Smoke Rise Farm (11330 Mountain View Drive, Azle, Texas 76020) is that it’s a pet cemetery. I’d never seen an official animal graveyard before, so I…
Tag: photo essay
Meet the Beetle A couple days ago, a large beetle wandered into the boat shop where I work here in Texas. One of the mechanics caught it and – knowing that I’m enamored with critters – brought it into the office. A little Googling later, we determined it to be a type of rhinocerous beetle called the Eastern Hercules Beetle, or Dynastes Tityus if you want to be more formal. The Hercules reference is due to the fact that rhino beetles are the strongest creatures on earth – relatively speaking. These little guys can lift up to 850 times their…
Welcome to the May 28, 2012 edition of Traveler’s Show and Tell. This week’s Traveler’s Show and Tell blog carnival features thirteen travel bloggers from all corners of the globe. Read on to discover: … where to experience alien landscapes – on earth. … budget friendly ideas for a day in Seattle … why New Year’s in Sydney, Australia is such a memorable experience. … and much, much more! This Week’s Travelers Tui Snider presents Are you going to Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas? posted right here at Mental Mosaic: Even Home is a Travel Destination, saying,…
DFWCON I recently attended my first-ever writers conference, the Dallas – Fort Worth Writers Conference, a.k.a. DFWCON in Hurst, Texas. I had such a great time! As you can see, I snapped a few photos with my iPhone, which I then posted on Twitter, Facebook & Instagr.am, because that’s the way I roll. I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Hurst, Texas for the event and although it’s only 45 minutes from my house, I felt like I was on a big trip. Weekend Getaway My husband came over each night after work, took me out to dinner, then stayed…
Ren Fair Redux As I mentioned in My Big Fat Ren Fair Wedding I got married last year at a Renaissance festival down in Waxahachie, Texas. This made planning this year’s anniversary celebration pretty easy; the festival gives us a built-in party to attend each year. I also thawed out the top of our wedding cake and much to our surprise, it was still moist and tasty. I forgot to bring my main point and shoot camera, though, so I could only take photos with my iPhone this time around. I love snapping pics with my iPhone, except that when…
New Orleans’ Cafe du Monde: A Taste of History When you enjoy a cup of chicory-laced coffee and a plate of beignets at New Orleans’ famous Cafe du Monde (800 Decatur St, New Orleans), you’re ingesting a bit of history along with your sugar and caffeine. Coffee played a big role in New Orleans’ history, and at one point in the 1800’s there were nearly 500 coffeehouses in the French Quarter. Cafe du Monde is the sole survivor from that era, with a menu that is virtually unchanged since it first opened in 1862. Why do they put chicory in…