|
|
What's
not to like about animals? They don't borrow money - they don't ask for a ride
to the airport and they'll never ask you to help them move.
On the flip
side: they don't help out with chores, they run around naked all the time and
they couldn't care less about world peace - as long as their immediate territory
is under control - preferably theirs.
Animals bring out the best in humans
- even Texans. So we're including this feature where we can read stories of how
animals improve our lives, lower our blood pressure and attempt to pay us back
(in their own simple and mysterious ways) for those midnight runs for pet food.
- Editor | |
General
- Twelve
Days of Christmas: the Lone Star version - Part III by Bonnie Wroblewsk 2-27-12
- Twelve
Days of Christmas: the Lone Star version - Part II by
Bonnie Wroblewsk 1-8-12
- Twelve
Days of Christmas: the Lone Star version by Bonnie Wroblewsk
12-23-11
- Dams
make water, wild creatures return by Delbert Trew 10-19-11
Once
upon a time, these Panhandle Plains were densely populated with wild creatures
of every description... - Caddo
Lake National Wildlife Refuge by Maryanne Gobble
- It
was burdensome training the beasts by Delbert Trew
For every mule, horse,
oxen, steer or jackass used as a work animal down through history - and there
were probably millions - someone had to train or break the animal to work... - Animal
stories and other true, but fowl tales by Delbert Trew
We live out in
the boondocks with coyotes and bobcats visiting nightly awaiting the arrival of
our next domestic pet... - With
all these critters, I never really feel lonesome by Delbert Trew
We live
way out in the country with the closest neighbor living at Alanreed about four
miles to the east. Do we feel alone, or do we get lonesome? Not in the least and
here's why... - Trivia
by Mike Cox
Especially during times of drought, animals turn
to woody plants instead of grass as forage. This is called browse. Heavy browsing
impacts the land...
- More
News of the Odd by Mike Cox
Buggy horse, rabid dog, raccoons... from various
19th century Texas or Southwestern newspapers... -
Eagle Eyes
of Texas by Johnny Stucco
Series of photo essays
- Aliens
Amongst Us by C. F. Eckhardt
No, this is not about space aliens, illegal
immigrants, or terrorists. It’s about some plants and animals that are entirely
foreign to Texas—indeed, to the US... - Feeding
Frenzy by Peary Perry
It dawned on me that we feed cats, squirrels, raccoons,
possums, deer, many birds and Lord only knows what else. Which gets me to thinking… - Country
cures tame pesky farm critters by Delbert Trew
Most western people have
heard that placing a lariat rope on the ground around your bedroll will keep snakes
away... - The
Quadrangle - As you step inside the stone walls, you immediately discover
the perfect place for families to gather. Inside the fortress deer, ducks, rabbits,
and other small animals run free, as do the thousands of children who visit there
every year.
- Muleshoe,
Texas
Muleshoe
National Wildlife Refuge - 20 miles south of Muleshoe on Hwy 214, you'll come
to the oldest national wildlife refuge in Texas. Wintering spot for Sandhill Cranes.
Prarie dogs live year-round. No hunting. - Dead
Animal Hauler Cartoon by Roger T. Moore 11-16-11
|
Cows
/ Cattle / Longhorns / Oxen - The
Texas Longhorn: Shaped By Nature
by Clay Coppedge
- Aransas
Abattoir by Mike Cox 5-1-13
Rockport used to be a
coastal cow town, a place where hooves and horns drove the local economy, not
fishing and tourism... - Cows
by David Knape 9-20-12
- Blackie
the Bear by Mike
Cox
Nickels were hard to come by in the tough economic times of the early 1890s,
but the cowboys patronizing Jim Scarborough’s saloon in Claude never minded standing
Blackie a drink when they could afford to. - Longhorn:
Texas' first industry by Delbert Trew
The book "The Long Trail" by Gardner
Sowle, published in 1976 by McGraw-Hill, tells the real story of early cowboys,
longhorns and the first industry developed in Texas. This was the chore of capturing,
branding, taming, raising and driving longhorns to market... - Animals
adjust to barbed wire by Delbert Trew
Because
of the nature of the subject, a significant chapter of Old West history - bloody
livestock injuries - is often ignored or forgotten. However, it did happen, and
here is the story. - Selling
the Calves by Robert G. Cowser
In
the late 1940s cattle auctions were common in the towns of Northeast Texas. Each
town picked a different day of the week so as not to compete with nearby towns...
- Midwife
to Livestock, Heavy Labor Defined by Nolan Maxie
You can bet calving time
is always in the spring and many births will happen in the worst thunderstorm
you have ever seen. Midwife to a cow in heavy labor is one of the biggest things
you’ll ever do for your herd... -
Cow feed, from slab to
sack by Delbert Trew
Like all progress, the evolution of ranch livestock
feeding has changed greatly, and for the better. - Winter
scene paves way to ranch memories by Delbert Trew
- Coyote
Lake - Watering spot for cattle
-
Early
Cattlemen saved Texas from financial ruin by Murray Montgomery
After the
Civil War, Texas and the rest of the South were in a bad economic situation. The
war had drained the resources of the defeated states and when the soldiers returned
home, they found it extremely hard to make a living. But Texas had an untapped
resource roaming wild on the open range – longhorn cattle provided an industry
that grew to become the largest in the state. - Texas
Fever by C. F. Eckhardt
South Texas cattle didn’t die of the disease. They didn’t even show signs of it.
Within weeks after south Texas herds passed northern herds sickened, began to
pass red urine, and then—in 95 cases out of 100—died. It was called Redwater Fever
from the red urine, or simply Texas Fever. Nobody knew what caused it... -
“Hippies” Include Cows by
N. Ray Maxie
The Bovine...is a cow called “Hippie”. This is usually a domestic
animal often times someone’s own private milk cow. She has been “hipped”. (Yes,
a hipped cow.) Hipped by a slowly closing pasture gate or maybe a stall gate.
It most often shows only on one side of the cow, the hipbone on the affected side...
- Old
Pecos by Mike Cox
She didn’t have a particularly feminine sounding name,
but the old heifer they called Pecos sure came branded with a good story. - The
Legend Of Bone Hill by Bob Bowman
Bone Hill, a landmark standing about
four miles northeast of Center, reportedly got its name from a herd of cattle
who died atop the mill, leaving their bones to whiten in the East Texas sun. But,
as with all legends, there’s more to the story... - Longhorn
Branded Murder 1889 by Murray Montgomery
To the cowboys who rode the range
in West Texas during the [1890s] there was one longhorn steer that was always
an object of dread... His appearance among their herds brought a chill of terror
to the superstitious... - Bull
in the Brush by Mike Cox
If you’re tired and ready to hit the beach at
South Padre, the 120-mile drive from Corpus Christi can seem like it’s going to
take forever. But imagine walking that distance. And in a time before convenience
stores, Dairy Queens or any other places to get water or something to eat. That
is what it was like in the late winter of 1846 when Gen. Zachary Taylor started
his Army on its march from Corpus Christi to Point Isabel (now Port Isabel) and
the nearby Rio Grande... - Suddenly
Silly by Mike Cox
Fuss over a Cow at Snow Hill... - ‘Mysterious
Cattle Deaths’ Not So Mysterious by C. F. Eckhardt
In the news over the
past several years there has been a rash of ‘mysterious’ deaths of livestock,
most notably cattle. Apparently the animals have been sucked dry of blood, as
a general rule the genitals have been cut out, apparently surgically, the eyes
are usually gone, often the tongue is gone, and the rectum has been removed. These
have been blamed on everything from UFOs to Satanic cults. Apparently, they are
the result of neither. - Disappearing
Cows by Mike Cox
"...But at night, especially when the moon bathed
the landscape in a light far cooler than day, the energy level rose. Not only
did the animals move, many believed that unrested souls flitted about. Strange
things were said to happen..." - Kaiser
Cows - Bovine Saboteurs of WWI
by Mike Cox
- "Don't
Shoot the Bull" by N. Ray Maxie
This is a post WWII story when I was about
eight or nine years old and written here to the best of my memory... - The
"Killer" Cows by George Lester
- "A
Field Guide to Cows" by John Pukie. A book review
Fifty-two breeds
are featured with their identifying characteristics, vital statistics and even
cow demographics. Humor is abundant...
- A
Cow Tale by Tonya Roberts
Me and an old boy went down to Brady several
years ago, to a cow sale. When we walked in, we were offered a mixed drink, free.
Well, we ain't never been to an auction before where they served alcohol and thought
that was a good idea.... - Belle
the Cow AKA Doris of LaGrange
Belle, sometime spokescow for Bluebell Creameries
... - Life
on the Trail by Murray Montgomery
The cowboy legacy is very much alive
in Texas ... - Oxen
'Spares' needed pairs by Delbert Trew
Many historical journals kept by
travelers using wagon trains pulled by oxen describe the herds of extra oxen driven
along for "spares." - Old-timers'
tales - true or not by Delbert Trew
Story
of a sucking calf weighing about 300 pounds... - A
Conversation With The Family... (of Longhorns)
- Longhorns
in Ganado
- Oxen
in Blessing
- Texas
Angus - Cartoon by Roger T. Moore
-
Longhorn - Cartoon by Roger T. Moore
5-30-12
Related
Topic: Ranches & Ranching
> |
Horses
- Wichita
Falls Falls for Flim Flam Brit
by Mike Cox 1-2-13
Before the wild oil boom that came with the discovery of
a rich field, Wichita Falls was just a cattle town of around 5,000 folks... - Old
Whip by C. F. Eckhardt 12-1-11
"Then came April,
1836. Santa Anna and his army showed up on Vince’s doorstep. The family promptly
fled, leaving their stock behind—including Old Whip. Santa Anna immediately appropriated
the stallion for his own use..." - Max
Hirsch, Healer and Winner Clay Coppedge
Max
Hirsch, and Assault, the only Triple Crown winner from Texas. - Buffalo
horses and outlaw cattle by Delbert Trew
When old-time ranchers and cowboys
gather, they talk for hours recalling every horse they rode and telling the reasons
for his worth... - Camp
Elizabeth
The camp was described as a rock corral for horses, officers
quarters and tents for the enlisted men. A farrier had space to work and between
the camp and the river, the land was used to break horses and / or teach horsemanship...
- Buck's
Horse by Mike Cox
Frontiersmen James Buckner “Buck” Barry and his horse...
- Horse
hobbles were a vital tool by Delbert Trew
Of all the cowboy gear used down
through history, horse hobbles are among the most important. These restraints
around the front legs of your mount allowed him to graze in a limited fashion
yet kept him from traveling very far or very fast... - The
Horse Marines by
Clay Coppedge
Considering how much Texas history has occurred on horseback
it isn’t surprising to learn that one of the Republic’s greatest naval victories
was achieved by 20 or so armed and mounted rangers known to history as the Texas
Horse Marines... - Horses
enabled Comanches to rule Texas by Delbert Trew
Comanche culture was built
around the use of horses for all reasons. Many stories and theories have been
written about how the Indians acquired horses.
- The
Murder Maverick by C. F. Eckhardt
If you’ve ridden many miles on the sunset side of the Colorado and listened to
people talk in bars and cafes, you’ve heard a good many tales. Once you get west
of the Pecos, there’s one in particular you’ll hear. You’ll hear the tale of a
phantom steer called ‘the Murder Maverick.’... - The
Seabiscuit Stamp: How It Came To Be by Maggie Van Ostrand
On May 11th,
a 44-cent rate-change stamp featuring the great thoroughbred racehorse, Seabiscuit,
will be issued by the U.S. Postal Service. This stamp is significant for one huge
reason: We the people did it! It took us eight long years...
- Hair-raising
stories from pioneer days by Delbert Trew
If you had lived before, during
and immediately after the Civil War and had been seriously wounded, your life
might have depended on the hair from a horse's tail. How could this be? Well listen
up to some "hair" stories. - Yalgo,
the legendary horse by Clay Coppedge
"Even when involved with outlawry
and banditry, the horse is always blameless… In that blameless way of horses,
Yalgo is linked to King Fisher's first foray into a life of crime." - Last
Cavalry Horse by Mike Cox
"That cold winter morning, Dec.14, 1932, was
a sad one for old-time horse soldiers and civilians alike at Fort D.A. Russell
in Marfa -- they both realized they were witnessing the end of an era." - Bold
CSA Vet Thomas Evans Riddle, & Man o’ War by Mike Cox
"Thomas Evans
Riddle bet on a dead racehorse. He lost.
The horse was Man o’ War..."
- Racing
Parson by Mike Cox
How a preacher held a horse race and build a church - Find
Two Willies and a Max In Hall of Fame, At Tracks by Bill Bradfield
Texas
ranches and stables have been closely linked with the sport of horse racing for
generations. Just consider the string of great racehorses developed by the King
Ranch alone... For another kind of horseracing royalty, however, turn to two men
nicknamed Willie, and another man better known as Max at the tracks.
- Two
Braids by Mike Cox
More Texans owned horses than automobiles in 1910,
but when the middle-aged man rode into Eagle Pass that summer, people noticed. - That
Old Steer by Archie
P. McDonald, PhD
- Meant
for Each Other by Maggie Van Ostrand
Certain living things are meant for
each other, whether it be a caballo and a canine, or a lady and a lake.
- Primadonna's
Birthday
Miniature horses and Monastery of Saint Claire - First
Horses by Delbert
Trew
- The
Million Dollar Nag by Nolan Maxie 5-1-11
The Ark-La-Tex
has many things of great worth. This story of a valuable horse caught my eye several
years back... - Ottie
the Horse 10-7-12
- Assault,
Texas' only Triple Crown Winner
Cartoon by Roger T. Moore
- Mustang
Sculpture - Texas Memorial Museum, Austin (photo only)
- Horse
in Courtney
(photo only)
- Horses
in Eckert
(photo only)
- Horse
in Monaville (photo only)
- Thalia
(photo only)
- Woman
with horse, 1919
(photo only)
- Horse
by the schoolhouse in Sharp (photo only) 5-14-13
|
Buffalo
- Separating
buffalo fact from fiction by Delbert Trew
This period, from 1868 to about
1878, is filled with historical events including fights against the Plains Indians,
the demise of buffalo herds and, lesser known, the demise of a wolf species, the
Great Plains lobo... - Buffalo,
bull fight a dud by Delbert Trew 6-13-12
A
contest held in 1907 between a Mexican fighting bull and a buffalo bull at a bullfighting
arena in Juarez, Mexico. - Bone
Haulers Clay Coppedge 10-3-11
When
bones were worth a lot of money on the open market, people made a lot of money
selling bones on the open market. The bone business thrived from the 1870s, in
the wake of the great buffalo slaughter, until the mid-1930s... - Buffalo
horses and outlaw cattle by Delbert Trew
When old-time ranchers and cowboys
gather, they talk for hours recalling every horse they rode and telling the reasons
for his worth... - White
Buffalo by Mike Cox
The rifle roared, a .50 caliber hunk of lead smacked
into the side of the buffalo and the huge animal tumbled to the ground. That happened
all across the plains of Texas during the 1870s, but this was no ordinary bison
– it was all white, one of only seven known to have been killed on the North American
continent... -
Mary
Ann Goodnight and the Texas State Bison Herd by Linda Kirkpatrick
Their story began many, many years ago and when you know it your heart will fill
with the same pride that you get at you watch Old Glory waving in the breeze.
- Buffalo
slaughter had benefits by Delbert Trew
Animals' remains provided needed
items for early settlers - Buffalo
Man by Mike Cox
Hollywood has seldom – if ever – portrayed buffalo hunters
as civilized, erudite men. Screenwriters and producers of Westerns usually have
their buffalo hunters play the role as coarse, scruffy men ready to drink or kill
anything. But as the story of one time buffalo hunter John Cloud Jacobs demonstrates,
reality is not always that simple. ... - Last
Buffalo by Mike Cox
In the 1500s, when Spanish explorers first came to
the Southwest, buffalo ranged over almost all of Texas. In 1850, the shaggy beasts
still could be found in roughly half the state. Twenty years later, their range
had decreased to the high plains even though hundreds of thousands of them still
thundered across the landscape. Only a decade after that, in 1880, the buffalo
remaining in Texas could fit into a very small circle on the map in the Panhandle....
more - Rawhides:
Business in Wild and Woolly Tee Pee City by Mike Cox 4-14-11
A
buffalo wasn’t the only critter that could get skinned on the High Plains if he
wasn’t careful. - Buffalo
Herds by Delbert
Trew
- Cartoon
by Roger T. Moore
|
Coyotes
& Foxes
- Fox
in the Pickup Bed by C. F. Eckhardt
When the Burnham brothers of Marble
Falls first created the varmint call, back in the '50s, the devices were nowhere
near as sophisticated as they are today... - Coyotes’
Story by Stephen Osmon
Coyotes’ Story of the Great Spirit, from "TUMBLEWEEDS'
TALES: Ghost Towns and Town Ghosts" |
Camels
-
History's Most Successful Failure - US Army's Camel Corps
by C. F. Eckhardt
- Camels
by Mike Cox
Funny how someone can get saddled with something another person
ought to get the credit – or blame – for. Take Jefferson Davis... - When
Camels Came to Texas by Murray Montgomery 2-7-13
Some
Texans may not be know that once upon a time the Lone Star State was home to not
only longhorns and buffalo, but another ornery and smelly beast — the North
African camel. |
| The
Short Yet Semi-Happy Life of Zip the Dog
by Mel Brown
Ever since seeing an old movie
long ago titled “The Biscuit Eater” I have been enamored of coon dogs. Something
about their especially soulful faces and incredible voices has always touched
me deeply... |
Dogs
& Wolves- The
Tail Of The Dog by
David Knape 12-23-12
- The
Night the Ghost Hounds Came by C. F. Eckhardt 10-8-12
"When
I got outside the hounds had the house surrounded. I could hear them baying in
chase all around me. I could see nothing. There was no movement in the grass,
no shadows among the trees. The brilliant moon showed a tranquil landscape—but
all around me were the sounds of hounds in chase..." - A
boy, A dog by
David Knape 9-9-12
- Small
Perfection by Dianne West Short 7-9-12
A large,
old black dog showed up on my sister Joanne’s doorstep, thirsty and hot... - Dog
Drinks Water - Saves Town
by Mike Cox 4-19-12
Just about everyone has heard the
expression “sick as a dog,” and most people have occasionally felt that way, but
folks in the town of Hubbard once credited their economic heyday to a sick pooch.
- The
Pithy Tale of Owney, the Post Office Pup by Maggie Van Ostrand 8-20-11
Owney
was a muttly terrier who rose from the ranks of the homeless to celebrity status
with his image on the newly issued U.S. Forever postage stamp. His life was that
of a courageous 19th-Century pioneer pup, fighting the odds, if not the Indians...
- East
Texas Traditions by Bob Bowman 3-27-11
One of the
hottest controveries that ever erupted in East Texas occurred in the sixties when
several cities decided that dogs ought to be stopped from running loose on the
streets... - What
a difference a week makes by Peary Perry
Last week I wrote a column about
Buddy, my pound pooch who was in the hospital and not expected to live... - Go
Gently Into The Long Night by Peary Perry
When I walked into the dog pound
in San Antonio ten years ago and saw that little gray dog that looked just like
Tramp in the movie ... “Lady and the Tramp” I should have kept on going... - A
whale of a tale? No - try wolves by Delbert Trew
The annihilation of the
buffalo brought about many sad consequences..., another species of the prairie,
the Lobo wolf, was also annihilated... - On
Dogs by Peary Perry
By the time you get to be my age, you would think I
would know better than to do the following: ... buy someone a dog... - "Dog
days of summer"
- Jim
Reeves and Cheyenne by Bob Bowman
- Cejas
and the Great Escape by Maggie Van Ostrand
His story is much like anybody
else's, filled with both sad and joyous times, and a lot of luck — he didn't get
out of Tijuana by himself. He had the help of many, including angels, perhaps
Santo Toribio Romo Gonz·lez, Mexico's ghostly benefactor of "illegal aliens,"
and a quick-witted grandmother. - With
A Pit Bull On My Knee by Clay Coppedge
My first dog was named Cisco in
honor of a popular television hero of the day, the Cisco Kid. The Cisco Kid and
his trusty sidekick Pancho rode the frontier fighting evil and injustice. In his
own way, Cisco did the same thing... - Unsung
heros at the Battle of Adobe Walls by Delbert Trew
- Roby's
Voting Dog Cartoon by Roger T. Moore
- Hot
Rabbit Sets the Woods on Fire by N. Ray Maxie
Ark-La-Tex area sportsmen
often enjoy hunting wild brush rabbits. Some even make a specialty of it. Often
folk are so ‘into it’ they get themselves a couple of Beagle hounds... -
Have Ashes, Will Travel by Maggie Van Ostrand
Markus, my beloved canine
companion who had been with me for over 14 adventure filled years, had passed
away... - Bull
Dogs and Strays by N. Ray Maxie
I recall one warm summer afternoon very
near the end of WW-II; my family and I were visiting with the Stewert family...
- Coalie
and the Speeding School Teacher by N. Ray Maxie
My Dad always kept pets
for us and for a few short years, I had a big black dog named "Coalie"... -
Encountering an East Texas Mad Dog by N. Ray Maxie
"Get in the house, quick", dad shouted loudly as he drove up in the yard and jumped
out of his old 1939 Chevrolet pickup... - True
to Breed by Elizabeth Bussey Sowdal
"On Wednesdays when I am driving
home from work I like to listen to a program on the radio (KROU) called "Calling
All Pets." It is hosted by Trisha McConnell who is a zoologist and animal behavior
specialist. People call her from all over the country for advice on training their
animals."
- "Shadow's
In the Moonlight" by N. Ray Maxie
"Living in a city with strictly
enforced animal control laws is really hard on some of our "best friends", our
pets... - My
Night at Bessy and Bud's House by N. Ray Maxie
An East Texas Tale of Puppies
and Mosquitoes - Sadie’s
Christmas Angel by Kathleene S. Baker
Sadie of Corpus Christi, sometimes
it takes a dog to bring out the best in humans. - Jesus
by Mike Cox
When old “Hay-sus” died that winter afternoon, just about everyone
in Eagle Pass mourned. - Greenies
by Peary Perry
My source is late; he’s never been late before. ... I can’t
leave without the package. My dog will never forgive me if I come home empty handed....
- Ninotchka
by Maggie Van Ostrand
She was a blue-eyed creature of enormous beauty, so
beautiful that she was named after a Greta Garbo film heroine. You'd be proud
to take her anywhere, as she was always perfectly attired. She was a magnificent
Siberian Husky.
- Dogs
figure in life's fondest memories by Delbert Trew
- Meant
for Each Other by Maggie Van Ostrand
Certain living things are meant for
each other, whether it be a caballo and a canine, or a lady and a lake. - Tuffy
the East Texas Chow by John Troesser
The "Junk Yard Dog" as Teddy-Bear - Dogs
in Church by Murray Montgomery
Vintage Wit from Gonzales County - Rusty,
The Panhandle Chihuahua
- Sugar,
The Friendliest Dog on the Red River
- "Please
Don't Kill Brownie." Excerpted from The Kountze News
Like they say in
East Texas, this might just make your eyes sour up a little. - Roby's
Voting Dog "Moore Texas Cartoon"
|
| Smithville's
Dexter - From Underdog to Best of (Picture) Show by Ted R. Krueger
3-12-11
"Adena Lewis called asking us to bring our dogs to a casting
call for the movie "The Tree of Life" that was soon to be filmed in Smithville.
The director, Terrence Malick, wanted the "hero dog" (to be called "Shep" in the
movie) to be an untrained dog..." |
| Tails
of Two Cities by
Brewster Hudspeth
or The Great Columbus, Colorado County / Canada Cat Compromises |
Mules
- In
Praise of the Unappreciated Mule by Clay Coppedge
Let’s talk about mules.
Horses are quick to grab Texas history’s glamour and glory, leaving little attention
for their homelier, obstinate cousin. Can you imagine the Lone Ranger charging
to the rescue on a mule? While acknowledging the mule’s notable lack of charisma,
old-timers are quick to point out that the horse/ donkey half-breed is a forgotten
hero... - The
truth behind 20-Mule Teams by Delbert Trew
Many men have claimed they were
the first to create and drive the famous 20-Mule Teams hauling Borax from Death
Valley. It was 1882 before the truth was known and proved. Here is the story of
that origin... - There's
more to Borax than one might think by Delbert Trew
One of my favorite history
tidbits is the story of borax and the 20-mule teams used to pull the huge wagons
through Death Valley... - Americans
moved West on the backs of mules by Delbert Trew
Although there were many
treasures in early America such as gold and silver, for a period of years from
1823 to 1850, another treasure generated huge profits for those involved. The
treasure? Mules! Hard-headed, stubborn, unpredictable, ornery and ugly, the critters
were sorely needed to pull the plows and wagons of the settlers and carry supplies
to the miners and armies... - "Ten-Gallon
Hats / Pint-Sized Brains"
by Mike Cox 7-4-12
A runaway mule in Nacogdoches helped
change American entertainment history. - Mule
by Delbert Trew
- Dixie
from Burke by N. Ray Maxie
Are
you looking to buy a mule? Angelina County Texas is the place to go. There seems
to be a good population of mules there and historically, often found at reasonable
prices, too... - Mules
(From Book Snippets by Mike
Cox)
- "I
Ain't Lying Officer" by N. Ray Maxie
A long time friend of mine and once
a mainline East Texas Baptist preacher, now retired to the picturesque Texas Hill
Country, recently told me this little story... - Is
Your Mule for Sale? by N. Ray Maxie
- "Mules"
by N. Ray Maxie
Snaking Logs in East Texas - A
Gonzales County Rite of Passage by Dawson Minear
Taming the mules
- Piddlin'
Acres by N. Ray Maxie
- First
Mules by Delbert
Trew
|
| Armadillos
by C. F. Eckhardt
This
is gonna come as a surprise to a lot of folks, but armadillos are not native to
Texas. In fact, the very first armadillo ever identified in the Lone Star State
apparently crossed the Rio Grande near Brownsville in 1859... |
Bear,
Boars and Pigs - Blackie
the Bear by Mike
Cox 3-28-12
Nickels were hard to come
by in the tough economic times of the early 1890s, but the cowboys patronizing
Jim Scarborough’s saloon in Claude never minded standing Blackie a drink when
they could afford to... - As
sure as fences break, we'll still need barbed wire by Delbert Trew
12-21-11
Almost as destructive as prairie fires are the damages perpetrated
by wild hogs... - Pig
War by Clay Coppedge 1-1-11
As
a Republic, Texas was hard to get along with. The Mexican government already knew
this, of course, but the French would find it out soon enough when they sent Alphonse
Dubois de Saligny to Austin in 1840 to help determine if France should recognize
the young upstart Republic. He wasn’t a Count but he called himself one so we
will too. Ironically, in light of his general snootiness, Saligny – or rather
The Count – is known to history as a prime participant in what came to be called
the Pig War. - Black
Bears Return to East Texas by Dana Goolsby
- Hog
Drives of Frio Canyon Texas by Linda-Kirkpatrick
- Hog
Stories by Mike Cox
Say “hog” in Texas today and most people think you’re
talking about wild pigs. But feral hogs are descended from domestic swine. And
thereby hang several tales... - Hog
Killing Time by Mike Cox
"You don’t have to delve too deeply into
almost any written recollection of a Texan who lived in the days before refrigeration
became the norm to find accounts of hog-killing." - Grin
and Bear It by Milton Babb
"There's nothing worse
than a drunken bear in a department store..." - The
Big Thicket Bear Hunters Club of Kountze by W. T. Block Jr.
"The
old bear hunters of Hardin County had two things in common - they hunted bears
until their youth gave way to old age, and they became windy raconteurs, talking
each other to death about the big bear that got away... And now the Big Thicket
bear hunters are as extinct as the Big Thicket bears they once hunted." - Razorback
Hogs by Bob Bowman
- Boys
will be boys - and also troublemakers by Delbert Trew
A gentle sow - Beaumont,
the Wild Boar of Doan's Crossing
- Ralph,
the Swimming Pig
- Bear
Attack in Sabine County
- Dickens
Texas, unofficial wild boar capital of Texas
|
Elephants
- Jumble
by Bob Bowman 9-9-12
The forgotten towns of East Texas
got their names from a varrity of ways--from people, places, events...even geological
landmarks. But Jumbo, in Panola County, is the only town to be named for an elephant. - The
Day the Elephant died in Flatonia
Told to the Editor by Flatonia Historian
George Koudelka
"Sometime way back when the 20th Century was spanking
new, a circus stopped in Flatonia..."
- Elephant
by Mike Cox
A wild cowboy tale. - Elephant
by Mike Cox
"Someday, perhaps, a work crew laying cable or pipe will
unearth a large set of bones near a busy Wichita Falls intersection..." - Elephant
Stampede by Murray Montgomery
In Gonzales, Texas
- "Little
Butch" Comes to Gonzales by Murray Montgomery
The adventures of “Butch,”
the smallest elephant ever seen in the United States |
Goats,
Lambs and Sheep
- Sheep
often taken for granted by Delbert Trew
A man who once owned a lot of sheep
and goats for many years said he still had not figured out why the Good Lord created
such exasperating creatures... - George
Kendall by Clay Coppedge
The
man for whom Kendall County is named is credited with being America’s first war
correspondent and the father of the sheep business in Texas.... - Oil
Field Humor by Fred B. McKinley
Who says that oil, wool—and sheep manure
don’t mix? - Running
of the Sheep by
Audrey A. Herbrich
On the last Saturday in September, San Angeloans showcase
their idea of “fun” by releasing a herd of sheep in the downtown streets. - My
Mean Old Grandfather
by Louise George
"I could hear them talking about shearing the sheep
and then dipping them before they shipped them...." - Amos,
the Goat Protector from Dripping Springs
- The
Weimar Goatherd by Norman Conquest
Goats, charming as they are, weren't
given a huge cranial capacity. They don't know that blood weed is inedible. To
their ample palettes and unample brains; they're eating snow peas or Belgian endive. - The
Grandfalls Goat Parade
Kids raising Kids. In this case we encourage it. - Goats
in Myra Photo Only
|
| The
Heron's Nest by Ken Rudine 4-17-12
The shuttle of
birds back and forth overhead was immediately recognized as herons mating and
building nests. We realized this was an ideal location to photograph this event. |
| Barred
Owl
by Bonnie Wroblewski
Standing 16-25 inches tall and
with wingspans of up to 4ft, these large, ear-tuft-less raptors are commonly known
as the eight hooter or rain, hoot, striped, or wood owl... |
| Sandhill
Crane by Bonnie
Wroblewski
Honored as symbols of marital fidelity and
conjugal bliss throughout Southeast Asia,... gruids have a celebrated reputation
for monogamy in folklore as well as in scientific investigations. |
Birds
- The
Common Sparrow by David Knape 5-10-13
- Caddo
Lake Wildlife
- Turkeys
and Tenderfeet by Clay Coppedge
The disappearance of turkeys from the
rolling plains
- Turkeys'
use of old windmill towers a twist by Delbert Trew
There are few farm collectibles
that rank in historical value and necessity quite like the windmill. - Sweet
Pea The Hen
- CaraCara
Means More Than FaceFace by Maggie Van Ostrand
It seems the Caracaras must
have expensive lobbyists representing them in Washington DC. The United States
Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects Crested Caracaras as an endangered species,
even though these big birds only visit Arizona, Florida, and Texas... However,
in Mexico, where Caracaras have the exalted title of National Bird, humans sometimes
eat them. Go figure." - Turkey
Hunt by Mike Cox
When the governor and the state’s highest ranking U.S.
Army officer took time off from their official duties to go turkey hunting together
in the late winter of 1890, the outing did not escape the attention of the state’s
leading newspaper... - Cooper’s
Hawks by Houston's Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education
- Cuero
Turkey Trot Vintage photos courtesy William Beauchamp
- Roadrunner
- AKA Chaparral by Ken Rudine 7-14-08
- Egrets
From Aliens Amongst Us by C.F. Eckhardt
- South
Llano River State Park by Clay Coppedge
- Wills
Point - Bluebird Capital of Texas
by Ken Rudine.
Photos courtesy Melanie Eastep
Bentsen Rio Grande State Park's colorful Green
Jay has real competition 565 miles NNE near the south shores of Lake Tawakoni.
That bird is the Bluebird which has a sky blue head and back and the breast color
of a Robin. - Image
from High Island Texas
I live in Webster TX. I am
a Wildlife/Nature photographer . I took these Twin Snowy Egret's (approx. 5 weeks
old) at Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island TX. It's a Wonderful place to share Nature/Wildlife.
- Rodger Whatley - Sandhill
Cranes in La Ward by Ken Rudine
- Hatching
Green Head Mallard Eggs by N. Ray Maxie
"Every day my dad frequented
the area and daily, kept noticing a wild Greenhead Mallard go in and out of that
tree hole. It was a Mallard hen." - Turkeys
Gone Wild by Peary Perry
- Boys
will be boys - and also troublemakers by Delbert Trew
An old Leghorn
rooster - Killer
Vultures by Clay Coppedge
"Their patience having worn thin, the vultures
have decided to go out and kill something - calves. These vultures don't wait
until their victim is dead - they have taken to attacking calves as soon as they're
born."
- Duck
Fight by Mike Cox
- Rooster
by Mike Cox
Word spread of Houston’s April 21 defeat of Santa Anna at San
Jacinto. Slowly, those who still wanted to give life in Texas a chance turned
to the west and went back to what was left of their homes. And that’s when a nameless
hero gave his all for Texas... - Lechuza
by Mike Cox
- Paisano
Sue, Toyahvale Hall Of Roadrunner Fame
- Collision
in Downtown Mentone! or
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Roadrunner
by John Troesser -
The Caracara - Vulture of the Millennium
For some reason Caracaras have
chosen Gonzales as the center of their greatest concentration in the U.S. - Telferner
- Road Runner in Traffic Photo only
- Waring
- Turkey
- Stonecutter's
Carving of Bird Photo only
- Snow
Goose - Cartoon by Roger T. Moore
- Texas
Angus - Cartoon by Roger T. Moore
|
| Ornate
Box Turtle by Bonnie Wroblewski
5-12-11
Determinedly plodding across grazed pastures,
open woodlands, prairies, and sandy-soiled lowlands across Texas, ornate box turtles
are so named for the distinctive yellowish lines radiating across the dark brownish
to black background of their carapaces... |
Fish
and Turtles
- Catching
Weeds by David Knape
1-3-13
- Hunting
(and Fishing) for the Truth by Mike Cox 5-24-12
Folks who like to fish and hunt aren’t always out on the water or at their deer
lease. Sometimes they’re just sitting around camp telling jokes about hunting
or fishing. - Steamship
Concho 12-14-11
A fish tale - Legalizing
noodling by Bob Bowman 7-5-11
Noodling, it seems,
is catching catfish with your hands. And until this year, noodling was illegal
in Texas. - The
Chilled Catfish of Concho County by Mike Cox 3-24-11
As Cline watched in horror, a watery cliff crashed into a wagon, sending it and
its occupants tumbling downstream. That was shocking, but what Cline saw next
was simply bizarre. No matter the tragedy that has just unfolded, men soon began
gathering along the river and pulling big fish from the water... - Fishing
in Port Aransas by Mike Cox 3-10-11
Hard to believe,
but Texans haven’t always fished just for fun. Along the coast, from the time
of the fierce Karankawas until the latter days of the 19th century, fishing was
about eating, not a recreational pursuit. - Yankee
Sawfish by Mike Cox
Now extremely rare, sawfish are curious marine creatures
that use their unusual bladed snout to find food and then make it bite sized.
But even stranger is how one Texas sawfish indirectly aided the Union Army during
the Civil War. - Fishing
Hogg by Mike Cox
Back in the spring of 1891, only three months after being
sworn in as Texas’ 20th governor, as soon as he could take a break from his executive
duties Gov. James S. Hogg boarded the International and Great Northern train in
Austin and headed for his native East Texas... - The
do's, don'ts and wonders of having pet turtles by Delbert Trew
1-19-10
My
recent article about turtles brought numerous responses from avid turtle owners.
I could not believe how many ladies had backyards full of turtles... - Fishing
Soldier by Mike Cox
When a wagon full of soldiers rolled out of old Fort
Belknap early one spring morning in 1867 flanked by horseback troopers, while
doubtless armed, they were not starting out on a scout for Indians... - Turtle
hunt leaves us shellshocked by Delbert Trew 10-21-09
The great turtle hunt.
Among this year's experiences to date is a story about
our developing a new fishing lake and the turtles contained therein, plus a couple
of turtle stories... - Little
One-Hearted Stock Tank by Clay Coppedge 8-12-08
This
is a glimpse of what 20th Century American literature might look like if Ernest
Hemingway had grown up on the south plains of Texas instead of the Michigan woods. -
The
Unholy Catfish by Clay Coppedge 7-10-08
During an
otherwise somnolent Sunday sermon put forth many years ago when I was but a wee
lad, the preacher jolted me and at least a few others from our respective reveries
with this pronouncement: “The catfish is an unclean animal.” ... -
Fly
Fishing Is Not Always Pretty by Clay Coppedge
6-23-08
- The
700-pound shark in Galveston Bay From Mike Cox's "Texas Tales"
|
Toads
- Red-spotted
Toad by Bonnie Wroblewski, Dove Key Ranch Wildlife Rehabilitation 5-1-10
At
1 1/2-3 inches long, these toads are named for the reddish spots that dart over
their olive green to tan, squat bodies... |
Horned
Toads - Ol'
Rip, The Entombed Horned Toad of Eastland County
The story of Ol' Rip,
the horned toad entombed in the Eastland County Courthouse for 31 years. - Horned
Toads by Mike Cox 6-23-11
The
friendly feud Everett Townsend had with Alpine Avalanche editor Nig Bennett over
an unusual self-defence ability attributed to horny toads. Townsend maintained
that these critters spat blood out of their eyes when cornered. Bennett asserted
that they did not. - Horny
Toad Hypnosis by Clay Coppedge
"Regardless of what you call them
- horned lizard, horny toad or horned frog - you probably don't see many of them
these days. Once an almost ubiquitous part of the Texas landscape and psyche...: |
Lizards
- Six-lined
Racerunner by Bonnie
Wroblewski
These
6 – 10 1/2 inch long lizards advertise their age and sex through subtle coloration
schemes... |
Alligators
- Gator
by Mike Cox
By the time Robert L. Phillips settled in Hays County, a person
would be hard-pressed to find an alligator anywhere in the area. Not that Phillips
would have wanted one. After all, an alligator had nearly turned him into a murderer...
- Alligators
by Peary Perry
"...I do know enough to stay out of the way of alligators,
which is a lesson some folks might have missed. In case you might have forgotten
here is the definition of an alligator:..."
- Phantom
Alligators by Clay Coppedge
"It's easy to forget how thick with wildlife
the prairie around here was when the first settlers arrived. Deer, wild turkeys,
wolves, bear, buffalo, antelope, wild horses, ducks, geese and wild hogs were
plentiful. So were alligators." - Dances
with Alligators by George Lester
|
Insects
- Mud
Daubers by David Knape
4-19-13
- Firefly
Nights by David Knape
2-13-13
- Grasshoppers'
attacks on region no sci-fi tale by Delbert Trew 5-10-11
The
one disaster that took all and left nothing behind was the grasshopper plague. - Tick
trouble takes 30 years to terminate by Delbert Trew
Texas Tick Fever,
aka Spanish Fever, Texas Fever and Poisonous Halitosis was first noticed in 1814
in South Carolina. Little attention was paid to the disease until Texas trail
drivers began driving herds of Longhorns from south Texas to Kansas railheads
for marketing... - The
Boll Weevil by Archie P. McDonald
Tex Ritter sang this lament decades
ago:
“Oh, the boll weevil is a little black bug, come from Mexico they say,
come all the way to Texas, just looking for a place to stay, just looking for
a home, just looking for a home.” And the weevil, actually a beetle, found it,
much to the chagrin of East Texas cotton growers. - Bugs
provided hours of entertainment by Delbert Trew
- Bug
Huntin' by Elizabeth Bussey Sowdal
- Mosquito
Hawk (Photo only)
- Centipede
(Photo only)
- Boll
Weevil "Moore Texas Cartoon"
- Mosquito
Festival"Moore Texas Cartoon"
|
Bats
- Bats
by Clay Coppedge
Bats are coming back to Texas for the summer, which isn’t
news because bats have spent their summers in Texas for the past 10,000 years.
Only their failure to return would rate a banner headline... - The
Little Engine That Couldn't: The Fredericksburg & Northern Railroad by C.
F. Eckhardt
"...The tunnel is still there, all 920 feet of it inhabited,
in the fall, winter, and spring, by millions of bats. The bat flight from the
tunnel at dusk resembles rising smoke...." - Railroad
in the Red, and Brazilian Bats by Mike Cox
"Some three million Brazilian
free-tailed bats live in the abandoned tunnel from May through October each year,
along with a much smaller population of Cave myotis bats."
- Lady
Bird Lake, formerly Town Lake, Austin
- Devil's
Sinkhole State Natural Area - Rocksprings, Texas
The Devils Sinkhole is
the largest single chamber cavern in the state of Texas and third deepest measuring
over 350 feet deep. The cave is home to 1 to 4 million Mexican-Free tail bats
during the summer ... - Bat
Bombs "Moore Texas Cartoon"
|
Porcupines
- Porcupines
a source of thorny problems by Delbert Trew
Here in the supposedly treeless
plains where most trees are planted and watered by hand in order to have shade
or fruit, the many-needled porcupine is causing damage. The porcupine - Erethizon
Dorsatum in Latin - is fast becoming a continual pest... |
Raccoons
- Uncle
Lee's Got the 'coon and Gone On. Gone On! by N. Ray Maxie
"A pack
or family of 'coons could come in the field nightly and destroy a field of corn
in two or three nights. And that is exactly what would happen if it were left
unattended too long and not watched closely until harvest time..." |
Reindeer
- The
Reindeer of Texas by Clay Coppedge
Not a lot of people remember this but
there was a time when reindeer roamed wild in Texas and spread cheer and wonder
all over the state, and several states beyond as well. Okay, so the reindeer weren’t
wild. But they were here... - The
Port Arthur/Lapland Connection
by Christy Nilluka Broussard 4-15-11
"Great Grandpa
MIK Nilluka did not just herd reindeer; he made two incredible journeys with the
reindeer." - The
Truth About Rudolph by Maggie Van Ostrand
|
Mythical
Creatures
- Chupacabra
by Mike Cox
Does a zoologically unknown, blood-sucking creature prowl the
South Texas mesquite? |
| Pictures
of Texas Animals |
| |
