moe, curly and larry

I spent a delightful afternoon photographing on a friend's ranch in the Yellowhouse Canyon. However, I found the audience a little disconcerting.

Yellowhouse Canyon
Lubbock County, Texas

wide open

From the archives:
Brooks' Barn in Lubbock County
11.07.11

(Since my friend MGH is off writing the great American novel, I thought I'd take up the slack by posting a sky/structure photo.)

frank

1855-1891

Since 1891, Frank P. Wise has lain at the top of a small rise about two miles south of the site of the Estacado townsite. Today Estacado, a former thriving town on the plains founded in 1879 by Quakers, is located only by a granite marker and its historic cemetery. From the paved road, one spies the Estacado Cemetery with its remaining century-old bois d'arc trees and double avenue of cedars spiking above the flat cotton fields. A few hundred yards down a turnrow through the fields brings one to the cemetery gate. Frank lies on the eastern edge of the cemetery--a sole Wise with no surrounding family. The 1890 census lists him as "laborer stock ranch." But someone cared enough to erect a cast-iron picket fence around Frank's plot. In the 1880s, such fences served dual purposes of marking the gravesite and protecting it from animals such as wandering cattle.

County Road 3900

Lubbock County, Texas

haunted house

FM 1729 East of New Deal

spring forecast: blowing dust and limited visibility

FM 2641

North Lubbock County

sky vuew

The sign for Sky Vuew Mobile Lodge is at the intersection of FM 1729 and CR 6700 (East 19th Street). Turn east at the sign on CR6700 for about a mile and then north at the next dilapidated and rusted sign.

mobile lodge

The Sky Vuew Mobile Lodge is still in operation; however, the residences at the trailer park are about the same condition and vintage as the signs.

Farm-to-Market Road 1279 and County Road 6700

Lubbock County, Texas

January 28, 2011

slide arena

Most Lubbock residents think Slide Road goes to the mall, but Slide Road (Farm-to-Market 1730) actually goes to the community of Slide. Settled in 1910 in south Lubbock County where Slide and 210th Street would be, Slide had a post office and several businesses; today's population is maybe 40. Along the way is the defunct Slide Arena, which is now just a cowpen. The cattle are unperturbed by the toadstool-shaped sunshades which offered protection to the spectators at by-gone ropings.

Center Church

At the intersection of Country Road 5300 and Farm Road 2902 in the midst of cotton fields in northern Lubbock County stands a small, stucco church. Built in 1925, the building was a rural community center about equidistant between Becton, Abernathy and New Deal. Services are still held there today. Daddy let me practice my driving skills going back and forth to Sunday services and Wednesday night prayer meeting in Mother's 1961 Chevrolet station wagon.

rainless gauge

infrequently used equipment
dryland farm

Lubbock County