It is Wednesday March 12, 2014. It is the 71st day of 2014. There are 294 days left in the year. On this date in 1836 the Battle of Refugio began. It was a battle in the Texas War for Independence and part of the Goliad Campaign. It took place at Refugio, Texas between March 12th and 15th in 1836. Mexican General Jose Urrea won the battle after fighting against Amon Butler King. Urrea had about 1,500 Centralista soldiers. They fought King and his 28 American volunteers as well as Lieutenant Colonel William Ward and his 120 Americans. It was a total defeat for the Texans who had 16 killed, 15 executed, and 107 captured. Only 10 escaped.
More Dallas Pioneer Plaza Photos:
Yesterday I mentioned the large sculpture celebrates the nineteenth century cattle drives that took place along the Shawnee Trail. Artist Robert Summers of Glen Rose, Texas created 70 bronze steers and 3 trail riders sculptures. Each steer is larger-than-life at six feet high. All together the sculpture is the largest bronze monument of its kind in the world. Set along an artificial ridge, man-made limestone cliff the native landscaping with a flowing stream and waterfall creates a dramatic effect.
Here are additional pictures I took of the sculptures in December 2008. Click on them and they will enlarge.
It is Tuesday March 11, 2014. It is the 70th day of 2014. There are 295 days left in the year. General Sam Houston arrived at Gonzales, Texas on March 11, 1836. He took command of the Texas Army. While there word reached him of the battle of the Alamo and its fall. In a few days he would learn of a second defeat, Goliad. He had on 374 men. From here he began a 41 day adventure. It was combination retreat, recruitment and training adventure. It would all come to an end with an 18 minute battle at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. The result was the defeat of Santa Anna and the independence of Texas.
Pioneer Plaza:
Located just north of the Dallas Convention Center is Pioneer Plaza. It is a large public park in the Convention Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas. The center piece of the Pioneer Plaza is large sculptures. It is a heavily visited tourist site. Located next to Pioneer Park Cemetery which features the Confederate War Memorial, the two offer the largest public open space in Dallas’ central business district.
Background of Pioneer Plaza:
The land was once railroad and warehouse property. Built on land cleared as part of the failed Griffin Square development, developer Trammel Crow gets credit for the idea behind the sculptures and plaza. He wanted an iconic “Western” sculpture in the City of Dallas. He assembled a group to give the sculptures. Begun in 1992, the $9 million project started on 4.2 acres of land donated by the City of Dallas. $4.8 million of the cost came from private funds raised from individuals and local businesses.
Sculpture:
The large sculpture celebrates the nineteenth century cattle drives that took place along the Shawnee Trail. It was the earliest and easternmost route by which Texas longhorn cattle moved to northern railheads. The trail passed through Austin, Waco, and Dallas until the Chisolm Trail siphoned off most of the traffic in 1867.
Artist Robert Summers of Glen Rose, Texas created 70 bronze steers and 3 trail riders sculptures. Each steer is larger-than-life at six feet high. All together the sculpture is the largest bronze monument of its kind in the world. Set along an artificial ridge, man-made limestone cliff the native landscaping with a flowing stream and waterfall creates a dramatic effect.
Maintained by the adjacent Dallas Convention Center, Pioneer Plaza is the second most visited tourist attraction in downtown Dallas.
I took these pictures of the sculptures in December 2008. Click on them and they will enlarge.
Taken by Jimmie A. Kepler in December 2008 at the Pioneer Plaza near the Dallas Convention Center in downtown Dallas the photo is of the Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive. Created by artist Roberts Summers of Glen Rose, Texas, it consists of bronze pieces – 40 longhorn cattle herded by 3 cowboys on horses.
It is Monday March 10, 2014. It is the 69th day of 2014. There are 296 days left in the year. The John Sealy Training School for Nurses opened with in 1890. Galveston’s John Sealy Hospital was only two months old. It was the first formal nursing school in Texas. It later became part of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).
Who was John Sealy? Why did he open a hospital? John Sealy was a merchant, banker, and philanthropist. He was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 1822. He died at Galveston on August 29, 1884. He never started a hospital, but he left $50,000 to be used for “a charitable purpose.” It was his brother and his widow who decided to build a hospital. John Sealy Hospital in Galveston opened in 1890. The John Sealy School for Nurses opened in March 1890. Today John Sealy Hospital is a part of the medical branch of the University of Texas.
This week is spring break for most Texans. Here are four destinations frequented by Texans and others.
South Padre Island or South Padre as it is known to Spring Breakers – is the best known Spring Break destination in Texas. The reasons for South Padre’s popularity is its location. It is warmer than other Texas beaches during late February and March when most schools and colleges have their spring vacation scheduled. Additionally, South Padre is known for great water and excellent beaches. It also boasts an impressive number of condos, hotels, clubs and restaurants. And, seeing as how it sits a mere 20 miles north of the Mexican border, it offers visitors the opportunity for a “two-nation vacation.”
Port Aransas, better known as “Port A” to Spring Break crowds, often gives South Padre a run for its money as a Spring Break destination. The biggest difference is the amount of beach Port Aransas offers for Spring Breakers to spread out over. While the city beaches of Port Aransas accommodate much of the Spring Break festivities, Mustang Island, which lies just below Port Aransas, is packed with condos and miles of white sandy beaches. Whether they opt to stay in the town of Port Aransas or down the beach at Mustang Island, Spring Breakers more often than not find sunny, warm conditions to greet them and allow them to enjoy swimming, surfing, wind surfing, sunbathing and more along these Coastal Bend beaches.
Corpus Christi is just south of Port A and Mustang Island. It is another popular Texas Spring Break destination. Corpus is two distinctly different Spring Break destinations. Part of Corpus Christi lies on Padre Island while the main part of the city is on the mainland. On the island side, visitors are treated to open Gulf beaches. The mainland offers beachfront along Corpus Christi Bay. Both sides offer a variety of condos, hotels and clubs while the mainland also features a number of popular attractions such as the Texas State Aquarium and USS Lexington.
Galveston Island is the largest Texas “island town”. Galveston Island also sees its share of Spring Break visitors. It tends to attract a more subdued crowd than the other Texas beach locales. Galveston is full of historical attractions. It also has modern-day wonders such as Schlitterbahn Waterpark, which features a retractable roof so visitors can have wet, watery fun regardless of the weather. Galveston also features a number of great Gulf beaches, as well as restaurants, clubs, bars, hotels, condos, tours, shopping and more.
It is Friday March 7, 2014. It is the 66th day of 2014. There are 299 days left in the year.
Did you know the Bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. If you are from Texas of course you know that. If you’re not from here, but got here as fast as you could, you may know that. If you wish you lived here now you know.
Way back in 1901 the Texas legislature adopted the Bluebonnet as the state flower. While it is very pretty, there just weren’t enough of them around for all to enjoy. The solution? In the 1930’s the Texas Highway Department started putting Bluebonnet seeds along our roadways. It’s no accident the blue flowers are everywhere.
A typical spring sight in Texas is children standing or seated among the state flora with mother or father snapping their picture. Some families go to the same spot every year and have a history of their youngins growing up in the land of the Bluebonnets.
To Protect and To Serve (Part Two):
Yesterday I shared I was pulled over by my local police as I was driving to work. The officer said the light was out over my license plate. They checked my driver’s license, state inspection, and car insurance. When I arrived at Starbucks, I checked. The lights over the license plate work, were on, but were very dim.
I replaced both light bulbs after work yesterday. My local Auto Zone Store was very helpful. They sold me some super bright LED bulbs. With tax they were over $10.00. They showed me how to remove the bulbs and replace them. Now it looks like there is a spotlight shining on my license plate.
Miss Benita:
I refer to my bride of over 39 years as Miss Benita. Her real name is Benita Beatrice Breeding Kepler. As a southern gentleman I call her Miss Benita. No, I didn’t watch too many episodes of the original Dallas TV show back in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Remember Jock Ewing calling his wife and J.R.s mother Miss Ellie? My grandfather addressed my grandmother this way. I thought is showed great respect. I still do.
Miss Benita was diagnosed with cancer back in December 2013. They found a malignant tumor. They were not able to remove all because it had spread into the lymph node. On March 5 Miss Benita received the results of tests that show if the cancer has spread elsewhere. I’ll quote her post on Facebook, “Back from oncologist. Good report. No more cancer found. No treatment needed at this time. Will see him again next month.”
It is Thursday March 6, 2014. It is the 65th day of 2014. There are 300 days left in the year. On this date Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna recaptured San Antonio on March 6, 1836, after a thirteen-day siege; the Mexican army suffered an estimated 600 casualties. Of the official list of 189 Texan defenders, all were killed.
To Protect and To Serve:
I was pulled over by my local police this morning as I was driving to work. The officer said the light was out over my license plate. They checked my driver’s license, state inspection, and car insurance. When I arrived at Starbucks, I checked. The lights over the license plate work, were on, but were very dim. I will need to get that checked.
It is a mjaor surprise when flashing lights appear in my rear view mirror. I immideately loooked at my speed. I was ten miles per hour under the speed limit. I had my seat belt fastened. I wondered why they pulled me over. I knew it wasn’t to wish me a good morning. Oh well. so goes life.
It is Tuesday March 5, 2014. It is the 64th day of 2014. There are 301 days left in the year. On this date in 1842 a Mexican force of over 500 men under Rafael Vasquez invaded Texas for the first time since the Texas Revolution in 1836. They briefly occupied San Antonio, but soon headed back to the Rio Grande River.
Monica Porter:
I ran across this interesting article in the London Daily Mail. Titled, “‘I’m 60. . . and irresistible to men of 20 who want sex with no strings attached'”
It is Tuesday March 4, 2014. It is the 63rd day of 2014. There are 302 days left in the year. Down in southeast Texas in Hardin County along the Pine Bayou is the Batson-Old oilfield. On March 4, 1904, it reached its greatest everyday production with a yield of more than 150,000 barrels of crude. Batson, along with the Spindletop, Sour Lake, and Humble fields assisted in establishing the Texas oil industry. Source: http://digital.houstonlibrary.org/cdm/ref/collection/wpa/id/630 and http://www.tshaonline.org/day-by-day/30545
A Quick Freeze with Thunder Sleet and Freezing Rain:
North Texas and Denton County where I live were brought to a near stop by an unusual March weather event that combined ice/freezing rain and thunder sleet. After a warm Saturday where temperatures topped at a near record of 84 degrees, a cold front dropped temperatures to freezing by Sunday morning. The mercury continued falling all day. By Monday morning, we were nearly 70 degrees colder than Saturday afternoon. Even though the weather service predicted the drop in decrease, the change caught many off guard. Fortunately, this is north Texas. The temperatures will warm to the mid 40s on Tuesday and back into the 70s by Friday.
Matthew McConaughey
Texas Boy Wins Best Actor:
Matthew David McConaughey, born in Uvalde, Texas, won the Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS in the biographical film Dallas Buyers Club.
Book Review – Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Christian Writers
Texas authors Terry Burns (Amarillo, Texas) and Linda W. Yezak (Nacogdoches, Texas) wrote the book I just finished reading, “Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Christian Writers”. It is an excellent work, packed with information I wish I had available before I started my writing career over thirty years ago. Divided into three parts the book begins with a section aimed at Christians writing fiction. It is valuable for the Christian who writes fiction, as well as the Christian fiction writer. They do a good explaining receiving a call from God to write Christian fiction versus being a Christian, who writes fiction. They help us look how much Christian content is right, and Terry makes an excellent point of how to present the content.
Part two contains how-to advice for the beginning Christian writer. The chapter on finding help is an example of the sound advice given.
Part three is a much-needed examination of how to be published with option available in 2014. Terry Burns gives some of the best advice in the book. He says yes, if we write it we should submit it.
Using the techniques where first one and then the other tells their story or take on a subject works. I appreciated how they labelled who was telling writing. I strongly recommend the book for the new or established Christian author.
It is Monday March 3, 2014. It is the 62nd day of 2014. There are 303 days left in the year. On this date in 1837 US President Andrew Jackson & Congress recognizes Republic of Texas. On this date in 1863 the first US wartime military conscription (draft) bill enacted.
Twitter and the Oscars:
I think Oscar “killed” Twitter tonight (writing this on Sunday night while watching the Oscars). There were just too many re-Tweets (see picture) of Ellen’s selfie.
Come Monday:
I will be working from home Monday. Too much ice and sleet are frozen onto the roadways for me to risk driving into work.
Book Review: Zen in the Art of Writing
Zen in the Art of Writingby Ray Bradbury is not a single volume on writing. Rather, it is a collection of essays written over his long career. Each of the essays has a real nugget of insight for the reader. Bradbury teaches us about writing. He tells us to write about what we love, and what we hate and to stay drunk on writing, because it saves us from the world of reality. The book’s title is a little misleading. While Bradbury makes some statements that sound like a “Zen Master”, that is the closest I could come to find anything “Zen” about the book. I find the title a “hip” title some marketer probably dreamed up.
Bradbury devotes a chapter on the mechanics of writing, the way he learned it. To achieve success as a writer according to Bradbury, one must write at least a thousand words a day. A thousand words a day minimum must continue until the process becomes automatic. It is only fascinating to get into the mind of one of the greatest science fiction writers on how the craft is done. This chapter alone is worth buying the book which is very economical. It is an excellent book for the beginning writer and very inspirational for the advanced writer.
It is Sunday March 2, 2014. It is the 61st day of 2014. There are 304 days left in the year. On this date in 1939, Roman Catholic Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was elected pope on his 63rd birthday. He took the name Pius XII. He served until his death in 1958.
Crazy North Texas Weather:
Yesterday the high temperature here in north Texas was a near record 84 degrees. As I type at 3 PM Dallas, Texas time the temperature is a cold 25 degrees. We have thunder sleet and freezing rain. We are expecting a low temperature tonight of 10 to 12 degrees with wind chills below zero. That is a far cry from the over night low of 60 just two night ago. Why mention the weather? This is a good example of the weather in north Texas.
Sunday at Church:
My tradition on Sunday is to attend Sunday church and Bible fellowship class. Today we had a surprise. Our pastor, Dr. Jack Graham, shared the resignation of Todd Bell, the churches long-time worship pastor. Todd had been with the church over twenty years.
Leaving church an ice covered windshield that required scraping greeted us. The bitter north winds made the ice removal a major chore. I felt like I was freezing to death.
The Tech Guy:
While I am typing this, I am listening to Leo Laporte, the Tech Guy. You can see and hear Leo at http://twit.tv/show. I have been listening to him on Twit since 2005 and on the Screen Savers on the old Tech TV since the late 1990s.
Book Review – Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Christian Writers
I finished reading the book “Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Christian Writers” by Terry burns and Linda W. Yezak.
Terry Burns and Linda W. Yezak’s book “Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Christian Writers” is an excellent work, packed with information I wish I had available before I started my writing career over thirty years ago. Divided into three parts the book begins with a section aimed at Christians writing fiction. It is valuable for the Christian who writes fiction, as well as the Christian fiction writer. They do a good explaining receiving a call from God to write Christian fiction versus being a Christian, who writes fiction. They help us look how much Christian content is right, and Terry makes an excellent point of how to present the content.
Part two contains how-to advice for the beginning Christian writer. The chapter on finding help is an example of the sound advice given.
Part three is a much-needed examination of how to be published with option available in 2014. Terry Burns gives some of the best advice in the book. In this section, he says yes, if we write it we should submit it.
Using the techniques where first one and then the other tells their story or take on a subject works. I appreciated how they labelled who was telling writing. I strongly recommend the book for the new or established Christian author.
“Tiger Tank Manual: Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger 1 Ausf.E (SdKfz 181) Model (Owner’s Workshop Manual)” by David Fletcher, David Wiley and Mike Hayden and published by Zenith Press. The Tank Museum in South Dorset in the United Kingdom (UK) was in a unique position to write a new chapter in the Tank story with its own discoveries on restoring and running Tiger 131, which is the centerpiece of the manual.
“Tiger Tank Manual” is unique as we follow the story of Tiger 131 from April 1943 in Tunisia in North Africa to its arrival in the UK in October 1943 to its renovation and refurbishing thanks to the national Lottery. It is a short work of only 164 pages. “Tiger Tank Manual” gives an amazing insight and inside look into purchasing, owning, and even operating one of the world’s most outstanding engineering feats and fighting vehicles.
The use of personal remembrances of what it was like to operate and command such a vehicle in wartime gives you a “you were there” feeling. The recollections of what it was like to be on the receiving end of the Tiger’s 88 mmm gun shared by Lieutenant Gundgin in the Foreword really helps set the book’s tone.
The pictures, illustrations, line drawings, statics are amazing. The “Tiger Tank Manual” gives the necessary background on the history and development of the tank. You get the story of Tiger 131 down including forensic and crime scene analysis of the battlefield damage to the tank to include the ammunition used against the tank!
You are given a specular cutaway drawing of the tank from the School of Tank Technology. Note: I am a former US Army Ordnance Corps officer whose military occupational specialty was maintenance. I supported the old US Army M60A2 tank. The detail in “Tiger Tank Manual” rivals any Technical Manual. I cannot over emphasize the quality and variety of the pictures. They left me with the felling I had crawled all over the vehicle as well as I examined every detail inside the tank. They are amazing.
You get a glimpse into the mind of the museum as to why they restored Tiger 131. Again, detail pictures as well as description guides you through the process. Such details as paint selection and viewpoints from volunteers working on the project make you feel part of the project.
The “Tiger tank Manual” includes a chapter on running the tank. The detail given to the start-up procedures and riving the tank makes me want to get in the driver’s seat and take it for a test drive.
The detail given to “The May back Engine” may appear to be overkill to some, but the tank enthusiast or automotive engineer will enjoy the examination of the engine and its auxiliaries. Everything from ventilation to the gearbox and transmission as well as the steering and drive shafts (final drive) is covered.
Having supported annual tank gunnery for several years had my curiosity peak in the chapter devoted to firepower. Excellent coverage is given to tank gunnery from the ammunition down to aiming and firing the gun.
The explanation of the deployment and tactics of the Tiger lets you have an understanding of the German’s strategy. The book concludes with a nice appendix of the surviving Tigers.
While the book may not be for everyone, any military enthusiast will enjoy the book. Any tanker or former tank crewmember will enjoy the book. I believe it would be a worthwhile addition to any military history library as well as any collection dealing with World War II. Additionally, automotive engineers will find the book simply amazing.
Read and reviewed by: Jimmie A. Kepler February 29, 2012. Note: Jimmie is honorably discharged as a Captain in the ordnance Corps US Army where he served as a maintenance office and supported a tank battalion (2nd Bn 77th Armor 2nd Brigade 9th Infantry Division) in 1978.
