I hope this post finds you well. Today is Sunday, June 18, 2023, and it’s Father’s Day here in the United States. I received some lovely Father’s Day greetings from two of my three adult children via text, which was a nice surprise to start the day. The third is out of country and posted Father’s Day greeting from Lima, Peru.
Leg Pain
As usual, I took my morning prescriptions, but I’ve been experiencing some discomfort in my lower right leg for the past few months. The pain is below the knee and above the ankle on the front of the leg, and it seems to be getting worse lately.
I suspect it’s tendonitis caused by one of my heart medications. To see if the medication is indeed the culprit, I decided to stop taking it for a few days. I plan to reach out to my cardiologist’s office to discuss this issue further.
Joint Pain
On top of the leg pain, I’ve been dealing with joint pain throughout my body, which has been quite intense, ranking at an 8 or 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. Unfortunately, joint pain is another side effect of the medication I’ve been taking.
Despite the discomfort, I’ve been trying my best to tolerate it, as my heart doctor suggested, because this medication has been effective in managing my high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. I’ve been on these medications since November last year, and with each passing day and month, the pain and side effects seem to worsen. In an attempt to find some relief, I’ve been regularly elevating and icing my leg four times a day.
Virgil Cane
Getting around has become quite challenging, and I find that I can’t walk without my trusty cane. I’ve given my cane a name—Virgil. It’s a bit of a nod to an old song called “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by The Band and Joan Baez. Perhaps you remember it too if you’re around my age.
Despite these difficulties, I managed to get out of bed, get dressed, and take my medications. I drove to the coffee house, and there was a friendly tall blonde barista waiting to serve me a tall blonde roast coffee. I ordered my drink and settled down at the handicap table to do some morning writing before heading to church and my Bible fellowship class.
It still hot and humid outside but cool enough inside I I grabbed my hoodie to keep the chill away.
Grocery Shopping
In the afternoon, I plan to do some grocery shopping, catch up on my reading, maybe nap, and then participate in a water aerobics session in the pool. That’s pretty much the extent of my plans for the day.
Remember Your Father
I hope you’re having a wonderful day, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Remember your father on this father’s day. If you still have him at least call or text and send your love. If he’s deceased reflect on the good memories. If you’re a dad, think of your children, that your wife for he gift of the children, and tank your heavenly Father for the gift of His son, Jesus.
Take care. I send my warm regards to everyone. Keep on smiling.
It’s Friday, June 16, 2023, and it’s hot. Dallas, Texas is where I call home. The heat index on Thursday was 109 F degrees. Thursday Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) tied a record. The dew point at DFW airport at 2 p.m. topped 80 degrees. The last time the dew point was this high was on June 14, 1997 (26 years ago). Wow! The dew point is how much water is in the air. The dew point plus temperature equals a misery index in my mind.
Slept Almost 12-Hours
Yesterday I slept for almost twelve hours. No, I didn’t stay up all night. My bedtime was just before eleven PM and I got up a few minutes before noon. I don’t know whether to say yea to me or what’s happening? Six out of seven nights a week, get eight hours of sleep and average eight hours a day almost every month. So, what’s up with staying in bed half the day?
After waking up, I took my RXs.
My daily devotional time followed The I jumped in the shower, and washing my hair.
Hair washing is a big deal with my to the shoulder blade’s length hair.
Drying the hair takes two to three hours if I let it air dry or ten to fifteen minutes with a blow dryer – which I hate using. I dressed, and it was time to dash out the door and take she who can’t be named on the Internet to lunch with a friend of ours. Both of the ladies and I have lost our spouses to death and cancer. We are all in the eighteen months to five years since our spouse passed time frame.
Lunch With Friends
We met a favorite Greek restaurant in Plano, Texas – Zorbas. I was there from just after 1 PM until I left at 5:30 to go to my Zoom meeting of the 540 Writing Community. The ladies retired to our friend’s house.
After the writing group meeting, I went to our lady friend’s house and visited for another hour.
They enjoyed their favorite adult beverage, made from grapes. I’m a teetotaler and abstain from alcoholic drink. Filling my designated drive role, I drove she who can’t be named on the Internet home before retiring for the evening.
Sleeping late yesterday got me the rest I needed. It did not do any walking or morning writing. As you might have noticed, no writer’s log for yesterday.
Value of Friends Reprised
On Wednesday, I wrote about the value of friends. I’m blessed to have three close male friends, and two other guy friends I know would drop whatever they’re doing if I need them.
As a sixty-nine years old widower, I’m blessed to have a girlfriend – she who can’t be named on the Internet as I call her as she doesn’t want me using her name, likeness or image on the open Internet. I share two other female friends with her. They are like sisters to me. I have a number of lady friends from my online line and local writing groups that from time to time check on me and I see in meetings or at conferences. Additionally, I have my three adult children and their families, plus my vast army of cousins, which I classify as family instead of friends. I am blessed to have these special people in my life. And, I always I room for one more.
Today – June 16th
This morning I got up, dressed, did my RXs, and devotional time and drove to Starbucks where I’m having coffee and writing. Walking at the air-conditioned mall later this morning is on the day’s agenda. We are expecting 100 + F degree weather for today and for at least the next ten days. So I try to walk.
I say try to walk as my right hip is causing me great pain. Watching a couple of videos by physical therapist Bob and Brad on YouTube, which show stretching exercises to help with hip pain, is my first step in resolving the problem. Should I call the rheumatologist and set up an appointment to get some relief? Taht is the question I’m debating.
Reading and a nap are in my afternoon plans. Tonight I am taking she who can’t be named to live community theater.
My rewrites of the recommended edits continue, but are going slow as my motivation is best described as procrastination, where I only do a chapter or two a day instead of knocking it all out in one or two marathon sessions.
And So It Goes
And so it goes.
Well, I wanted to end with “and so it goes” but as I typed the phrase I reflected on Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” and the phrase. I first read “Slaughterhouse-Five” in 1973, four years after its publication. I was a twenty-year-old university student. Agreeing with writer Salman Rushdie interpretation of the phrase used on Vonnegut’s writing – Rushdie says “so it goes” has become one way in which we verbally shrug our shoulders and accept what life gives us – I see the phrase as more than just accepting what life hands you.
Vonnegut does not use it for that purpose in “Slaughterhouse-Five.”
“So it goes” is not a way of accepting life but, rather, of facing death. It occurs in the text almost every single time someone dies, and only when death is evoked.
I use the phrase as a hybrid of the two, accepting life as it is as I march toward my inevitable death at its unknown future date.
When I awoke this morning, my first thoughts were of my parents. They were married on this date in 1952 at the First Methodist Church in Seguin, Texas. Both are deceased but aren’t forgotten. Happy anniversary dad and mom.
Introduction:
Today is what I like to call a “lunch with Les” Wednesday. He’s been my best guy friend for a quarter of a century. We meet in the late 1990s when both of us worked as information technology support analysts for Interstate Batteries. I reflected on how lucky I am to have a couple of close friends who I talk to almost daily and have lunch with every week.
Having a friend, not just someone who’s an acquaintance, is important. As get get older, we may outlive our spouse (like me), and even start outliving friends. Having friends and adding new ones is important. Besides combating loneliness, having local friends (not just online friends) can be beneficial for writers in several ways.
Here are five reasons why writers need local friends:
Number One – Inspiration and collaboration:
Local friends can provide inspiration and fresh perspectives that can fuel a writer’s creativity.
Engaging in conversations, sharing ideas, and collaborating on projects can help writers overcome creative blocks and find new directions for their work.
Number Two – Feedback and critique:
Local friends who are familiar with the writer’s community or genre can provide valuable feedback and constructive criticism on the writer’s work.
Having trusted friends who can offer honest opinions can greatly enhance the quality of the writer’s writing.
Number Three – Networking opportunities:
Local friends can introduce writers to other individuals in the writing and publishing industry.
They might be aware of literary events, workshops, or writing groups in the area where writers can connect with like-minded individuals, agents, publishers, or editors.
Networking can open doors to new opportunities and help writers advance their careers.
Number Four – Knowledge of local resources:
Local friends can be a valuable source of information about local resources and opportunities available to writers.
They might be aware of writing retreats, grants, writing competitions, or local publications seeking submissions.
This knowledge can help writers tap into local resources that they may not have otherwise discovered.
Number Five – Emotional support:
Writing can be a solitary and emotionally challenging endeavor.
Local friends who understand the writer’s struggles and aspirations can provide much-needed emotional support and encouragement.
They can be a sounding board for frustrations, celebrate successes, and offer a sense of belonging to a community of fellow writers.
Conclusion:
While having local friends can be beneficial, it’s worth noting that writers can also find similar support and advantages through online communities, writing groups, and virtual connections.
The key is to surround oneself with supportive individuals who understand the writing process and can provide the necessary support and feedback.
And remember, to have a friend you must be one, and show yourself as friendly.
Thursday marked the seventh consecutive day that Texas reported a record number of hospitalized coronavirus patients, with 2,947 people currently in hospitals being treated for COVID-19, according to data released Thursday by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The latest seven-day average for the number of people hospitalized is 2,468. Since the beginning of June, hospitalizations have increased almost every day. There’s almost twice as many people hospitalized because of the coronavirus than there was on Memorial Day.
Gov. Greg Abbott has said he is closely watching hospital capacity throughout the state as he moves forward with a phased plan to reopen businesses and peel back restrictions on gatherings during the pandemic.
“We remain laser focused on maintaining abundant hospital capacity,” Abbott said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Statewide, there are currently 1,453 intensive care beds available and more than 5,000 ventilators.
The new coronavirus has killed more than 2,000 people in Texas, and the state has also seen new infections trending upward: As of Wednesday, the 7-day average for daily infections was 2,157, compared to 1,641 one week before.The state recorded 3,129 new cases on Wednesday.
In Houston, Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital’s intensive care unit, occupancy rate reached 96% Thursday morning, up from 92% on Monday. But at Ben Taub, Houston’s largest public hospital, the intensive care unit’s occupancy dropped from 97% on Monday to 57% on Thursday.
In the greater Houston area, 19% of all intensive care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, according to data gathered by the Texas Medical Center. It posted an early warning that the current increase in cases could exceed intensive care units’ capacity in two weeks.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins warned on Wednesday that “if these percentage increases continue, many more people will get sick and die in the coming weeks.” The county reported 418 COVID-19 patients in its hospitals on Wednesday, a 40% increase from two weeks ago.
The average age of people diagnosed with COVID-19 is decreasing slowly but steadily throughout the pandemic, said DSHS spokesman Chris Van Deusen, confirming information released by Hays county, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston.
Lara Anton, a press officer for DSHS, said contact tracing has shown infections spreading as people gather at bars, beaches, rivers and family gatherings such as graduation parties — as well as workplace-related exposures at food processing plants. Contact tracing involves locating people and places where an infected person might have spread the virus. Contact tracers call those people and encourage them to self-quarantine and get tested for the virus before they potentially infect a new group of people.
In Austin and Travis County, health authorities said earlier this week that community transmission is now widespread in the area. The challenge is that many people who have tested positive have visited many different locations, which makes the exact infection site “difficult to pin down to one particular location” where the virus is being spread, said Mark Escott, Austin Public Health’s interim medical director and health authority.
New Year’s Eve was originally published: Kepler, Jimmie A. “New Year’s Eve,” Poetry & Prose Magazine, January 2012. Volume 3, Issue 15, Moonchild Designs, page 20. http://en.calameo.com/read/000339139f8d88e795466 (January 2012).
Jimmie Aaron Kepler is an award-winning short story writer, poet, and indie author. He is the creator of the science fiction with faith series, The Liberator’s Helper.
Jimmie is an alumnus of The University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with minors in English and military science where he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduation. He served as a commissioned officer on active duty for three years and then five years in the US Army Reserves. He earned Master of Religious Education and Master of Arts degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also holds a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration. He sold his first magazine article over 35 years ago and has been writing professionally since then. He lives in a north Dallas Texas suburb with his wife and very demanding cat.
I lived in two desert communities when growing up. The locations were Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas.
In the 1950s and 1960s, both areas had little snow and lots of tumbleweeds. The residents tired of the same old snowless Christmas. There was almost no hope of snowfall. Without the snow, there would be no snowman.
Some creative person came up with the idea of building a snowman from tumbleweeds. It was simple. You obtained three. They were abundant in the desert. You placed the largest on the bottom. The middle-sized one went in the middle. The small one made the head. Some people spray painted them white.
Adding a hat, eyes, and mouth to the creation gave it personality. Sometimes we even added an old scarf as well.
A tumbleweed snowman can become a fun holiday tradition for your family. It is easy to create one of these eye-catching figures on your lawn.
My family did this when we lived on Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and Biggs Air Force Base in El Paso, Texas.
Growing up as a military brat allowed me unusual experiences like a tumbleweed snowman.
If you were a military brat, what holiday traditions did you have?
I thought it would be fun to collect pictures of the houses I have lived in from birth to my current 60 plus years. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but it was fun putting these together. Below is visual proof of my lack of “roots”, that is my not feeling like I have a hometown. I was a military brat and United States Army Officer from birth until my late 20s. Then I worked as a Southern Baptist Religious Educator until my mid-40s. Military and minister are two vocations that are very nomadic. Moving frequently goes with the job and life. I have lived/be stationed in over 25 locations. I attended 8 schools for 12 grades. The photos are either ones I took, my mother has, or compliments of Google Maps, street view. My memory or mother provided me with the addresses/locations.
Brooke Army General Hospital, San Antonio
I was born in 1953 at Brooke Army General Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.
Randolph AFB
My father was in the US Air Force stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. Leaving the hospital, I moved in with my dad and mother.
We lived on Mesquite Street in San Antonio, Texas. It is located just east of downtown. The Alamodome is in the area where the house was built. I have a picture of the vacant lot where the house use to be.
In 1954 – 1955, my father was stationed at Clinton County Air Force Base in Ohio.
We lived in Bowersville, Ohio. I lived at 20 Church Street.
In part of 1955 and then 1956 I lived with my Grandfather in Harwood, Texas. My brother was born while we lived here. Well, he was born in Brooke Army General Hospital, just like me.
My father was in Turkey with the US Air Force at this time.When dad got back from Turkey he was stationed at Donaldson Air Force Base in Greenville, South Carolina.
We moved to 201 Maco Terrace in Greenville, South Carolina. This where I have my first memories.
While living in Greenville, SC we took a side trip to Scott Air Force Base where my father had extended military training.
While at Scott Air Force Base we lived in a military trailer park. We spent a snowy winter of 1956-1957 there before returning to our Greenville, SC home.
In 1958, we moved to Glendale, Arizona as my dad took a new assignment at Luke Air Force Base.
We lived first in Glendale. I started elementary school at Glendale Elementary School in Glendale, Arizona in 1959. Dwight Eisenhower was the president of the USA.
Then in 1960 we moved into the new base housing on Luke AFB where we stayed until 1963. I attended Luke Air Force Base Elementary School from February 1960 through the fourth grade. I had Mrs. Davis in the second grade and Mrs. Jensen in grades 3 and 4.
Dad headed to South Vietnam, and I headed to 803 Jefferson Avenue in Seguin, Texas.803 Jefferson Avenue, Seguin, Texas is where I lived in 1963 – 1964. I was in the 5th grade and living there when President Kennedy was assassinated and when The Beatles came to the USA. The house was white with a green roof back then. It had trees in the yard and hedge around the house back in the day. It had a backyard that was over an acre. I had a great treehouse in the backyard tree as well as a huge garden. My father was stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Force Base in South Vietnam. I attend Jefferson Avenue Elementary School. It was located across the street from my house. Mrs. Englebrock was my fifth-grade teacher. She taught me to love to read and to write stories.
Next I moved to El Paso, Texas in August 1964. My father was transferred to Biggs Air Force Base and B-52s. I don’t have a picture of our house on Raimey Circle. It has been torn down. I am still searching for a photo. I attended Ben Milam School. Mr. Romero was my sixth-grade teacher. In the seventh grade, I played football and started having different teachers for each class.
From here I moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Pease Air Force Base.
2024 Larkspur Circle Pease AFB New Hampshire
It was a neat place with lots of snow in the winter. I got to go to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine to the Longfellow and Chamberlain Homes. I went to the Robert Frost farm. I attended science camp at M.I.T. and Harvard University’s Summer Institute for the Gifted studying literature, poetry, and writing in their Humanities program. I lived at 2024 Larkspur Circle on Pease Air Force Base in 1966 – 1967. I attended Portsmouth Junior High School. I was the eighth-grade class vice-president. I went to all the historical places in Boston and fell in love with history. I was here until my father retired from the US Air Force. He earned a degree in business from New Hampshire College while we lived there. From here it was back to Texas. I finished the last few weeks of the eighth grade in Nixon, Texas at Nixon Junior High School. We stayed with my grandparents until our furniture arrived and we moved into the below house.
1407 Chestnut Drive Schertz Texas
We lived in the San Antonio suburb of Schertz. I lived at 1407 Chestnut Drive Schertz Texas. I started high school at Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, Texas in 1967. I would move to the Dallas area at mid-semester. We also owned the house that was two to the left of this one.
I lived at 1010 Southwood Drive in DeSoto, Texas until I headed to college and married. My father still resides there.
When I was 17, I got my first place. It was a duplex. In 1971 – 1972 I lived at 201 1/2 Ray Drive in Arlington, Texas while attending The University of Texas at Arlington.
I moved into an apartment with my brother in 1973. It was the Four Oaks Apartments off Pecan Street in Arlington.
In December 1974, I married Benita Breeding, and we moved into an apartment in DeSoto, Texas on 283 South Hampton Road. We lived upstairs, the second unit from the end nearest as you look, was our home.
Fort Riley, Kansas
I spent the summers of 1974 and 1975 on active duty at Fort Riley, Kansas thanks to the US Army.
I graduated from college in 1975 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Army. We moved to Columbus, Georgia. That’s where Fort Benning is located. We there 1975 – 1976.
We lived the Holly Hills Apartments with lots of second lieutenants in a unit off Oakley Court. I attended the US Army Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, and the Platoon Leader Maintenance Management Course while living there.
We moved from there 3000 plus miles to Fort Lewis in Washington State. We were here 1976, 1977, 1978.
We lived in two different military quarters while there. The first was one bedroom. We got a two bedroom unit after our son Kristopher was born. While stationed at Fort Lewis I spent more time deployed or on training exercises
I made two trips to Camp Pendleton for training. I was there in 1976 and 1977.
Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
In 1978, I spent some time at Twentynine Palms Marine Base.
Twice I spent months at Fort Irwin in the middle of nowhere for training. Actually think between Edwards AFB and Death Valley, CA for its location or halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Two times I suffered on the beaches of Coronado and San Diego. This was in 1976 and 1977.
Mountain Home AFB Idaho
In 1977, I was in a joint training exercise at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho
While at Fort Lewis at the sub-post of Yakima Firing Center (as it was named in the 1970s) in 1976, 1977, 1978. Tank gunnery and T.O.W. Missiles had me there.
My unit had assignments like protecting the Alaskan Pipeline. Operation Jack Frost helped soldiers prepare for this mission, learn to preheat toilet paper and work in extreme cold.
OP near Camp Casey South Korea
My unit also had a mission to help if the North Koreans came back across the 38th parallel.
My unit also took part in REFORGER – Return of forces to Europe with treks to Italy and Germany in the fall of 1978.
From here we moved to Fort Worth Texas where I earned my master’s degree. We lived in student housing at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on Gordon Avenue. This house had a floor the was not level. Our second son Jason was born while we lived here. We left here and moved to Decatur, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb when I graduated in 1980.
We lived at 773 Scott Circle until our landlady moved back in when here husband passed away. Then we moved to a townhouse in Clarkston, Georgia. I served as Minister of Education at Scott Boulevard Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia.
The townhouses were large and state of the art for their time. It was an affluent baby-boomer paradise. This stock photo from Google doesn’t do them justice. They were located off Memorial Drive across from the DeKalb Community College. They were 99% owner-occupied townhomes with a very strict and sometimes mean homeowners association. I was still Minister of Education at Scott Boulevard Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia while living here.
In December 1982, we moved to Bogalusa, Louisiana. We lived in a paper mill town and could smell it. I was Associate Pastor at Superior Avenue Baptist Church.
In November 1984, we moved to Jasper, Texas. We lived in this house until 1988 when we bought her first home. Our daughter Sara Joy was born while we lived here. I was Associate Pastor and Day School Principal at First Baptist Church of Jasper, Texas.
The picture doesn’t do the house justice. The lot and house are larger than they look. The house was the Better Homes and Gardens House of the year in 1959 and was featured in Southern Living Magazine. The people who bought the house after us took out all the azaleas and dogwoods we had and replaced with hedge and non-native trees. The also removed over a dozen seven-five-year-old or older trees. They added the black shutters, wrought iron windows, and doors and made it like a prison. The multi-level tree house my kids had the backyard was also removed when the trees were cut down. I was still Associate Pastor and Day School Principal at First Baptist Church of Jasper, Texas. I owned the house until March 1995. We moved from here in 1992 to Buna, Texas.
This was on Halley Street in Buna, Texas. We lived in a church-owned home. It has been moved. The pastor lived in the house to the right. In the background is the church. I was Associate Pastor and Business Administrator at First Baptist Church of Buna, Texas. I lived here 1992 – 1993.
Next I lived at 168 Chickadee in Dension, Texas from May 1993 until January 1996. Our oldest son graduated high school while we lived here. My father-in-law passed away while we lived here. I was Minister of Education and Senior Adults at Parkside Baptist Church in Denison, Texas. The house was small, did not have central air, and was close to the church.
I lived at 721 Marvin Hancock Drive in Jasper, Texas. We lived in the unit on the bottom left. We lived here for the spring semester of 1996. I was Vendor Management Specialist for East Texas Support Services overseeing the CCMS program for day care centers in 16 counties. I also taught early childhood education.
I bought our current home on Watson Drive in The Colony, Texas in July 1996. I have worked as a senior training specialist for American Express, Internet coordinator for Hilton Hotels, as a senior support engineer for Equator LLC, and in multiple Information Technology roles for Interstate Batteries while living here. Our youngest two children finished high school, got college degrees, and our daughter married since we moved here. Sadly, the huge tree in the center of our front yard had to be cut down in 2007.
Jimmie Aaron Kepler’s work has appeared in six different Lifeway Christian publications as well as The Baptist Program, Thinking About Suicide.com, Poetry & Prose Magazine, vox poetica, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Bewildering Stories, Beyond Imagination Literary Magazine and more. His short stories The Cup, Invasion of the Prairie Dogs, Miracle at the Gibson Farm: A Christmas Story, and The Paintings as well as Gone Electric: A Poetry Collection are available on Amazon.com. He is also the author of The Liberator Series. The Rebuilder – Book 1 is available for pre-order on Amazon. It will be released October 1, 2015. The Mission – Book Two will be available Spring 2016, The Traveller – Book 3 will be available Summer 2016, and The Seer – Book 4 will be available Fall 2016.
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 centerpiece 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. The project started in 1992, at a total cost of $9,000,000.00. Built on 4.2 acres of land donated by the City of Dallas, $4,800,000.00 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 Chisholm Trail siphoned off most of the traffic in 1867.
Artist Robert Summers of Glen Rose, Texas created 70 bronze steers and three trail riders sculptures. Each steer is larger-than-life at six feet high. Altogether 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.
