God...

holds the scales of justice,
He will measure praise and blame;
and the South will stand the verdict,
and will stand it without shame.

These words, and more, are on a monument,
to soldiers of the Civil War, and I took a moment,
to remember them all, and to wonder what it took,
to fight against each other, I get my answers in a book.

We are in Gainesville Texas the last town before the line,
before we cross the Red River to Oklahoma, Divine.
We're on the great highway US Route seventy-seven,
straight up though the middle of the Cherokee heaven.

It's a night to get some rest, and get the old Ford ready,
because when we cross the line, we'll be going steady;
up that highway, with adventure in our head,
we'll travel to see what lies ahead.

Peaches...

...that's the word of the day,
Peaches is what they grow, down this way,
Weatherford Texas is the town,
we pulled in just before sundown.

Jeff, I ain't mentioned him much,
related as to how he loved peaches and such;
so we pulled in, to get off the road,
picked a few peaches, they're quite a load.

'Nother thing they got going here,
is cowboy stuff, hats and all that gear;
this is West Texas after all,
that's what they do here, and have a ball.

But tomorrow we'll be headed east,
follow the mission, conquer to beast;
we'll get the Dallas and Fort Worth,
I don't like big cities, it's a nature of birth.

But we'll be goin' it's ol Larrys wish,
Jeff an me is wonderin' what he's gonna dish;
says he has some story that ought to be told,
well I hope he gets over it, this stuff gettin' old!

Peach Ice Cream!

I saw miles...

.....and miles of Texas, not just another song,
this becomes descriptive, as we roll along;
the old Ford must be getting used to the road,
but then, of course, she ain't got a heavy load.

We are in Baird, Texas today,
and there is plenty to see along the way,
this is the antique capital of Texas now,
but it used to be on the trail of the cow.

That's how this town started, way back when,
the cattle were being driven, by the real cowboy men,
it's a place rich in history, which is the reason given,
why the made this place the antique name, because of cows driven.

We are getting close now to Dallas,
and a story 'bout ol' Larry being careless,
so just stay tuned, you know the song,
this road we travel is pretty long.

Giddy up!

The wind...

...energy capitol of the world,
quite a claim for an old girl;
but it's true, what they claim,
in this place with little rain.

Sweetwater, Texas is about,
halfway 'tween west and east, it has clout.
Maybe a thousand windmills or more,
live the earths living floor.

And there's one more thing,
that gives it a true Texas ring;
the world largest, are you ready,
rattlesnake roundup, it's been done already.

Good golly gee, I'm some happy it weren't my sentence,
down there lookin' for them ol' serpents;
I saw the photos and that was enough;
of that dad blasted foolish and dangerous stuff!

Headed east!

Pardon me stranger...

...I hope there's no danger,
you think I'm gettin' off of my range,
but I guesstimate that you're from my state,
although that may sound strange;
I allow as how you're from Texas,
you talk a lingo I understand,
I'd bet my tail you're from Texas,
there's no mistakin' the brand;
you've got a smile like an angel in sunflowers,
and your eyes are blue bonnet blue,
shake hands if friend you're from Texas,
'cause I'm from Texas too!

Nice words by Cindy Walker, this was a song Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys made popular.

Couldn't resist!

Got time to makeup?

Howdy! Well I missed yesterday,
it wasn't that I had nothing to say;
but it something I ate, or at any rate,
under the weather describes my fate.

Well today I'm in Big Springs, Texas of course;
where else would I be without no hoss?
There is a spring here, that's how come the name,
and it's big of course, Texas is the same.

They got a prison, VA Hospital or a State Mental Place,
I'm sure at one of them would welcome me to their place,
but don't think I'm wanted by any of those,
so I think I'll find another place to hang my clothes.

Tomorrow I'm going to keep goin' east,
Dallas is up there someplace at least;
I want to get there, but guess there's no rush,
besides I like it out here in the brush.

Enjoy!

Davey, Davey...

....Crockett, king of the wild frontier;
when ol' Larry and I were growin' up, on thing was clear,
Davey Crockett was the man! Now here we are,
in Crockett County Texas, big by far.

In the counties only town of Ozona, still there owing,
to not too many people but ranches and oil keep her going.
It's pretty harsh country, but back where we're from,
it looks pretty nice, some trees, oil wells, and then some.

We are almost halfway accross Texas,
goodness what kind of lonesome place this is;
but I reckon that'll change when we get to Midland,
maybe tomorrow, we'll be out of this sand.

But we're hangin' on, and doin' all right,
pitch a tent here, the ground's for tonight.
Up in the morning, trip to a cafe;
now we are ready to face a new day!

Yee Haw

Cowboys and soldiers

I am in Fort Stockton Texas tonight,

waiting for dawns early light;

in Texas it seems,

or in my dreams;

Cowboys and soldiers exist side by side,

they are real and show great pride;

in the past and the present,

nothing is absent.

Everything you need is here,

except it's hot, and they don't sell no beer.

Buts that is all right,

we'll just sleep tonight.

Fort Stockton has a real fort,

home the the 9th Cavalry, import;

they were black men, you know,

the Soldiers, known as buffalo.

The fort is now a historical site,

there plenty of history here all right.

Soldiers who live in here served;

three countries in all, they deserved,

A break now and then, to catch up on rest,

they served us all, they did their best.

Now those soldiers are all dead and gone;

but their service lives on and on

Enjoy!

Out in....

....the far west of Texas you come upon, in a certain order,
El Paso on the Rio Grande del Norte that makes the border,
with our neighbor to the south, Mexico, to go around;
just walk across the footbridge and it's found.

Ol' Larry was here once, he crossed the bridge once too,
he wasn't here very long, just a night or two.
His aircrew came to load some Army cargo,
then El Paso and Texas disappeared, off they go.

El Paso it a big place, too big for us and we're ready,
to leave this city and the bridge so steady,
headed east this time, at last;
and we probably won't go too fast.

So, adios, to west Texas laying in the sun,
it's been a trip of memory, and it's been quite fun,
these travels seem to make photos in the mind,
and dreams of places yet unseen, they will come in time.

There's still lots to see, you'll be glad to came,
along for the ride, and that you played the game.
You know, down here in Texas, there's a saying going 'round,
'bout Bob Wills and music, ahh! Dreams that won't be found.

Going east..

Out in the West Texas....

...town of Sierra Blanco,
it means White Mountain, if you want to know;
We're getting closer to the border,
but the dang road just takes things in order.

Well, there ain't much here in Hudspeth County,
but what it lacks is made up in the scenery.
The County Courthouse is very old,
it's been restored though now I've been told.

It's the largest working adobe courthouse in Texas,
and I guess that going some, if you want my guesses;
most everything in Texas seem to be big,
I mean, you ought to see the hair on Jeffs new wig.

We're sleepin' in the car - again!
You would think that's all theres ever been,
but I can't complain, it ain't every night;
although a good motel would make it right.

Tomorrow: El Paso

Yee Haw...

....round 'em up cowboy! Think that's how it goes,
you see, tonight we are in the Texas town of Pecos;
this is one fine place, and I've seen quite a few,
but Pecos is special for the finest cantaloupe ever grew.

This ol' town, which was started by the railroad,
used to be famous for saloons that lined the main road.
Then next came the Army Air Force, it was World War Two,
some people that were trained here were the best that ever flew.

The war was finally over, and the oil men came along,
you know, back then you could buy land for a song.
Then came the '80's, and the oil bust ended that;
so they started farming cantaloupe and that was that!

Headed to El Paso

Sometimes...

...I wish there was clear thinking,
'stead of goin' through life without thinking;
I've made a terrible mistake, a blunder of huge size,
I coulda gone from Post to Turkey, surprise-surprise.

Turkey, Texas is where Bob Wills comes from,
it's almost like goin' to Mecca I reckon;
such a great man and there ain't many that gave pure joy,
that made music like him the greatest Texas Playboy.

But I gotta get on with the trip, so it's on South I go;
headed for the town of El Paso on the border with old Mexico,
tonight we'll stop in Odessa, deep in the heart of oil,
they got so much there, they don't even care how hard the rest of us toil.

Odessa is out in the middle of no where, or was;
'til the Texas and Pacific needed a pause,
but when the railroad was almost dead;
somebody found oil instead.

Anyhow Jeff thinks it's a nice place,
'course he don't think of the disgrace,
of havin' to sleep in the car,
so I can practice my Texas guitar!

Roll on tomorrow

There has....

...been a change in plans,
I ain't goin' to Dallas yet,
so I'm on my way to El Paso,
way down on the border with Mexico.

But today I'm in the town of Post,
the seat of Garza County at most,
it had a beginning of dreams,
Mr. Post had imagination it seems.

He plans to develop a place,
Utopian live a slow pace,
but that never happenedd but something else did,
let's not keep the history hid.

He's the man who came from New York,
cattle ranching became his big squawk,
he had acres and acres of land, that's how,
the little ol' Llano Ranch had the wests most famous cow.

But C W Post wasn't done,
he came up with Grape Nuts and won,
prizes for his inventions,
none of which involved any weapons.

He was famous and rich and shined,
and the town bears his name at this time,
It's quite a story I found,
Wikipedia won this round.

Next stop? Midland.

There ain't....

..no Elvis in Memphis, Texas and there never was,
this is a small county seat, that has a common cause;
saving the best stuff for the future times to come;
this old place thinks the war is won.

There are fifty miles of brick paved street,
it's so great to and fun to drive, really quite a treat.
So I guess I'll spend the night;
then get out when it's daylight.

There ain't no hotels here anymore,
so in that old Ford is where I'll snore.
But in the morning with blue in the sky,
there is a store, breakfast to buy.

Then I'll ramble right along old US two eighty-seven,
headed for Dallas which I heard was like heaven.
I doubt that heaven is like Dallas at all,
but I can see the Cowboys lose the ball.

We'll see.

I look...

...and I see through my rear window,
as we drive and leave Amarillo;
it's a great place, oh, the time we could spend,
in Amarillo, but what happens then?

We are back on the road, it's Interstate Twenty-seven,
but I can assure you it don't go to heaven.
It's true I can prove it, look at the map,
why this thing just goes to Lubbock and back.

But I ain't goin' that far, no sir, not me,
it's the great town of Plainview, that I want to see,
that's where my friend, from my younger days,
that I want to see 'fore he's dead in the grave.

His name is Bill or William for short,
or do I have that wrong? maybe I aught,
to give it more thought, yah, think it through,
nah! There must by better things to do.

The point is I'm going to visit Bill too,
least that's what I think, or do I visit you?
Now I'm all mixed up, my minds in a muck,
HEY, watch out, didn't you see that big truck.

Oh well, guess it's time for a rest,
'cause that's what Jeff just said would be best.
I'll see Bill in the morning, or is it you,
danged if I know, but it's one of the two.

Happy trails.

Going...

...through Ogg, Texas don't take much time,
and even if I lived there, it wouldn't be mine;
it's owned by the railroad, a tiny little place,
hardly ever noticed, in this fast lane kind of pace.

Ogg has a school, by the name of Ralph,
ain't that cool, a name unto itself.
Really it was named for a man who had a ranch,
he was the first guy there, so it's a name of chance.

But on to Amarillo, my last stop on sixty-six,
then I go even further out into the sticks,
not. I'll spend at least a day here, it's mighty nice;
heck they even had my favorite, Coca-Cola on ice!

There's a line of antique stores one mile long,
but there ain't nothin' you can buy there, even for a song.
So I'll sit and listen to some more from Bob Wills,
man that guy could give a dead man, a bad case of chills.

So ya'll just stay tuned in the for very latest news,
and I'll just continue to spout my pointed views,
it's been a good ride so far, and there's no need to doubt,
ol' Tehachapi Petes got the whole thing figgered out!

Keep on truckin'