Hummingbirds and Ministries and Architecture

We visited several towns in Texas during the spring, including Kerrville, where Roger thought he'd try his hand at high-speed photography.There were lots of hummers in the area and they provided some good moments.

We took time to celebrate Phineas' 2nd birthday with him.

Our good friends, Janet and Fred, introduced us to US MAPS, an RV volunteer mission arm of the Assemblies of God. They drove from Nebraska and we from San Antonio and we met at the little Texas town of Maypearl, a "suburb" of Waxahachie. (Look it up; I had to!) The AG has a beautiful RV park/Conference Center there and we stayed several days. We volunteered for kitchen duty while there.  Actually, lots of fun!

Reagan came down from OK and stayed with us for a week there.  Friday nights are "game nights" among the volunteers and Rea had as much fun as the rest of us and made a great impression.  We had a remarkable time with MAPS and filled out our applications on the spot.  We were accepted within a few weeks and plan to attend the annual RVolunteers' Convention in Illinois in October.

We have a very charming friend, Vanay Walek,who, with her husband Chuck, has served with Wycliffe Bible Translators in the Dallas area for the past twenty years.  Vanay's "job" (read that: her joy and delight!) is telling visitors all about Wycliffe's work all over the world, and she does it with unbridled enthusiasm!  We spent a fantastic day with her there, learning much more about the work going on to bring the Bible to people groups everywhere.  

Reagan will never forget the time! Thank you, Vanay and Chuck!

The Waleks also hosted a Christ's Place Mini-Reunion for several of us in the area.  A real joy to be together again, if only for an evening!

Perhaps not so obvious a perk of our lifestyle is the enjoyment of a variety of architecture, and the (re-)discovery of small towns. "Stopping to smell the roses" is a truth not given enough credence by most; we are all just too busy.  Geocaching and RVing have given us that opportunity we had so often overlooked before. 

This is the Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse, in downtown Waxahachie, fashioned of red sandstone and considered by many to be among the most beautiful of Texas's older courthouses.  The town also features many examples of Victorian architecture and Gingerbread homes, several of which have been converted into bed and breakfasts. The city's annual Gingerbread Trails festival features tours of many of these homes.

There is a "Cowboy Church" in the area and one Sunday we put on our hats and boots and joined in the spirit of worship with them.

Waxahachie became popular in the movie industry in the mid 1980s. The Academy-Award winning films Places in the Heart (starring Sally Field, Danny Glover and John Malkovich), and Tender Mercies starring Robert Duvall, were both filmed in Waxahachie. The movies 1918 and The Trip to Bountiful were also filmed there. The long-running television series Walker, Texas Ranger, starring Chuck Norris, was filmed in Waxahachie on occasion. (the above two paragraphs lifted from Wikipedia.)

My favorite discovery was the "Sims Library and Lyceum": simply gorgeous!   The original building featured a classical Renaissance style with Doric columns. The central unit features white Vermont marble, a pressed tin ceiling, a curved bay window, and winding staircase. It has many of the original pieces of furniture and book collection dating back nearly 100 years.  Roger spent a day there just wandering through it.

The "lyceum" is a large auditorium with a stage, located on the second floor. Nearly everything is original, except for a few minor repairs:

• Stage floor
• Drapes and window shades
• Fabric wall coverings
• Chairs
• The lyceum is still used today for many library events, including concerts, piano recitals, plays, and debates.

Look at this close-up of the underside of the chairs; what is that semi-circle of wire??
(I had to ask, too.)
Those are hat-holders.  When this was built, and for years afterward, gentlemen all wore hats to the theater.  The hats were, of course, an obstruction to view.  Hence, every chair has its own rack.

One last look!

Waxahachie is definitely now on our favorite places to revisit! (and they have a Wal-Mart!)