Friday, June 24, 2011

The Horn Toad an Object of Art

Well as you can see I found another Utility Box this time it is on the corner of Rufe Snow and Stardust. I think. The Horn Toad is a creature that is almost extinct in the state of Texas. I grew up with them in Lubbock and Midland when I was younger but you don't see them much any more. They are more of a west Texas creature and then East Texas.

I found this poem on Authors Den about the Desert Horned Toad By Chuck Keller. Here's the Web site http://www.authorsden.com

The Desert Horned Toad
by Chuck Keller

Thursday, October 12, 2006
Not rated by the Author.

I chased these little horned lizards in the Nevada desert as a child.

I tried to make the poem look like the creature when centered on the page.

O
he's
Ugly!
Darting eyes,
flicking tongue.
Scampering tracks in desert sand.
Tail makes a wiggly line
between tiny footprints.
Its journey in search
of food and survival
beneath the blistering
and relentless
desert sun.
Struggling daily to live
another cycle of sun to moon.
Day
to
n
i
g
h
t

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Highway Art

In North Richland Hills, Texas you may notice these traffic signal boxes on Rufe Snow and on Davis. The Cowgirl has been there for a while but the one on the left is rather new. It shows several bakeries and cafe types of houses. I do not know who is in charge of the painting of these boxes but I think it is a great idea. I know these boxes have to be at each traffic light but there is no reason for them to be the usual ugly gray.
Across Texas you can find city and towns starting to think about the decorative tourist angle. In Midland, Texas when you go through and underpass you'll notice the column towers holding up the bridge itself are painted like oil cores because the city is known for the oil industry and the oil Museum. In Odessa, Texas when they built an overpass withing the last 5 years they used decorative tiles on the sides of the over pass where they build up the dirt before the bridge itself was laid across to hold in the dirt. The tiles depict a desert plant series.
All over Texas I have noticed more highway art appearing in different places you wouldn't suspect. In Dallas, Texas on the High 5 which is what they call the series of bridges criss-crossing the I75 and I635 interchange there are the lone star of Texas with a blue circle around it. I hope all this art is a continuing trend of the future.