Paint Rock, Texas

This morning we took the 45 minute drive to Paint Rock,Texas. The population is only 273 but it's the site of hundreds of Indian Pictographs along a rock bluff overlooking a once widely-used Indian campground. The site has been in the same ranching family since the 1870s and was closed to the public for years due to vandalism. However, there has been more interest so the owners have given guided tours for quite a few years now. 

It's amazing to see how well the rock art was preserved from 200-500 years ago. Most are red but there is also black, white and yellow paint. Our guide showed us how the red paint was made from zinc oxide and also gave us tons of history tidbits about the area!

My pictures aren't very good at all but I didn't want to miss a word Bill said and I was also pre-occupied keeping the busy toddler out of ant hills. If you look closely you should be able to see some of the paintings. Many tell stories of hunts and raids as well as some solar markers that suggest the site was once a spiritual meeting place of some tribes.

To the left of this is a river and Bill is certain that the Indians used this bluff in buffalo drives. It was a perfect set-up, with the bluffs and water nearby to aid in the butchering process.

The Campbells also have 2 bison that roam their ranch. We got to see them VERY close up when we drove out. They are huge! The visitor center is chock full of artifacts and antique items, many of which we assumed were family heirlooms. We didn't get to check it all out as much as we wanted but it was super interesting! If you're ever in central Texas I highly recommend visiting! The owners are Fred and Kay Campbell and can be reached at 325-732-4376 to set up a tour.

After the tour the the children were hot and starving so we drove 30 minutes to Ballinger and found an awesome City Park for a picnic! They have mini golf and a pool on site plus lots of playground equipment. After a few hours they were finally ready to head home. Except Ethan, he is almost never ready to leave a playground!

This nice newish playset and.............

............they preferred the old, rickety see-saw :).

A statue of an Indian named "Friend".

I think this was the Colorado River that flowed through the park. We saw several people fishing there when we left. The park also has water and electric hook-ups for only $15 a night. The road in is a little bumpy but here is no low trees to prevent an RV from easily getting in. 

Random picture post

Here are some miscellaneous pictures from the last few weeks.

An Art project...........7 days of Creation. It involved more then I thought it would. And it's not Pinterest worthy. But, I totally didn't try to match up the colors of the days like they came out so my OCD heart is super happy about that.

A Golden-Fronted Woodpecker visiting our feeder. We fill that feeder every 3-4 days.

Mostly we feed Red-winged Blackbirds, House Finches, Curve-billed Thrashers, Cardinals, and the occasional Woodpecker. As the weather keeps warming up we look forward to adding new birds to our list!

Spring!

Last week we took a 3 mile hike through this cactus field.

There was also Longhorns in that particular pasture but this was the only one we saw.

Art sculptures at the Sunken Garden Park in San Angelo.

A sailboat.

This child is constantly chasing birds away from the feeder because "Me hold one". Shirtless because he wanted a drink and "Me do it myself" and then "Help, mom, me all wet. Take shirt off." We adore him :).

Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue

A few weeks ago one of Eldon's co-workers mentioned a donkey rescue that she volunteers at and we thought it sounded like a good place to visit so today we made that happen!

This rescue is the biggest in the US and normally has 500-1,000 donkeys. Right now there is only 700 and it was A LOT!! Most of the donkeys, mules, burros,and the few horses they take have been neglected or abused. Occasionally it's a pet that someone can no longer take care of. The Rescue gets them cleaned up, tames them, and then delivers the donkeys to other rescue centers all over the US where they are adopted out. They also pick up donkeys from pretty much anywhere in the US. 

 Next month student vets will be coming to castrate 135 jacks so they can be adopted out (sound fun?!). Many need to be treated for ringworm and have hoof work done as well.

Lots and lots of donkeys grazing in the winter wheat fields that surround the farm. 

The mammoth mules! The King of Spain gifted 2 Spanish jacks to George Washington and many of America's donkeys and mules can be traced back to them.

This is Romeo, a sweet little mini pony. He was by far the children's favorite and would come charging in whenever we gave anyone else attention! 

That huge white mule is Lily. She didn't want her picture taken but I was astounded how massive she is. I couldn't even see over her back when standing beside her!

After 3 of the 15 workers spent a lot of time with us, we ended up in the gift shop. They gave the children each a coloring book, bracelet, tablet, pen, and sticker. We loved this place and most likely will end up visiting again to satisfy our homesteaders itch :).

We used to have a mini donkey and it truly was the best pet better ever. It followed us around like a dog. They are also great guard animals. I'd highly recommend looking into a rescue near you and adopting one, if you're looking for a new pet!

Fort Concho

     Fort Concho has been high on our list of places to visit ever since we came to San Angelo and last week we finally did it! Established in December of 1867, Fort Concho was built to protect frontier settlements, patrol and map the vast West Texas region, and quell hostile threats in the area. Constructed mostly of limestone, the Fort consisted of at least 40 buildings and covered 1600 acres. A number of Infantry and Cavalry units were stationed at the post during its active period. At full strength, Fort Concho supported 350-400 men. Most were regiments of Buffalo Soldiers that requested to be sent to the frontier due to racial issues they encountered in the East. After 22 years the fort's role in settling the Texas frontier was over and the fort was deactivated. Today it is a National Historic Landmark that encompasses most of the former army post and includes 23 original and restored fort structures.

The Bible the Chaplin used for the daily readings.

Mrs. Crawford, founder of the Museum

It was eerily quiet when we visited and so easy to imagine boots stomping down these porches!

Artillery

Supply wagon

The men's barracks

The chuck wagon. My kitchen is huge after all!

Well's Fargo stagecoach

There was a row of Memorials

Courtroom

Drum set from the band

The hospital

Hey, a big improvement from an outhouse!

The bathrub

Medication

The hospital ward

The church and school

Inside the school

There was a row  of houses for the Officers and their families.

One house was a Museum of Telephony. It was really neat to see all the old phones!

Looking at the barracks from the officiers quarters.

Ethan wanted to be in the picture :)

I love the front porches!

The flagpole in the middle of the grounds

These 4 did so good and all had a blast!

     We only had about 2 hours before they closed so we had to rush a little but it was a great experience! I wouldn't be at all surprised if we go back. We were also able to walk back to the stables and see the mules. Everything was very well kept and interesting! I was amazed how interested the children were with everything! This is how we teach History, instead of a textbook :).