Texas Tuesday {vol. 8}

Hello, you fabulous people! I have to apologize for missing Texas Tuesday last week, my internet was out, so I missed posting that day, so we'll just pretend I posted, m'kay? Anywho, let's get down to it, shall we? Time for another Texas Tuesday!

(Don't know what Texas Tuesday is? It's a weekly link-up hosted by Amanda of Princess of the Panhandle and I, that's open to anyone, not just Texans! All you need to do is write about something Texas related, post our little button in your post, then come back here and link up! That's it!)

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(Right clicking is disabled on my blog, to get the button, highlight the code, and hit "control" and "C")

At some point last week I read an article that thoroughly ticked me off. It was all about how Texas sucked. It's safe to say my ears were steaming after I read it. (If you want to read it, let me know in the comments and I'll send you the link. I'd rather not link to it from my blog). It went on and on about how Texas is a "sprawling bowl of dust has nothing to do with its overwhelming heat, its high quotient of carnivores, its giant arsenal of privately owned firearms...." and then the author even goes on to say "Texas somehow manages to be both Southern and Western without being very good at either one. You’ll find real Southern hospitality, Southern charm, and Southern cooking anywhere due east of it, and you’ll see better scenery in any state west of it." He says Texas is flat and resembles a dried up turd.

I'm sorry, what? All of that is wrong. Just flat out wrong. Yes, west Texas is dusty, and parts of Texas are flat, but not all of Texas is. Word of advice, if you're going to bash something, make sure your facts are straight. So, I thought I'd set the record straight today.

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That's Big Bend National Park. Does any of that look flat or dusty to you? I didn't think so.

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That's Jacobs Well in Wimberly. I'm fairly certain that doesn't appear flat or dusty either.

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Another shot of Jacob's Well. Still not flat and dusty.

Now, let's talk about how you'll find "better scenery in any state west of Texas."

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That's La Grange. That's not pretty?

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That's Hamilton Pool State Park in Austin. I'd say that's pretty, no?

How about that? No one would say those bluebonnets aren't gorgeous. Not to mention the cutie in the photo! 

And this whole being Western thing, but not being good at it? That's a ridiculous. Any given weekend you can find at least a handful of rodeos going on in Texas. From ranch rodeos, to small time rodeos, to professional rodeos, there's always one going on somewhere in Texas. In Mesquite there is a rodeo every Friday and Saturday night. We have the King Ranch here, it's one of the largest ranches in the world. And that little thing in Houston called the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo? It's world's largest live entertainment and livestock exhibition. The largest in the world. And according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2010 there were  247,500 farms in Texas. And that's just counting the ones that make a profit. 

Bottom line is this, we Texans have every right to proud of where we live. Our food? It's some of the best. Not only have we mastered the art of Southern cooking, but we can also whip up some mean Tex Mex.We are Southern, while also being "Western" at the same time. We have Southern hospitality and charm. Men take their hats off indoors, we say yes ma'am and no sir, we hold open doors, we wave at people passing us on the road. But we also wear boots for a reason, so it's wise to mind your manners when you're talking about our state.