Going Home

I had the opportunity the other day to return to the hometown where I grew up. Though I've gone back before, this was one of the first chances I've had to really spend some time there and look around the old neighborhoods. A lot has changed in 22 years down in Burleson, Texas.

This was my elementary school, Nola Dunn. Surprisingly, not too much has changed there. One big difference I can note is this aluminum carport cover where the students are picked up. Back in my day it wasn't there. If it was raining, you got wet. And if you misbehaved, Mrs. Brown would wear your butt out right there in front of God, friends, parents, and whoever else happened to be driving by. I spent countless hours waiting just outside this gate for whichever mother was in charge of the carpool that day. The room right there in the corner of the building was my first grade class. And where Mrs. Brown unleashed her fury on me more than once, haha.



This baseball backstop has grown over the years. When I first started school there, there wasn't one. If the catcher missed the ball, it rolled all the way to the fence. It was always good to never leave your equipment behind after practice, because your mother would tell you, "Ask Mrs. Brown if you can get it tomorrow." Which she always allowed us to do, but only after she wore our butts out.



This is Little Booger Creek. Yes, that's the real name of it, and yes, its usually bone dry. Occassionally after a strong rain it will flood and send a car or two off the bridge, but for the most part its as dry and hot as the desert. It would be more proper to call it the Little Booger Trail. Where this creek starts and stops I don't know. I used to know many years ago but unfortunately its slipped from my mind.

Covered Wagon

This covered wagon replica sits in the pumpkin patch in Flower Mound (minus the cover). The covered wagon has an interesting history throughout the United States, but when the thought is conjured up most people tend to think of the smaller covered wagons used in the old west.

The covered wagon even has a few common phrases attached to it's name. Its not unusual to hear someone say "they circled the wagons" or "line your wagons up". Can you think of any more off the top of your head?

Over the years covered wagons developed, but even in their most advanced stages, they were still quite uncomfortable and not very pleasing to the eye. But they got the job done for thousands of explorers and families who trekked out west in search of fortunes or an escape from the big cities. The covered wagons were able to hold a plentiful amount of supplies as well as people, and the covered bed provided a little protection from the elements.


Typically nothing more than a box wagon with a tent pulled over hooped slats, it sat on an axle and was pulled by a team of horses or mules. As time passed, rudimentary "shock absorbers" were added, as was a better ventilation system for the tent.

At night, and in times of danger, the wagons would be circled together (see quote above), which provided a place of relative safety in the middle, as well as a 360 degree view for the lookouts.

Some of today's traffic laws started as "wagon laws", such as using a signal to turn, parking, and many times- speed limits.