Flora, Fauna, and Fire in Tow,TX

Lisa's petunias--battered by a recent hail storm.

I tried and tried to catch them with their wings open but couldn't. I love the dirt in Tow. It's pink and full of tiny crystals. I miss that pink dirt. Driving through the residential area of Tow you see more pink, dirt roads than gray ones. And it's more like sand than dirt.

The North American Soft Shell Turtle, Apalone
(at least I think so). Someone tried to tell me they were leatherback something or others, but I think the leather backs are all sea turtles. And, it so happens, Lake Buchanan is far far far away from the sea. Either way, he was a very cool turtle and I took sick pleasure in my aunt's fear of him. I had scooped him up to look at him and she hid behind her car door and kept telling me I was close enough, she could see him fine. I have to hand it to her, though, she came around. Perhaps once she saw that he wasn't hurting me she decided he was safe enough? Whatever the reason, she ventured a finger to feel his "shell" and was as amazed by the texture as I was.

There wasn't a great deal of time for photography while I was in Tow this weekend and as you can see, these photos are nothing to get excited about. I did, however, get really excited about the turtle because I'd never seen a turtle that didn't have a hard shell. This guy had the coolest "shell." It was soft, pliable, and made for swimming. Made me think of dolphin fins. The last thing I wanted to share is the fire truck below. No, it's not a fab photo or anything, it's purely for nostalgia. My grandfather and father both were in the local volunteer fire department when I lived in Tow and it's possible that both of them rode this truck. I never paid attention to what they drove in the fire department when I was a kid. I just remember Dad's big, metal water can that he wore on his back to fight fires with. It was always in the back of his old, faded, chartreuse yellow Ford.