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 Texas Longhorn Cow by ATXtraveler
The Texas Longhorn was shaped largely by natural selection and is particularly well adapted to life in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and other areas of the mid-west.
The Longhorn's heyday was in the mid-to-late 1800s with a peak of about 5 million head.
By the year 1900, cross-breeding had almost eliminated the typical Longhorn.
However, beginning in the late 1920s, the Texas Longhorn was preserved in wildlife refuges in Oklahoma and Nebraska.
In the 1960s, there were still only a small number of Longhorns -- about 1500 head.
The Longhorn is getting renewed attention because of its genetic diversity and potential for improving other breeds of cattle.
There are about 100,000 Texas Longhorn cattle in the United States today.
The Texas Longhorn is spotted and comes in a variety of colors.
They have long legs, high shoulders, and an easy stride.
Their horns average a span of 5 1/2 feet.
The Texas Longhorn is known for its heat tolerance, disease resistance, good mothering ability, and general toughness and adaptibility.
Information for this tip provided by http://www.crazyforcows.com Leave a Comment
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 Tex-Mex Resturant by Sweetberry1
The population of Texas is currently estimated at more than 22,000,000. which is aproximately the population of Australia.
Mexico boarders the southern portion of Texas, which has lead to the state having a larger Mexican-American population than most other states. This has created a cultural atmosphere unique to Texas.
Festivals honoring the states Mexican heritage are held each year. Texas is also the place where Tex-Mex food was created. Tex-Mex cuisine has all the flavor and spice of authentic Mexican food, with some variations.
The Tex-Mex food is definitely one of the things I miss. Leave a Comment
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 Texas Lone Star Flag by ATXtraveler
Six different flags have flown over Texas during eight changes of sovereignty. The accepted sequence of these flags follows:
Spanish - 1519-1685.
French - 1685-1690.
Spanish - 1690-1821.
Mexican - 1821-1836.
Republic of Texas - 1836-1845.
United States - 1845-1861.
Confederate States - 1861-1865.
United States - 1865 to the present.
The state flag's colors represent the same virtues as they do in the national flag: Red means bravery; white, purity; and blue, loyalty.
Flown out-of-doors, the Texas flag should not be flown earlier than sunrise nor later than sunset unless properly illuminated. It should not be left out in inclement weather unless a weatherproof flag is used. It should be flown with the white stripe uppermost except in case of distress. When the flag is displayed against a wall, the blue field should be at the flag's own right (observer's left). When the flag is displayed vertically, the blue stripe should be uppermost and the white stripe should be to the state flag's right (observer's left). The state flag should be flown on all state holidays and on special occasions of historical significance, and it should fly at every school on regular school days.
For more information on the Texas Flag, visit www.texasalmanac.com Leave a Comment
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 Texas Armadillo by ATXtraveler
Armadillo are timid, armored mammals that live in warm grasslands and forests from South America up to the southern United States. Armadillos are burrowers who dig underground dens. Armadillos can jump 3 ft (1 m) straight up into the air. Many armadillos are killed when they are run over by cars. Leave a Comment
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 Texas Welcome Center by ATXtraveler
This beautiful travel information center in Waskom has everything you need to put in the car with you for your trip through Texas.
The people inside are very helpful and informative and provide you with tons of literature based on what you want to see!
I would call this a must visit for every traveller that drives by! Leave a Comment
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 by nomorewars
Out in the Texas countryside we typically come across little shops and ma and pa – type restaurants, where the food is prepared not in a robotic manner, but methodically, with pride and care – these are the kind of places where the food always tastes the best.
Recently, the kids and I found ourselves roaming around Main Street Wallis, Texas – a rather ghostly looking town where nothing seemed to be in operation save for a Mexican restaurant and the local Dollar General franchise – a facility which seemed to be the life-blood of the town. There wasn’t a whole lot going on, so we ventured off onto the side-streets and found ourselves a delightful patch of wild bluebonnets, the official flower of the state of Texas.
The kids enjoy taking pictures of flowers and adding them to their scrapbooks; it is something they do together – but are competitive about: each one wants to be the first to add a new flower to their book; their competitive ways, though in fun, can get rather intense.
We use to press flowers, adding little side-notes to our scrapbooks; but, due to a friend of mine recently receiving a fine for picking a flower, we abandoned said practice: one can never tell when one is about to violate a city ordinance, since such rules vary from city to city.
On this particular day the sun wasn’t beating down upon us as bad as on the previous day; we decided to just chill in this patch of bluebonnets and feast on some blackberries and almonds that we brought along to snack on; they were delicious!
The kids had a great time exploring an adjacent tree-line; but I did not let them venture too far. They were quite amused with their miniature adventure, so I didn’t interrupt their proceedings too much -- although I did maintain a watchful eye. Leave a Comment
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 Our State Flower--The
Bluebonnet by VeronicaG
I've been wanting to see a bluebonnet in its natural setting since we moved to Texas last year. Bluebonnets bloom in the early Spring and only grow naturally in Texas. There are five species.
There was alot of discussion in the early 1900's about which floral emblem should be selected for the state flower of Texas. Finally, in 1901 the National Society of Colonial Dames of America persuaded the Texas Legislature to choose the LUPINAS SUBCARNOSUS (commonly known as buffalo clover or bluebonnet).
However, there are four other subgroups of bluebonnets. After much discussion over the span of 70 years, the legislature decided to include ALL bluebonnets as the state flower. Call it a politically correct decision, but a decision it was.
*This information came from: http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/flowers/bluebonnet/bluebonnetstory.html
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Another wildflower that makes an appearance in the Spring in the Coastal Plain and the eastern half of Texas is the Indian Paintbrush. I think its so pretty! (Be sure to click on the additional photo for a field of flowers!)
It appears at the same time as the Texas Bluebonnet, but there can be years where the bluebonnets flourish and the paintbrushes have a mediocre year. Bloom time is from early March, peaking mid-April.
It's official name is CASTILLEJA INDIVISA and is a relative of the snapdragon. The bright color comes from 'bracts' not flower petals. These bracts are around and under inconspicuous flowers located on the upper third of the plant.
This plant likes open, sunny sites. It may also require a cold wet period in the winter in order to germinate. There are nine species native to Texas and can be seen in orangish-red and sometimes even yellow.
This information came from The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
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 Basic Map of Texas by ATXtraveler
State Capital - Austin
Largest City - Houston
Area - 268,601 sq. miles (Second only to Alaska)
Population - 20.8 million (2000 census) Second only to California
Major Industries - Petroleum, Natural Gas, Farming, Steel, High Tech, Tourism
Information courtesy of EnchantedLearning.com Leave a Comment
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 Rose Mallow by VeronicaG
Although a native to Europe, this flower has become naturalized in the southeastern United States. It grows in shades of white and rose, but I just love this pastel pink color.
Rose Mallow seems to grow in all types of soil and in full sun or partial shade. The blooms can grow to four inches across, but the complex root system makes it difficult to transplant.
Some people are able to grow them along walls or fences and in mass plantings. They bloom between June-September. I found them in the Spring!
Thanks to the efforts of Lady Bird Johnson, the wildflowers of Texas are widespread and deeply appreciated!
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