In search of the real Texas.

I’ve been on the road again and have a few thoughts to share regarding the Lone Star State. First, the art available at the roadside would look good in any trailer in this country. Serious effort goes into creating things of joy that can grace your mobile home for years.
In the cities (I’ve been primarily in Houston on this trip), there are signs all over warning that if you come into the restaurant or business with a firearm on your hip that they will take legal action. What is THAT all about? In the country, they don’t have signs like that (and they sell cool sculptures).
There was a Turkish cultural exhibit in front of the Alamo in San Antonio with loud Turkish music. Who allows THAT? Who is in charge in that city? In front of the Alamo’s sacred ground? The only people who appeared to be involved in it were Turks. The good old boys cut them a wide berth.
LeMat pistols are available for those of you who like such things at Dixie Gun Works. I saw one of these replica LeMats and naturally I needed to add one to my collection. The nice man who had it directed me to the appropriate website.
Given that there are signs in stores warning you not to wear your firearms inside, everyone that I met wanted to discuss firearms. I always shared my personal wisdom that ‘slaves are never armed’. Everyone agreed. I didn’t speak with the Turks, dancing in front of the Alamo about that, but it might have been interpreted the wrong way.
A surprisingly small group (based on my informal interview) of Texans attend snake handling churches. One interesting itinerant preacher at a gas station suggested that if I wanted to attend a holiness church that took up serpants, I should look to East Texas, Alabama or Kentucky. Further investigation revealed that The Rock House Holiness Church (Jackson County Road 415, about 80 miles southwest of Houston) handles snakes on Friday and Sunday services as does the Tabernacle Church of God in San Angelo (20 miles north of I-10, southeast of Midland, TX).  I’m sure that there are more but these are the only specific congregations that came up. Unfortunately I will not be in Texas this Sunday, so you won’t get a first-hand report.
From what I learned deep fried butter is a “fair food” and is not sold at a lot of locations. REALLY?

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16 COMMENTS

  1. Turks in front of the Alamo? Who knew. And Houston was taken over by lesbyterians some time ago, disturbingly.

    But why are the restaurants taken over by anti gun libs? Weird, but true.

  3. I was stationed in San Angelo, TX (Goodfellow AFB) for several years, and most of the folks there were God fearing Southern Baptists; folks that had no hankerin' to take up serpents. Or at least that's what I recall, it's been 30 years or more. Maybe things have changed.

    I was in Houston this past week, I wonder if we crossed paths, LL. From Houston to Kerrville to buy some property, then on to South Padre Island to catch some decent temperatures. Then back to frigid Chicago, where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a liberal pinko Democrat.

  4. The only snake handling I do is picking one up after its head has been removed with a 12 gauge. It is strange how people will take a verse out of the Bible and build a religion around it and ignore other parts, such as, sacrificing birds and lambs or T Rex's to atone for sin. And if you want to buddy up with the man who has a strangle hold on the community, look to the preacher at the Pentecostal Church.

  5. You should have shouted out. Would have met you for lunch or something. Yes, it's nice to be in a place where people think generally the way that I do. Temps have been very nice in San Antonio and Houston.

  6. I always felt that snake-handling church services where the preacher put the snake's head up against his throat would be more interesting than the run-of-the-mill fire and brimstone threats. It's like going to Nascar and waiting for somebody to crash.

  8. I think that if you unlimbered the Anaconda and waved it around in Austin, you'd be considered a folk hero. Or you could just walk around naked. Houston has some sense of decorum, but there are a surprising number of signs advising against carrying your handgun in to eat, etc.

  9. Yeah, didn't think of it. I passed through San Antonio twice on I-10 enroute and back from Houston to Kerrville.

    Oh well, maybe next time, pardner.

  10. Even these serpent taker uppers are suspect: I've heard that many of these screwball men of the cloth remove the venom sacs from rattlers and then put on shows for the faithful, knowing that after the show, the most that will happen to them is a slight infection from the fang puncture. Hardly worth attending, frankly.

    When these men of God take up serpents, I want to see some venom flowing, and subsequently some palsied convulsions on the floor of the sanctuary – now THAT's entertainment. Nothing says you love the Lord like a few dead parsons strewn about after taking up serpents. Can I get an Amen?

  11. I think because Texas is open carry, liberals probably can't breathe or something when they see a gun.

  13. Based on this CNN report, some of the more ardent men of the cloth do give up the ghost and go to their great reward (not enough faith?). cnn.com/2014/02/16/us/snake-salvation-pastor-bite/index.html

    youtu.be/95B3WnKwnt8

    amen

  14. I'd think that the BBQ joints would all ENCOURAGE their customers to carry a hawg leg into the restaurant…but apparently not.

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