Marlin, Texas

April 14 -17, 2014

The Battle house

My Uncle Berry is a native son of Texas.  This is the Battle house in downtown Marlin where his mother, Pauline, grew up. My cousin Polly is named after her. About 2 miles out of town is the land his mother left him. It's on farm road 712 which is seen below with Texas bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush. We were here exactly 10 years ago to the week. The same unforgettable sight of Texas wildflowers greeted us then on our way to Houston to attend our friend Wendy's wedding.

Farm Route 712 

Who is this gentleman?

My uncle's land was deeded to the family by Stephen Austin, who led the first settlers to what would become the state of Texas. Although my uncle married a Yankee, he made sure all his children and grandchildren got to know their Texan family -- the great Aunts and 95 cousins.

Here you see we have traded one home for another for these past four days while the black Chevy goes in for a somewhat longer than expected overhaul.

So what's a dog supposed to do with time to kill? 10 years ago, the cows spent a lot more time near the house, something to do with the "cow biscuits" that were available to give them.  Now we hardly see them except funnily once a day around the same time just as the sun begins to get low in the sky. There are 60 animals -- black, russett, white, and dappled gray. 

So we are indeed very grateful to our uncle and our cousins and their wonderful caretakers who gave us shelter from the storm (see below). Marlin is timeless. You walk in and it feels like the family was just here yesterday, if only it were so.  I love the cookbooks, a testament to my aunt who diligently learned to cook southern. The refrigerator is stocked with Coke and Big Red, a drink that tastes like a ready-made Shirley Temple.  So sweet, so smooth, est. 1937.

Driving to Waco on Monday morning to see why the Check Engine light was on!