Click on the picture and it should enlarge so that you can read it.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Where Draco Got It's Name
I have a habit of stopping to read historic markers along the roadways. This one is just down the road from our house, so of course I read it soon after we bought this property. This stretch of the San Gabriel river, that runs just behind the house, is a beautiful place no doubt. However I can only imagine the beauty of it when the Indians lived here. There is evidence of springs in just about every draw that empties into the river. The influx of cedar [Ashe Juniper] has sucked them dry now. And although the riparian zone still holds a vast variety of plants, it just can't be as fine as it was before the bad ranching practices of the last hundred years. After it was over grazed until there was nothing for cows to eat they moved in goats and sheep. That finished it off for the plant life and the three plus feet of top soil either washed away or simply blew away with the winds. All I can do is make my little part of Draco as beautiful as I can and maybe help the wild life as well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
my dad is obsessed with historical markers, and when I was little the only things I remembered of Texas was stopping at every historical marker we came across from Dalhart to Dallas and my mom swerving of a busy highway to avoid a tumbleweed just east of Dallas.
Hi Bob.
Really interesting to understand what "Draco" means and where it derived from. Living in an 1890's house, it was great to time travel and imagine how life was back then and what infrastructures were being set up. The historic marker really does paint a great visual time picture.
I agree with you, the San Gabriel river area must have been absolutely stunning in the pristine Indian days. When I first went fly-fishing there, I remember I spent as much time looking around me gawping at the beauty as I did focusing on fishing...oooh and the crystal water! I also remember line fishing for catfish at night...Brrrr! Never again,thank you very much. You are very lucky to have this river backing onto your property.
Hope you got your pipe fixed up okay Bob.
ESP.
What a wonderful history to your spot. I am fairly certain these hills just West of Austin saw lots of inhabitants as well, even though we've no signage to clarify.
And I'm tickled to see your Draco does not have anything to do with dragons after all. Given last summer, it would be an easy mistake to make. Draco's breath! Second that pipeline get well wish....
Appreciate you bloggiing this
Post a Comment