Mammoths and Longhorns

Before leaving Waco, we visited the Mammoth National Monument.  In 1978 two teenage boys found a bone sticking out of the ground in a ravine near where two rivers met.  They took the bone to the Baylor University Archeology lab where it was identified as from a Columbian Mammoth.  Nineteen mammoths were originally found in the ravine and more since in surrounding areas.  The first 19 were mother and offspring in what is called a nursing herd.  It is thought that the herd got stuck in mud and caught in a flood.  The bones are being excavated although many were removed from the area to be saved, sorted and catalogued because the area re-flooded while folks were working.  Since the park was designated as a National Monument a couple of years ago, the number of visitors has increased from10,000 per year to 10,000 per month.  The patience this type of work requires is extraordinary.



On our way to see Alan's sister and brother-in-law in the Dallas area, we visited the Forth Worth Historic Stockyards.



Of course, we had to eat BBQ ribs and brisket and drink a beer, keeping up our trip routine of eating and drinking too much.  The highlight of the visit was a mini-cattle drive.  In talking to one of the cowboys, I learned that they use the same 19 head of cattle (probably with the most impressive horns) to make the 4 block "drive" two times a day.  I pondered whether the cattle could make their way now without the help of the cowherds.  The horns are HUGE!





We are on our way to Cheryl and Jackson's Square Cloud Winery in Gunter, Texas, northwest of Dallas.  Consistent with the drinking theme, we look forward to a glass (or two) of their outstanding wine.

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