Ft. Lancaster State Park, Texas

A stagecoach -- I imagine it was a bumpy ride over the dirt roads.

Cactus with spines above and spineless cactus below. In time of extreme drought ranchers may burn the spines off of cactus and let the cattle eat it. Cactus strips, call "nopalitos" are sold in grocery stores here. I have never eaten them but I have eaten the cactus fruit. It makes great jelly, also.

On a recent trip Sweetie and I stopped at Ft. Lancaster State Park. The fort is in ruins, as you can see. It was abandoned in 1873 or 1874, and much of the rocks were moved to help build buildings in Sheffield, TX. I think the most interesting part of the visit was learning about the camels that were once used to carry freight in this area. They were part of a great experiment -- since they do well in arid country and can go long distances without water -- they were imported and were used for a while as transportation for men and freight. They were used by both sides during the Civil War. In the long run the experiment did not work, partly due to the nature of the beasts. Mules were easier to care for, smelled better, and were preferred over the camels. Today the camels are long gone but the story is still interesting.