April 2009

FOCUS ON TEXAS

Bridges
By Ashley Clary

Whether crossing a small, narrow ravine or a deep, wide canyon, bridges make safe what was once the path impassable. Obstacles come in all sizes, and no matter your transportation, be it by foot, auto or locomotive, you’re sure to get where you’re going across these timeworn Texas treasures.

If it could talk, this no-longer-functioning bridge near Utley would have lots of stories to tell. Jan Emerson Riley sent us this photo; she and her husband are members of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.

Go to Goliad State Park in South Texas, and you’ll find this shaded, wooden pathway. We fell in love with this pedestrian bridge, which looks like it’s stepping away from the fast and modern world and back to the days of Huck Finn. Wendy Riggs of Floresville sent us this nostalgic photo; her parents, Weldon and Sally Riggs, are members of Karnes Electric Cooperative.

Fayette Electric Cooperative member Paul Bailey sent in this photo which quickly became one of our favorites. This covered bridge–which looks like something out of a fairy tale–is not located in New England; rather, it spans a small stream on his friend’s property near Houston.

Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative member Holly Norris sent us this photo taken in Brackenridge Park in San Antonio. The San Antonio Zoo Eagle, the miniature train that travels these bridged tracks through the San Antonio Zoo and the park, has been in operation since 1956. It has withstood several derailments, a couple of collisions and even a modern-day train robbery in the summer of 1970.

This rusty, functional railroad bridge carries trains safely into the East Texas town of Liberty. Thank you to Sam Houston Electric Cooperative member Mindy Bortz for giving us a different and artful way of looking at something we pass by every day.

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STAINED GLASS WINDOWS is the topic for our JUNE 2009 issue. Send your photo—along with your name, address, daytime phone, co-op affiliation and a brief description—Stained Glass Windows, Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701, before APRIL 10. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included if you want your entry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do not submit irreplaceable photographs—send a copy or duplicate. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot be responsible for photos that are lost in the mail or not received by the deadline. Please note that we cannot provide individual critiques of submitted photos. If you use a digital camera, e-mail your highest-resolution images to focus@texas-ec.org or submit on our website at www.texascooppower.com. (If you have questions about your camera’s capabilities and settings, please refer to the operating manual.)

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