Jenn Boo-lari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

I miss the nights of dialing into my college's computer library access, shelling out of it, and using the full processing power of the 1990s internet over a text screen and phone line.

Today has been a slow day, looking through some old newspaper articles. I came back across a mention of an ancient pioneer/native shootout: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth466442/m1/3/zoom/?q=%22bandera%20road%22%20indians&resolution=1.5&lat=5756.035788640835&lon=2046.414719503886

In the article, a reporter is taking a fifty year old man, F. G. Tinsley who was at the battle to find it. The newspaper article is from 1890. The battle happened around 1860.

The description of the battle site is vague. There are a few descriptions of where the people of Utopia thought the battle was. "Two miles up the Bandera Road." "Ten miles out, by Eagle Peak." Even the article, which finds the battle site is very vague. All that's communicated is:

"[We] took a day trip into Seco Canyon..."
"...up the canyon past the forks of the creek..."
"A lone peak standing out from the foot of a big mountain, which separated the two creeks."

It took some time to find the place from that description, but I know exactly where that battle is now. I found it a few years ago using personal knowledge of the area (there's no official "Seco Canyon" and the creek is never named) and a few USGS maps (finding the creek split and topographial contours).

I'm reading this in 2023, 133 years from the article, 163 years from the battle. And from just a few words from an old man and a reporter in that article, I found the place: 29.694478375138978, -99.43508145805012

I miss knowing so much history about the Hill Country and knowing that I probably won't be going back because the government is declaring me and my trans friends persona non grata.

But I do hope I can go back one day.

A cute little story from The Texas Hill Country in an April 1882 issue of the Bandera Bugle:

"Two sons of T. J. Cullen, residing on the middle Verde, set out on Thursday week to seek their fortunes. James, aged eleven years, and Eddie nine, had words with their father on the fateful morning, and concluded to “light out.” Coming to Cow Creek, and fearing that they would be trailed by dogs, they took to the water, and waded three miles up the creek, coming out on the west Verde and striking the Quihi road. The first day they camped eighteen miles from home, near to Quihi. Cutting some grass for a bed, they lay down, and here in the quietness of Solitude they agreed to change their names to Charles and Frank Macklemore, to tell no lies, rob no stage coaches, nor steal. Eddie resolved to herd until he gathered $50 to send to his mother, and Charles resolved to aim at the ministry. Next morning they started out and luck was with them. They found a five-cent piece, with which they bought food. Jogging along they arrived at Castroville, and soliciting food they were questioned closely, and Charles stated that they came from Center Point. Afterwards Eddie charged him with telling the first lie, but Charles excused himself on the ground that he was in a fix and he had to get out of it. However, better thoughts began to be engendered as gnawings of hunger increased, and it was resolved to return home. Making back tracks they struck the Bandera road and reached home on Sunday, a few hours ahead of a pursuing party who had gone out after them."

Gonna try and head up to Canada sometime in January. February will be nothing but Doctors Appointment, and assuming I don't have a job by March, March is "hunkering down."

Registered for Jury Duty. Got a long line of Works in Progress...setting them up and knocking them down now that I have the time.

Thoughts Before Bed:
I just realized...I was laid off from Tableau three years to the day...TO THE DAY...I left Nintendo for Tableau.

Now that the Sidekick 3 is up and running (Although not able to connect to the phone system) at least I can get the sound effects off it, which is something I've wanted for ages.