Evermans Park & Lytle Gap Potosi Methodist Church

DJ and I were off to Evermans Park once again, where I photographed the T&P Train Station tunnel, and the station. The T&P Train Station is a historical site recognized by both the State of Texas and on the National Registry. T&P is the Texas Pacific Railroad that was chartered by the United States Government in 1871. In 1881, when the first train arrived in the Abilene area, the station consisted of a boxcar. It was not until 1910 that the T&P Depot was constructed, and passengers were transported to and from the station until 1967. Currently, there are no passenger trains that travel through the Abilene area, and Fort Worth is the nearest location to Abilene that you can catch a passenger train. The depot now serves as a visitors center.

Inside the tunnel that leads from South 1st Street to the back of the depot, someone has scribed ~Believe~. I could not pass up the opportunity to shoot the message scrawled on the wall. As I looked at the scene before me, I began to realize how powerful the message is as the shadows of the tunnel enveloped us, and the light illuminated the ends of the tunnel. We should all believe that no matter how difficult life becomes, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Going through the photographs, I thought of the difficulties DJ and I have always had in our lives. Nothing has ever been easy for us as a couple; but we still persevere because we believe in each other, we believe things will get better, and we believe in our future.

Across North 1st from Evermans Park, the skyline is filled with historic buildings including the Grace Museum and the Wooten. DJ and I walked hand-in-hand down Cypress Street. We talked about plans for our future and the hope to someday open a gallery of my own where we would sell our crafts.

DJ and I turned back toward North 1st, and I photographed the fountain in the park, where birds danced in the water. The park was full of patrons and photographers. One bride was being photographed in her wedding gown by a photographer and her family members. A family sat on the benches and bickered with one another, and I soon realized how blessed I am to have a loving and supportive husband.

The sun beat down on the earth, and I was thankful for the canopy of trees above to protect us from the harsh rays.

The Pine Street overpass provided me with some great shots as well. It was constructed by the Works Projects Administration during the Great Depression in 1936. Could my uncles, who were hired by the WPA, have worked on this project?

DJ and I left the park and traversed toward the Airport to seek out the sunflower field across Highway 36 from the radar. However, the field has failed to produce any sunflowers this year. We continued down Highway 36 until DJ spotted a sign that pointed out a cemetery. We traveled down Farm to Market Road 1750 until we found the small cemetery, with a locked entrance. Here, I photographed the glow of the sun on the silvery threads of a spiderweb.

Also here, I photographed DJ at several shutter speeds in order to demonstrate the difference between a fast and slow shutter speed. I like how the photos turned out because the shots reveal self portraits of me as well. There I stood before his eyes, and I know that I was exactly where I want to be.

Further south on FM 1750, I spotted a beautiful Victorian church on the west side of the road. I got DJ to stop so, I could photograph the Lytle Gap Potosi Methodist Church. The church was constructed in 1906 on a foundation made from stones pulled from a nearby creek bed.

On the way back to town, DJ and I discussed our dreams of having a home of our own someday. Sometimes, it seems that dream is so far away. I really do not care where I live as long as I am with my family, but it would be nice to have the freedom that we do not have living in an apartment complex.

DJ and I grabbed food to bring home for dinner, and headed home. Later Saturday night, DJ and I went back out after I studied up on photographing water. We returned to Everman park in order to re-shoot fountain with a slower shutter speed. Again, I shot the tunnel with the inspirational message, ~Believe~.

DJ and I drove around talking and holding hands while the music of my fun playlist pumped through my car. We watched the city pass us by before we headed back toward our home.