{"id":1646,"date":"2017-12-17T23:10:46","date_gmt":"2017-12-17T23:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/?p=1646"},"modified":"2017-12-17T23:12:15","modified_gmt":"2017-12-17T23:12:15","slug":"focus-on-the-backroads-a-texas-backroad-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/?p=1646","title":{"rendered":"FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: A TEXAS BACKROAD CHRISTMAS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year, come December there is magic in the air as we prepare for Christmas and the chance to celebrate Jesus’ birth. \u00a0After Mary and Joseph had traveled the BACKROADS<\/strong> our savior was born in a manger. \u00a0There is not better place to celebrate the birth of Christ then on the Backroads of THE LONE STAR STATE<\/strong> (since most of us consider this the promise land).<\/p>\n

Wishing all a very Merry and Blessed Christmas from the BACKROADS OF TEXAS<\/strong><\/em>:<\/p>\n

The Night Before Christmas……..TEXAS STYLE<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘Twas Christmas Eve in Texas, when all ‘cross th’ ranch,
\nNot one critter was stirrin’, not even a branch;<\/p>\n

Th’ boot-socks were hung from barbed wire with care,
\nIn hopes that th’ tops this year would not tear;<\/p>\n

Th’ kids were all tucked up like cows in a shed,
\nWhile dreamin’ of baked goods like cookies and bread;<\/p>\n

Mom hung up her Stetson by my worn Resistol,
\nTook off boots, jeans and belts then in bed we did fall,<\/p>\n

When out by th’ barn there was all sorts of clangin’
\nWe jumped up right quick to see what was a bangin’.<\/p>\n

Grabbed up our rifles and dressed quick like hustlers,
\nGrabbed ammo ‘n’ shotguns case it was rustlers.<\/p>\n

Moon glow on tin roof shined by sand blowin’ hard
\nGave enough light for seein’ and showed th’ farmyard,<\/p>\n

We ‘uns concluded we was a seein’ thangs
\nLike, an old worn-out stagecoach pulled by eight green-broke mustangs,<\/p>\n

With a great big ol’ driver, who held a tight rein,
\nwe sure knew right quickly it must be John Wayne.<\/p>\n

Much faster than bullets his horses sure came,
\nStill he whistled, and shouted, and yelled out each name:<\/p>\n

“Now Pitchfork! now Pickup! now, Chisum and Dallas!
\nOn, Haybale! on, Hairball! on, Lonestar and Texas!<\/p>\n

Right over th’ leech field! and on past th’ well pump
\nNow gee-up and yee-haw, git ready to jump!”<\/p>\n

Like tumbleweeds scurry when tornadoes whirl by,
\nWhen they just go and head skyward, up they sure fly.<\/p>\n

Yep, up to th’ rooftop them horses strivin’,
\nwith that stage full of toys, and th’ Duke a drivin’<\/p>\n

In just a short moment we heard on th’ roof
\nTh’ stomping and stamping of each unshod hoof.<\/p>\n

As we threw on our hats, and were heading downstairs,
\nJohn Wayne kicked in the front door which fell on two chairs.<\/p>\n

Was dressed like a sheriff, from his hat to his boots,
\nAnd his clothes were all showin’ deep-down western roots;<\/p>\n

Saddle bag of toys he had flung ‘cross his back,
\nand small things stuffed in pockets too much for his pack.<\/p>\n

His eyes how they squinted! his pistol how gleamin’!
\nHis badge was all shiny, his neck scarf tied streamin’!<\/p>\n

His shirt unbuttoned, with th’ flap hanging down
\nAnd th’ jut of his chin was as fierce as his frown;<\/p>\n

His rifle he held onto tight in his hand,
\n‘Til he got a good feel for the lay of the land;<\/p>\n

He had broad shoulders which carried quite a load in
\nAnd shook when he laughed as his face creased with a grin.<\/p>\n

He was handsome and tall, a legend come to life,
\nAnd we sure liked what we saw both me ‘n’ th’ wife.<\/p>\n

Him winkin’ at Mom and a noddin’ his head
\nMade us glad we did not get Santa instead.<\/p>\n

He drawled a few words, but he mostly just worked,
\nFilled boot-socks with oranges and meat, spicy-jerked,<\/p>\n

And waving his hand in gesture well known,
\nCrashed through a window just as if he was thrown;<\/p>\n

He sprang to his coach, toward his team the whip cracked,
\nAway they all galloped as if some injuns attacked.<\/p>\n

But we all heard him shout, as he started to go,
\n“Howdy, Pardner, all y’all, saddle up, wagons ho!”<\/p>\n

poem by Suzann Darnall<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Christmas, my child, is love in action.” \u00a0Dale Evans<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every year, come December there is magic in the air as we prepare for Christmas and the chance to celebrate Jesus’ birth. \u00a0After Mary and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6,7,16,4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backroads","category-christmas","category-santa-claus","category-texas-historical-site","category-texas-towns","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/country-christms.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1646"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1646\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1695,"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1646\/revisions\/1695"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusonthebackroads.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}