I am sitting in my comfortable camp chair gazing at Mansfield dam

(Nov. 17, 2013)

I am sitting in my comfortable camp chair gazing at Mansfield dam. I can't help but remember the first time I saw this dam and compare it to today. It was 1968 and I had drive fro Alabama to Austin for a conducting workshop at the University of Texas. I had a free afternoon and decided to spend it exploring the area. I drove from the University out a wonderfully winding and scenic little two-lane road, Ranch Road 2222, which is  a major arterial today.  I came to an intersection with ranch road 620.  Not knowing anything about the area and having no particular agenda, I turned left on a whim.  It was a wonderful drive through land that was pretty much as God intended it to be. I saw quite a it of wildlife, in particular white-tailed deer.  At that time, deer were rare back in Alabama and I was thrilled to see so much wildlife.  It was that drive that convinced me to become a Texan.

Today, the dam is still the same, but the road that ran across the top has been blocked off.  Today a six-lane highway routes around below the dam.  Even sitting high above it, I can hear the constant sound of traffic. The area immediately below is now a scenic overlook of the dam.  The top of the hill is a semi developed picnic area. It would not be a bad spot to boondock for a night or so if I were visiting.  No water or restroom nearby but still a relatively quiet spot with a fair view.