I am sitting in my comfortable camp chair gazing...

(October or November of 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 driven from Huntsville, 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 scenic little two-lane winding road, Ranch Road 2222.  Today 2222 is a major arterial with heavy traffic. 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 bit of wildlife, in particular white-tailed deer. At that time, deer were fairly rare back in Alabama and so 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. Now a six-lane highway routes traffic around and 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.



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