Sunday, March 2, 2014

March 2, 2014---Stephenville, Texas


When we got up this morning the Honda was covered with ice.  It was 23°, with a strong wind blowing.  We decided it wouldn’t be wise to get on the road for the Dallas area as planned.

We moved the motorhome from the Walmart parking lot to the City Campground.  We have stayed there on previous visits.  We needed 50 amp service so the water lines wouldn’t freeze.  We parked next to another Country Coach also seeking refuge from the storm.

Billy and Betty came at noon to take us to dinner.  Billy is very stubborn to deal with.  He insisted on paying for our meal.  I thought about smacking him when we were at the cash register, but I didn’t want to get arrested for assault on a “local.”

The place we went to was called Hard Eight Pit BBQ.  Unusual name, eh?  It stands for eight antler points on a deer.  According to Billy, who may be difficult to deal with sometime, but is always truthful, the owners of the place also own a “game hunting ranch.”

Enough of the “history lesson.”  Hard Eight Pit BBQ is as unusual as its name.  You enter the place going past their huge covered outdoor cooking area.  All the meat is on the grill and you order what you want.  It is served right there, on a tray covered with a waxed-paper-like sheet.  In the dining room there is a place to get pinto beans, all you want with the price of the meat, plus soda or tea.  Other options, like salad, dessert, etc. are extra. 

The eating area is made up on long plank tables, some high and some low, depending of the height of the wooden stools.  There were no individual tables.  One of the most unusual aspects of the place is the bread...not rolls, but sliced white bread you take out of the package sitting on the table.  If your table doesn’t have a loaf of bread, you get one off another table.  

And remember, this is Texas.  Most of the men, and some of the women, were wearing cowboy hats.  And on the TVs around the room, what else...a program featuring bronc riding.  Ty Murray, nine time World Champion bull rider, was one of the announcers.  He has long been my favorite rodeo performer, who graduated from Tarlton State here, and also happens to live on a ranch near Stephenville.  More local history!

We spent the rest of the day napping, and staying in out of the cold wind and snow.  At 11:00 tonight, it was 19°.  Br-r-r-r-r!

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