Thursday Doors – Page 3 – That… Which Matters Most

Thursday Doors — Forgotten Doors

I knew I found a goldmine in the world of door photography when I tuned the corner in downtown Johnson City. I had just taken the pictures for Thursday Doors — The Trek Shop. The goldmine doors were in the building along the railroad track and have the look indicating that at some time, the good citizens of Johnson City tried to turn these buildings into storefront property. The dream faded, along with the doors, giving them the character and texture I love in old doors.

This is part of Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge. Check out his doors, and the doors of others as well.

These are the ones I enjoy the most.

Here are a few more…

Thursday Doors — The Corner Kitchen

I love a good Reuben. I first learned to eat Reubens when I was working at the German restaurant Alfred’s in Houston. It was more than just a restaurant. It had a delicatessen, small market with nothing but Kosher food, the restaurant, and a bar. I was 15 when I started working there as a bus boy.

For its day, the restaurant had quite the reputation. There was a theater near by and when the actors had a chance, they would come and dine at Alfred’s. I saw two celebrities while working there. As a busboy, Pernell Roberts ate there. Since I wasn’t a fan of Bonanza, I didn’t recognize him.

Some time later, when I moved over to work in the delicatessen, Jo Ann Worley of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In fame came through. She was bouncing around, saying hello to everyone while I was slicing corned beef and she asked what I was doing. “Slicing corned beef.” She asked for some. I gave it to her. She liked it. I’m sure my words still resonate in her memory to this day.

It was during this time that I was introduced to the Reuben. We were allowed to have one meal for lunch when we worked all day, and I had grown tired of their hamburgers. Someone suggested the Reuben, which was put in a broiler before served, so I gave it a shot. I’ve been hooked ever since.

When I saw that it was an option at the Corner Kitchen in Asheville, NC, that was my immediate choice. I had already had a great hamburger on our trip to Tennessee, so needed something different. It was worthy of the name Reuben. Heidi had corned-beef hash, and it too was delicious.

Just so happens that the Corner Kitchen also has a door worth sharing. So this post is a part of Dan’s Thursday Doors.

The Actual Door

Thursday Doors — The Trek Shop

Back when I was younger, and more foolish, I use to cycle for long hours in the Texas sun on the backroads around Wichita Falls, Tx. I loved cycling. There was something about being on the simple machine facing the elements of the the hills, the heat, and the wind. Of the three, the wind was far more of a challenge. The heat you can learn to live with. The hills were a challenge, but the wind? It was a never ending friction, more foe than friend. Most people don’t think about the wind in North Texas. They just think of the heat. But please realize, North Texas is right next to Oklahoma, where the wind comes whipping down the plains, blows into North Texas and drives us all mad. Dear Oklahoma, keep your wind.

So stepping into a Trek shop in Johnson City was a bit nostalgic. I love the smell of the tires, the look of the gears, the colors of the bikes, the dreams on two wheels. I also loved telling my stories of riding in the Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred the few times I did. That was a challenge. It would be neat to buy a new bike, and hit the road. But those days are over.

Enjoy the Trek Shop for Dan’s Thursday Doors.

Thursday Doors — The Alamo Club

The Alamo Club was another one of my discoveries down in the Lowest Greenville area of Dallas. It’s named after the famed battle in which Texans and Texians lost against the overly cruel Santa Anna and his forces in the war of Texas Independence. “Remember the Alamo” became a battle cry of those who won independence from the despot.

But given that it was 9 a.m., the Alamo Club was closed and I was unable to go inside and order anything. If I did, I think I would order a Macallan clean. I saw that ordered in a movie we recently watched, The God Committee, and I’m not sure what is meant by clean. So… I would put it to the test and see what came back.

Here are the doors. This post is part of Dan’s Thursday Doors, in which you will find some of the most interesting doors from all parts of the world if you follow the links in the comments section. It’s worth a perusal.

Thursday Doors — Lowest Greenville

Visited the Lowest Greenville area of Dallas recently. You can see my earlier post on our visit here.

This is part of the Thursday Doors Challenge from Dan’s No Facilities blog.

Thurdsay Doors — McGregor, TX Part 2

The following doors are from the trip with my boys to downtown McGregor, TX. McGregor has a lot of character for such a small town.

As a teaser, I have some pictures from the Lowest Greenville area in Dallas for the coming weeks.

This is part of the Thursday Doors Challenged hosted at Dan’s No Facilities Blog.

Thursday Doors — McGregor, TX

The only reason I wanted to go to McGregor, Tx is that I was told it had the best cigar lounge in the area. It does, and that will be a later post. But it also has a few interesting doors, and buildings.

I want to buy the purple building, the Samsler Building built in 1897, and turn it into loft apartments, or a really unique home. In its present use, it’s going to waste.

For more Thursday Doors, go to Dan’s site.

Thursday Doors — Randy’s Chicken Ranch

Coming off my umpteenth quarantine yesterday, I was going stir crazy so my lovely bride told me to take my camera and shoot some pictures to get out of the apartment. She even gave me the location of a cute pond out in Robinson, TX, for a photo op. I took the pics at the pond, and afterward, came across Randy’s Chicken Ranch.

I stopped just to take a picture of Randy’s well house in the front yard. He spotted me and asked what I was doing. After a quick introduction, he told me to come check out his chickens. I did. Along with the rest.

We talked and told stories for the next hour. He’s lived on that corner of the town for 43 years. I was envious.

Here is my latest Thursday Door’s, part of Dan’s Challenge.

Thursday Doors — April 15, 2021 My Favorite Doors

These are some of my favorite doors, not because they are special in design, but because they are the doors found on my father’s ranch home outside of Brenham, TX.

There are a lot of memories through these doors.

Check out other participants of Dan’s Thursday Doors by following the link.

Here are a few pictures of the house taken a few years ago. The white fence in the front has been removed.

Thursday Doors — April 8, 2021

The door is simple, white, and looks great with the rest of the house. The steps leading to the door are worthy of a second and third look. In fact, we could title this Thursday Doors, Thursday Steps, they are so well done

Part of Dan’s Thursday Doors challenge.

Thursday Doors — April 1, 2021 Balcones Distillery

For some time now, I’ve wanted to tour a distillery. But given that I don’t live in Tennessee, the odds were slim that I would. Then I found out that Waco actually has its very own distillery: Balcones Distillery.

I didn’t actually get a chance to tour the distillery, but I did go in and take some pictures. Molly, the receptionist and part-time tour guide, told me that the process that they use to make the whiskey, is the same way the Scottish do it in making Scotch. The difference between Scotch and Bourbon, besides the fact the Scotch has to be made in Scotland, and Bourbon has to be made in Tennessee, is that with Scotch, the liquids pass through a filter with the ingredients in it, much like a coffee filter. The liquid for Bourbon actually has the ingredients sitting in during the brewing process. Therefore, what is produced at Balcones is more like Scotch than Bourbon.

That is music to my ears, since I like Scotch more than I like Bourbon.

Here is my late entry for Thursday Doors. There are several doors below. And don’t worry, I plan on more posts of the Balcones Distillery.

Thursday Doors — March 25, 2021

I found these doors, or gates, across the street from my previous post of the missing school house doors. The vivid color of the gate jumped out at me. I was hoping the doors of the house itself would also provide something to look at, but the gate kept me from getting close enough.

This post is a part of the Thursday Doors Challenge at Dan’s blog, No Facilities.

Thursday “Missing” Doors — March 18, 2021

Sanger Avenue Grade School

1930

I’m always a bit nervous when I hop in the car with my camera. I think this is why I take my boys with me. I like to have them along for the ride, and for the extra set of eyes. It was no surprise that we all saw these doors, or lack of doors at the same time. How could you miss it? There, on one end of an empty field, was the remains of an entry way to some kind of building. I had to stop and take pictures. It was perfect for Thursday Doors, only, it’s more of a case of Thursday Missing Doors, since the doors were gone, and all that still stands is an entry way.

That is all there was for the Sanger Avenue Grade School. There has to be a story. Without looking, I imagined the school was built by the WPA during the depression, and didn’t wear well. I’m sure it had plumbing that didn’t last, walls full of asbestos, a heating system that was dangerous, along with a complete lack of air conditioning. I can remember days during the 1960s when I sat in a school room without air conditioning, so it’s hard to imagine this one had any at all. In central Texas, that can mean long, drowsy days, with a lot of unproductive learning sessions. Kind of like our Covid days now.

But the door itself is a bit misleading. According to a history page for Waco, the school was actually built in 1904. There were renovations in 1930, which led to the only lasting remnant for the building. There were plans to turn it into something worthy of the building until money ran short, and arsonists hit in 2008. Even then, the building stood for a few more years. It was bulldozed in 2010. Sad. You can read the history here.

I’m glad I find the courage to go looking for things. It was neat to discover something so filled with history and mystery, and sad to think of its demise. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Joey asking, “where is the rest of the building?”

Thursday Doors — March 11, 2021

Our local Veteran’s Administration building with all the flags waving in the breeze. I drive past the place almost every day on my way to work. Driving around with my boys, I finally decided to stop. There are a lot of flags.

This is part of Dan’s Thursday Doors challenge.

Thursday Doors — March 4, 2021

I took these pictures for Dan’s Thursday Doors competition and have been reluctant to use them. I don’t like the building. When I pulled over to take pictures of it, I thought it might be interesting. But I don’t like it.

Still, wanting to add something to the mix, here is my entry for the day, an abandoned building with a caboose sticking out of the end of it.

Thursday Doors — February 25, 2021

Hi There! I couldn’t pass this one up. I saw it, backed up, got out of my car and took the picture. It’s in a part of town that I would not have been surprised if they came out with a shotgun to ask what I was doing. I would have responded: “Saying Hi back at you!”

This is a part of Dan’s Thursday Doors. Enjoy.