Old Alton Bridge

I finally got to go see Old Alton Bridge earlier this week.


This bridge has quite a history, the most well known part of it is the Legend of the Goatman. But something I didn't know about Old Alton Bridge is that it once connected a town called Alton to Lewisville. This town, Alton, was named the County Seat of Denton County in 1848, but it wasn't long before residents of Denton County wanted a county seat that was much more centrally located. (Old) Alton Bridge was constructed in 1884 and crosses Hickory Creek.

 This single lane bridge was in constant public use until right around 2001 when a new concrete-and-steel bridge was used to to straighten out an awkward turn in (Old) Alton Road.
 
This bridge was under constant public use for right around 117 years; during the Great Depression, both World Wars, and the Gulf War.  The old through truss architecture is amazing and the red color of the bridge is striking.

Old bridges such as this one are truly remarkable. I am hoping to get a chance to visit some of the other bridges in Denton County that bear resemblance to this bridge.

The Butterflies

I went to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens last Friday to see the Butterfly Exhibit. I saw some very unique butterflies from all over the world. A friend went with me and we both took photos.
Butterflies are amazing creatures, they are graceful in their movements
 and have some of the most vibrant colors!
There were very few with this coloring. This one almost blended in with the leaf on which it rested. Its bright green color reminded me of an emerald, one of my favorite gemstones.

The kids there were enamored with holding them. I saw one group of girls who found a patient one that let them  all hold it. While the kids were trying to catch them, most of the adults were just as excited to see them; myself included.

The butterflies knew they were the stars of the show. One group inparticular caught my interest; they were bright blue. I couldn't get a shot of one with it's wings open, this one stared me down for a few minutes allowing me to photograph him and notice that it had bumps on the underside of its wings. A very interesting find.

Last weekend marked the end of the Butterfly Exhibit at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. I am looking forward to going next year and seeing more of these beautiful creatures!