Welcome to my Neighborhood

Kathleen Marie at The Open Window is sponsoring a blogging adventure called Welcome to My Neighborhood. So without further adieu I welcome you, not to my town of Mineral Wells, Texas, but to my neighborhood on "mortgage hill" in the northwest section of town, the oldest gentrified neighborhood in our town:
First step out on our back deck. Even though fall is in the air, the trees are still full of leaves.

And the crepe myrtles are still a riot of color. Oh, shhhh...Raf's out in his workshop making a frame for him photo.Here's a peek at the front of our house and the house to the north.And a straight-on view looking east. BTW, if you even thought Texas was a vast desert...look again!
This is looking north down our street.
And this is the house to the south of our home.
This is Brenda and Ray's house...across the street.
Now for some more homes in the neighborhood. Most of the homes were built in the 1950's and earlier. Our county is celebrating 150 years this year.
I love this house...it used to be lacquered when I was a teenager, but they've let it go, and it still looks real nice. Used to look like water was always running down it's front.
This is around the corner to the east of our house.
This is the main ranch house for the Upham Ranch. It's right down the street from us, but the ranch in straight down a steep hill. Actually there is another big house on the ranch now, owned by the son. These folks own the Loveland Ski Resport in Colorado, and Mr. Upham used to be state Republican chairman.
This house is northwest of our house and across the street.
I love this one. It used to have a big old fountain in front, but the new owners took it down.
This is our church, St. Luke's. After the first of the year, hopefully, we will be Anglican...NOT Episcopalian...when our diocese leaves The Episcopal Church!
This house used to have huge prickly pear cactus in front. When the old people died, someone came in and is really fixing it up. Beautiful arts and crafts period home.
This one is Mediterranean-style.
This is the only house in town with an elevator....don't know if it still works, but it's a neat old house in need of lots of repair!

Hope you've enjoyed our little neighborhood. This is home. We have many friends who have sold out and are traveling full-time in their RVs and trailers. Not us! We like a small piece of real estate we can always return to!

See ya!