Saturday- re-exploring El Paso

My trek began looking for our old house in Clint.  Because of several pipe gates, I couldn't get very close, but could tell that lots of changes have occurred in the 30 or so years since we lived here. There was a crew picking up the hay bales in the foreground, our house is among the trees.  Can't tell much about it from here.

Next to check out the little apartment we lived in when we first married.  It's not there anymore and where it was is a large brick bldg behind  a large pipe gate.  Just down Alameda I should have found Clint High School, but it wasn't there.  The bldg is there (and larger), but it is labeled Clint Junior High School.   Hmmm!  Wonder where the High School is.  That's one of the first things I'll ask when I get to the Reunion tonite.  I did find the church we attended, Bond Methodist and it is right where I left it and there were no big pipe gates.  Clint was/and is/ a little town, but it has 2 Dollar stores.

Next on my memory lane  journey is Horizon City and Desert Hills Elementary School.  As I entered the southern part of Horizon, it didn't look as though much had changed, but the farther I drove north, the changes were astounding.  I had read about a "prison" being built out in the sand hills and I saw it,  But the farther up Horizon Blvd I went the stranger it looked.  Not only does Horizon have a WalMart, but there is a hospital!!  When I worked there, it was a bedroon community with very few businesses.  The population sign bragged about 5,000+ residents and any type of thing (food, service, etc) a town of that size would need is there and more.  Impressive.  The area has changed so much I drove right by the elementary school where I was principal without seeing it.  When it was built, the land was empty between the school and Horizon Blvd--- no longer.  I had to backtrack and finally found it.  Really looks well cared for.

Then I decided to try to find the first house we bought (for less than $10,000).  It looks so sad and unloved.  We had a huge tree in the front yard, flowers, hedges and a wonderful garden, but now it just looks sad.  I hesitated to stop and get out and take the picture.  I know if I saw a stranger taking a pic of my house, I would not be happy, so I took it from the drivers seat of Fred Ford.

The last house we lived in in El Paso has fared better-- It looks well taken care of although the huge palm in the front yard is gone.

After finding our houses, I headed to find Desert View Middle School where Nick was principal for many years.  I used the panorama function for this picture to include it all, but I really should have gotten a bit closer.  N says the parking lot is much bigger than he remembers.

My last project for looking around in El Paso was a pic of Eastwood High School being demolished, to be rebuilt.   When I got there, the demolition must have all been inside, cuz the interior seems to be intact. 

I headed back to the motel at this point to nap and have lunch.