Community

"Community" is made up of many elements, including the places and events that make an area unique. Here are a few of the areas and goings-on that make this part of the world a special place to live and work.
The Tyler Rose Garden The soil here is particularly suited for roses, and the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest with over 38,000 bushes and 500 varieties on 14 acres. Tyler is known as the Rose Capital of America, and for good reason. There is a museum which features gowns and paraphernalia from Rose Festivals past, and here is a slide show of just some of the many roses to be found there.
Tyler Race For The Cure RE/MAX Tyler is proud to be a sponsor of the Race for the cure, where RE/MAX agents hand out pink roses to the survivors. This year the race took place on May 7th and as usual the turnout was big. We enjoyed meeting so many survivors and their families. Photos from the race can be seen here.
Athens Old Fiddlers' Contest Since 1932, fiddlers from all over have gathered in Athens, Texas to show off their playing and compete for cash money on the last Friday in May. Since 1934 the event has been held on the Henderson County Courthouse Square. It is a great place to see hear good music, eat corny dogs, and mingle with East Texans. If you'd like to get a feeling for the event, click on the photo at right and see some of the scenes from the event.
Scout Day Camp Both of our boys have been active in the Scouting program and I have been a Den Mother in both Dallas and Tyler. Volunteering for the Scout Day Camp is a big commitment in time, but the pay-off is bigger. Here is a slide show which features highlights from the Camp at Tyler Junior College. As you will see, the first couple of days were very, very wet, but we persevered!
Four Winds Faire OK, so you missed it this year. There's sure to be a twelfth installment and you owe it to your family to take them out there and share this happening. Ever wonder what it would be like to eat a steak on a stick? Or to watch sword-fighting up-close and personal? Or to see a flock of belly-dancers in all shapes and sizes strut their stuff? How about jousting...ever see two grown men go at each other on horseback with lances? No, we didn't expect you had. So come next spring go ahead, gas up the van, slather the young Ouns with suntan lotion and come on down to step back in time for a day. You won't see anything else like this in the next four counties, we promise. Meanwhile, here¹s just a taste of the good time we had down there off the Troup Highway in Tyler's own little Camelot at the Four Winds Faire (to view our slide show, double-click on the photo at right).
HGTV Dream Home In Our Town East Texas was in the national spotlight ; HGTV's largest dream home ever (over 5,000 sq ft of living area) was constructed on Lake Tyler and made its debut January 2005 on the popular TV program. Built to take advantage of the lake breezes, this home features operable windows to allow for maximum cross-ventilation. It also incorporates several Tex-centric features, including a simple metal roof, large overhangs, natural stone, and lots of space to sit outside. You can follow us along on our tour yourself by double-clicking on our photo at right (shot from the boathouse).
Holt House "Fall Back" Fashion Show Tyler is becoming well-known as a retirement area, and for our senior citizens we have the Tyler Senior Center and The Holt House. The latter is located in Tyler's "Brick Streets" area in an ante-bellum style home with a porch on the front on south sides where seniors can meet for games (my mother plays bridge and 42 there) and lunch. On Wednesday, October 12th, Andrea, Angie and I attended for lunch and the "Fall Back" fashion show. By clicking this link, or the photo at right, you can view a slide show of the event featuring some of my snapshots.
The Brushy Memorial/Reunion The Lynches and Neals have been in East Texas since the 1850's, and many of them are buried in Brushy Cemetery in Leon County, about ninety miles southwest of Tyler. For years, Larry has chronicled the annual memorials, which are held the fourth Sunday in June, and maintained a "Brushy Book". The book can be downloaded here. It is a large file which opens with Adobe Reader, a free utility which is available online. The latest memorial is also remembered here, with a slideshow which will open by double-clicking the photo opposite.