To the Bat Tower

Have you taken time out of your day to think about how to cure HIV, or feed the world? Many of us never give those subjects thought, because we simply feel that they are far beyond our area of influence. We take the passive position by only supporting verbally, but hardly ever do we contribute our ideas on how to solve the issue. Dr. Campbell did not agree with this popular train of thought, so he decided to make a difference. He found a problem (malaria carrying Anopheles mosquitoes), thought of a solution (mosquito eating free-tailed bats), and acted on his idea (by building bat towers).

In 1902, Dr. Charles Campbell launched his first prototype, the bat box. He constructed boxes of various sizes that he thought would be appropriate for bats to make a temporary home in. He covered the inside of these boxes with cheese cloths that were saturated with bat guano. Then he went out and placed these boxes out in various locations such as under bridges, in old warehouses, and even some barns. Due to the small size of the constructs, and there proximity to the ground (on the ground); they were not ideal for Dr. Campbell’s freaky, fury, flying friends. It was a good thing that Campbell was a determined man who would not back down from a challenge, and would learn from his mistakes. He immediately started to work on a new design, the bat tower.

The original design for the bat tower would remain pretty much the same throughout Dr. Charles Campbell’s experimental stage. In 1909, Campbell would eventually spend five hundred dollars of his own money to build the first prototype of the bat tower on the United States Experiment Farm near San Antonio, Texas. In its entirety the tower stood thirty feet. Campbell designed a stilt system that would raise the box ten feet off the ground, and give room for a hopper system that was invented for the sole purpose of harvesting the guano. The guano was later sold as fertilizer. The towers central core spanned a height of twenty feet with a base width of twelve feet, and a point width of six feet. This entire construct was covered from within by slanted shelves that served the purpose of guiding the bat guano to the hopper. The tower seemed to be designed well, but Campbell decided to make some improvements. In 1910 there was still no sign of bats coming to nest in the tower, all that seemed to take interest in the tall oddity were exotic house sparrows. So that same year Campbell tore down his bat tower and sold it for parts, but this hard headed doc was not conquered so easily by failure. After this last incident, Dr. Charles Campbell decided to quite his practice, and leave the medical field behind for his new found love, malaria curing bats. The good doctor would never go back on his decision. He recommenced his research on natural bat habitats in order to find out what were the potential problems with his towers. After searching and comparing the caves around the area, he started to see the essential differences between the ones that were inhabited by bats and the ones that were not. Now he had what he needed and he gathered himself for one more run, which would eventually lead to “gold”.

In 1911, Campbell had become aware that the major flaw in his design was location. He needed a place that would be suitable for the bats to feed in. The bats not only needed a good home, but an adequate surrounding as well. So after some searching he came across Mitchell Lake, which was the perfect place for his next bat tower. That April, Campbell erected the first successful bat tower by Mitchell lake. Within three months the tower had already attracted many free-tailed bats. As their numbers grew the count became impossible to keep up with. At one point, they were estimated to range in the hundreds of thousands. The guano collected from all these bats weighed in at four thousand five hundred pounds. Royalty checks for the sale of the guano were still being collected by Campbell’s heirs for some time after his death in 1931. The freaky, flying flock of fury, little mammals were a spectacle of wonder, and a “must see” for the surrounding community. Space had to be made for all of the spectators. They would come watch the bats fly from their tower and into the night, off to the hunt.

Campbell’s idea spread throughout the world, and this humble doctor’s name became well known among certain circles. Hundreds of these towers were built around the United States and the world, but only three remain. One is located on the land of a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas, Albert Steves’ who has passed on, but his descendents still keep the tower functional. The other is located on private property as well, but it has been neglected, and most likely will not last much longer as it presently stands, in Orange Texas. Lastly, the final tower (and the only one open to the public) stands in Sugarloaf Key, Florida, which was built to for R.C. Perky back in 1929.

Even though what Dr. Campbell did was very noble the question still remains, “Did it work”? Some bat experts do not think so because of the fact that only two percent of the Mexican free-tailed bat’s diet is made up of mosquitoes, but Dr. Campbell never did stated that his methods were to be the sole recipients of credit for the eradication of malaria. They were simply contributors, which were also a form of income. Also this was a form of biological pest control, which is an environmentally friendly way to counter act the effects of overpopulation of a disease infested pest. Even if it can be argued that they were not completely responsible for the triumphant end to this historical account; it is very important to remember that it was the initiative taken by this man to make a difference that is to be remembered. Plus, it is a known fact that bats are very optimistic eaters, and that if given the chance who is to say that they wouldn’t devour a whole horde of mosquitoes. -1060 words

Murphy, Mari, “A Campbell Bat Tower Restoration Project in Texas”, 1989

http://www.batcon.org/batsmag/v7n2-6.html

© Bat Conservation International, Inc., 1997. Absolutely no rights of distribution by sale or other transfer of ownership or by rental, lease or lending, preparation of derivitive works, or reproduction, in whole or in part, is granted. No text, graphics or photos may be downloaded and used on another Internet site, without express permission of BCI. For information on obtaining photo useage and rights, please contact our Visual Resources Dept. BCI reserves the rights to actively protect against infringement.

Kiser, Mark, “Dr. Charles Campbell: Bat Tower Pioneer”, 2002

http://www.batcon.org/bhresearcher/bv10n1-04.html

Bat Conservation International, Inc., 2002. Absolutely no rights of distribution by sale or other transfer of ownership or by rental, lease or lending, preparation of derivitive works, or reproduction, in whole or in part, is granted. No text, graphics or photos may be downloaded and used on another Internet site, without express permission of BCI. For information on obtaining photo useage and rights, please see our contact page. BCI reserves the rights to actively protect against infringement.

SCIENCE HOTSPOTS, “Batman” http://www.scienceyear.com/sciteach/hotspots/pdf/hotspots_texas_bats.pdf

Conjunto

Conjunto music is a fusion both historically and musically. Its musical roots are found in European styles as well as Mexican styles, and the history of the people who listen to it is spread across the border between the United States and Mexico. They are both American and Mexican, and so is their music. These people are called Tejanos, and their music is called conjunto. They were both born in the land of Texas. They are part of the cultural makeup of the state and its colorful history.

This music is different from other genres in terms of its listening base, because those who listen to it are Americans who speak Spanish. They were originally farm workers and immigrants, but now they are working class and above. Conjunto has evolved to meet the standard of the modern age, but there still is a stem of Conjunto that stays true to its roots. This is the very characteristic that has helped preserve Conjunto, and the accordion is the heart and sole of this music. Conjunto has risen in status throughout its existence do to its adaptability, but it has remained alive, thanks to its originality. I was very surprised to learn that Conjunto is native to Texas. I had always been under the impression that it was from Mexico.

The consistent fan base is very important to any music industry. The loyal followers of Conjunto are to be credited more then any other contributor. They have remained faithful for all of these years, and continue to love the art in its original form. Even though it has had its triumphs and defeats, Conjunto will always live on in the heart of its people. -284 words

3D Walks & Crosses

I chose sculptures because of the tangibility that they possess. They are false representation in a factual world. These works of art are three-dimensional like our world, but non-living unlike us. A sculpture is a form in which dimension can take life, no longer bound by the frame and canvass. I chose sculptures simply because they are more emotionally accessible.

The first sculpture I would like to examine is of a series of metal squares which are suspended by small beams that link them one to another. They rise above the water of a pond and rotate in a free range of motion. Every which way they turn the light dances off of their metallic faces. Their lack of coherency was both chaotic and relaxing. The artist utilized the color factor greatly to enhance the sculptures life. The silver tint was just the right shade. It was not to mirror-like, and neither was it to dull.

Line was even evident in the artist conceptive mind when he created such an exquisite piece. The squares have all been pressed over with a metallic brush which has given them a beautiful swirl effect. It also served the purpose of dulling the mirror-like surface. This particular piece also had a definite shape. Obviously it was a square which seemed to give it the appearance of stepping stones suspended in the air. I was very intrigued by this as well as a little tempted to run on them to get across the pond.

The metal squares also required an immense balance system. Each individual square had to weigh the exact same amount. Balance was much needed, thus bringing Symmetry. This aspect of symmetry did help to give a chaotic piece of art a very orderly existence. Lastly rhythm was king. Rhythm was literally at work, giving the piece life. It was like a spring shower’s song lightly dancing along.

My second sculpture is a cross which has more than four directions. This multifaceted piece of art is breath taking to gaze upon. The sheer gargantuan size of this monolith is dumbfounding. Standing about fifteen feet tall, it is utterly incapable of being ignored. The substance of which the cross is constructed is most definitely metal, just as were the squares. Immoveable it stands as a beacon in the sea of grass that surrounds it.

Black was the color that the artist chose for his work. It is an excellent color for adsorbing light. This choice in color made it draw on the light and life around it, causing all the attention to be gravitated as well. Shape was still very evident in this piece as well, due to the fact that this was assembled from blocks. Strangely enough, this makes me come to the conclusion that this must have been assembled by a giant child playing with his Lego set. Because of the titanic weight of the piece and the fact that it was being balanced on one block; the piece required precise balance. Symmetry once again followed suit and fell into line. This served to give the piece a more commanding and respectable presence. Finally, rhythm played a part, and gave its low blown bass note to grant the three-dimensional black block cross its existence.

Overall, both pieces were exquisite and marvelous. Each one presented its own questions to ponder. Both triggered memories and associated themselves with other objects. All that is required of art is to make you think, and these sculptures did just that!

Mr. Fat Head

The stone head featured in this picture is of Mayan design. It is located in a park across from La Vita and nearly under the Hemisphere Tower. These locations are all in downtown San Antonio, where art is always on display.

Color is a very defining feature in art, and is often used to give special effect. The colors used on the Mayan head are those of the natural stone. These colors serve to give it the look of ancients. To the naked eye it looks as if it has been sitting there for hundreds of years.

Shape or form of an object may contribute to the purpose or feeling of the piece of art. In the case of the Mayan head, form is most definitely utilized to give it some purpose. The obvious form is a man’s head and the purpose is to commemorate. These huge heads were once carved and erected to commemorate important and notable Mayan people.

Balance is painfully evident in this piece of art because if it were not the head would simply topple over. This sculpture has a wide top, thus requiring a wide bottom to securely support the load. Mayan head is a very steady piece that has been created wide from the top to the bottom and everything in between. He is built from a rock, like a rock.

There are some pieces that are purposefully created without symmetry and they are titled asymmetrical, but “Mr. Fat Head” is not so. He is imperfectly symmetrical. All that was carried out to one side of the face has been carefully correlated on the other. It is not atomically accurate, but it will do. He is certainly more symmetrical than most of us.

-292 words

The Blue Oh

The article Rip Van River coupled with my visit to The Blue Hole, have served to give me a new perspective on the San Antonio River’s place of origin. Located on the campus of the University of Incarnate Word, this beautiful natural flowing spring has given its life blood to the communities of San Antonio for centuries. The Blue Hole is both powerful and majestic. San Antonio is truly blessed to receive its services.

Back in the nineteenth century The Blue Hole was praised by men like Sidney Lanier and Alex E. Sweet for being a well-spring of life whose waters were constantly being born anew. Sadly, as time went on (around the 1950s) the head waters would go into a deep sleep that would devastate the agricultural community in the area. Over time the inhabitants of the land came to the realization that the headwaters often napped. They would come and go with the change in the aquifers water level. This characteristic of the spring gave it the name “Sleeping Beauty” and “Rip Van River.”

As time went on The Blue Hole grew in renown and the land around it began to change owners. One of these “savvy” owners was a man by the name of George Washington Brackenridge. He had fallen in love with the enchanting cradle of life, and also desired to exploit it for its precious natural resource. Brackenridge quickly founded the San Antonio Water Works and began to cash in on his new treasure trove. Almost instinctively The Blue Hole began to shut its mouth and the water ceased to flow out. Then Bracken, sensing defeat reluctantly, sold the land to the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. This was the first step taken down the road of that would lead to the eventual construction of the University of the Incarnate Word.

Near the closing of 1991 “Sleeping Beauty” awoke out of her slumber as if she was kissed by her prince, and by 1992 was running though the fields. In June the Edwards Aquifer surged to an all time high of 703 feet above sea level. The San Antonio River overstepped its boundaries throughout its course, but it was still a welcomed change. Since then it has been up and down, but we have all grown to love its peculiar little quirks.

This weekend I was fortunate enough to visit The Blue Hole in person. I was blown away by its natural beauty. Never have I had the opportunity to visit the birth place of my SA River which I love so much. My adventure started when I arrived on campus looking for the fable “Blue Hole”. I promptly asked one of the students to direct me to the Blue Hole, but sadly he new nothing of it. Instead of being discouraged I searched out the visitor’s center and acquired the directions I needed. As I was following the direction I encountered some more challenges in finding its exact location, and almost as if an answer to prayer I was approached by an elderly nun. She quickly directed me to the site and even came by later to give me additional information on The Blue Hole. I was both captivated and spellbound by its beauty and chant. I will most definitely be returning.
554-words

Push-Over Plans

The presentation by Elisabeth Earnley of the AGUA association was very enlightening and informative. The information was pertaining to the process which SAWS uses to pass ordinances. It continued with the fact that many unhealthy plans are accepted on the bases of grandfathering. Lastly, the city government has also made itself inaccessible to most of the public.
As the information was presented to us, it became more and more apparent that SAWS was not willing to put in the necessary hours to carefully oversee the plans that were being purposed to them. Numerous plans are submitted to this board daily and few get the attention deserved. Many unrefined plans are set into motion with little opposition from the SAWS board.
Another advantage that these inadequate plans have in their favor is the grandfathering rule. This rule exempts the user from ever having to abide by any ordinances passed after the purposed grandfathering. The loop whole is even more potent when you take into account the fact that San Antonio had hardly any environmental ordinances in place prior to the 1950s. This has spelled disaster many times over.
City Government has changed its meeting time from the evening to the morning. This executive decision has made it virtually impossible for those with jobs to attend. Many of the people of San Antonio are working from the hours of 8am to 4pm and are not able to be present at the morning meetings. These obstacles have muffled out the voice of the people and have left all of the decision making to the higher echelons of society. Where is the justice in that?

Dennis Weaver

Professor Ornelas

Humanities 1301

17 October 2007

Good Hood

In this writing assignment I have been asked to give a general description of where I live. I will explore various topics that serve in providing you with an adequate mental picture of where I call home. The ones I have chosen are: what the general location is in the city, what the socio-economic status is, what the major features are, what the weaknesses and strengths might be, where I work and study in relation to where I live, where I spend my recreational time, and lastly what kind of association do I claim with my neighborhood.

My “HOOD” is on the south side of San Antonio. San Antonio is on the south side of Texas, which is on the south side of the United States. I am a true “south sider”. Its bordering streets are Pleasanton road (to its west), East Ansley (to its north), and East Ashley (to its south). As for its east border, there is no distinct street. All that exist east of my neighborhood is a heavily wooded area. The name of my hood is not relevant simply because it has no name. It is a collection of about three streets which are alienated from there peers. Due to this setting, neighbors seem to only associate with those on there street and don’t tend to wonder very far. Overall the general location of my hood is within highway 410. We are only about a quarter of a mile from this main highway.

The socio-economic status of my hood is working class. Our homes are quite modest, but very well maintained. The houses are all about thirty to forty years of age and are in good condition. Since many of the people who live there are “working class citizens”, they seem to be more prone to working with their own two hands. It is not uncommon to see someone outside working on renovating their home or improving their lawn. Those who live in this neighborhood are often middle aged people, but recently there has been a sudden surge in younger newly wed couples moving in. The elderly couples who once lived there are either moving out to a better side of town, or passing on to the next life. Even now there still are some retired couples who still reside in the neighborhood, and they are mostly well educated individuals. They are unlike their younger replacements that seem to be lacking in that area. As for the racial make-up of the group, it is largely Hispanic.

There are not many distinctive establishments in my neighborhood, but we have a few important ones. Goodwill has a large establishment to the north of my hood. It is a full service station that functions as a store, donation zone, and refurbishing site. To the west developers are building a bank, which hopefully will not bring in to much development. The choice of location is quite strange, but I assume that they are trying to expand the city southward. South of my neighborhood there is a thirty foot storm drain, which has only overflowed once. That was truly a frightening day during the flood of nineteen-ninety-eight. Thankfully, the water never did reach past our back fence line. East of my neighborhood there is a densely vegetated field which separates us from the other neighborhoods. It has only been cut and cleared about four times in the past sixteen years.

All neighborhoods have weaknesses and strengths, and mine is no exception. We are about four and a half away from the nearest quality grocery store (H-E-B), and only a mile away from Handy-Andy. South Park Mall is about ten miles away and the Mayan Palace Movie Theater is only eight miles. We are a mile from McCollum High School, Kingsborough Middle School, and Carroll Bell Elementary School. My barber shop, Anna Maria’s Salon is two miles from my home. Even with all these institutions close by, we are just far enough out of the way that we do not have any trouble. There are no problems with gangs in my neighborhood, and most people are very respectful. These are all strengths of my hood, but there are a few weaknesses. We do have some moderately sharp bends in our roads. This factor ties into the next problem which is speeding drivers. They like to race through our streets late at night and have impacted with cars parked on the side of the road. Most importantly it is a wonderful place to live.

I live about four miles from Palo Alto College where I am presently enrolled. It only takes me about seven minutes to drive from my home to school. I also work on campus so I do not have to worry about spending money on additional gas. Most of my recreational time is spent downtown which is seven miles away, and my church which is located about twelve miles from my home. I am hardly home, but when I finally have time to slow down, I enjoy the peace and quiet. I have lived there all my life, and will not be moving out until I transfer to the University of Texas in Austin. I hope my parents never sell the house, but if they do I will most likely buy it from them. Over time I have come to appreciate the safe environment in which I live. Home will always be where my heart is, but I think we should always hold on to a rare find.

Dennis Weaver

Professor Ornelas

Humanities 1301

01 October 2007

The Alamo on Broadway

The movie, “The Alamo”, is an entertaining old westerner, which like most movies of its time is rife with inaccuracy. From beginning to end the movie runs an exiting course. Anglo settlers, Mexican forces, and Tejanos are all poorly and unequally represented in this movie.

Anglo settlers are presented as the backbone of the resistance. All the work that was done to fortify the Alamo mission (in this movie) was done by Anglos, but history shows us that Tejanos were also there. Anglos are also portrayed as an irresistible force that sweeps in and takes all the Tejano women by storm. The men continually call them “mamacita”, and parade them around the dance floor. In this film they speak only of the Anglos who wanted a republic, but they fall short of naming any Tejanos (like Navarro) who also wanted independence. They are only referred to as “others”. Anglo men are also shown to be much stronger than the average Tejano for hire, when Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie beat up about six of them. The Anglos were merely stronger.

Mexican forces are described as ruthless and blood thirsty. They are being led by a tyrant who is named General Santa Anna. This man was known for his brutality. Santa Anna’s army is shown marching through the Texas plains in massive numbers. The lines of troops seem to go on forever. As they enter into San Antonio all the residents run for cover, and anyone of them that didn’t make it was captured. In the film they also show a Tejano being striped of his shirt by the Mexican army because they needed a white flag. Another curiosity is that they depict the Mexican army as one that all Tejanos feared, but in all reality some actually supported Santa Anna. In the end of the film the Mexican army finishes its extermination of the small rebel force which inhabited the Alamo.

In the opening scene of the 1960’s Alamo movie, there is a short text that is presented for the audience to read. This text explains how all the residents of Texas were Mexican citizens, and also how they had come from all parts of the United States and the world. The native Tejanos were never even mentioned in this quote. It was as if they never existed. A couple scenes later into the movie there is a building in the back ground as General Houston rides in with his men. The title on this building is “El Texan” instead of “El Tejano”. How is someone going to tell the difference between Texan and Tejano?

Another interesting fact is that when Sam Houston enters the headquarters he addresses a man who seems to be a “Tejano”, but quickly turns to discuss the important business with his fellow Anglos. After a moment he jesters to the Tejano and calls him a good friend, but hurriedly alternates back to his original audience. There is no input from them, but later on Seguin is brought into the story. He too is dismissed in a rude way, and then Travis’ actions are justified. The Tejano women are later portrayed as bar wenches who wait around for a good “Tennessee Man” to come and dance with them. Eventually, the men are also portrayed as buyable, when a merchant simply hires six Tejanos to assault Davy Crocket. Lastly, while the battle of the Alamo raged on, the Tejanos simply hid.

Even with all the inaccuracies, this film is quite entertaining and enjoyable. If ever I want to learn about the Alamo, I would prefer the library over this production. I guess all we can really say is that it was still just a movie. -631 words

The Alamo

My trip to the Alamo was both exciting and enlightening. I was able to glean quite a bit of information from the new historical photo-wall that has been set up. Paintings have also been added to the exhibit. Sadly, I did find some bias in that they did not delve into the fact that Texas was initially rebelling against its mother country. The Alamo was the pinnacle of a movement that had started long before. There were some excellent reasons for the independence movement, but they did not even mention the negative side.

In the Alamo exhibit there are heroes like Stephen F. Austin and Jose Antonio Navarro, who are portrayed as the blameless leaders who only wanted to bring more people to Texas. The murals show a prestigious Austin who is brave and honorable, but it does not tell of the darker side to his motives. It is a well known fact that Austin had intended to make money off of the endeavor. One of the main reasons for this war was because Texans wanted to retain their rights to own slaves, which had been ruled inhuman by the Mexican government. Instead the wall only refers to the fact that many feared the fact that Santa Anna had liquidated the Mexican constitution and was planning to create a dictatorship.

These facts are all accurate, but again only one side has been presented. Austin and Navarro had money on the mind and were willing to do anything to get it. They even went as far as drawing up contracts for each one of their slaves then forcing them to sign. All this was done in order to circumvent the Mexican governments ruling. These contracts were two sided agreements in which one side had no say in the matter, and simply signed ninety-nine years of his/her life away. Again, I state that both sides of the story have not been covered, and probably will never be. There will always be a bias! -333 words

Damn the Blessing

Mission Espada is an exceedingly beautiful landmark of San Antonio. Its importance has been noted by the National Parks Association and it is now under their jurisdiction and care. One thing that makes Espada of greater value than its counter parts is the dam/aqueduct. The aqueduct is the oldest in the United States. This structure was of great importance to the mission’s survival; in the present it is a lasting monument to a successful merging of cultures, and lastly a common ground to the surrounding community.

Back in 1731, Mission Espada was relocated to the flat plan lands now known as San Antonio. A major reason for this relocation was the San Antonio River which snaked its way through the landscape. This peaceful, steady flowing river made capturing water much more convenient. Once the Spanish had settled in they began to build acequias in order to divert water from the river. These man made channels served there purpose well and water was now readily accessible, but the true marvel of ingenuity was still to come. The “Aqueduct” was by far the most impressive accomplishment of the Spanish while settling the land. Not only was the water now being channeled, but it was being controlled. Even the purity of the water was significantly increased. Life had just become a whole lot better for the Spanish and the indigenous population on whose backs the aqueduct had been erected.

The aqueduct was so well constructed that it has withstood the test of time. For over two-hundred and seventy-six years the aqueduct has continued to carry this liquid gold we call water. While the land around the missions seems somewhat arid and dry, the water donated by this aqueduct has fed the vegetation around it and created a lush paradise. This landmark also serves as a tourist destination. It is responsible for helping maintain the steady flow of foreigners who trickle in our little slice of heaven looking for adventure. Occasionally even the wildlife will tack advantage of the aqueduct and dam when they have the urge to bathe and hydrate.

Throughout my life Mission Espada has been a common ground for my father and me. I have many memories of enchanting times spent playing at the mission. When I was about nine years old, my father used to take me to the dam and tell me its history. My mind would run wild with thoughts of what life must have been like when the aqueduct was the main source of water. Even as I grew older I constantly returned to the mission, never forgetting its importance. I even was able to capture some of its beauty in photographs which I entered into state competitions. Needless to say, they won!

In closing, I would like to state the importance of keeping this precious piece of our history free of debris. Espada dam was necessary to the survival of the missions original inhabitants; should it not have some measure of significance to us? This aqueduct is the oldest in the United States and should be treated accordingly. We should make it a part of our daily life, and include it in our family activities. I think having an occasional picnic at Mission Espada and its dam, would contribute greatly to the strength of the bonds that tie our community to them.

Mission Espada

On Friday the 7^th of September 2007 I had the opportunity to go to Mission Espada. This experience was quite enlightening and enjoyable even though the weather was rather unbearable. People were sweating profusely and our guide (Dora Martinez) had to utilize an umbrella to shield herself from the scorching rays of the sun. I had the feeling that the climate was not much different when the mission was established over 276 years ago in March 5, 1731. As we walked further into the establishment my mind began to wander, imagining what life would have been like all those years ago. I could not help, but think that it must have been very uncomfortable for all the inhabitants of the mission. There were no air conditioners, or insulation to moderate the temperatures. The only water was from the local well, or that which was brought in through acequias that were dug in order to divert water from the San Antonio River. Even though life was hard, Mission Espada has been more fortunate then the other local mission as time has passed. Espada is the only mission whose well has not been sealed, as well as the only mission where bricks were baked.

As the tour continued we came to the doors of the church. Dora explained to us that this door was very special because it was incomplete. We were all very curious as to what she meant because the door looked fine to us, but after she told us to look closer we became aware of what she meant. The door was unusually narrow and the stone arch above it was missing its edges. Dora elucidated to us that the reason for the unfinished arch was quite comedic. Apparently the mason simply ran away in the middle of the night after have murdered a man whose wife he had slept with. Of course this is still speculation, but there are some documents that partially support this claim. Over all my time spent at Mission Espada was simply delightful, and I will be making it a priority to visit more often.