Pervasive Texana

We Texans are often obnoxiously so. Nowhere else I have lived or visited have I seen so many people so proud of their state. Overall, I think it's a rather cool thing, but like anything else, can sometimes be taken to extremes.

This circle-star design, reminiscent of a Texas Ranger's badge, is a common theme. This one is hanging above my fireplace, and is my own addition. When I bought my house, it had large stars as drapery hangers in the kitchen eating area, a three-D star in the backsplash behind the stove, and another 3D star in the native stone border around a flower bed in the front yard. I've added a few more. Even our freeway structures have decorative stars (or sometimes state shapes) as an integral part of their design. Come to think of it, another photo project of mine has been documenting the plethora of ways the Lone Star and other Texas icons are used architecturally or decoratively.