"Double Duty"

If you didn't see the red beacon on the old Grapevine TX Fire Engine as it roared down the street, you'd hear the distinctive wail as it made its way to another emergency. At least this was a step up from the old hand-cranked siren, and since it was electrically powered, a functional light was added. But like so many things, this antique warning mainstay has been replaced with concealed digital models that are more piercing and powerful, even giving emergency responders a choice of sounds to alert the public that there's trouble brewing, so clear the way.

"No Mass"

Located just outside the town of Lajitas, TX on the Rio Grande, this small church was never really designed for religious services. Rather, it served as a backdrop to some rather well-known films, including "The Streets of Laredo" and "Maverick" (the movie), starring James Garner, Mel Gibson and Jodi Foster. Although decaying in the unyielding sun and scorching temperatures of Southwest Texas, this abandoned movie set captured the "wild west" architecture, sparing no detail from its exterior stucco to the cross carved into the window shutter.