What better welcome could you have on a hot summer afternoon that an ice-cold Royal Crown Cola and a scrumptious Moon Pie?
Today, traveling on Texas Farm to Market roads between Canton and Tyler (south on FM 279 and turning west onto FM773 and on my immediate right) I discovered an old, eye-catching, paint peeling mural on the side of a 100-year-old brick building in the town of Ben Wheeler.
Seems every time I passed this sign I would say 'I’ll have to take picture of that when I come back this way'. But seems I never came back the same way. But today, I was determined to stop as I turned the corner.
On a hot June day in Texas the sign was welcoming me, as it does everyone who sees it, to Ben Wheeler Texas. The text of the sign itself remarks: “Lookout MOON PIE And Royal Crown Cola go better together.” Moon Pie on the left, RC Cola in the center and on the right a blue-eyed, big-eared young boy, He's wearing yellow ball cap with a red bill, a red and white striped t-shirt. He is holding a Moon Pie (with a bite missing, presumably in his bulging cheek) in his right hand an open bottle of RC Cola in his left.
Make that ‘Historic’ Ben Wheeler Texas as it’s sign and website (https://benwheelertx.com/) proclaims. It even uses part of the mural on the website (albeit in its refurbished like-new state).
Unfortunately the interesting website doesn’t say when the mural was painted on the exterior brick wall of one of it’s town’s ancient buildings nor does it say anything about the artist. (At least I did not see it mentioned.)
(As I took my photo [below] from across the street, I was not close enough to make out the artist’s name on the lower right. And frankly, give the peeling paint, I did not notice the sign painter's signature. Next time, I’ll park in the lot and get a close-up of the signature.)
