Meet Darwin

Say hello to a new semi-permanent visitor to Muley's World -- a big ape named Darwin.

Darwin is a large statue owned by a family in Waco, and he's displayed in the front yard of their beautiful home on Austin Avenue, which is the street in Waco where most of the big, grand mansions of days gone by are located. I love to drive down Austin, under the boughs of the big oak trees that form a canopy over the road, and fantasize about living in one of those gracious, elegant homes.

The family that owns Darwin paints him a new costume as the season -- and their whims -- dictate. At Christmas he's Santa Claus, on St. Patrick's Day he's a leprechaun, and on Easter he's a bunny rabbit. Now, of course, he's still in his Fourth of July uniform as Uncle Sam.

Much of this spring and summer, as Baylor's women's basketball team marched toward the national title, Darwin was painted up as a Lady Bear basketball player. I'm told that one of the "cutest" outfits he's ever worn was that of a debutante, or more specifically, a princess in Waco's Cotton Palace Pageant.

Darwin has become a cherished Waco landmark, with people driving by every now and then to see how he has "evolved." I plan to do the same, and when I notice that he's changed his getup, I'll snap a photo and post it here. Hope you enjoy the big ape.