diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c26344
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# flot-tickrotor
+
+![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-green)
+![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-1.0.0-blue)
+
+## Overview
+
+`flot-tickrotor` is a Flot plugin that allows you to display angled X-axis tick labels in your charts. This feature is particularly useful for improving readability when dealing with long or overlapping labels.
+
+## Features
+
+- Rotate X-axis tick labels to any angle for better visibility.
+- Easy integration with existing Flot charts.
+- Lightweight and simple to use.
+
+## Installation
+
+You can install `flot-tickrotor` using Bower or by including the script directly in your project.
+
+### Using Bower
+
+To install via Bower, run the following command:
+
+bower install flot-tickrotor
+
+### Manual Installation
+
+Alternatively, you can download the `jquery.flot.tickrotor.js` file from the [releases page](https://github.com/markrcote/flot-tickrotor/releases) and include it in your project.
+
+<script src="path/to/jquery.flot.tickrotor.js"></script>
+
+## Usage
+
+To use the `flot-tickrotor` plugin, simply call it on your Flot chart as follows:
+
+$(function() {
+    var data = [[0, 0], [1, 1], [2, 4], [3, 9], [4, 16]];
+    
+    $.plot("#placeholder", [data], {
+        xaxis: {
+            ticks: [[0, "Zero"], [1, "One"], [2, "Two"], [3, "Three"], [4, "Four"]],
+            tickRotation: 45 // Set the rotation angle here
+        }
+    });
+});
+
+## Contributing
+
+Contributions are welcome! If you find a bug or have a feature request, please open an issue on GitHub. You can also fork the repository and submit a pull request.
+
+## License
+
+This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
+
+## Authors
+
+- [Mark R. Cote](https://github.com/markrcote)
+- [M. No Fresno](https://github.com/mnofresno)
+
+## Homepage
+
+For more information, visit the [flot-tickrotor homepage](https://github.com/markrcote/flot-tickrotor).
diff --git a/bower.json b/bower.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2635d94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bower.json
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "name": "flot-tickrotor",
+  "authors": [
+    "@markrcote", "@mnofresno"
+  ],
+  "description": "Flot plugin for rotating the ticks",
+  "main": "jquery.flot.tickrotor.js",
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "homepage": "https://github.com/markrcote/flot-tickrotor",
+  "ignore": [
+    "**/.*",
+    "node_modules",
+    "bower_components",
+    "test",
+    "tests"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/jquery.flot.tickrotor.js b/jquery.flot.tickrotor.js
index 5ee0be5..58272c8 100644
--- a/jquery.flot.tickrotor.js
+++ b/jquery.flot.tickrotor.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
         // the first time to get the tick measurements, so that we can change
         // them, and then have it draw it again.
 
-        var ticks = [];  // preserve between draw() calls.
+        var ticks = null;  // preserve between draw() calls.
         var font;
         var secondPass = false;
         var rotateTicks, rotateTicksRads, radsAboveHoriz;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
                 // property.  That probably requires another hook.
 
                 xaxis = plot.getAxes().xaxis;
-                ticks = plot.getAxes().xaxis.ticks;
+                ticks = xaxis.ticks ? xaxis.ticks : [];
                 xaxis.rotatedTicks = ticks;
                 opts.ticks = [];  // we'll make our own