window, bench and reindeer

 

There are some interesting tableaux on the lesser traveled streets in Lubbock.  I understand the metal bench in front of the welding shop, but the light-festooned straw reindeer?

 

North Avenue T and Harvard

Lubbock, Texas

perspective

 

The undulating line of the collars on the iron fence posts caught my eye.  I liked the way the curves were a counterpoint to the horizontal lines of the railing, brick and grate.  But then that college kid chained his damn bike to the fence!  I was at the Southwest Collections to view Melinda Harvey's Where the Wind Gallops photography exhibit.

 

Southwest Collections Building

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/One-Day-One-Image-photographs-by-Melinda-Green-Harvey/364030236958773?fref=ts

the zombie apocolypse

 

This isn't your regular street bike.  The rider took his 260 moped and turned it into the "zombie apocolypse" complete with skulls and crosses.  The fenders state "Fight the Dead -- Fear the Living."  You really have to notice the details -- the yellow-painted tires, the cranium and intestines on the cargo box, the skeleton key ring which the rider has had since age 15 (he's 50 now), and the hood ornament from his 1968 Cutlass.  I really wish I could have seen the zombie apocolypse at night - the eyes of the skull above the rider's seat light up and its jaw drops. The vehicle is probably a jaw-dropping experience for motorists on Lubbock streets.

 

60th and Slide

Lubbock, Texas

benny

 

Lubbock, Texas

3.14.2013

navajo

 



Benny, a new acquaintance, is a Navajo Indian.  He says he makes much of his jewelry; to the Navajo tribe, the color turquoise represents happiness, luck, and health.

Lubbock, Texas
3.18.2013

boots at breakfast

 

You can run into some interesting characters at the Ranch House.  No, this cowboy did not arrive by horse; he dismounted from public transportation.  Join us for breakfast sometime.

 

Ranch House

1520 Buddy Holly Avenue

Lubbock, Texas

http://ranchhouse.musselman.net

tractor man

 

Today we celebrated Pop's 89th birthday at the tractor museum.  His great-grandson and namesake, William, contributed toy tractors for the centerpiece.  Then he took them back and played with them.

bentley and doc

 

Bentley, the 7-pound Maltese, thinks he's a farm doc just like Doc.  Bentley rides in the tractor, chases cottontails and wades in the irrigation run-off -- but, unlike Doc, he can't jump into the back of the pick-up without assistance.

New Deal, Texas

3.14.2013

obligatory spring iris photo

 

My backyard

Lubbock, Texas

spring fever

 

Although it is too early to plant these coleus, it's not too late to start thinking about it. with today's 80 degree temperature.  According to weather history, the latest recorded freeze in Lubbock was May 8, 1938.  And I remember it snowing on May 1 once!

 

Ivey Gardens

1318 Municipal Drive

Lubbock, Texas

love or something like it

 

 

Spring is in the air and these green anoles must have heard Kenny Rogers' 1978 hit:

"Something's got a hold on me
It's cheap but it ain' free
Love or somethin like it's got a hold on me"


neighborhood beautification

 

This homeowner uses graffiti art to spruce up his place.  Visible from University Avenue, the painting on the fence and garage catches the eye of passers-by.  Crowns and skulls are popular graffiti motifs; I don't know what the message being sent is.

 

University Avenue and Colgate

Lubbock, Texas

drive thru to nowhere

 

Closed Liquor Store at The Strip

901 98th Street

Lubbock, Texas

signs of the times

 

With the passing of the law allowing package liquor sales within the city limits, the demise of the Strip was assured.  Citizen no longer needed to drive to the neon-lit area where liquor stores lined the highway.  The Double T Discount store closed its door.  The Lubbock Gentlemen's Club occupied the space, but not for long. All signs point to a barred building, cracked pavement and tumbleweeds.

 

901 98th Street

Lubbock, Texas

"areas of blowing dust with chance of evening thunderstorms"

 

The spring weather forecast in West Texas is predictable in its unpredictability.  Blue skies, strong winds, blowing dust and, hopefully, possibility of rain this evening.

 

FM 597 and Onion Shed Road

Hockley County, Texas

 



700 cotton street

 



There's not much history on the Arlington Hotel -- also known as the Martin.  Built somewhere around the early 1900s, the story has it that  the hotel faced closing before ever opening after an unscrupulous contractor took money without completing the work.  A local oil discovery  that attracted hundreds of workers looking for lodging saved the day.  The building is in dire need of another economic upturn--which would also help most of downtown and the historic district.

Arlington Hotel
Shreveport, Louisiana
3.4.2013

maybe once upon a time

 

Parts of Shreveport immediately west of downtown are some of the most notable haunted spots in town.  This row of furniture warehouses are interesting but creepy enough to fit the part; I was advised to be careful since the the buildings are "haunted" by the homeless.  Not surprisingly there are guided haunted tours in Shreveport and active paranormal societies.  In fact, according to the website (http://www.paranormalsocieties.com/state_list.cfm?state=la) there are 33 Paranormal Investigation Societies listed in Louisiana.

 

Downtown Historic District

Shreveport, Louisiana

3.4.2013

row houses

 

Shreveport was established in the early 1800s at the junction of the Texas Trail and the Red River.  It prospered with steam boat traffic and served as the capital of Confederate Louisiana during the Civil War.  Downtown abounds with buildings of great architectural interest -- from Victorian to Italian Renaissance to Art Deco -- although many are abandoned and dilapidated.  The Oakland Cemetery intrigued but I was dissuaded from driving through it by the presence of its living occupants.

 

Historic Downtown

Shreveport, Louisiana

louisiana hayride

 

Elvis got his start at the Louisiana Hayride - produced on the stage of the Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport.  The building, completed in 1929, is an outstanding example of Art Deco brickwork. Honoring WWI soldiers, I like the frieze on the front that states " Dedicated to those who served in the World War" as if that were the last and only war  (which in 1929 was true).  One difference from this vintage structure and the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum is the effort to save the structure.  A workman, who saw me on the ground shooting up at Elvis, thought I had fallen and came to check on me.  We talked and he offered me a glimpse inside (with original light fixtures, decorative plaster and yes, the original wooden theater seats in the balcony.  His crew was busy caulking windows and he mentioned the repainting, plastering, etc to maintain the building (follow link to Friends of the Municipal website).

 

Municipal Memorial Auditorium

Shreveport, Louisiana

http://municipalauditorium.homestead.com/History.html

red, white and blue

 

The condition of this mail box reflects the status of the postal service -- and maybe the nation.  Still functional but in need of rehabilitation.

 

19th and Avenue C

Lubbock, Texas

remember the alamo

 

Texas Independence Day -March 2

The Alamo - Mission San Antonio de Valero

San Antonio, Texas

3.24.2009

shadows on brick

 

At high noon today at the Buddy Holly Center, I was attracted by the shadows of the patio furniture.  BHC is situated in the old train depot (hence the name "Depot District") and a set of rails still can be seen in the courtyard.  These bricks would have stories to tell from nights of the Depot Bar & Grill -- long before the District was a concept.

 

Buddy Holly Center

1801 Crickets Avenue

Lubbock, Texas

arrow 39

 

You've heard the saying "George Washington slept here"?  Well, Comanche Chief Quanah Parker got around as much as old George.  23-foot steel arrows are found along the Quanah Parker Trail - marking sites of historical and cultural interest.  Arrow 39 is placed in Lubbock.  Watch for more arrows as you travel the Panhandle and South Plains.  Need a map?  Check out www.quanahparkertrail.com

American Museum of Agriculture
1121 Canyon Lake Road
Lubbock, Texas
2.27.2013

tractor and tree

 

Silhouetted against the bright winter sky, this antique Kitten steam engine tractor caught my eye.  Manufactured in the 1930s, this piece of vintage farm equipment now finds a home at the American Museum of Agriculture.

 

American Museum of Agriculture

1121 Canyon Lake Drive

Lubbock, Texas

www.agriculturehistory.org

tool of the trade

 

I browsed stock images for a SLR camera today because I needed one for a presentation next week.  Then I thought, dummy, shoot your own!  So I set up a seamless background in soft light and shot away!  Of course I had to shoot with the Canon PowerShot to get an image of the 40D.  This is my favorite lens --18-200mm zoom.

 

cattle barn

 

You expected a snow picture?  I spent the great blizzard of  2013 bundled on the couch with a good book.  Instead of braving the 40 mph winds and blowing snow, I'm posting a photo taken this weekend when the temperature was in the 70s.

 

Cattle Barn at the South Plains Fairground

Lubbock, Texas

sit

 

The South Plains Obedience Training Club held obedience trials this weekend at the South Plains Fairgrounds.  It was my first time at such an event; the level of training and skill was amazing. 

 

www.spotc.org



swine barn

 

Absent the crowds and without smell of livestock overlaying the aromas of corn dogs and candied apples, the South Plains Fairground is a desolate place.  The first fair in Lubbock was held in 1914 and consisted primarily of livestock and agricultural products.  The cattle and swine barns were built in the 1940s.  The addition of carnivals and music shows to the fair came later.  Going to the fair was a big deal.  Back in my day, schools let out on Monday for fair day.  That morning the bands marched down Broadway (which was a long way to strut in white majorette boots!).  In the afternoon and evening we "did" the fair -- the rides, the food, the sideshows.  Wonder how many romances the fair sparked?  Who came home with a stuffed toy from a new swain or sported half an engraved heart?  That fall fling sometimes lasted until Christmas.

 

Swine Barn at the South Plains Fairground

Lubbock, Texas

www.southplainsfair.com/pages/about/history.php

sunset

 

If you're lacking inspiration for a photo, find a body of water and wait for sunset.

 

Reese Golf Course

Lubbock County, Texas

sphere

 

 

This image wasn't taken with a fish-eye lens but is rather a reflection of the TTU campus between the SUB and the Library.  The seven-foot stainless spherical sculpture by Po Shu Wang is part of the Texas Tech Public Art Program.  Entitled "Comma" the piece is inspired by the West Texas climate and ponders the question "what does the sun sound like?"  By turning a knob on the orb, bronze bells -- one tuned to the sun's musical tonality of 1782.6 Hz -- resonate.

 

Comma --2007

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

www.lubbockarts.org/ttupab.pdf

 

ducklings cheaper by the dozen

 

If, in spring, your thoughts turn to growing things -- you might consider poultry.  Farm stores now have stock of baby chicks and ducklings.  You can raise your own chickens, have fresh eggs and a supply of garden fertilizer.  I remember my grandmother getting chicks in a box and nurturing them under a light in the laundry room.  Unfortunately, when they were grown chickens in the pen, they weren't nearly as appealing to me.  Many a time I was chased out of the pen when they pecked my legs!

 

Tractor Supply

Lubbock, Texas

bunker gear

 

The protective clothing worn by firefighters is often referred to as "bunker gear." Trousers, jackets and boots are traditionally kept by the firefighter's bunk at the fire station to be readily available for use.  Those brave men and women who become professional firefighters are to be commended. 

 

Brayton Fire Training Field

Texas A&M University

College Station, Texas

2.12.2013

stripes

 

The pergola at the amphitheater box office casts strong shadows.  I like the counterpoint of the lantern's filigree.

 

Wells Fargo Amphitheater

413 E. Broadway

Lubbock, Texas

barstools

 

It's amazing what suddenly appears along one's drive.  Today, outside the abandoned athletic club where I played racquetball 25 years ago, barstools were stacked on the outside wall.  I'm not sure if the Texas Homeland Security contract is still in effect  -- maybe the exterior storage is an invitation to help yourself!  My friend MGH posted a photo of this building on December 11 (http://melindagreenharvey.com/) which prompted a comment by our friend Sally that this building doesn't help the property value of her rental property in the neighborhood.  Maybe "new" barstools at her rent house would help!

 

Abandoned Athletic Club

5303 Marsha Sharp

Lubbock, Texas

 

 

I'm not much on birds -- even cute pink parakeets.  The pattern and color of the background interested me more.

mission concepcion

 

An advantage of a photo blog is that it is somewhat like a journal.  Three years ago I was in San Antonio on the mission trail.

 

Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuña

San Antonio, Texas

2.15.2010

happy valentine's day

fire hose

 

Brayton Fire Field

Texas A&M

College Station

2.12.2013

firefighting

 

While I'm sitting in a conference room at Disaster City, firefighters from Exxon are getting hands-on experience using dry chemical agents to extinguish liquid fires.

 

Brayton Fire Field

Texas A&M University

College Station, Texas

www.teex.org

black tablecloth dining

 

The Shitake Black Jewel Risotto is amazing.

 

Veritas Bistro

College Station, Texas

www.veritaswineandbistro.com

aggie postcard

 

Texas A&M University

College Station, Texas

silo graphic

303 30

 

If customers have trouble finding your company, paint the address in large letters.  A graphic paint design would help also.

 

303 30th Street

Lubbock, Texas

angel's caballo

 

Angel's horse doesn't get many visitors; he's leery but checks me out in case I brought food.

 

New Deal, Texas

walking the dog

 

Bentley prefers walking on the curb rather than the path.  We're on the jogging trail at Charles Guy Park.  In the 1940s my mother was secretary to Charlie at the Avalanche-Journal.

 

Charles Guy Park, 93rd and Memphis

Lubbock, Texas

 



lightkeeper's fence

 

Actually this fence now encloses park service buildings.  The original lightkeeper's house from the late 1800s is down 308 steps.  Since I could only see about 10 steps in the fog and barely stay upright from the strong winds, I've only seen the Point Reyes Lighthouse on the web.  By the way, I think the National Park Service took those pictures on the only day with sunshine.

 

Point Reyes National Seashore, California

10.28.2012

point reyes path 2

 

This must be a good photograph because when I googled "Point Reyes" about a dozen similar images were on Flickr.  Or, like me, the photographers didn't find much else to shoot.

 

Point Reyes Lighthouse, California

10.28.2012



point reyes path

When I visited the Point Reyes Lighthouse on the northern California coast, I drove 20 miles through empty headlands, walked one-half mile from the parking lot and was rewarded with a view of FOG!
Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent.  My recommendation would be to tarry longer at the wineries and visit the lighthouse via the US Park Service website.

Point Reyes Lighthouse
30 miles north of San Francisco
10.28.2012
www.nps.gov/pore/historyculture/people_maritime_lighthouse.htm

South on Slide Road until it actually becomes FM 1730, somewhere between the original village of Slide and the town of New Home, there is a barn with a cross.  Barn statements in our part of the country or usually flags (Old Glory or the Lone Star) or crosses.

FM 1730 around the Lubbbock/Lynn County line
1.16.2010

train art

 

BNSF Railroads

Lubbock, Texas