Gnome in Archer

I put some miles on the Z3 this evening by driving to Archer City. As I drove up to the main corner, I noted that the sun's rays lit the Spur Hotel nicely, and so I parked across the street for a quick photo. I hadn't noticed the two skateboarders practicing their agility on the porch of the hotel until I stood next to the car looking at the hotel. One of them called to me, "Hey, can you take a picture of us skateboarding?" I would anyway, so I took a sequence of them in action. Some of them turned out pretty well, and I emailed them to the skateboarders. One of the things they asked me about was a skateboard park. "Do you know the major?" they wanted to know. I could only encourage them to visit the big city of Wichita Falls nearby to use the newly-opened skate park.



Zooming down the highway I saw the sign pointing to the cemetery. I had to go there to photograph Will's mausoleum. He is long gone, but his presence is still strong, as if he were still alive and sitting next to me.

Gnome Intrigued by Inscription

On my way from the Adolphus to the Dallas Public Library I spotted a quintessential view of the city of Dallas. In the photo we see the Adolphus Hotel on the left (the beaux arts architecture) and the red Pegasus horse on the top right.


Photo of the pony "Penny's Worth" on the monument on the southeast corner (Commerce and Weatherford) of the Fort Worth Court House. The inscriptions interest me: "who watered his horse here" and "who saved the horse"; so I find myself elbow-deep in files looking at any mention in regard to the horse.

Gnome at Lunch with John Mark

John Mark walked up to the counter and slapped a penny and a nickel down. He smiled at the owner of the restaurant and then said, "I found these out by your trash bin. You are not minding your money very well." The owner smiled back at John Mark, took the coins and tossed them into the cash register without saying a word. I felt grateful to witness an act so small but with such a depth and implication that only with the passage of time will I fully comprehend it.

Golf Course

After a year or so of hard work by Brent and the others on his staff, the golf course has begun to look even more pleasant than before the renovations. Here I show hole number six with its new bunker.

Hole number thirteen has a wider chipping area. Now we can tee off from across the creek and land on turf, rather than in a bunker.

Soiree of the Year

We hosted a reception for the recently-founded literature and art magazine.

Fly fished with Sherry

In The Texas Panhandle

In addition to Native American artifacts, guns, automobiles, bicycles and art, the Panhandle Plains Museum exhibits items from its history in the oil field. Must see museum.http://www.panhandleplains.org/

Jacksboro

Found myself in the town of Jacksboro. I looked around to see some things I hadn't spotted before as I drove through.

Growling in Fort Worth

City of Fort Worth Old Town Charm

In 1892, Fort Worth's Woman's Humane Society erected the Horse Fountain. It sits on the corner next to the courthouse. Walking around it, I noted an engraved message honoring Samuel Benton Cantey (1861-1924) identifying him as a pioneer attorney and one who watered his horse at this fountain. The Horse Fountain was re-dedicated in 1999. Engraved on its side are the names of the people who made possible the restoration, including Marguerite Coburn who, it indicates, saved the horse.

N Scott Momaday

Bear, the poet, attended the Mayborn conference this month. Always charmed by the magic of his words.

Next Up: Gnome's Georgia

Sent my entry fee today to the Oklahoma City Concours d'Elegance in September. Feeling low-key and non-competitive, so I entered Georgia in the Driven class. Probably Cliff will move her up to Championship class, and then I'll feel some stress caused by my competitive spirit. I should curb that and enjoy the competition anyway! My Mr. Mallory has already agreed to attend with me, and good thing that he will be on my team: no one can buff a car as meticulously as he can to make it look perfectly shiny.

I entered Tex, too. I always feel up to entering Tex in competition. However, it becomes more difficult to win as time goes by, though, because I have to compete against the boys who buy a new Jaguar every year; so every time they simply drive off the show room floor and into their slot at the concours. Their car is impeccable, while mine shows a little wear here and there -- and that's the way it should be for one who loves her Jaguars. Well, maybe there won't be any brand spanking new Jaguars this year. Either way, no stress will be felt!

Out for a Spin on the Honda

One thousand fifteen hundred and fifty cubic centimeters of power: I sat on a Honda Valkyrie motorcycle this evening and rode as if on a cloud floating down the road. I'd forgotten what it felt like, the interaction of that machine and me, and the road and the wind displaced by the windshield, the wide berth allowed to me by gawking motorists when they see a woman on a large machine. I had forgotten how much I miss my husband on our road trips, all the motorcycles he had, and that this one was his last, so new when he died. At the fuel station I pretended my tears were caused by the wind.

Tom Danaher and the Jenny

They flew, determinedly, this morning against fourteen-mile per hour winds, Tom and the Jenny, both still as strong today as when they were younger.

Iconic Photo of Texas

Ysabel mentioned me in her blog again.
"A while back, I posted a quintessential Texas photograph by Elizabeth Hawley. Part of what made her photo so wonderful was another photo that formed her photo's background. I recently learned who took that great Texas photo and want to give credit where it's (over)due.
The photographer is Sean Fitzgerald. To see more of his work, go to seanfitzgerald.com. Click on Portfolio, and have a good time "traveling." Africa, Guatemala, VietNam, 30 days on a Texas ranch, . . . This is special work, done with an exceptional clarity of vision and a clear and deep sense of appreciation for the natural world. If you've never been to Texas, or been only to its cities and not to its landscapes, then you owe it to yourself to go to the 30 Days on a Texas Ranch portfolio on Sean's site. He truly captures the spirit of the land that is Texas: rugged, uncompromising, fascinating and beautiful.
I'll leave you with this double treat of Sean's image of two hummingbirds in flight. When I see an image like this I feel convinced that photography just had to be part of man's evolutionary progress and God's divine plan. Enjoy!"

Bird Photo

Trying to follow my friend Mike's footsteps, so I set out this evening to practice bird photography. The first thing I learned is that one needs to be closer to the birds. Otherwise, I found a nice photograph to bring home with me.

Peach Festival

Heartwarming to attend an event at a small town nearby where they gave everyone free peach ice cream and cobbler.

Musicians asked for suggestions written on green pieces of paper, preferably the green of twenty-dollar bills.

At the Crow

Some of us in the audience swooned with the intensity of the exquisite music played on the santoor by Pandit Bhajan Sopori at the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas. This is an iPhone shot of Pandit and his fellow players.

Stroll at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens

2200 Miles from Istanbul to Mount Ararat