Random Thoughts through the Lens

Along a country road, a post box for air mail.

A loving couple attends Christmas service at the Church of the Good Shepherd.

Historian Jim Pettijohn poses with his Ford.

Sitting in the cockpit with My Mr Mallory, I took a quick snap of him going through his check list in preparation for take-off.

Sunday at Fred's

On my way home, I waited for the red light next to a Valkyrie. The bikers had participated in Fort Worth's annual toy run. This year, cold weather affected the level of participation; while in years past they have had seventy-thousand riders, this year twenty-thousand riders contributed to the fundraiser, raising close to one-hundred-fifty thousand dollars.

Dudes at Fred's Cafe.

Terry Chandler, owner of Fred's Cafe, makes sure everything tastes just right.

Kurt South played his acoustic guitar and sang with a smooth voice. I ate Fred's Quail and Eggs, considered by Texas Magazine as one of Tarrant County's best dishes. Fred's Cafe now has a liquor license, and serves a nice Bloody Mary, according to my two friends.

Waterworks Worker

At six o'clock in the evening, an employee from the city studied his charts to find the water main on Scott Street.

Gnome at Good Shepherd

Hugged Huggins Good-bye

 Morning in Marble Falls.

Francesco's Managed by Javier

They cooked Pasta Primavera according to Hal's recipe, so I don't know about the food they serve at Francesco's in Marble Falls. Nice ambience inside the restaurant, with jaunty music, so it'll be fun to return there for a fine culinary experience, though Hal's recipe may seem difficult to match in excellence.

For Gnome's Health

FOR HAL: A Ghazal

Doctors said illness was all in my head
that pains in my body were all in my head.

My muscles, like a boxer’s after a bout
hurt all the time – but not in my head.

Yet every check-up showed me okay
so . . . they said – it’s all in my head!

I quarreled with doctors who diagnosed
my pains as all in my head.

If they lived a moment in my shoes
they’d recognize it’s in their head!

But then I met Hal –
who also said it was all in my head.

The pain, it all comes, he said
from the lower half of my head.

Finally, someone knew something –
Hal spoke of the lower half of my head:

Fillings in my teeth had mercury
poisoning me from the lower half of my head.

Toxins spread through my body yet
I seemed normal for what was in my head.

Once I met Hal, I uncovered my head
Remove those poisons from your head!

In Front of Gnome's Eyes

Most mornings for the past two weeks have seemed beautiful in Marble Falls. Below I show the view over the Colorado River that greets me in the mornings when I look out the window of the La Quinta.

Behind the Blue Bonnet Cafe on Highway 281, I found a laundry shop with the Chandler button maker pictured below.

Gnome Drives Around Llano County

Historic Post Office on Main Street in Marble Falls, established 1884 and served as post office until 1950. It is now an attorney's office.

The building in the photo below, located between Llano and Burnet, served as a school from 1910 to 1947. Nowadays, the community of Buchanan uses the building as a gathering and polling place.

Picture of Board Branch Cemetery, named after the creek by which it lies.

Reports show that after being killed by Indians, William Kinderly was the first person buried at the Board Branch Cemetery.

Cacti are proliferous in the countryside all around Marble Falls.

These tombstones date to 1830.

Picture of feedbarn in the town of Bluffton.

Seagulls flew to me to ask for food. I had none, but they remained close by, watching me just in case I would magically extract food from my pockets for them. Yonder, the waters of Lake LBJ. Boaters, clean up your trash!

Sculptures Down Main

Main Street in Marble Falls exhibits outdoor sculptures. "Texas Jack" by Marla Ripperda.  The sculpture by Ripperda seems to reflect a sweetness that I had not associated with Jackrabbits.

Across the street from The Falls, "Peacock" by Fr. Jairo Lopez.

"Pavo Real II" by Fr. Jairo Lopez.

Other side of same stone, "Pavo Real II" by Fr. Jairo Lopez.

"Gift of Love" by Dan Pogue.

Flute player by an unknown artist.

"Ebb and Flow" by Chris Smartt

Random Gnome Photos from Yesterday

Fueling up the P-40 Warhawk. We witnessed a rare event in that the fellows were flying the planes to Fredericksburg for the celebrations there on Sunday.

Gun turret of a B-24 on exhibit.

My Mr. Mallory inside the C-47.

I asked Richard if the men had cushions, and he replied, yes, their butts. The sat on the aluminum seats while they waited their turn to jump out of the plane with their parachutes.

My Mr. Mallory studies the information on the glass of a B-24 gun turret.

I uploaded the two photos below to my pbase site.

One of my fave photos.

Downtown Marble Falls

Downtown Marble Falls exhibits many sculptures by regional artists.

View from Main Street at Avenue H of Highway 281 crossing over the Colorado River.

Bill serves wine at the fundraising auction held at The Falls, a wine cellar on Main Street.

Gnome in Gun Turret

Self-portrait on the shiny fuselage of the Douglas C-47 at the Highland Lakes Squadron Commemorative Air Force Museum.

A P-40 Warhawk took off, giving us a fly-over before heading off toward Fredericksburg.

A mechanic walks through the exhibit of the museum.

The Bluebonnet Belle served for the Canadian Air Force, then as a commercial airplane, before making her home at the museum on the grounds of the Burnet Municipal Airport.

A member of the museum painted the artwork on the nose of the Belle. She had red hair, too.

Cockpit of the 1944 Douglas C-47.

Our tour guide, Richard, discussed with My Mr. Mallory the particulars of the C-47 engine.

How did my dear friend Herman fit in here? This is the gun turret of a B-24 on exhibit at the CAF museum.