Art Up a Post

The Kemp Center for the Arts exhibits "Art on the Green" sculpture garden every year with seven permanent sculptures, and ten different sculptures. Joe Ed Barrington chooses the sculptures that will stand in the gardens. Bill FitzGibbons served as curator of this year's exhibit, viewed until mid-May, 2010. Above, I show "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by Bob Wade, Austin. For more information on the exhibit and the Kemp Center for the Arts, visit http://www.kempcenter.org/

Costa Rica Elects First Woman President

(CNN) -- Costa Rica elected its first female president, as the ruling National Liberation Party claimed a historic victory.

"I want to thank the pioneering women who years ago opened the doors of politics in Costa Rica," Laura Chinchilla said Sunday to flag-waving supporters in the capital, San Jose. "My government will be open to all Costa Ricans of good faith."

Second-place candidate Otton Solis of the Citizen's Action Party had conceded defeat earlier in the evening, as the PLN -- the Spanish acronym for the National Liberation Party party -- forged its way to a nearly 2-to-1 lead.

Polls showed Chinchilla garnering 46.8 percent of the vote, with 84 percent of election sites reporting. Solis had 25.1 percent, while Otto Guevara of the Libertarian Movement had 20.9 percent.

Election day was festive throughout the nation, with video footage showing supporters of the main presidential candidates dressed in their respective campaign colors.

International observers interviewed on CNN affiliate Teletica compared the election scene to a festival.

The festivities included election sites where children could vote in a mock presidential vote. The educational outreach let the children pick their candidate on a digital ballot not unlike the ones the rest of the electorate cast their votes with.

Some 2.8 million Costa Ricans are eligible to vote.

In addition to voting for president, Costa Ricans cast ballots for two vice presidents, 57 Congress members and 495 council members.

The legacy of outgoing President Oscar Arias -- a Nobel laureate who leaves office a popular, if polarizing, leader -- has in many ways shaped the presidential race.

Although he has given Costa Rica a larger role in foreign affairs through his involvement in seeking resolution to the political crisis in Honduras, but his style has rubbed some the wrong way.

After casting his vote Sunday, Arias called the electoral process transparent and trustworthy.

"I would like to thank the Costa Rican people for filling the streets with color," he said.

Fisheye Lens

Walking around in this misty, cold, damp day, I came up close with my very wide angle lens to photograph the asparagus, and the leaper of a black Jaguar. 

Reflection on Puddle

In a puddle on my driveway, altocumulus clouds reflect 

through the Oak, Pecan and Magnolia trees. 

Kemp Center for the Arts Threw a Beautiful Party Today

I took a panoramic of the exhibit put together by curators Richard Carter and Marsha Dillon. They invited artists who have published their work in the Wichita Falls Literature and Art Review to submit work for this exhibit at the Kemp Center for the Arts. The Kemp Center characteristically hosted a beautiful gathering with great food by Sera Daugherty (my culinary hero). Folks attending the exhibit had the opportunity to remain in the Great Hall to watch "Pandora's Box," a silent film presented by Richard Carter.

Chained to a "Do Not Enter" sign.

This is how this cold weather has made me feel, unable to do much

of what I do throughout normally mild Texan winters; no biking, no

walking in the park or walking in the countryside, no motorcycling,

or flying the Scissortail. I feel doldrums that photography can ameliorate,

even if it's resting an Olympus P/S on the door of my warm car to take the shot.

For my friend Frances, I set out today with my 50mm lens to capture images that might inspire her to take a picture a day for fifty days with her own 50mm. Here are the results.

My Mr Mallory and I searched for beer to take to Dave and Pat for their "Prior Meeting" this evening. (They call it the prior meeting to the dinner at the Thai restaurant.)

We walked around to find more images for Frances.

I got bug-eyed after a while.

But the challenge of finding images to take with the 50mm felt inspirational to me, and gave me a better appreciation for a remarkable lens. 

Lake in the City

My Mr Mallory and I did not venture outside too far in the bitter cold temperatures. We drove to Sikes Lake, an inner city limit sanctuary to several species, such as the Great Blue Heron.

Ring-billed Gull.

Hungry at the Feeders

Looking out my back window, I watched some of the birds fly in from the trees. The White-winged Dove above balanced on the small bird feeder, scattering seeds on the ground. 

Female House Finch.

Slate-colored Juncos.

Rufous-sided Towhee, Western Type, scratching for food. 

In addition, I spotted the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and what looked like an American Goldfinch with its winter plummage. 

Cormorant, Coot, and Shutterbug Clicks

Heavily post processed photograph in the digital darkroom to emphasize colors of the grass, the mallards in flight, and the Wild Bird Rescue Center. 

Several dozen American Coots live near the WBR Center.

A resident cormorant in flight.

Resident Goose in Martin Park

Prickly Pear, Rocks, and Mesquite

Lichen grows on stones at the ranch.

On the branches of the mesquite in the background grow mistletoe plants.

Prickly Pear.

Rock crops.

In a small forest grove I found another nice stand of Prickly Pear cacti.

Interesting stones are everywhere.

My Mr Mallory poses before stones and a view. 

Caterpillar tracks? 

And above us we saw Snow Geese.

God at Work with a Small Creature -- Me

"Elizabeth,

Jesus invited all to His table, tax collectors, prostitutes, slanderers, adulterers, and hypocrites. Do not deny yourself His blessing, His body and blood, because of indignation or righteousness.

I love you,

Nancy"

I do not feel surprised when I see the Almighty working through my friend, Nancy, and yet, I feel awe, wonderful weirdness, inspiration, and sense an element of mystery whenever she expresses God's work through herself. With no other way (yet) to show my solidarity with Jesus of Nazareth, I will resume communion. I see now, thanks to my friend, that there is no sense in denying myself.

Cedar Waxwing at Wild Bird Rescue

This patient suffers from head trauma and will remain at the center for a few days.

Emil Painted the Good and the Bad

Respected and held in high esteem, the Maskat Shriner

and town mayor pictured above "got away with murder"

after he murdered his son-in-law.

This was one of Emil's favorite paintings.

He painted "The Arrival in Calvary" in 1905

and restored it in 1965. It is now

at the Lamar Baptist Church in Wichita Falls.