March 31

Five candles, my office.

Lubbock, Texas

(Candle lens on loan.)

March 30

In February, I took a photograph at an exhibit of clay pieces at Texas Tech University.  Ten days ago, I saw a hat in an antique store that reminded me of the clay photograph.

Here are both:

(The hat is on the bottom.)

Clay photographed  2/5/10: College of Art, Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Hat photographed on 3/20/10; an antique store on 6th Street, Amarillo, Texas

March 29, bonus

How many sins will you have to swallow
Until the truth sinks in
(that you've been)

Wishing on the moon tonight
There's not a lucky star in sight
Just wishing on the moon tonight
You're wishing on the moon.

Lyrics by Dan Fogelberg

Photographed 3-29-2010

March 29

One of several abandoned signs near 50th Street and Southeast Drive.

Lubbock, Texas

photographed 3-38-2010

March 28

The (locally famous) Acuff Steak House.

FM 40

Acuff, Texas

March 27

Detail of brickwork, downtown Slaton, Texas

photographed 8/19/2009

March 26

After my mom died, my dad gave me a box that had two almond-scented bars of soap inside; it was a little gift he'd given her for Christmas, but that she'd never used.

I've kept it in my office since then, but never noticed until today the fine quote from Henery David Thoureau on the inside lid of the box.  As soon as I get this posted, I am going to check out the rest of the box; perhaps it also has quotes from Rapllph Waldoe Emmersonn or Louisia Maye Alcotte.

I'll let you know if I find anything interesting!

Lubbock, Texas

(Lens on loan from someone who knows the right way to spell "Henry")

March 25

Two of my great aunts enjoyed china painting, a hobby that is past its prime these days.  This is a detail from a plate that my Aunt Ethel painted on June 1, 1954.

When she wasn't painting flowers and berries on plates, she was a poet, and in fact was the poet laureate for the state of Louisiana for several years.

Lubbock, Texas

(China-painting lens on loan from a private collection.)

March 24

An okra flower, east Austin.

photographed 7/26/2008

March 23

Here's a good activity:

Go to the Lite Bite Mediterranean Cafe on 50th Street.  Order a gyro or some baklava.  Or both - I won't mind.  And while you wait for your food to be ready, walk down the hall to the room in back and check out the goods:  rugs, dresses, groceries.  Look for these yellow tins of Moroccan sardines in spicy oil.

And then, go back and enjoy your food.

Lubbock, Texas

(PS: Tell Sam - he'll be working the counter - hello.)

March 22

The main drag in Crosbyton, Texas

March 21

Snow and ornamental grass

Amarillo, Texas

March 20

Downtown Amarillo - it was nearly too windy to stand still enough to take a picture.  And too cold to want to stand outside more than about 3 seconds anyway.

Amarillo, Texas

March 19

Amarillo - a trio of signs, all offered without explanation.  You'll see what I mean.

March 18

Welcome again to Vintage Photo Day here at the blog.

Check out these four babes with their matching dresses and candy apples!  It's my cousins Margaret and Ruth (on the left) and my sister Laura (far right) and me at the South Plains Fair.  I was 4, Ruth was 3, Laura and Margaret were 2.

We were locally famous for a minute or so:  this photo ran in the local newspaper.

I like how Margaret is looking right into the camera (as we were all probably instructed to do), Ruth and Laura appear to be having some sort of stare-down, and I am concentrating only on that apple.

Two things, though, are worrisome:  we were wearing, from the looks of things, petticoats to the Fair.  And, the part that  you can't see but that I know from Family Legend - we were also wearing Nixon for President buttons.

Fall, 1960
Lubbock, Texas

PS - Dresses sewn by my mom and Aunt Elizabeth.

March 17

For someone with a somewhat messy office*, I do have a remarkably robust filing system.

* "Somewhat messy" is my own category - other people (Larry Harvey: this means YOU) would probably describe it as "a complete disaster."

Lubbock, Texas

March 16

Megan's feet at the guitar pull.

Studio West Interior Design
Lubbock, Texas

(Thanks to Megan Bostlemann Collier.)

March 15

Here's a summary of today's weather.  Rain.  Rain.  Thunder.  Rain.  Rain.  Snow.  (Snow?!?)  Snow.  Rain.  Rain.  Rain.  Rain.  Rain.  Snow.

Overnight forecast:  Snow.  Snow.  Snow.  Snow.  etc.

Lubbock, Texas

March 14

Our small herd of Adirondack chairs is corralled safely to prevent wind-related scattering.  One time, a yearling broke free and escaped a short distance before a leg-bone break halted its run.  We were lucky that time - didn't have to put it down, as some fancy doctoring with a splint and a can of spray paint saved it.

But we learned a valuable lesson about how powerful wind is.

Yellowhouse Canyon, Texas

March 13

What a lime looks like after the KitchenAid juicer is finished.

If I weren't always on the lookout for something interesting to take a picture of, I am sure I would have missed this.  The swirl left behind caught my eye.

Lubbock, Texas

(macro lens on loan from the permanent collection of C. V.)

March 12

Compared to earlier in the week when the wind, gusting to near hurricane-force, whipped whitecaps on the water, today was relatively calm.


Levelland, Texas

March 11

...and then, only a few minutes later, it started to snow.

FM 2378 on the Lubbock-Hockley county line

March 10

I like the looks of neon at twilight.

Lubbock, Texas

March 9

The fields are slowing being transformed from rows topped with the stubble left over from the cotton harvest to newly-plowed rows ready for this year's crop to sprout.

FM 1585
Hockley County, Texas

March 8

 

A storm was building up west of town this afternoon.  

taken from the City of Levelland Cemetery

March 7

Hello, and welcome to "Things I Have Scanned" day here at the blog.

This is an an illustration from a 1928 children's book, The Little Pig Who Ate a Four-Leaf Clover.  Maybe you have read it?

It was my dad's book when he was a child and he must have been very proud of it:  his name is written on the first three pages, including one page that has a bookplate!  

It is the tale of a pig named Chops, and his adventures on the way to Florida from his home in New Hampshire.  Here's a sample:

"Now, my dear little pig," said the man kindly, after Chops had been introduced, "I think you are very foolish to go to Florida.  It would be a long journey for you, as well as a dangerous one, for many Southerners are fond of roast pig, especially tender baby pig.  I would advise you to remain right here in New York."

I won't give away the plot, in case you want to read the book.  If you do read it, though, watch for characters named Porktricia, Lardia, Squeals, and Hamie.  (Those last two dance the Charleston.  But you probably predicted that plot point!)

Lubbock, Texas

March 6

The Canada geese have left already.  The daffodils are in bloom.

Goodbye to winter!

Lubbock, Texas 

Lens on loan...

March 5

If you are fixin' to need a fixer for your lawnmower (spring IS just around the corner!), you might consider the Lawn Mower Fixer!

Levelland, Texas

March 4

Spiral bindings on a couple of filled-up journals.  In all likelihood, I used a fountain pen with purple ink to write in them.  It just seemed like the right thing to do.

And, here's yesterday's unaltered picture, which you see was of the rims of three Le Creuset skillets:

March 3

Welcome to "What is That?", a semi-regular feature* here on the blog.

(Answer tomorrow; post your guesses....)

*  "Semi-regular feature" means "I haven't done this before but I would like to keep open the possibility of sometime, maybe, doing it again.

(As always, the lens is on loan from that guy who probably hopes I don't use up the lens before I return it.)

March 2

The most decorative building in downtown Levelland.

Levelland, Texas

March 1

 

It rained all night, and a good part of the morning, making travel on unpaved roads a sloppy proposition.

Along FM 1585

Hockley County, Texas