Galveston Art League Juried Art Show
Last evening (04/30) Tony and I went to Galveston to catch the end of the awards' ceremony at Galveston Art League. We found a huge crowd in the area waiting to see the next Garrison Keillor Show at the Grand Opera House. Tony and I viewed the exhibit at the GAL and enjoyed getting to see some friends and meet some new art admirers. After enjoying the exhibit we jaywalked across the street to Hey Mickey's Ice Cream. Tony ordered the Bucket with 8 scoops of ice cream, bananas, cherries, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and on and on. I ordered a root beer float.
YUM!
I am honored to have won my second Honorable Mention with this photo. My two photos come down at the end of the month to be replaced by three for the member show for June.
The Galveston Art League is also having an Incinerator art contest. The incinerators on 60th have not been used for about 50 years and discussions continue to be had about their ultimate demise. I decided to go by and take a gander. Marsha did not take any photos but I did. Each contestant can submit 2 entries. I got my duo in and was notified that both made it into the 10 slots available for a public vote on June 4th. The winner will receive $200. I am thrilled to have two entries in the contest.
I was amazed that I had not really ever noticed these smoke stacks behind the strip mall on the left just as I-45 turns into Broadway.
Come down and see the 10 entries on June 4th and vote for your favorite!
Tony's Back Procedure
On the 4th Tony had surgery to have a device implanted in his back to intercept and lesson the pain he continually experiences. We got up before 4 am and left by 4:30 to arrive and WAIT! I worked on Words with Friends, answered emails, but mainly I wanted to go back to sleep. We finally made it out mid afternoon.
It stayed in until Monday and he thought that it would be a success in helping with his pain. Now we wait for insurance approval. It came though and the real procedure occurred on the 25th. We had the same early morning experience . . . wow, I am not a spring chicken any more . . . I was absolutely exhausted at the end of the day.
High Alert . . . Gators in the Bayou
On the 5th Tony and I had a discussion about not getting the dogs too close to the bayou . . . we were walking them around our RV park. I sort of scoffed at his warning about possible gators. I stated that I had never seen any gators in these waters. He said he had. As I went to take pictures at the end of the day over the bayou I noticed something floating in the water that I had not seen before. I zoomed in and low and behold . . . a gator.
This is what the guy looked like in my camera before zoom. Not much to notice except that I had taken so many pictures of the area that I knew there was nothing there normally. AND having just had the conversation with Tony about gators in the bayou . . . well you know . . .
Beaching at Freeport
On the 6th we set out with the babies to the beach at Freeport. We all had a blast . . . especially the puppies. This was a new experience for them and they were very curious.
Jack had no problem with the sand and wanted to run and snap at the water but was very cautious because he really does not like a bath.
Miss Pepper, on the other hand could care less about getting wet . . . she wanted to find out what was in that water . . . snapping at it and romping
freely.
We saw two riders on horseback. They were leisurely walking down the beach in the water and out. It was a perfect day for many beach activities.
We spotted a couple fishing with some sophisticated reels. They were obviously enjoying the sun and water along with the rest of us.
Mother's Day FaceBook Profile Picture
I noticed everyone changing their FB profile picture for Mother's Day and decided to change mine to the above picture which was taken in the fall of 1949.
African Violet
My $3 African Violet is doing very well, blooming non-stop since I purchased it on the sale table at Home Depot because of dying blooms.
Lost and Found . . . My Camera
On the 13th Marsha and I went to Hobby Lobby to drop off some photos and frames to be fitted. In the process we went to Goodwill (next door) to check on their supply of frames. I found one frame and we went back to Hobby Lobby to check out their supply of mounting boards.
After finishing our tasks, we parted ways and I headed to Mom's. Dad and I started talking about the ducks and I instantly reached for my camera to go get some fresh pictures of the babies. It was not on or near the couch I was sitting on so I went to the car and checked to see if I left it in the car . . . NO . . . so recheck inside . . . NO . . . recheck car . . . NO! I called Marsha. We could not remember where it went missing. Both of us remembered talking with the Framer about the camera at Hobby Lobby but did not remember if it made it to Goodwill or back.
I called both stores with no 'luck.'
Marsha headed for Goodwill and convinced the manager to look at the footage to see if I even brought it into the store. After checking the video it was determined that I did not bring it into Goodwill.
Next she headed for Hobby Lobby. By that time someone had retrieved it from a cart left in the entry way, returning it to the Manager who delivered it to Marsha. We were both so relieved that we agreed to meet at Jimmy Changas for the hand-off and a celebratory drink and food.
Oh, the panic of thinking about getting a new camera. Tony quickly told me he would replace it, but I was just sick, knowing I had been negligent. Must tighten up security . . . hopefully, lesson learned! And SO glad it did not have to be replaced.
Leon & Anita . . .
May 15th we headed for Lake Conroe. The Kirby's had invited us to come up and take a boat ride. We eagerly accepted!
We spent the morning looking at the new cottages and the 'old' ones that were up for sale. I thought perhaps a small cottage with wheel chair accessibility would be great for Mom and Dad. However, the ones we looked at were not wheelchair accessible.
We headed for MacDonalds for some refreshments and then headed for the Lighthouse and Bird Island. The Lighthouse is very distinctive and could be viewed from a variety of angles, including Bird Island.
Anita said we would not want to venture onto the island because of all the bird poop. I will take her word for it. There were hundreds of birds there.
Our next stop was the paddle boat. It goes out a couple of nights a week for 'cruises' and may even include food.
On our way back we saw a field with three horses grazing on the lush grass. Clouds were building so we headed for the dock where we were greeted by a tarantula. He did not give me many options for a great portrait so this is what I got.
The day was topped off with delicious steaks, mac and cheese, garlic bread, salad with cheese cake for dessert.
Brazos Bend State Park Reopening . . .
On the 17th the park reopened after being flooded in mid April. Marsha and I slogged through mud exploring some different areas than where we had gone before. Besides gnats and mosquitos we saw some beautiful wildlife and an extraordinary trek by a gator who had either been kicked out of 40 acre lake or had a girlfriend in the Brazos River.
I plan on putting his trip on YouTube . . . to be continued!
Senior Luncheon . . .
On the 21st we had a luncheon before church for all our Seniors. It was a great opportunity to be able to get some extra visiting in and enjoy a great lunch prepared by someone else.
Dad's Garden . . .
This year Dad was able to resume his gardening skills. Here are some of his beautiful crops!
Haircut . . . Grand Finale!
My plan for my 3 years growth of hair was to culminate in May. I wanted to send my hair to Locks of Love and I was ready and squeezed the cut on the 31st.
Until next time . . . have a great summer!