I went to early coffee at J&B Coffee with a friend a couple of days ago. The contrast of the condensation and the morning sky captured my attention while I waited.
Drops
Category: photography
Heart of Texas
While walking in Higinbotham Park the last few days, the Girl and I pass this sculpture every time we round the track. One morning, I decided that an image of it would be required. Yesterday morning we stopped briefly to check the name of this sculpture, but the plaque was missing from the base.
Therefore, I decided to call it The Heart of Texas for no good reason, other than that’s what came to me when I look at it.
Creeped!
The other afternoon we were hanging out in our room, relaxing. The hall was unusually busy — probably someone moving in or out. In any event, there were lots of unusual noises coming from the hall. She was totally creeped out. So, I grabbed the capture.
Brrr…
After church and brunch with dear friends, the Girl and I returned to our temporary lodging in west Lubbock. We ran from the 4Runner to the door, not wanting to be out in the weather any longer than necessary. Rain pelted the west-facing window off and on all afternoon. It was not all that cold, in the mid-40F range. But that wind made it very cold.
The view from my window illustrated that feeling. So, I retrieved my iPhone from its case and made the capture.
Higinbotham Park — Lubbock, Texas
My goal, for the moment at least, is to make one nice capture every day. That capture might be with my iPhone, my Fuji X-T1, or my Panasonic DMC-ZS40. I always have my iPhone (6S) on me. Its camera is better than what is needed to get a decent capture for a weblog post. It’s primary lacking is control over depth of field. Both the Panasonic and Fuji cameras offer better control, with the Fuji being the best (of course) and the Panasonic being a lot better than the iPhone, but much less capable than the Fuji. But, I always have my iPhone on me and I always see something that I think is worthy of my Instagram stream.
My second goal, for the moment at least, is to post something every day. That might be a snippet of something I read, heard, or saw. It might be a longer piece… one of my ruminations.
I considered writing a bit about the state of my country. I have a few essays in my collection that are fits and starts in that direction. I might draw a lot more traffic to my site if I did that; or I might not. What I will observe is that American politics are deeply broken. We left constructive dialogue behind decades ago and substituted meaningless rhetoric and vitriol. Our “leaders” and our media lie to us to achieve their goals. I have lost faith in my government and elected leadership to guide the rest of us on any kind of reasonable path. It appears the government is setting itself up to reduce or eliminate the ability of citizens to govern ourselves in substitute for a government that knows what is best for us. I find this disappointing and depressing.
Enough of that… there be monsters there.
So, I write about what I see and what I think. I decided to focus on things that I think bring either insight (as I ruminate on my own thoughts) or beauty (through my images) to those who come here directly or stumble by via that morass of infinite links that is the World Wide Web.
And, my goal is to post something every day. I don’t always make it. I’m not going to berate myself for not making it. But the goal keeps me looking outside my head, observing, watching the light, watching for interesting things, and ruminating. I think that will do.
All that aside, yesterday was a fun day. The Girl and I were out before sunup to go walk laps around Higinbotham Park here in Lubbock. It was cool, but not cold at about 40F when we hit the trail. A few other hardy souls and their four-legged friends showed up as we circled the park. Of course, we were going the wrong way. I don’t care and neither does the Girl. Her squirrely friend was absent, although she was on high alert for “Squirrels!”. But no others showed.
Near the end of our walk, the morning sun illuminated the trees and dormant Bermudagrass. That light captured my eyes. So, we paused along our last lap for me to grab a few captures. I like this one and shared it on my Instagram feed.
And, in the end, it seems I posted something political after all… or at least an observation on politics. But the emphasis was on my thoughts and my observations of the beauty that surrounds me.
Longhorns
When I walked the Girl at our motel in Gainesville, Texas, we came across this most-interesting gate. I’m Longhorn-sensitive now, after being indoctrinated by Daughter and her family. I noticed the logo and burnt orange immediately. The afternoon light lit the scene well. So, I made the capture while the Girl sniffed about.
Pancake House, Lubbock, Texas
The Pancake House in Lubbock, Texas is a local landmark. It’s been there for decades. I remember eating there now and again when I worked at Tech. When I’m in town, I make sure I get there. With all the chain stores around, I still prefer local whenever I can.
I met a friend there yesterday for breakfast. We had a great time visiting, catching up, and sharing a meal. The Girl snoozed quietly next to me, enjoying a warm floor and the energy that bonds long-term friends.
I could live here again, I think. But maybe it’s my role to just pass through here now and again. I don’t really know just yet.
Pump Jack
I passed this miniature pump jack on my way through western Louisiana or eastern Texas. After I passed it, I decided it had to photographed. So, I turned around and returned to the spot. The Girl sniffed around while I shot a few images. It made me smile.
Witter-Smith Chapel
Traveling along State Highway 23, I stopped out in the middle of nowhere Arkansas at the Witter-Smith Chapel. The stop was partly for a break for me, partly for a break for the Girl, and partly to see if I could find a geocache that was listed near the adjacent cemetery.
I accomplished all tasks but one — I didn’t find the geocache. But the Girl and I had a nice break from the 4Runner, the road, and a good stretch of the legs. It is important to remember those who lived before us and I honor those folks when I visit their graves. As a boon, the chapel made a nice capture.
Waffle House, Lebanon Missouri
I left Rolla, Missouri yesterday about 0730 and headed towards Springfield to see my maternal grandmother. It was a gray, drizzly day and I drove through showers heavy enough to require the windshield wipers off and on all day. After about an hour, I decided a cup of coffee would be nice and it’s always a good idea to get out of the car for a few minutes, stand, walk around, and clear my head. Plus, the Girl appreciates time on her feet and new opportunities to leave pee-mail.
So, it was a deal. Of course, it was raining in Lebanon. Therefore, the pee-mail delivery was curtailed in favor of a dry spot at a booth inside the local Waffle House.
Waffle House is a favorite stop. It was when my family was with me and it remains so now. I like Waffle House better than Denny’s in many ways. Both evoke a sense of nostalgia and wanderlust in this old man. Waffle House, though, is more the quintessential American Diner. It evokes a greater sense of the past than Denny’s, at least for me. Plus, Waffle House waffles are much better than the Denny’s offering. It is Waffle House, after all.
So I enjoyed my coffee and ordered a Pecan Waffle. The server asked about the Girl, who was pleased to come out for a greet and then return to her snooze under the table. I watched the servers work and interact with the clientele while I remembered all those times I spent with Wife and Kids on the road. Now it’s just me and the Girl, wandering a bit, a few destinations in mind but no real reason to be anywhere in particular at any particular time.
I spent time with Daughter and her family this Fall. I saw my Denver kids this summer. I’m headed to Texas to visit friends and family there for a few days. Then I think I’ll head toward Carson City to retrieve a few things from my storage unit and see Younger Son and friends there. I’m thinking I might head to Washington for Christmas to spend the end of the year with a friend there. Plus, I’d like to see the coast again and the Cascades in snow.
My waffle arrived just as I caught up with my social media and finished my reverie. It was really tasty and I’m glad I stopped, rested, and got a snack. I had a couple more cups of coffee, then the Girl and I walked next door to the Knife Outlet. They had big display cases of Case and Buck knives, far too many for me to select anything. So, I window-shopped a bit and we left to continue on toward Springfield.