tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88574972449996983172024-03-14T03:46:24.132-04:00Flowers and morePhotos of plants and flowers, landscapes and people, and comments on experiences while traveling inside and outside of Brasil (Brazil)GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.comBlogger582125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-77019872378039697072015-10-09T08:35:00.001-04:002015-10-09T08:35:34.423-04:00A new startToday is the anniversary of the loss of Camillo. I am starting over again. Maybe this time it will become permanant. I have started over by beginning a new blog. i hope that this new blog, the writing and the photos, will help lead me along this road I have been travelling. Please visit <a href="http://lifeafterflowers.blogspot.com/">http://lifeafterflowers.blogspot.com/</a>. Leave me a note. GingerVGingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-63689081765011448412014-04-19T10:06:00.001-04:002014-04-19T10:17:02.907-04:00Museums not far from Home,<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I have decided that I will make it my mission to see as many of the small, local museums as I can find. I have collected a massive pile of brochures and will start – now – checking them out. Houston has a very large area, just west of downtown called the museum district. We have a world class collection of large, well managed and well funded museums. The Contemporary Arts, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Health and Science and, my favorite, the Museum of Natural Science are all within a mile radius. But I have found that there are many, that is MANY, small privately owned museums scattered throughout the Houston Metropolitan area – these are the ones I will hunt down and visit.<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0AdckWdFKsg/U1KCzwlrbcI/AAAAAAADG0E/rMh5Ivu_oRM/s1600-h/DSCN3540%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="DSCN3540" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-b2eK4fplbfI/U1KC02erGVI/AAAAAAADG0M/H_H6BBuNGEw/DSCN3540_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="324" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; margin: 15px 10px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3540" width="235" /></a></span></div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This week I went by the <a href="http://www.1940airterminal.org/"><strong>1940 Air Terminal Museum</strong></a>, a small, privately owned museum, consisting of the original Hobby Airport art deco styled terminal, (the only one in the USA left standing) and a couple hangers not yet open to the public. When I read about this museum, I wondered how Camillo and I had missed it. He was an avid lover of all things aeronautic. Knowledge of a hanger full of vintage plane, pulled out the 3rd Saturday of every month would have gotten him out of the house for sure. This building and its show of small planes only opened in mid 2003 – shortly after our move to Brasil, and frankly it never occurred to us to visit Houston as tourists like we did all other cities – visiting churches and museums with real enthusiasm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IoXemlBHAXk/U1KC2G0U7EI/AAAAAAADG0U/7xJw-UnzQ60/s1600-h/DSCN3545%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="DSCN3545" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zZ2d0lFCc18/U1KC3W-gxnI/AAAAAAADG0c/ZFHonsBRYlE/DSCN3545_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="304" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 10px 15px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3545" width="393" /></a>The museum is still under restoration. Left empty and deserted when the new section of Hobby was constructed; filled with debris, rodents, and the homeless, the The Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society is now hunting for the $3 million estimated to plaster the interior walls. Right now the interior walls are in red block, the same materials used in the original construction. The plaster was a mixture of gypsum and asbestos. The main entrance level is complete and when they can, they will complete the walls in the wings in a gypsum/fiberglass mix to mimic the high gloss finish of the original. </span></div>
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-i8FGoTiNPbc/U1KC4HrSr8I/AAAAAAADG0k/-uk4GmMfeWc/s1600-h/DSCN3478%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCN3478" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hcDbKOMC3NE/U1KC5Jj5l8I/AAAAAAADG0s/9iPb8XUchw0/DSCN3478_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="459" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3478" width="584" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RIYpjQvmGmE/U1KC6eCAyXI/AAAAAAADG00/pKGtb3i5edU/s1600-h/DSCN3521%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCN3521" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-UANdBcXSwaY/U1KC7Xkl-FI/AAAAAAADG08/be38QLe76MI/DSCN3521_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="448" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3521" width="330" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DEXeSvfqpOQ/U1KC8uVnUAI/AAAAAAADG1E/IQWzD6kgtmM/s1600-h/DSCN3519%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCN3519" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WsGK1xfpCGY/U1KC9mfwGyI/AAAAAAADG1M/G9Tq-jF5gj8/DSCN3519_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="392" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3519" width="299" /></a><br />
For now, even with its incomplete restoration, a walk through the memorabilia was a real pleasure. GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-46220288872656023432014-04-04T13:34:00.001-04:002014-04-18T09:36:13.319-04:00Out and about in Houston<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="2">“Out and About - Take us on a walk through your town. What are the sights you see when you are out doing your daily or weekly chores, or when you are out for some leisure? (by Barb)”</font></b></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Had to smile at the idea of walking about my town, doing errands and seeing the sights. Incase anyone is confused because I post from “Houston”, that’s Houston Texas, then talk about Missouri City, or Galveston, and maybe thrown in from time to time,, Sugarland and even Rosenberg, it is because all these towns are butted up, side by side. The street names may change, and occasionally you can see a sign that says leaving Houston or entering Missouri City, but it is really one big city. Linked by highways and bayous, shopping malls and shopping strips; stretching, spread-out, proliferating. Reaching from the Gulf of Mexico to Huntsville, and from the Louisiana border to the prairie west of Katy this town is not something you stroll through seeing the sights. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-j41IouPPuRE/Uz7s_M5XhdI/AAAAAAADGus/5T1k9wWXopI/s1600-h/SAM_3126%25255B16%25255D.jpg"><img title="SAM_3126" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="SAM_3126" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--RxHG-FcM5o/Uz7tAqCps-I/AAAAAAADGu0/4ZmWyrKNIL4/SAM_3126_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="528" align="left" height="413"></a>There are places to walk about…. from the fringe of a parking lot to the store front is sometimes a good hike. During the Christmas holidays and other major shopping days, you are just as likely to have to drive to the fringe to park as to be lucky enough to find an empty spot up by the door. On those days shopping is good for your heart….</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5yDijNaRssI/Uz7tCpqll6I/AAAAAAADGu8/R_X6Sojiyi0/s1600-h/DSC_0172%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0172" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_0172" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-OY7SxVcapjE/Uz7tD2lpBzI/AAAAAAADGvE/xSY3NL26aYs/DSC_0172_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="533" align="left" height="380"></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Even getting back to the milk and eggs at the supermarket may take you by surprise.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-HlbyyUx6uuk/Uz7tE3PHeSI/AAAAAAADGzw/eySZivQ6slo/s1600-h/DSC_2978.jpg"><img title="DSC_2978" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_2978" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3Wwow3He1_c/Uz7tF3tRiWI/AAAAAAADGz4/Icn9YHIi8gU/DSC_2978_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="534" align="left" height="382"></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Generally the effort to get to the supermarket or to the movie theater is about a 15 to 25 minute drive; just like it might be for those of you who live out in the countryside. But this is just the amount of time it takes to get out of the neighborhood and head up the highway a bit. The days I meet my hiking group to walk the bayous or through the forest is about driving an hour or more (3) each direction. If I do get out and drive this time of year, I am rewarded with the Texas wildflowers that thrive along the highways. </font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-56TtoVLExbY/Uz7tHYsUqdI/AAAAAAADGvc/ecm58rm0H4Y/s1600-h/DSC_3307%252520%2525282%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_3307 (2)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="DSC_3307 (2)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YnqCPumL_Bg/Uz7tIl6bPzI/AAAAAAADGvk/0KyCljNZzqc/DSC_3307%252520%2525282%252529_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="555" height="391"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-loGSTlZVCDk/Uz7tKANfYGI/AAAAAAADGvs/QUqEoMnD0DI/s1600-h/DSC_3281%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_3281" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="DSC_3281" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UGZ5v03GPzc/Uz7tLR0YJlI/AAAAAAADGv0/qCyM9_8iChk/DSC_3281_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="556" height="392"></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2p4i3xINHI8/Uz7tMkudYSI/AAAAAAADGv8/bpClbl5x4a4/s1600-h/DSC00212%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00212" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="DSC00212" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IMG--JA4st4/Uz7tN-mWdSI/AAAAAAADGwE/hXIGMpxz5Bc/DSC00212_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="557" height="436"></a></font></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-32314390238649030022014-03-21T17:50:00.001-04:002014-03-21T17:55:05.114-04:00Spring is here Scavenger Hunt<p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">I looked and looked for a yellow rose photo – you know the song ‘The yellow rose of Texas’ -I just went to the Texas A&M University archives to get the words, I was going to give you a line of two, and wow it is so politically incorrect in today’s world that I had to drop that Idea…. I don’t have a photo of a yellow rose anyway. </font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">In Missouri City we have so many parks, and many of them have a wetland or grassland reclamation, so Spring is a </font><a href="http://gingersflowers.blogspot.com/search/label/wild%20flowers"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">delight of wild flowers</font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">. I’ve done a couple of posts on these flowers and look forward to not only showing you more, but finding their names also. I have to go shopping for a book or two. In the </font><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">past posts (hypertext above), I have used almost my whole archive collection of yellow Flowers, wild and cultivated, in south Texas, so I had to go with what I could find this week at the garden center</font> -<font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-50uAEHjnf64/Uyyz8485I_I/AAAAAAADGr8/4vVg6ozSrug/s1600-h/DSC_4467%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_4467" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_4467" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PeNOibxbIKU/Uyyz_-6z8bI/AAAAAAADGsE/bV4ChPGmMlk/DSC_4467_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="686" height="476"></a></font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QqYh03RY_ik/Uyy0BLS0I-I/AAAAAAADGss/5nYE_jUT0dk/s1600-h/DSCN3240%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3240" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3240" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sTPm96jnfeY/Uyy0CFiQwsI/AAAAAAADGs0/ykkYFU8k4fc/DSCN3240_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="394" align="left" height="546"></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">I had a beautiful plant on the front steps last fall, and here in proud declaration, standing tall, the first leaf, proof of life after this very cold winter.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oHWrj0cMxUM/Uyy0DVky5qI/AAAAAAADGs4/mP73kaY0AOM/s1600-h/DSCN1552%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN1552" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN1552" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hwhMm68ctmM/Uyy0EYK7_8I/AAAAAAADGtA/lz1KOnoKFcU/DSCN1552_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="339" height="268"></a></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">And a new spring shoe to start my summer exercise program….</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-67544680656091156722014-03-16T14:30:00.001-04:002014-04-18T09:34:40.958-04:00Water and the Houston area<div align="left"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3">The Houston area being on a flood or drainage plane for 3 good sized rivers, and being crisscrossed with multiple man made drainage bayous, creeks and lakes, lends itself to many water related activities. For your consideration just 3 of the many things you can do down on the gulf coast all year round - <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ea-VSFHinSk/U1EmnQePZfI/AAAAAAADGzQ/2rxUjN4vmpo/s1600-h/DSC_3907%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ea-VSFHinSk/U1EmnQePZfI/AAAAAAADGzY/dZtudo7vo5Y/s1600-h/DSC_3907%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_3907" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 12px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_3907" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2dsmhlciDg8/U1Emo7axmoI/AAAAAAADGy4/kwAN5no-nMY/DSC_3907_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="749" align="left" height="536"></a></font></a></font></span></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zqdZRmiypNs/UyXtkK7TdvI/AAAAAAADGzg/gU3M_kWWmIc/s1600-h/DSC060376.jpg"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3"></font></span></a> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3">Spending the day fishing</font> </span></font></div> <div align="left"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zqdZRmiypNs/UyXtkK7TdvI/AAAAAAADGzg/gU3M_kWWmIc/s1600-h/DSC060376.jpg"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zqdZRmiypNs/UyXtkK7TdvI/AAAAAAADGzo/k6FD0SaCxG4/s1600-h/DSC06037.jpg"><img title="DSC06037" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC06037" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5WW1CANhc24/UyXtlLXth7I/AAAAAAADGzI/fjjKEbncNdA/DSC06037_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="752" align="left" height="507"></a></font></span></a></div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><font size="3"></font> </div> <div align="left"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3">Hanging with friends</font></span></div> <div align="left"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3"></font></span><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3"></font></span> </div> <div align="left"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KD5yhYNo0mA/UyXtnonZGXI/AAAAAAADGpM/A9Qq-rAQ9pk/s1600-h/DSC_3902%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3"><img title="DSC_3902" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_3902" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mqJp_IZbu4w/UyXtp0RkOII/AAAAAAADGoc/I7nBFKdQCdg/DSC_3902_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="744" height="510"></font></span></a></div> <div align="left"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3">Taking a solitary walk </font></span></div> <div align="left"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman"><font size="3">One thing for sure, nothing beats spending the day by the water.</font></span></div> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-52284784721099697312014-03-08T16:17:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:26:40.709-04:00early morning<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IlB3EDrjQNg/Uxt6qyi4nZI/AAAAAAADGko/VUVTjNtsvZE/s1600-h/DSCN3469%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="DSCN3469" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Vw_QrNT_PFQ/Uxt6s2pz9nI/AAAAAAADGkw/MovMwDYFiww/DSCN3469_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="361" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3469" width="266" /></a>Early morning in Houston has a different meaning for me versus for most of the city’s other 4 plus million inhabitants. For one, I am normally having a quiet coffee and reading the news, a book, Facebook until eight or so. The rest of the city is on its way to work, to school, working in the <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-a8GNeAC62Wg/Uxt6vJeiaVI/AAAAAAADGk4/c-iQ31AE5hc/s1600-h/DSCN3658%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="DSCN3658" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XW366E4jbsw/Uxt6yYvuF3I/AAAAAAADGlA/8IVosy1QOGU/DSCN3658_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="308" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3658" width="251" /></a>garden, playing a game of golf ….. I could go on and on listing the things that I am not exposed to early in the morning; but from time to time I get motivated and go out to walk or hike, either alone, with the dog or with a group, and get lucky enough to catch few early morning rays, slanting, reflecting or slowing making their way through the Houston fog. </span></div>
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GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-48689553772446857722014-02-28T12:43:00.001-04:002014-02-28T13:14:05.202-04:00Houston and Stained Glass<p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RcA90MrTnfA/UxC8fH1y-rI/AAAAAAADGgk/7s88rK28JUk/s1600-h/DSC06254%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC06254" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC06254" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--EmC3Emp9mY/UxC8gp1wAFI/AAAAAAADGgs/5zDL38uo38o/DSC06254_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="326" align="left" height="467"></a>Several weeks ago I took a tour of the downtown tunnel system. I had worked downtown prior to moving to Brasil so I already knew the tunnels. How to make my way from the Bank of America Center, where I worked on the 23rd floor, to my favorite eateries and back. When I first started working downtown, I would have to go up the escalators every once in a while to figure out where I was then go back down and continue on my way. Unlike many of the downtown workers, sometimes I would pop up then walk on the streets, empty of people. I love the architecture, the mixture of old and new, and the sense of energy that emanates from all buildings. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">So taking this tour was for learning facts and figures, unusual antidotes, and to see what buildings the tour group thought were important to the city, and important to me - to take photos. </font><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Like every tour I’ve ever taken, I came away vaguely disappointed. The young tour guide, although very pleasant, had no particular knowledge of the tunnels. We spent from 9:30 to 1:30 – walking about 3 miles (would normally take about 45 minutes), going up into only 3 buildings, having free time to eat lunch <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ANrbp36Sq20/UxC8haiOLpI/AAAAAAADGg0/TgHC4h4zhD0/s1600-h/DSCN3191%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3191" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 7px 0px 0px 15px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3191" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4B7uIlNBAL0/UxC8ifWsj5I/AAAAAAADGg8/t7eusyMLYGs/DSCN3191_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="340" align="right" height="468"></a>(at 11:00 to miss the lunch crowd??) and being taken into numerous stores to ‘shop’. And photos were not allowed inside the tunnels….. what!</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">There were three highlights though that I found delightful and well worth the time and the money spent for the tour. High atop the Chase towers, on the 60th floor, is a sky lobby where 1/2 of the city skyline is open to view. You can take photos but not video (???) and it was fun seeing the wonder on the other visitors faces as they looked out over our sprawl. (Lower left is the Bank of America center – the 23rd floor right at the center of the building as seen) </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">We also went into the basement of City Hall. I would have like to see the building itself but what we saw was the gift shop and visitor's center. First I didn’t know it was there, so that was great, and second they have brochures of every possible event or venue that you might be interested in seeing. There were brochures from Harris, Ft. Bend, and Galveston Counties. I brought home …. maybe 20, for things I would like to see and do. … Arboretum, Aquarium, glass bottom boat ride, Fire station Museum, Weather Museum; all there and I didn’t know about them. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Okay, I am finally getting to the stained glass. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-NSh6OA7zzl4/UxC8jQ5tN0I/AAAAAAADGhE/cDxk4J-6A7g/s1600-h/20130926_120044%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="20130926_120044" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="20130926_120044" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-H_pUITUXKms/UxC8kVtteJI/AAAAAAADGhM/Un7b2oR-oeQ/20130926_120044_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="211" align="left" height="302"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-r5EDwwrPDCE/UxC8ldmOF8I/AAAAAAADGhU/zfDnm649kdE/s1600-h/DSCN3165%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3165" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3165" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EyZWclVolBc/UxC8mT7fIpI/AAAAAAADGhc/JBoVuMfsit0/DSCN3165_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="214" align="left" height="305"></a></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">The best, the star, the highlight of the tour for me was the Chase Bank Building. (no longer owned by Chase) Built in 1929 as the Gulf Oil Building and until 1963 it was the tallest building in Houston. The art-deco interior was restored in 1989 and is a must see. One end of the lobby, with its soaring 43 foot ceilings, is the elevator bank with their nickel plated doors and the other end a stained glass window depicting Texas history. I am sure that when this stained glass was added to the lobby-scape, it lit the lobby with color and light. Today surrounded by taller building as it is only the artificial light of today lit the space. Can you imagine this window when in its glory?<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-k3MKONYpe08/UxC8ndwZztI/AAAAAAADGjc/ShQBlDuSISI/s1600-h/DSCN3168%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3168" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3168" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-scUhRtyw-bo/UxC8otl_rqI/AAAAAAADGjk/PZxymhGB8qg/DSCN3168_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="598" align="left" height="733"></a></font></p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">… a few more details…..</font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-np09KZM8yWw/UxC8p7K1gaI/AAAAAAADGhw/DLr25URYays/s1600-h/DSCN3160%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3160" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3160" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XNSZ-w6BRPw/UxC8q0bKcbI/AAAAAAADGh8/6uCLs4isARo/DSCN3160_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rcoXt1TIoWc/UxC8r6ZebaI/AAAAAAADGiE/fvVMJtiq0M0/s1600-h/DSCN3155%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3155" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3155" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-45vIZKqg8nQ/UxC8svOJhrI/AAAAAAADGiM/-pwtb09yPAk/DSCN3155_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yDCNFN-_zW8/UxC8t6N4pNI/AAAAAAADGiU/LFzdu9YNUyo/s1600-h/DSCN3169%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3169" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3169" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0TGNfjQW84E/UxC8u7f7WSI/AAAAAAADGiY/4VyZZviG150/DSCN3169_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AozNUtErDtc/UxC_E2Y53KI/AAAAAAADGio/HX7YNgTSeqA/s1600-h/DSCN3162%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3162" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3162" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zWNa7uNDfVQ/UxC_JuO94eI/AAAAAAADGiw/sV3dw7FEiIc/DSCN3162_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="291" height="230"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DzBfrAGv8Mk/UxC_MOD-OMI/AAAAAAADGi4/M4I5bT1Q4Yw/s1600-h/DSCN3175%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN3175" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN3175" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZMgvBvWaD_c/UxC_SUckU_I/AAAAAAADGjA/52ZaBSdoVdk/DSCN3175_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="300" height="232"></a></p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-58302374241121430922014-02-22T20:52:00.001-04:002014-02-22T20:52:22.929-04:00Food and Drink in Houston<p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Just about every Friday my daughter Patty and I meet for lunch. Just about every Friday we start the day planning to meet at <em><strong>Sweet Tomatoes</strong></em>, my favorite super salad place. Just about every Friday right around 11:00, about the time we are both starting to think about lunch, the texts start…. Patty, “Salad?” Me, “Is that what you want?” Patty, “???” Me, “what then?” Patty, </font><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><strong>“GRINGOS?”</strong> Or this can be reversed depending on who started the break from eating a healthy salad for lunch that week. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Qnvu_K5I5eQ/UwlF_I8XhwI/AAAAAAADGdU/NrejOhWufNA/s1600-h/Gringos-45.jpg"><img title="Gringos (4)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (4)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WlQ32DQwQnE/UwlGAMi3ssI/AAAAAAADGdc/1-kdrgeejbU/Gringos-4_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" align="left" height="250"></a>The USA, Houston not being an exception, is made up with streets of fast food. Every neighborhood, town, country road, has its typical fast food places. Patty knows that I wont break from the salad bar for just any fast food place; UCK! But Gringos, I have a week spot for their nachos, tortilla soup and especially for their green sauce. Yes she know how to get me to break my good eating habits almost every Friday. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Yes I have a weakness for Mexican or TEX-MEX as it is call in Texas. There is Mexican fast food – Taco Bell for example – and there is good Tex-Mex like Gringos. The building was built just for them. It has a Spanish hacienda look and feel. There is a patio seating area that we use in the 3 or four months a year when it is not too cold or too hot to sit out….. can’t think of any other reasons that I like the place, the green sauce speaks for itself…. I tried to get the recipe for you all…. couldn’t find it online and nothing substitutes for it. So maybe someday when you get to Houston…..</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hCsv_uRsNJw/UwlGBDUlCpI/AAAAAAADGdk/ScJ7ZZ6neG8/s1600-h/Gringos-54.jpg"><img title="Gringos (5)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 17px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (5)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-K5qkaMTQwek/UwlGCOXGwKI/AAAAAAADGds/BMR0gBRnsaQ/Gringos-5_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="342" align="left" height="265"></a>From the Gringo’s Facebook page …..”<a href="https://www.facebook.com/gringostexmex">Gringo's Mexican Kitchen</a> Unfortunately we can't release the exact recipe for our green sauce but I can provide you with the ingredients so you can take a stab at it! Avocados, sour cream, tomatillos, serrano peppers, jalapenos, salt, garlic powder, cilantro & water”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Here are a few pictures so you see the atmosphere I enjoy so much. (And Yes they Have good Margs)</font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--wAt0n8FQ1M/UwlGDHCCWXI/AAAAAAADGd0/UxtMdUhpJtc/s1600-h/Gringos-24.jpg"><img title="Gringos (2)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (2)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-O7DO9L3G90E/UwlGEewDipI/AAAAAAADGd8/ugdLn0VXyok/Gringos-2_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="355" height="275"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IsEte3oYViw/UwlGFRpNhQI/AAAAAAADGeE/-GxH3Obglxc/s1600-h/Gringos-34.jpg"><img title="Gringos (3)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (3)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Z_Yixezwk7k/UwlGGUD3s_I/AAAAAAADGeM/KiRiO3m6ckw/Gringos-3_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="244"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-X_yChKN12_0/UwlGHgZQJKI/AAAAAAADGeU/s4usRBKRMUI/s1600-h/Gringos-133.jpg"><img title="Gringos (13)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (13)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hXJA9HkyQ7Y/UwlGIguqb9I/AAAAAAADGec/wBRSLJmnJoA/Gringos-13_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a> </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kHbWyp0XLVc/UwlGJnCmbBI/AAAAAAADGek/239_pC-heUE/s1600-h/Gringos-105.jpg"><img title="Gringos (10)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (10)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-C7fg87tYGdM/UwlGKjf8v6I/AAAAAAADGes/l4U0Wu26utA/Gringos-10_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="331"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-luQFy1SjO6A/UwlGL2Dc-II/AAAAAAADGe0/FETW6YIar28/s1600-h/Gringos-85.jpg"><img title="Gringos (8)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (8)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LMw5EfGlTXs/UwlGM-khPNI/AAAAAAADGe8/zsMEWeL8zXs/Gringos-8_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="241" height="332"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-tSyXq4jyono/UwlGN-DFr4I/AAAAAAADGfE/yD_6Lapwpqw/s1600-h/Gringos-144.jpg"><img title="Gringos (14)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (14)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-q0oE_KCtuqA/UwlGO8q0f5I/AAAAAAADGfM/13yrNaJgrww/Gringos-14_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="245" height="332"></a></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kAihXYw4lCQ/UwlGQHicc2I/AAAAAAADGfU/Tx7SrBy7jiM/s1600-h/Gringos%252520%2525281%252529.jpg"><img title="Gringos (1)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Gringos (1)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LJyTj0uK5hE/UwlGRENbePI/AAAAAAADGfc/BGuB3p9hi2c/Gringos%252520%2525281%252529_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="489" align="left" height="383"></a></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-53488664167595899962014-02-15T20:32:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:29:35.889-04:00Love of city….<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I have a love-hate relationship with Houston. I am positive of this. The only thing that holds me here is my family. Sharing their ‘moments’ means the most; after that I can’t really bring up an immediate taste for anything here that could be called LOVE. The last time I participated in a </span><a href="http://gingersflowers.blogspot.com/2012/02/place-close-to-heart.html"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘<strong><span style="color: red;"><em>heart / love / valentines’</em></span></strong></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"> for FSO was February of 2012. In that post I had the same dilemma and that time I said, “… <span style="color: red;"></span><em><strong>But when thinking about places close to the heart, there I could make a list. It won’t be a surprise to you that Brasil in general was not on my list of places ‘close to the heart’. Maybe the </strong></em></span></span><a href="http://gingersflowers.blogspot.com/search/label/jardim%20botanico"><em><span style="color: red; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><strong>botanical gardens</strong></span></em></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><em> of Rio or the park of the sitting dog in Friburgo are two of my favorite places but close to the heart is a stretch. No, they are just interesting places. My list would include Adrian Michigan, Houston Texas, Paris France (and other French places) and most of Italy…</em>”</strong> and in conclusion I posted about a few things I love in Italy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">It is interesting to me to see that I listed Houston on my ‘list of places close to the heart” while I was in Brasil. I am sure, even though I didn’t analyze it at the time, that this has to do with Patty and the grands being here in Houston. And now I would probably list Brasil as a place close to the heart; now that I am not there…. I know. I know….</span></div>
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<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TjQZvtQQlQA/UwAG39Ur-MI/AAAAAAADGbI/VwPm-I7M_8U/s1600-h/DSCN2912%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bCxDUCVFASo/UwAJdWjl1BI/AAAAAAADGcc/r7DHopXi5-M/s1600-h/DSCN2912%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCN2912" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JMGPSKT-HAM/UwAG5afVy9I/AAAAAAADGck/txXqNmRsFhw/DSCN2912_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="452" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2912" width="521" /></a></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Celebrating Marissa’s Eighteenth birthday. (me, Marissa, Patty, and Carl</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I thought that one way to go about this is to make another list. A list of what I like about Houston. Here it is just the way the thoughts popped out – then I went in search of the photos to help you see my words.</span></div>
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<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-j2o93zhs6e0/UwAG6kcSySI/AAAAAAADGbY/ypCBrL2gFm0/s1600-h/DSCN3147%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSCN3147" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zIbBLdM3pa8/UwAG7p9wPbI/AAAAAAADGbg/y0QOhO6u9_4/DSCN3147_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="390" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3147" width="545" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Blue sky, and hot sun.</strong> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ptHlqfemefs/UwAG8y25ErI/AAAAAAADGbo/XYAaPDSJr4s/s1600-h/DSC_4389%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSC_4389" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kQA2qMvpIaM/UwAG-CMFe9I/AAAAAAADGbw/o0NjnO3tMU0/DSC_4389_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="389" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_4389" width="557" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Water all around.</strong> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HScDrqf6t-U/UwAG_g1cwXI/AAAAAAADGb4/hWm-2QUlwJw/s1600-h/DSC_4644%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSC_4644" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6s29HqAj-sg/UwAHAmxrd8I/AAAAAAADGcA/ellVewSvD0E/DSC_4644_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="401" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_4644" width="560" /></span></a><strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Forests of trails in which to walk.</span></strong></div>
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<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6x98EEs2sOM/UwAHB9S0TWI/AAAAAAADGcI/UBeZ0p0ks_Y/s1600-h/DSCN3202%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSCN3202" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oYTl-6NNmSg/UwAHDGIjEYI/AAAAAAADGcQ/4Y3tyl-SS94/DSCN3202_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="575" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN3202" width="407" /></span></a><strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">A city of art and music reaching for the sky</span></strong></div>
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GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-91322683846843850172014-01-31T10:27:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:30:07.106-04:00Leading Lines Houston Style<div align="justify">
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mqSLzVp5YIs/UuuykscvjGI/AAAAAAADGXE/VtQNdu1tD7c/s1600-h/SAM_0266%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img align="left" alt="SAM_0266" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vVmcyU2fuV0/Uuuyllaj_iI/AAAAAAADGXM/UagVY0WuaLI/SAM_0266_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="203" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="SAM_0266" width="336" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Last night I went through my not so extensive archives for Houston and its surrounding satellites. I picked a few possible photos for yet unimagined stories, pulled them into ‘Live Writer’ but no words flowed – nothing – nada – zip. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Had a small Drambuie. Nothing. Played a few rounds of ‘Wonder Words’. Nothing. Turned out the lights. Let it all percolate over a good night’s sleep. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This morning woke to a wish for a coffee clutch to talk over the ideas…. balancing on a high wire above the noise, checking out the day, begin to feel creative, write…..</span><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OKm3TK2kB4k/Uuuym-y-Q1I/AAAAAAADGXU/R-ZiLEj3CBk/s1600-h/DSC04994%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img align="right" alt="DSC04994" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mWv6DvTLqvw/UuuyoEy6NgI/AAAAAAADGXc/-a8YNEPGuA8/DSC04994_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="256" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; margin: 11px 12px 0px 11px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC04994" width="324" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Houston is often described a ‘ugly’, it isn’t. Like most modern cities you have to know where to look for the beauty. But, you can’t walk to find it. Remember my stories from Rio, the little hidden gems I found walking the streets. Here you have to drive, and then drive some more. All streets lead somewhere, most are tree lined and auto-clogged. When you get there, you’d better have remembered your camera. I have been forgetting my camera often lately. And I don’t stop. Is common to hear, ‘ that would make a great photo’ float through my mind as I speed by. I sometimes get a secondary thought…. ‘I could park there and walk back’, but...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I don’t know how many times I’ve wish for the nerve to stop in the middle of one of the streets and take a photo. I know for sure that I would end up dead, but maybe my camera would survive and I would become a hero to all those that despise urban sprawl. Over on the west side of town, my side, the city / state / federal governments have just completed a five year ‘increase the freeways’ plan. Since 1975 when I moved to Houston, the I-10 which runs from Florida to California, passing right through the middle of Houston, has gone from a 8 lane highway (two access on either side plus two lanes headed east and two west) to an 18, yes that is eighteen lanes; passing the upper Galveston bay, oil refineries, the financial center, the rich homes off Voss and Memorial, the now named energy corridor</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">, and exists Houston through the once sleepy town of Katy, heading West. </span></div>
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<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2zTMgSu4slw/UuuypHHhV1I/AAAAAAADGYQ/KOEZEm-Kmvg/s1600-h/DSC_45353.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2zTMgSu4slw/UuuypHHhV1I/AAAAAAADGYY/6lbh4krLrWI/s1600-h/DSC_4535%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="DSC_4535" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--bp53l7Ngo8/Uuuyqq3BmUI/AAAAAAADGX0/2hbl3ahzQdc/DSC_4535_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="413" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 6px 12px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_4535" width="261" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">And joining I-10 practically in the middle of the city is the Beltway 8. In 1975, it was a two lane country road with open drainage ditches lining its sides. Now! Now it is 14 lane toll road circling the city. The outer loop is what it was called when our section was finished in ‘89. <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4oytQ0l22Ik/UuuyrwV6hNI/AAAAAAADGX8/Fwv8aDLyZks/s1600-h/DSC_4533%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="DSC_4533" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-qEMhA-AhvG8/UuuyslKCLrI/AAAAAAADGYE/gjcCFcxpW1c/DSC_4533_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="335" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px 12px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_4533" width="219" /></a> It has grown and grown, tolls have risen, more than double as they, the government searches for money from the users to build even more toll roads; Westpark and Ft. bend county toll roads to be exact., in an attempt to get the cars where they are going without spending money on a mass transit system. Highways, the life blood of Houston.</span></div>
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(under construction the I-10 Beltway 8 interchange. Built by the Federal Government.) GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-80987938227839234232014-01-24T09:34:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:30:45.458-04:00Open Spaces<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Z4-7GKNGVEY/UuJ1D1TfX1I/AAAAAAADGWc/_7bh0oWf_Cs/s1600-h/DSCN4129%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="DSCN4129" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-08BtV8j8v_c/UuJ1E9UOWDI/AAAAAAADGWk/p8mNQfcy7pQ/DSCN4129_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="470" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 10px 15px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN4129" width="346" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I would say that one thing Houston has, in abundance, is open space. We do have tall buildings, and traffic and those tight spaces that all large cities have; those spaces that make you feel closed in, surrounded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">But it is easy to drive a short distance in any direction and find space: open space, space to breath, to dream, to meditate with nothing but blue sky and acres of grass, forests or water, surrounding you.</span></div>
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Uj9LpE7Oj3I/UuJr6YYteBI/AAAAAAADGVk/nVFzEPayCD8/s1600-h/DSC_0720%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC_0720" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QG6cikJ8KjI/UuJr7RNF0iI/AAAAAAADGVs/8XdQgCNyKDs/DSC_0720_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="465" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin: 15px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_0720" width="645" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-O_OKJ-Q8afQ/UuJtUML53-I/AAAAAAADGV0/Y8CDnKIUeC8/s1600-h/DSC_2632%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="DSC_2632" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2iS_IeTMd7s/UuJtVUkH7UI/AAAAAAADGV8/QnNf5etiwxM/DSC_2632_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="396" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_2632" width="559" /></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-M3YHk49MEtI/UuJtW-v064I/AAAAAAADGWE/nnW5KbV_Q1A/s1600-h/DSC_4404%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC_4404" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sPmYD7vqr8M/UuJtYE0csII/AAAAAAADGWM/z7d9xKPDUu0/DSC_4404_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="486" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_4404" width="677" /></a></span>GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-68230075399039975552014-01-17T11:40:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:46:18.382-04:00From question to inspiration….<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Missouri City: a bedroom community. That is about the extent of my knowledge of Missouri City. And it isn’t hard to figure out; there is a sign as you come down Texas Parkway that says the population is 67,000+ and there are grocery stores, shopping strips, government buildings, CARS and houses. There are no high-rise office buildings, no hospital, no manufacturing. Most of the houses seem to have been built in the 70s and 80s and now south and west of here there are two large areas of even larger, very upscale houses being built. Yes, there is work someplace that pays very well and everyone drives there to work, and then drives home again to sleep – the typical bedroom community.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">To tell the truth I haven’t thought much about its history, really didn’t think it had one. I thought that it is just another add-on to Houston as it spreads itself across the southern plains of Texas, but with a little internet search (thank goodness for Google search) I found out that the towns in this area date back into the mid 1800. That Missouri City itself sprang up as a railroad town. And that, what is now highway 90 was once its main street that ran parallel to the still existing and active railroad tracks. That, even then it was a bedroom community, its citizens taking the train to Sugarland to work in the sugar mills. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FXsv7GwuL9g/UtlOr88MSXI/AAAAAAADGTo/A6_ZmuSXr5A/s1600-h/DSC_3407%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-size: small;"><img align="left" alt="DSC_3407" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gc6gpO74jy4/UtlOtVMhN9I/AAAAAAADGTw/7cARKWd_NNc/DSC_3407_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" height="244" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 14px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_3407" width="165" /></span></a></span>During this time the area also had farms, ranches, and sugar and tobacco plantations, (needing the train ) and around 1925 oil was found, and still more recently natural gas fields. (I am getting to the point….) One of the sugar plantation was owned by <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-02LDDZDF8eY/UtlOupZQpiI/AAAAAAADGT4/-SfT8NcexyA/s1600-h/DSC_3408%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-size: small;"><img align="right" alt="DSC_3408" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GTnzNZvzqrE/UtlOwS3wMzI/AAAAAAADGUA/ZVmPaynBuIM/DSC_3408_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="406" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 16px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_3408" width="268" /></span></a>The Dew brothers, in fact it was called the Dew Brother Plantation. (!) The original home has been blown down, burned down, neglected and modified, but still stands. The city picked it up, lock stock and barrel, as we say in these parts, and moved it to Kitty Hollow Park and named it the Dewalt Heritage Center. It is now used for classes, weddings and other official functions. I need to go see the inside spaces. If the photos seem to be tilted this was soon after the house was dropped here and there were yellow/orange temporary keep out fences all around…. and I was walking the dog. “… sit Spritzer, sit, stay… NO sit – just sit for a minute….OK lets walk….”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-bCKLUa7yGOs/UtlOyGGcziI/AAAAAAADGUI/x_-6o7m9fBo/s1600-h/DSC_3414%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="DSC_3414" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-s-Ux_MswYVI/UtlOz1uGR5I/AAAAAAADGUQ/bstb0FwaO6I/DSC_3414_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="360" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_3414" width="500" /></span></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tV93jDa2cK8/UtlO13S2RyI/AAAAAAADGUY/Ciedj2UnMRw/s1600-h/DSC_3416%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="DSC_3416" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qrWSXo98TT8/UtlO313ZJMI/AAAAAAADGUg/RdQ4u9HZiEA/DSC_3416_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="490" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_3416" width="684" /></span></a></div>
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GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-74882765501699977222014-01-11T20:51:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:34:04.309-04:00Winter is here,<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Four days ago we woke to ice on the car windows, it was 20’ outside. Today it is 62 reaching into the 70s. This is Houston during the winter months. Like the rest of the USA, we have had nearly 3 months of unusually cool temperatures this fall, giving us fall colors; trees turning all shades of bright orange and yellow, and even two nights of hard freeze in December and now in January, usually the real winter in Houston, we are up in the seventies with bright blue skies and warm southern breezes.</span></div>
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gxe_iUnpumo/UtHnAL42WwI/AAAAAAADGSA/x0EPcQuVbvo/s1600-h/DSC_3404%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSC_3404" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FVckngLh31E/UtHnBT_fc3I/AAAAAAADGSI/h9R-uZT2kB8/DSC_3404_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="480" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_3404" width="624" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Today, the only thing telling me that it is winter is the mix of bare branched trees and the still </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">green, native live oaks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">T</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">his blow from the north, icy air temperatures and winds shifting to the south with warm, humid air flowing in, gives us constantly changing scenes. Bright and clear one day and dark and moody the next as the cold air moves across the warm water, and warm wet ground creating layers of morning fog. </span></div>
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<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aT8if3j1CgQ/UtHnCoi61_I/AAAAAAADGSQ/D_9CWXpycIY/s1600-h/DSC_3396%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC_3396" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LSj0qup1T7Q/UtHnDp1OcnI/AAAAAAADGSY/TfPlOWjuH4E/DSC_3396_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="479" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_3396" width="703" /></a></div>
GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-18037930062758469122014-01-03T12:34:00.001-04:002014-03-21T12:31:10.264-04:002014 – a new year<div align="justify">
<span style="font-size: small;">… </span><a href="http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-new-year-interpret-as-you-wish-from.html"><span style="font-size: small;">The New Year</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">; Interpret as you wish; from celebrations in your towns to personal reflections and resolutions; what does the coming New Year mean to you?</span></div>
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<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-LklB5DUyGvs/UsbmkOsJesI/AAAAAAADGRE/P60gJMY6OjA/s1600-h/camillo%252520%2525289%252529%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="camillo (9)" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-85h5IpGK4Z8/UsbmlfTpbtI/AAAAAAADGRM/2Dofg6ytkQk/camillo%252520%2525289%252529_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="436" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="camillo (9)" width="269" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Yes, I will write this. I have sat down, stood up, got another cup of coffee and a yogurt, sat down, stood up, walked in a circle and sat down again. It is time to put it down on paper (screen doesn't sound as romantic). 2013 was all about losing Camillo. Change, adjustment, uncertainty and more uncertainty, but also tears and laughter, more sadness and little joy; there is no way to talk about 2013 and what is to come in 2014 without including him in the story. So I write.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">2013 – a long year, a fast year, filled with things to do, legal things and just things. I traveled, avoiding staying at my daughter’s house for long periods; trying to hang on to travel, one of the things that made us a couple. Travel, we did a lot of it and I tried to hang on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I went to Sarasota Fl. to visit my sister in her winter home. I flew back to Brasil for a week to take care of banking issues; walking the downtown streets looking for Camillo. I spent a month in Michigan trying to stick with a plan of driving around the state to see more, but mainly sitting on the sofa watching TV with my mother, (a good thing really). Driving to Michigan with RioRose and back home with Patty, seeing the country; trying to hang on to, but returning with new resolve to let go.<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AcizuaQddko/Usbmma9FFjI/AAAAAAADGRU/-c5iDy-HU-o/s1600-h/20131022_170740%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img align="right" alt="20131022_170740" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nS8tYIVcmgg/UsbmnYYw82I/AAAAAAADGRc/MWqhFnnm7KA/20131022_170740_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="433" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: right; margin: 14px 18px 0px 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20131022_170740" width="315" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">A broken arm in July slowed me down but didn't stop my Italy Trip. One month in a rented apartment in Rome, walking, walking, walking; eating goat’s cheese and parmesan, drinking coffee with milk, spending time with Camillo’s sister, a bit of wine and a little more Prosecco (sparkling white wine): prosciutto di Parma, green sweet olives and fresh tomatoes from the market; all of our favorite things. And for myself: long walks with the camera, finding a small pastry shop, going to wine tastings, eating gelato of all flavors, buying train tickets by myself, travel to Lucca and writing a long letter to Camillo, telling him of my experiences in Italy. Knowing he was smiling all the while. Coming home with new( er) resolve. Feeling courageous and happy: I can do this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Then the holidays. A bit of a set back. Now the tears where there haven't been any before. Maybe now I am really letting go and letting go hurts. I finally hung his picture on the wall of my room. I still have his shaving lotion in a bag under my bed – it is losing its ‘Camillo’ smell. Seeing his children and grandchildren enjoying the house in Friburgo over the holidays – hurts. But I don't think I am still looking backwards, maybe the eyes are a little more in front. ‘What to do next’ is more prominent than ‘what we did then’. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QUNZbUOKRNg/UsbmogdYl8I/AAAAAAADGQc/o-kELGvrNjs/s1600-h/DSC_3386%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img align="left" alt="DSC_3386" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pliUjkeiLng/UsbmrG2WUyI/AAAAAAADGQk/w5S8Ric3fa0/DSC_3386_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="327" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_3386" width="454" /></a>This is what 2014 will be about. <em><strong>What next?</strong></em> The real Transition. Some plans: I know now that plans are to be left behind, forgotten, changed, remade, reinvented, rediscovered, but it is a direction. Plans are not sitting watching TV or playing games on the iPad. Plans are movement, energy, forward: change. And change is not forgetting but using the past to make the future better. Now, I know these things, the phrases roll of my pen (keyboard doesn’t do it) with ease, now I just have to use this bit of knowledge to make change happen. This next week I start looking for a small house or a large apartment to make Spritzer and my home. This is the biggest, most important step to take for all other plans hinge from that location, wherever it may be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Happy New Year to all my blogger friends, and to my family. Much love and happiness to you all for many years to come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">GingerV</span></div>
GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-54961274468189462602013-12-20T23:20:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:32:40.261-04:00Houston Parks continued, Cullinan Park in Sugarland<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Over the past few years I have posted about </span><a href="http://gingersflowers.blogspot.com/search/label/houston%20parks"><strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">several Houston parks</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> that I walked while visiting Houston. Houston has beautiful natural space and I love walking around them, meandering, taking photos. Now, as a permanent resident, I have joined a couple walking / hiking groups locally, and after many delays, I’ve finally been able to join a couple of the long walks through our local parks. I look forward to doing more of this walking – social – exercise and sharing them with you as the seasons in Houston change. </span></div>
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<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qmmhjbzQmXo/UrUIjJ_xCLI/AAAAAAADGMc/M51ZfLcqo1U/s1600-h/DSCN2809.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img align="left" alt="DSCN2809" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_Jvc-e5A5CM/UrUIkRE5STI/AAAAAAADGMk/ft1uozU0Zvk/DSCN2809_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" height="386" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 9px 13px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2809" width="493" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">The Houston metropolitan area is laced with waterways. We are a drainage basin for two major rivers, <strong>Brazos River</strong> to the west of Houston (i.e. Brazos Bend State Park) and to the east <strong>the Trinity</strong> makes its ways down from the Texas / Oklahoma border. These rivers are joined by many creeks, bayous, and smaller rivers as they make their way through the Houston area. Because of them we have many State and Federal Parks, and nature / bird reserves and estuaries. All of this lends itself well to nature trails and other hiking, biking, horseback riding, and fishing activities. My activity of choice is hiking. Hiking with the camera, of course. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This time of year and on this particular day, it is rainy, brown and gray, and the sky washes out to a bright white. I am sure there is a way to edit these white skies or filter them when taking the photo, but I don’t know how so you see what I saw on this day in mid December, close to the first day of winter. The colors of a pre-winter day; all fading out as winter gets here in earnest. In an attempt to get the colors in the photos to be close to the colors I saw, I used an edit special effect of applying ‘oil painting’. I was please with the results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DbPHgNEOteM/UrUIly4N4hI/AAAAAAADGMs/hsyhjdB1_kI/s1600-h/DSCN2811oil%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCN2811oil" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_vlv2XSESxs/UrUInF-1aTI/AAAAAAADGM0/J3Fb_62fAno/DSCN2811oil_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="515" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2811oil" width="648" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-raKd41MnolM/UrUIrKTVvqI/AAAAAAADGNM/viWsaYWEBgI/s1600-h/DSCN2824oil%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSCN2824oil" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-m9GN7zrixy8/UrUIvnw34NI/AAAAAAADGNU/0W5No3JO-kE/DSCN2824oil_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="445" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2824oil" width="657" /></span></a><br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-iULmbwpaSsA/UrUIxXBDVuI/AAAAAAADGNc/AnQvJTcEO5U/s1600-h/DSCN2827oil%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSCN2827oil" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-09BWn4W3uBI/UrUIyq--xOI/AAAAAAADGNk/68Po_ASxE84/DSCN2827oil_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="522" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2827oil" width="665" /></span></a><br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oj3t1p28c2M/UrUIzixUWbI/AAAAAAADGNs/YWEwQWEAvIg/s1600-h/DSCN2828%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSCN2828" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mj2kL0WnbmU/UrUI00TAkxI/AAAAAAADGN0/Q8CDttnCQHA/DSCN2828_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="448" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2828" width="328" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DTZMPjJtdGQ/UrUI2vGQSJI/AAAAAAADGN8/fDIm-YrQY7c/s1600-h/DSCN2833%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSCN2833" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2SprMqL8pq4/UrUI36qJZNI/AAAAAAADGOE/vwh-CPPWxlY/DSCN2833_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="332" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2833" width="412" /></span></a>GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-5758047161650441852013-12-13T12:41:00.001-04:002013-12-13T13:10:13.008-04:00Light up the town….<p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rh3rPFjAh_8/Uqs4kJlfRuI/AAAAAAADGKs/YgXTGP48AAQ/s1600-h/DSC_0193.jpg"><img title="DSC_0193" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 6px 14px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_0193" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ybAI_XoLqqw/Uqs4lfLy3zI/AAAAAAADGK0/Gq5_d2dg3ZU/DSC_0193_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="437" align="left" height="303"></a>Houston, like most towns in the USA are lit up at night year around. This time of year, Christmas time, many homes and businesses add lights to brighten our nights even more. I decided to not post Christmas lights for what lights up my town, but to show the atmosphere that is around us all of the time. This particular place is a about 10 miles from home, (Patty’s house) and a great place to go at most times of the year for a hamburger and a beer. The Fountains, on the Southwest Freeway at Kirkwood, has a string of restaurants along a man-made pond. Lots of lights, outside seating, warm air, high humidity nearly all year round, blasting music muted by the water and humidity and more bright lights, being absorbed into the atmosphere, makes it just right for a stroll along the water’s edge. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yLA2V0fYzik/Uqs4mU65NhI/AAAAAAADGK8/hJYiP-w4QvY/s1600-h/DSC_0188%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_0188" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_0188" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hTpcX0CL3sU/Uqs4nor8MFI/AAAAAAADGLE/aSWkKNQ6Faw/DSC_0188_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="633" height="450"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-obJtCtBeWFs/Uqs4pC9LIfI/AAAAAAADGLM/XbdnN0xLdnw/s1600-h/DSC_0190.jpg"><img title="DSC_0190" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_0190" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-baLlHgd2FoM/Uqs4qFaXqwI/AAAAAAADGLU/boRFZtLcYM8/DSC_0190_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="514" height="357"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oImB7hsWj7U/Uqs4re7GLyI/AAAAAAADGLc/9g-zYQ6cCmU/s1600-h/1484.jpg"><img title="1484" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="1484" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PiduIGc4Lrw/Uqs4sbJt2aI/AAAAAAADGLk/XWtXFldjz_0/1484_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="638" height="440"></a></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-66853409828467348532013-12-07T23:04:00.001-04:002013-12-07T23:10:14.450-04:00FSO – rush hour<p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">This time of year it is all about rushing. Rush to work, and home; company parties, shopping, children’s plays, recitals, shopping, dinner parties and more shopping. There should be no limit to the possible photo ops and I have found myself with ZERO photos on the camera. I carried the camera with me all week. Nothing. Two days ago I began looking through the Houston archives. Nothing. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">I suggested this topic. Surely I had an idea for a photo to post. Nothing comes to mind. Last week Patty and I went shopping for Thanksgiving dinner supplies, the lines were miles long, everyone in a rush to get home. Did I take an interesting photo – NO. On Thursday night we went to Wal-Mart to see ‘black Friday’ activities. It was a madhouse <em><strong> people acting like idiots, </strong></em>rushing about then standing in a line that wound around the store, probably a quarter mile long. No dollar saved was worth standing in that line. <em><strong> </strong></em>Did I take photos – NO. Are you getting the idea that this is a disclaimer?</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Right at this moment in time I don’t work. In fact, I avoid going out between 6 – 8 am and if I do go out, I try to be back at the house or hiding in a coffee shop between 4 and 6pm. Houston is a <strong><em>‘get there by car or don’t go at all’</em></strong> town. Missouri city does not have any mass transit options. Avoiding rush hour out this direction is a matter of survival. Today I took two photo – snap shots really – that can give you an idea of what a society driven by cars means on a daily basis.</font></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0v5IhVMPi2c/UqPhqo4PbJI/AAAAAAADGIs/AuUxGVA-FTA/s1600-h/DSCN2861%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2861" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2861" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2wZSnotSIIY/UqPhr5tiySI/AAAAAAADGI0/7Blae07yUBU/DSCN2861_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="376" height="291"></a></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Jxu6vYDWqFY/UqPhtCjQrXI/AAAAAAADGI8/sCXEvGvj0-w/s1600-h/DSCN2865%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2865" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2865" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-enbXxJexVsk/UqPht7ccvLI/AAAAAAADGJE/9mOvmj20YnA/DSCN2865_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="495" height="391"></a></p> <p align="center">looking south</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cfruJ5VPcLw/UqPhvDjPy7I/AAAAAAADGJM/YZiN5cHfJQk/s1600-h/DSCN2867%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2867" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2867" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tSN3SWOz4eM/UqPhwBsVhpI/AAAAAAADGJU/IW18ku5m-GY/DSCN2867_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="390" height="302"></a></p> <p align="center">looking north on a Saturday afternoon.</p> <p align="center">and inside a store… we were 10th in line</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XrF-s0nFA48/UqPhxX8UKaI/AAAAAAADGJc/_WBvxRXREbc/s1600-h/DSCN2850%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2850" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2850" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fgX-bUBBPLc/UqPhyd6vK0I/AAAAAAADGJk/7ayKFO00WQA/DSCN2850_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="432" height="334"></a></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-70875744241742091992013-11-30T13:04:00.001-04:002014-02-06T14:50:45.441-04:00So I have been lazy -<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This week’s Friday Shoot Out is, <strong><em>“9 to 5, people at work in your town”,</em></strong> In Brasil I had a huge, still do in fact, archive of photos that I could dig into if the week didn’t let me out to shoot new photos. For Houston’s photos, I need to get out there and shoot for our weekly topics and that seems to just not happen. Two weeks ago I spent 4 days in a courtroom listening to boring testimony as the attorneys worked hard for their money, course I would have looked silly snapping photos while they worked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Last week it rained all week and I don’t mean little sprinkles but hard gushing blowing cold rain. There is no taking the camera out on days like that….. oh, I guess I could have gone to the mall and snapped sales clerks hard at work – but I didn’t. I worked hard in a warm house baking for the Thanksgiving meal on Thursday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Houston is an Oil services, shipping, banking, and medical center town. Most of that is tied directly to like businesses in South America. I think I have touched on most of this in other FSO weeks, maybe not focused on the worker. I would love to go on a rig and take photos but don’t get excited it is not likely to happen anytime soon. oh if only I were still in Brasil…..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">What does that leave me…. gardeners and lawn men; mowing, cutting and digging, and, this week, hanging Christmas decorations. <em>And</em> yesterday a high school play-off game; the team, coaches and refs working hard on the day after Thanksgiving – so enjoy just a couple of <strong><em>Houston My Town</em></strong> photos just to show I am not just being lazy ….. </span></div>
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<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-o6oidMKRK6E/UpoaaPhXYXI/AAAAAAADGFQ/CCyHGVQ-p0A/s1600-h/DSC_0767%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img align="left" alt="DSC_0767" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FYFz3KEt-8I/UpoabN0RLXI/AAAAAAADGFY/1JA4t0HV63s/DSC_0767_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="392" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_0767" width="548" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">A couple years ago - but on November 20 – new trees are planted in the Rose Garden. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This year, rain and cold would have kept the city garden crew at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Saturday Play-off game between Elkins high of Missouri City – GO KNIGHTS - and the Katy Tigers</span></div>
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HiAGkRxTmOo/UpoachfJoiI/AAAAAAADGFg/0vI3GQgiUTU/s1600-h/DSCN2797%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><img alt="DSCN2797" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-A4yrz2g7HKU/UpoadvqJVMI/AAAAAAADGFo/4blEoGU4M98/DSCN2797_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="451" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2797" width="576" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-G_YVsn4Cc3g/Up3mcxJxpAI/AAAAAAADGIE/NpkGqn5i5m0/s1600-h/DSCN27565.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-G_YVsn4Cc3g/Up3mcxJxpAI/AAAAAAADGIM/7Z_CI6QwYrM/s1600-h/DSCN27566.jpg"><img alt="DSCN2756" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-O7zcYxZgbBA/UpoafxnnwTI/AAAAAAADGG0/ZvcDndaPfAs/DSCN2756_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="460" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2756" width="579" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">The guys that work hard to make the game play stay inside the rules.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3QZImXQfsvQ/UpoahepAdeI/AAAAAAADGG8/GxKQLzlOaog/s1600-h/DSCN2758%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCN2758" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xi4jRoBHXrs/UpoaiquyDqI/AAAAAAADGHE/qdpOtJM5iwg/DSCN2758_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="463" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2758" width="586" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Yes, I had some envy issues seeing that lens. Yes, I realize that if I bought something like that I would have to take photography seriously ….. there were 4 official photographers on our side of the field using super cameras – I wonder what they would think of my quick snaps.</span></div>
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rRY702_mPME/Upoaj6UJfmI/AAAAAAADGIU/LDGqO6U36g8/s1600-h/DSCN27925.jpg"> </a><br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rRY702_mPME/Upoaj6UJfmI/AAAAAAADGIU/LDGqO6U36g8/s1600-h/DSCN27925.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rRY702_mPME/Upoaj6UJfmI/AAAAAAADGIc/vZVlE9P6IXw/s1600-h/DSCN27926.jpg"><img alt="DSCN2792" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Tnt2j4jLqJ4/UpoamRgZScI/AAAAAAADGGg/jx3z_gLcxoU/DSCN2792_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="515" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCN2792" width="649" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">and the cheerleaders, who are working Hard keep us enthusiastic even when the score went to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><strong><em>56 Katy TIGERs to 26 Elkin’s Knights.</em></strong> Ouch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span>GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-18386795646568656712013-11-23T13:57:00.001-04:002013-11-23T14:03:23.259-04:00My car just seems to go there….<p align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Over and over, as my posts from the past when I was visiting Houston show, my car loves to go out into the country. And if time allows I end up, over and over, at the same places. (<strong><em>Drat - it is thundering, and lightening I may have to shut down AGAIN)<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-f88Qea4Th0Y/UpDsVje9bhI/AAAAAAADGCo/RoW_hgis7Po/s1600-h/DSC_6448%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_6448" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 10px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_6448" align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bTp9W9eeBX4/UpDsXBZDiDI/AAAAAAADGCw/gG7WLHWkCy4/DSC_6448_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="321" height="228"></a></em></strong></font></font></p> <p align="justify"><em><strong><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--ILUE7zawbY/UpDsYF5Y2lI/AAAAAAADGC4/lPjkobZUIt4/s1600-h/DSC_6452%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSC_6452" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 11px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_6452" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-R04W8b09sf4/UpDsZKjnETI/AAAAAAADGDA/E6dCmA-K2iQ/DSC_6452_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="165" height="244"></font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">(next Day! no more thunder but is COLD)</font></strong></em><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> Often my car drive to the Brazos Bend State Park, Oyster Creek Park, Kitty Hollow Park, the bird preserve out by Katy or just for fun takes a country road to nowhere. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">For a different type of day I can drive West on HWY 90 for about 25 minutes and there is what used to be the small town of Richmond. Now we say Richmond – Rosenberg because these two small towns have grown so they meet making one big, no personality city. But there is a small area of ‘old town Richmond’ right off 90 that the locals have tried to preserve and make into a small but pleasant place to walk, shop for antiques and local crafts, and have a good old fashioned drugstore hamburger for lunch. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">The hamburger is okay but the shops are a lot of fun, a stroll down memory lane for me. Old glass and other collectables line the walls and windows.</font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-71ljP9FJObM/UpDsaDFRVnI/AAAAAAADGDI/Z1MZXAuOtKg/s1600-h/DSC_6481%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_6481" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_6481" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LaPVEjC7KTg/UpDsbO21QDI/AAAAAAADGDQ/bBV9qKroqAM/DSC_6481_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="231" height="349"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FRnv10MLeq8/UpDscfUe76I/AAAAAAADGDY/A0k-eJs3IK0/s1600-h/DSC_6501oil%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_6501oil" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_6501oil" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GUExg-z0ASc/UpDsdVE-8qI/AAAAAAADGDc/0v04qQ2ndG8/DSC_6501oil_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="492" height="347"></a></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UT1o_mWFGJ0/UpDsevnPGvI/AAAAAAADGDo/DRf36Y9I1mo/s1600-h/DSC_6494oil%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_6494oil" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_6494oil" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4qt1jlQUUZI/UpDsfWotH7I/AAAAAAADGDw/f4-U9t9W-Mc/DSC_6494oil_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="490" height="353"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Q57ct3GQHYE/UpDsgvVv4QI/AAAAAAADGD4/bbIr_FKREi4/s1600-h/DSC_6495%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_6495" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_6495" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-pspg-bIHpTE/UpDshphz9KI/AAAAAAADGEA/-quDCDFvKlA/DSC_6495_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="230" height="353"></a></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PA3uDhcHv_o/UpDsiipE4hI/AAAAAAADGEI/V1s0lbW_NP8/s1600-h/DSC_6457%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_6457" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_6457" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mi_X6eAVK_k/UpDskoGw5lI/AAAAAAADGEQ/wqJ6XF6OyFM/DSC_6457_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="228" height="354"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_qJRpt1BPwU/UpDslruR3dI/AAAAAAADGEY/sClEZGwPxO0/s1600-h/DSC_6489%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC_6489" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSC_6489" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yqbk2aZb7v8/UpDsmm5t5_I/AAAAAAADGEg/u1RQUv3xVYw/DSC_6489_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="491" height="352"></a></p> <p align="justify">Just one way that my car, camera and I spend a pleasant Sunday afternoon.</p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-66308634194182823722013-11-08T13:07:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:46:43.587-04:00playing with digital<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">For FSO I have done Black & White three times, this is the 4th time. This is the second Houston as my hometown. How I wished I could have used the mountains of Nova Friburgo for my experiment, just so I could have the depth of our view to play with after reading Mersad’s tutorial. I guess I played around for a couple of hours, coming to the conclusion that my editor ADCSee 14 and ADCsee Pro 5 are not very good / I am not very good / I choose the wrong photos to play with. But I did learn that there is more to do than just ask the program to convert to B&W.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;">I used this format in one of </span><a href="http://gingersflowers.blogspot.com/search/label/Black%20and%20White"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><strong>my other posts</strong></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> on black and white and liked very much seeing the comparisons and reading everyone’s comments – so my FSO experiments in black and white editing.</span></span><br />
<table border="8" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="8" style="width: 400px;"> <tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RjkQAwZwCZg/Un0aDGkwnPI/AAAAAAADF74/_RBuLPe2iyo/s1600-h/DSC_0774%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC_0774" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ycp8T8pCxoY/Un0aEBDoS2I/AAAAAAADF8A/eWYV4QUl2PM/DSC_0774_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="317" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_0774" width="206" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DMPs-4yF0Bc/Un1eVLCurSI/AAAAAAADF_s/5KlwQPfIQnM/s1600-h/DSC_0774B%252526W.jpg"><img alt="DSC_0774B&W" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-91K_AHa_hec/Un0aF_-MzjI/AAAAAAADF_0/RghCuiAnCqE/DSC_0774B%252526W_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" height="394" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_0774B&W" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RNZCQO_kST4/Un0aG-ylXnI/AAAAAAADF8Y/HeNgHxuTpMw/s1600-h/DSC01080%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC01080" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-b6UAkMLEenI/Un0aH9wvvYI/AAAAAAADF8g/6cEcX_IEbms/DSC01080_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="335" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC01080" width="244" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-li_-GaSLCyA/Un0aI7pqGjI/AAAAAAADF_8/DqPLsyJpLyo/s1600-h/DSC01080i.jpg"><img alt="DSC01080i" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-due4mrLrhLc/Un0aJgspkeI/AAAAAAADGAE/akzvc3Odpe8/DSC01080i_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" height="372" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC01080i" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Is624FLakDE/Un0aK1TsTtI/AAAAAAADF-Y/mEeXfPJTXik/s1600-h/DSC06228%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06228" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CytOKGh9JJw/Un0aLkmtZNI/AAAAAAADF-g/AZ96mEen9A0/DSC06228_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="254" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC06228" width="316" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JOVn8X5wr20/Un0aMop6s7I/AAAAAAADGAM/L4Q2mT4ngvc/s1600-h/DSC06228b%252526w.jpg"><img alt="DSC06228b&w" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QjDOzT_z8hk/Un0aNp8P0FI/AAAAAAADGAU/P3ydncbr2oI/DSC06228b%252526w_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" height="309" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC06228b&w" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UQb_XwgeQjw/Un0aPBT6kSI/AAAAAAADF-o/3aqyHt9nsEA/s1600-h/DSC_0165%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC_0165" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NoyNq3wcw1c/Un0aQO2rnhI/AAAAAAADF-w/OamICWoyp3c/DSC_0165_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="229" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_0165" width="316" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-X76qr5lt-5o/Un0aRbz-u8I/AAAAAAADGAc/3TdO1n8kHeg/s1600-h/DSC_0165b%252526w.jpg"><img alt="DSC_0165b&w" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eVMqKsxPpD0/Un0aSYhearI/AAAAAAADGAk/WcCmpT6C9j8/DSC_0165b%252526w_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" height="292" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_0165b&w" width="401" /></a></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UQxOwWMgssQ/Un0aTaqr90I/AAAAAAADF-4/ub3vQC53W0g/s1600-h/DSC06247%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06247" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uu2Eze5rUZ4/Un0aUnYb1ZI/AAAAAAADF_A/fKz5URO_mHw/DSC06247_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="255" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC06247" width="317" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nQTgvtTgMu0/Un0aWF95mrI/AAAAAAADGAs/a-xS2RiflSU/s1600-h/DSC06247b%252526w.jpg"><img alt="DSC06247b&w" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-c2Z5hgKMMpY/Un0aXENcHkI/AAAAAAADGA0/F8io5Fn_4ug/DSC06247b%252526w_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" height="316" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC06247b&w" width="403" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span>GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-67124754636603906672013-11-01T18:48:00.001-04:002014-03-21T11:36:56.070-04:00Critters in my own back yard.<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just when you think there is no life in your own back yard, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;">you find proof of a world not seen.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KXq0dOIrHgY/UnQvuV-OWMI/AAAAAAADF6w/mLNPgTt8B14/s1600-h/DSC_1307%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC_1307" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pwxzWUJznls/UnQvv6UcPvI/AAAAAAADF64/AH5J0YZPL7s/DSC_1307_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="500" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_1307" width="712" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This is a grassland restoration area just on the edge of Missouri City, Texas. Normally it looks like, well like grassland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">But on this particular morning’s walk, coming around a bend, the trail took me directly into bright sun shinning through fog; </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">a secret world not normally seen. </span><br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5_B_7ZbwSMs/UnQvxe6H3TI/AAAAAAADF7A/Ozl9RxMBAko/s1600-h/DSC_1295%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC_1295" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tgmKyevNBN8/UnQvyov4ODI/AAAAAAADF7I/C-e8DpHqcqQ/DSC_1295_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="503" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_1295" width="703" /></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
Proof of life visible for as far as the eye could see.<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LGLmh_mzHSQ/UnQvz16fmMI/AAAAAAADF7Q/7RqPYw0pHdk/s1600-h/DSC_1300%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC_1300" border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-y3MbMkFLtgA/UnQv1ARJAII/AAAAAAADF7Y/61Z9eILekD8/DSC_1300_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="522" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSC_1300" width="735" /></a><br />
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GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-63288119844418476312013-10-27T18:11:00.001-04:002013-10-28T05:27:13.629-04:00Don’t forget to look up,<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">While walking through the historic center of Rome it is easy to get distracted by all the things to see: people, gelato signs, police cars weaving through the tourist with their light flashing, grand doors and door knobs, graffiti, just so much to see. But I will recommend that from time to time you just stand still and look up. </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-tTTu9UKfXo4/Um2PItiO39I/AAAAAAADF0I/D1g2_kTl_Vw/s1600-h/DSCN1924%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN1924" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN1924" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CD7xwvvSwNE/Um2PKKLZpNI/AAAAAAADF0Q/HxP7wFxN-k4/DSCN1924_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="258" height="354"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6LFCdepfD1o/Um2PNmJIGhI/AAAAAAADF0Y/MPC-DbpgOIE/s1600-h/DSCN1943%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN1943" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN1943" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tJPbQq_LF1w/Um2PQTMp61I/AAAAAAADF0g/ONzHk6BrSXk/DSCN1943_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="448" height="351"></a></font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2EylePAtydg/Um4tm-GwCqI/AAAAAAADF4Y/dUjU0N1ajhI/s1600-h/DSCN2135%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2135" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2135" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8m9ZUcoFp5U/Um4to3gZMQI/AAAAAAADF4g/IbBgFfqZMqQ/DSCN2135_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="360" height="495"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Lra1XQN_iao/Um2PXK9pokI/AAAAAAADF04/UdTosv8k19M/s1600-h/DSCN2140%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2140" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2140" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AjxVJy0e_9g/Um2PY4TEmxI/AAAAAAADF1A/ImVJeoJ7YQ0/DSCN2140_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="491"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-q7FqMCJ5fa8/Um2PdoErTiI/AAAAAAADF4o/2_esogIqMLY/s1600-h/DSCN2245.jpg"><img title="DSCN2245" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2245" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rk4HA699Xgg/Um2Pg5HtgzI/AAAAAAADF4w/MHVIl61sVzQ/DSCN2245_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="701" height="565"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4zmkUNX59Kg/Um2PkuTbGFI/AAAAAAADF44/zvB4zjGoCpM/s1600-h/DSCN2254.jpg"><img title="DSCN2254" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2254" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hax54dhYyUE/Um2PnI6xhSI/AAAAAAADF5A/Pjub9m9wBuc/DSCN2254_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="697" height="560"></a></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">be sure to plant your feet to avoid a bit of vertigo, what you see soaring above your head will astound you.</font></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-55456504898337761532013-10-25T06:06:00.001-04:002013-10-27T10:24:28.378-04:00the mysteries of Rome….<p align="justify"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">This will be my final FSO post from Rome. I return to Houston next Wednesday morning. Like one of my blogger friends </font><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FvjHYu8DQuA/Um0h-yiZACI/AAAAAAADFzQ/55biU2tUbME/s1600-h/DSCN4056.jpg"><font face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN4056" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN4056" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zcqqrB1vSkA/UmpCglKGZKI/AAAAAAADFzY/kJEL59p0aSg/DSCN4056_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="308" height="244"></font></a><font face="Times New Roman">pointed out this stay in Rome has been bittersweet. Memories of visits here with Camillo from the past 20 years; knowing that he would love the things I’ve done that are different than we had done together; renting the apartment would be one of those. He always wanted to go, see something new or to show me something wonderful that he remembered from his past lives. Staying in Rome for a month is something he never wanted to do, but I did. We didn’t argue about it, there is too much to see to stay in one place, that is a given, but I know he would have loved my little apartment in the middle of a Roman neighborhood with its small supermarket and butcher shops. He would love the daily walks, the few meals with his sister and he would love hearing my enthusiasm for what I have done. And the bittersweet; missing that he is not here to learn I was right, a stay in one place can be wonderful. </font></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qGTArNVFuSw/UmpCisse70I/AAAAAAADFyg/lPLFAqjlbjY/s1600-h/DSCN2574%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><strong><em><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qGTArNVFuSw/UmpCisse70I/AAAAAAADFzg/VVzth_Qpcio/s1600-h/DSCN2574.jpg"><font face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN2574" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2574" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pvkMMl9joJY/UmpCj8iGJoI/AAAAAAADFzo/XnIHnTnMB94/DSCN2574_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="253" height="349"></font></a></em></strong></a><font face="Times New Roman"><strong><em>Sorry sidetracked</em></strong>. This week’s FSO topic is </font><a href="http://mytownshootout.blogspot.it/"><strong><font face="Times New Roman">Mysteries in Your Town</font></strong></a><font face="Times New Roman">, and Rome once again being <em>My Town for the Week</em> has caused me to be on the look out for a mystery, <em>“<b>A Mystery</b> Look around town, can you find something that makes you feel bewildered? Or leaves you wondering what's up with that?”</em> as I have walked and walked about Rome. I have big questions like, ‘how has a city survived since 700 years before Christ’; surviving wars, pestilence and governments, and changes in religious fervor. (governments and pestilence being basically the same thing) There have been a few things that astounds me though, however does that man sit on a pole held in one hand of another man, for hours and hours. Doesn’t that pole hurt after a while, doesn’t that man’s arm get tired. I saw six of these ….. course they were all dressed alike, did not have the usual cup to donate to their pain, so it could have been the same men just moving from square to square. I don’t see a trick, they are in a different state of consciousness?</font></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">………………………………………………………………………………</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">We have all read of the economic climate in Europe and in Africa, and the boat people swamping Italy, often dying in the attempt, and if arriving safely moving northward in an attempt to find a better life for their families. It is a tide, a tsunami, and on a humanitarian level I understand the governments allowing this to continue, though I fear there is no humanitarian motive </font><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-g9Vi1gXUjjU/UmpCmO-q25I/AAAAAAADFzw/XN6UtldW1pY/s1600-h/DSCN2572.jpg"><font face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN2572" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2572" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FWe3H3L0R2Q/UmpCoXvY-1I/AAAAAAADFz4/I1-x9Rs9gtw/DSCN2572_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="325" height="453"></font></a><font face="Times New Roman">just inaction. But if humanitarian motives prevailed, how do you not let them come where there is food, and lodging - except there isn’t. There are no jobs in which they qualify, and old buildings are being invaded for housing with no proper plumbing, running water or heat but are still perceived as better from where they come, a safe roof over their heads. So they squat where they can; they sell things – trinkets, and junk made in china, purses with designer names but made of plastic, and they clog the streets; stepping into your path to try to sell a ‘silk’ scarf or a plastic toy. Desperation in their movements. </font></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">To me Rome is a museum of world history, beautiful and full of grace; housed in Rome but belonging to the world. And now it is being invaded by a new foe, and invading army of poor and displaced. The masses blocking the streets, letting only a little path through. I wish I had my 35mm photos so you could see this bridge from 20 years ago, one of the most beautiful sights you might ever see, and now junk. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">The mystery: can the governments not stop this tide? Can action be taken that allows these travelers to stay at home and survive. This is such a similar story as the illegal immigrants that find their way into the USA. Why can’t these problems be solved. We have put men on the moon, taken photos of the rings of Jupiter, found new galaxies, waged wars with multimillion dollar weapons; why can’t we feed the hungry in their own home towns? This is my mystery.</font></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-9934333353842266392013-10-21T08:22:00.001-04:002013-10-27T18:35:50.983-04:00Yesterday’s walk–new and old bridges<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Only 10 days are left to my 30 day visit to Rome. I have walked miles and miles, meaning hours and hours. I have seen things I remember from my trips here with Camillo, and have seen even more that I didn’t remember that I’d seen <strong><em>but just know that I have walked that street before.</em> </strong> Yesterday, I walked twice, once in the morning and once at dusk and full dark. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KxyHmq2wAY0/Um2UvE56fHI/AAAAAAADF2A/1dIcTlab-WU/s1600-h/DSCN22204.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KxyHmq2wAY0/Um2UvE56fHI/AAAAAAADF2I/tLg79N0rnHo/s1600-h/DSCN2220.jpg"><img title="DSCN2220" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2220" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DYF_aK3opjQ/UmUbvqKc6FI/AAAAAAADF2Q/wuOAz9HEDr8/DSCN2220_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="218" height="301"></a></font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">For the morning walk I decided to walk away from the historic center (centro storico – “Chentro storiko”), along the river to area north of the Center. I have become somewhat saturated with old, old, old buildings and wanted to see more Italians at home in their neighborhoods and less Germans, French and Japanese eating gelato. Okay, I know, and <em>one Gringa Americana eating gelato also</em>. Walking basically west of the apartment then cutting over on a main avenue to the River, following the river north on its curving path, I saw families riding their bikes, skaters, dog walkers (ewww watch were you step) and a few just strolling, ambling like I was. I make the assumption that these are locals but could be Italians visiting from other cities. I base my assumption on having heard only Italian spoken. </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Mirella (Camillo’s sister) lives in this northern area so I am pretty familiar. I knew that very close to her apartment is an ancient Roman bridge – yes you can laugh at me here but you need a destination and an exit plan when taking one of these walks into unknown areas without a map. </font><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QXSvmdMwjjs/UmUby90d3zI/AAAAAAADFuw/yvDBttrdggA/s1600-h/DSCN2428%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN2428" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 32px 0px 20px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2428" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uteY6bkh4nQ/UmUb0hHXOnI/AAAAAAADFu4/I2vqTwy9ZKE/DSCN2428_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="407" height="320"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Once close to my destination, I passed 3 bridges, one after the other that I found interesting. The first, <strong><em>Ponte della Musica</em></strong>, opened in mid of 2011, is a foot bridge linking east and west banks of the Tiber (Tevere). It is such a surprise I walked all the way across and back, enjoying it every minute.</font><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LhlyS_-0Gr8/UmUb22Z2sFI/AAAAAAADF2Y/f1ZetcJa-hM/s1600-h/DSCN24329.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LhlyS_-0Gr8/UmUb22Z2sFI/AAAAAAADF2g/bY6YNOb0_uY/s1600-h/DSCN2432.jpg"><img title="DSCN2432" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 11px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2432" align="left" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-caikctPW4YY/UmUb4FTHC-I/AAAAAAADF2o/QG6Xu_nCIAA/DSCN2432_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="266" height="370"></a></font></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LhlyS_-0Gr8/UmUb22Z2sFI/AAAAAAADF2w/_tMjnq48Epg/s1600-h/DSCN24323.jpg"><font size="3"></font></a><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KxyHmq2wAY0/Um2UvE56fHI/AAAAAAADF24/tFpcpUxFJwg/s1600-h/DSCN22203.jpg"><font size="3"></font></a><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OcKhbcSO_Dc/UmUb-GwAArI/AAAAAAADFvg/5TGRBKuvEW0/s1600-h/DSCN2429%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2429" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2429" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-P-rDG4sk5vA/UmUb_kAspnI/AAAAAAADFvo/ncEsmP4-Nqg/DSCN2429_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="307" height="238"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><strong>Next:</strong> <strong><em>Ponte duca D’Aosta</em></strong> built between 1939 and 1942 – I recognized it right off, it is clearly identifiable as a ‘Mussolini project’. On either end the two main posts depict WWI scenes; no curves or softness, no romance, reminiscent of Roman construction styles: part if ‘the new Rome’ as envisioned by Mussolini.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-F-TRpC5AcUA/UmUcCNSJImI/AAAAAAADFvw/I9czhxB5MaM/s1600-h/DSCN2447%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN2447" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 6px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2447" align="left" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-P6yDMOJRGHE/UmUcDV5ivKI/AAAAAAADFv4/uAwmUJ4v5RE/DSCN2447_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="398" height="318"></font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MvgKNrAK4eg/UmUcGE8nyDI/AAAAAAADFwA/xgjx9HNOUxg/s1600-h/DSCN2442%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN2442" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2442" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-c5qvf88zCik/UmUcHxcHMeI/AAAAAAADFwI/WN8zCyADKj0/DSCN2442_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="568" height="458"></font></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9Iysqffxde0/UmUcJ8g0OHI/AAAAAAADFwQ/EZ7TgTN5ze4/s1600-h/DSCN2450%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9Iysqffxde0/UmUcJ8g0OHI/AAAAAAADF3A/JSEgOQJbl10/s1600-h/DSCN2450.jpg"><img title="DSCN2450" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2450" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EwLt4MtQGos/UmUcLjrsCJI/AAAAAAADF3I/QZquGaJrSqo/DSCN2450_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="414" height="461"></a></font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">and finally: <strong><em>Ponte Milvio </em></strong>built originally in 226 BC and torn down and rebuilt in 115 BC. That structure, with several rebuilds and restructurings after the birth of Christ, still stands today. A place of battles and of love stories; a bridge that connects the generations. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-D3HB1Zq_CTA/UmUcOa6vdqI/AAAAAAADFwg/T94wdhXe6D4/s1600-h/DSCN2464%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-D3HB1Zq_CTA/UmUcOa6vdqI/AAAAAAADF3Q/hIu0ieMiJuk/s1600-h/DSCN2464.jpg"><img title="DSCN2464" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2464" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wfQ6ZoJsW6k/UmUcQR8lW_I/AAAAAAADF3Y/AHfXfN0vxbk/DSCN2464_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="640" height="512"></a></font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nhKNJxjYx1c/UmUcSQhxsbI/AAAAAAADFww/oqX9JMjWkX4/s1600-h/DSCN2463%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nhKNJxjYx1c/UmUcSQhxsbI/AAAAAAADF3g/IxOVDWL4W18/s1600-h/DSCN2463.jpg"><img title="DSCN2463" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2463" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CGSeY4MQnjg/UmUcTgmelDI/AAAAAAADF3o/xZNeNFtlH50/DSCN2463_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="224" height="310"></a></font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-O4ecENY3s2w/UmUcV2pGGCI/AAAAAAADFxA/WKe8b1a8nu8/s1600-h/DSCN2468%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-O4ecENY3s2w/UmUcV2pGGCI/AAAAAAADF3w/gTn7-mn8ENw/s1600-h/DSCN2468%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2468" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2468" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-uTlRefYVCSM/UmUcXYtjs1I/AAAAAAADF34/wzZ03yTWvHo/DSCN2468_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="220" height="310"></a></font></a><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"> </font><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XfWX4Eg5AW4/UmUcZna37EI/AAAAAAADFxQ/Ub3JeOkNx8M/s1600-h/DSCN2459%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN2459" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2459" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DUU_Du6LRmI/UmUcbb2y_7I/AAAAAAADFxY/HGKw05p0ntM/DSCN2459_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="196" height="265"></font></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-L9uuAMH2e9o/UmUceELmBmI/AAAAAAADF4A/PoOg1Q0sKrg/s1600-h/DSCN24715.jpg"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-L9uuAMH2e9o/UmUceELmBmI/AAAAAAADF4I/bEWpWHHaI2g/s1600-h/DSCN24716.jpg"><font face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN2471" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2471" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-G-GGAcgI6xA/UmUckHXJpKI/AAAAAAADFxw/XBtugHCU9lk/DSCN2471_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="611" height="483"></font></a></font></a></p> <p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Maybe I am too Romantic but imagine walking (not on the same stone because this base is new by a thousand years or so), but imagine walking the way that people traveling to Rome walked since 100 years before Christ. A true testament to life continuing even as governments make grave errors and topple, even as wars are fought and battle are won and lost, life goes on. </font><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cVUdHDtogws/UmUcmlf7f5I/AAAAAAADFx4/63rn_R6sz6o/s1600-h/DSCN2482%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><font face="Times New Roman"><img title="DSCN2482" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 7px 10px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2482" align="left" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NXb1hZDcH8s/UmUcoAEDslI/AAAAAAADFyA/Kd9VROVdQHo/DSCN2482_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="584" height="462"></font></a></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Seen from the center of Ponte Milvio – another Mussolini project. <strong><em>Ponte Flamino</em></strong> or Ponte di Mussolini OR Corso Francia as it may be called. Started in 1938 but after Mussolini stopped the construction several times for design changes that himself drew, the war, change in governments and war reconstruction, the bridge was finally finished in 1961. This bridge is also worth walking across just for its neat structure and works of art. </font></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857497244999698317.post-75126919626357201122013-10-17T15:26:00.001-04:002013-10-17T15:29:43.875-04:00Roman Sky<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Still thinking Rome as my hometown. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KG7mvc0uiic/UmA5qCdlWfI/AAAAAAADFs4/-tiPsdxv0UQ/s1600-h/crop%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="crop" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 13px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="crop" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Icnr5Y9cVHk/UmA5ruMx3XI/AAAAAAADFtA/VDJR9VErNVI/crop_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="316" height="415"></a>As I have walked around this week I paid special attention of the monuments and the sky. On cloudy days the sky washes to white and is not at all interesting. Of course, rainy days are rainy days and there is not anything you can do about it. But before the rain and <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VCUb4Z-HNv0/UmA5uWCI-CI/AAAAAAADFtI/t0BAc0wewoc/s1600-h/DSCN2131%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2131" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2131" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-w-SW1iREDH8/UmA5v9GrqHI/AAAAAAADFtQ/DSU-R0J7gvM/DSCN2131_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="406" height="324"></a>after the rain, ah, now there you can find extra texture for your photos. I find that I prefer some cloud to all clouds (rainy white gray skies), or no clouds (bright endlessly blue skies). Big fluffy, soft looking clouds or dark and dramatic clouds, those are my favorites as a backdrop in my photos; and the best layers and layers of different types of clouds</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YeeBSB2XE8A/UmA5x0hTHUI/AAAAAAADFtY/XbhSzytyHnw/s1600-h/DSCN1895crop%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN1895crop" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="DSCN1895crop" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-V8B6s-13S0I/UmA5zQAzBYI/AAAAAAADFtg/jlpf7FFh24U/DSCN1895crop_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="448" height="544"></a></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cSQk-U6vLVw/UmA52MoFxPI/AAAAAAADFto/rlSZhKj8psI/s1600-h/DSCN1889%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN1889" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN1889" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ihYb4dYaDXg/UmA53lldyMI/AAAAAAADFtw/PYxt9QQQlHg/DSCN1889_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="246" height="200"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ibKI5pZ0uME/UmA554uvUqI/AAAAAAADFt4/kGZFVigtK-w/s1600-h/DSCN1975%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN1975" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN1975" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-C1owGrZUo6Y/UmA57IF-fNI/AAAAAAADFuA/7N56xVsOmT4/DSCN1975_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="289" height="224"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MFYVMzY7HqA/UmA5830v5uI/AAAAAAADFuI/RxWUzv8OkJI/s1600-h/DSCN2150%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN2150" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN2150" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bR1XWrSu-Aw/UmA5-C8b4yI/AAAAAAADFuQ/i-Z8CbEWWWY/DSCN2150_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> </p> <p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></p> GingerVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16501023251788210094noreply@blogger.com8