Bootfest Victoria Texas

As summer winds down and the days become more tolerable, lots of towns put on some sort of festival and Victoria, Texas is no different, hosting it's own Bootfest.

(clicking on the photo increases the size and resolution)

It's pretty much the same as other and the idea of a Boot festival in south Texas is like having a Southern Drawl festival in Hattiesburg, Mississippi...everyone has one.

Young and old gathered, some young enough to be in strollers and others old enough to be in wheelchairs and walkers.  Around the square, the usual booths were there such as funnel cakes, barbeque, ice cream and of course, ... beer.  There was a line up of bands and of the couple I heard, they were pretty good.

One group from Cuero was a blend of country, hiphop and rock with a heavy dose of Mexican thrown in with the front man singing and speaking Spanglish   Another band played a mix of 70s music and country. I was really enjoying them until they tried make Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl into their own style.  That ended it for me.  Don't be messin' with Brown Eyed Girl.

Other venders included home crafted art, leather, boots and t-shirts.

What I found most interesting was the car show.  There was the usual restored 58 Corvette, 66 chevys, sports cars and trucks but what really stole my heart was a generous exhibit of Rat Rods.

Here's a few of my favorites that should be right at home on the set of Mel Gibson's Mad Max.

Never forget 9/11/2001

There are events you'll always remember where you were when it happened.

For me, I was arriving at my office in Baton Rouge, finding long line of people were waiting for the Tuesday Morning store to open just before 8:00 AM..  Two or three people had just received cell phone calls informing them that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center buildings.

After logging on to my computer, I walked back to my break room and flipped on the TV to check the news.  Sure enough the crash event was on and I saw smoke billowing from one of the buildings.  Of course, my mind was racing on how in the world such a tragedy could have happened when I looked and saw the second airplane hit.

It didn't take long to process that and know, I had just witnessed an attack on America.

At that point, our lives had changed forever.  I'll never forget. 

Harvest Moon - Victoria County, Texas

The moon was beautiful but the mosquitoes were more than plentiful.  

 

Checking my compass trying to decide where this thing was going to come up, I stood just off the road across from a small pond waiting for 8:09 pm to arrive when this moon would appear.

Just before the rise, it began to become much darker and I could hear a swarm of mosquitoes approaching with a whine like a loose fan belt on an old truck.  As the moon rose, I found myself 25 yards or so too far to the north so I scurried through the weeds trying to get this shot with the windmill in it.  When I stopped moving and began to focus those blasted insects finally caught up with me.

Sure I'd love to have taken a bit more time setting the camera just right on the tripod but I found it nearly impossible to do so swatting those things off my legs. *Note* It's foolish to go into the weeds wearing only shorts and sandals.

Anyway, a day later, I'm still scratching what is probably a hundred or more bites.

Hope I remember this in August

Blizzard conditions in South Dakota.

More Whales

Out today on the Mahana Naia for a snorkel trip.  The fish were ... eh...so-so but the whales coming back were crazy good.

Ahhhhh...

Kamaole Beach I, Kihei, Maui, HI

More Whale Tails

More whale tails and a couple of highly manipulated (no shame) 
shots at Kamaole Beach 1 in Kihei, Maui, HI.

Whale Tail

Skeptical at first, Ms Darlene and i took one of those 2 for $30
whale boat tours from Boss Frogg's.
















It was packed with people but it turned out well for a 2 hour tour.
We saw lots of whales.

Flying Fish!!!

Calm down, I know it's not a fish.  Darlene and I were cruising the Piilani Highway between Ma`alaea Harbor and Lahaina and stopped off at McGregor Point (lighthouse) to watch a pair of whales show out in front of boats.  This shot was about 500 yards out near a very small boat.

Changes in latitude; changes in attitude.

What a difference in a week and a few thousand miles can make.

Before

After

Yeeeeee...hawwwww, Bronco Billy Rides Again!!

It seems as if the snow, wind and cold is relentless here in South Dakota.  With temps for the past week that never got above 20°,  all I felt like doing was go to work, stop off at a restaurant near the hotel then head back to my room. 

However...there was this big rodeo and stock show going on in Rapid City so I bundled up in a Pea Coat, down vest, scarf, hat and gloves and braved the -8° for the show.  I sat between two old former rodeo guys who continued to give me blow by blow, hoof to the dirt descriptions of what every rider was doing right or wrong.  This rodeo had laser light shows, high tech clowns and instant playback screens that focused in on the hands of the riders rosining up the ropes and gloves.

This night, the show was on bareback and saddle bronc and bull riding.

Here's a few shots from it all.

 

Rapid City, South Dakota

Just as I thought I'd get a couple of days off from T or C, New Mexico and do some motorcycling in Louisiana, home office called and had me scrambling for a ticket to Rapid City, South Dakota.

As we were landing, all I could see was something that looked almost as barren as New Mexico only it appeared to be frozen...and it was.

As I soon found out, South Dakota's weather changes ... a LOT.  The wind is incessant and it can be -4° one day and 60°F the next.  It's crazy.

The last time I was in this area was 2½ years ago when Gary and I stopped off in Sturgis for 2 or 3 days on our way to Idaho and Washington.  It was windy then but the temperature was much more agreeable in August.

I did go out to Mount Rushmore to see the presidents.  It's an obligatory thing if you're up here.

This weekend, a friend and co-worker of mine went out in search of wildlife in Custer State Park.  We were pretty excited seeing wild turkeys, Pronghorn antelopes,
















Bison/Buffalo

Mule deer

 
Wild burros

 

and an endless supply of Prairie dogs.

 Then there was the sad reminder of life and death on the prairie a hundred years ago.

A couple of interesting events happened on our trip was when we were on a dirt road, we met several buffalo ambling on the narrow way.   Rather than moving forward,  I thought it best to just stop and let them pass.  As one had passed, a second stopped to peer into the car.  As I began to slowly move past them, the one in the rear gave the car a little poke with it's horn.  Fortunately, it was light enough to not have any damage.

The second incident was similar but this time it was a drove of wild burros.  They too stood their ground in the middle of the road.  Thinking burros probably were not quite as dangerous as the bison beasts, I rolled the windows down.  One burro, on Chris' side became aggressive and for a moment, I thought he was going to try to eat my friend.  At that point, Chris was almost in my lap and that's not a pretty nor an easy thing.

The one thing we didn't see that I was hoping for was a Big Horn Sheep.  Too bad, maybe I can find one before I leave.

Truth Or Consequences

One of my favorite regions to work in is the southwest and I've had the opportunity to work New Mexico three times.  First in Silver City, New Mexico a few years ago and two years ago in Alamogordo.  There's just something about the dry desert conditions that does it for me.

My third time in New Mexico was a 6 week assignment in Truth Or Consequences. (click the link for details)  As the locals call it, T or C is located on the Rio Grande river and sits beside the Elephant Butte reservoir.l  There isn't a lot going on in T or C so weekends usually amounted a ride through the desert, down to Las Cruces or visiting places like the cliff dwellings in Gila National Park.

Aside from endless roads and nothingness, there was always an assortment of roadside curiosities.  I have no clue to what this bike was about other than a tribute to a local man who had passed on.

You begin to strain for amusements in a place like this so anything like Sparky's in Hatch, NM is a worthy stop.

Gila National Park cliff dwellings, located north of Silver City.  A good place for high altitude cardio hiking. 

Endless high desert roads all begin to look alike so the best part of being in a place like this is some of the relationships you forge, such as Vicki, Sid and Charlsie.

Thanks, T or C, it was great.

Early On A Frosty Mornin'

I wish I was in the land of cotton
old times they are not forgotten
Look away! Look away! Look away, Dixie Land.

In Dixie Land where I was born in,
early on a frosty mornin'
Look away! Look away! Look away, Dixie Land.