arthur ray's place

Arthur Ray's Diner was closed when we drove by. He's open until noon or whenever the southern-style cooking runs out. A review stated that the main ingredients of Arthur's southern secrets are bacon fat and sugar. If you're hungry for greens, yams, or cobbler, then this is the place for you.

Arthur Ray's Diner

406 S. Jackson

Odessa, Texas

stonehenge

Fooled ya! This is not the Stonehenge in England but rather the replica of Stonehenge in Odessa, Texas. Patrons of the University of Texas Permian Basin erected a Texas Stonehenge in 2004. Had we been here last week, we would have seen the Summer Solstice shadow cast by the heel stone.

Stonehenge
UTPB
Odessa, Texas

main street

Fellow photographer Lynn Baldwin has a body of work featuring the Statue of Liberty. Visit his "Carrying the Torch" gallery at www.lynnbaldwin.com Wonder if he ever shot Miss Liberty on Main Street in Seagraves, Texas where empty storefronts frame a military park honoring veterans?

Statue of Liberty
Main Street
Seagraves, Texas

who is james?

Walking across campus I noted the weather vane atop the Dairy Barn and wondered "who is James and why is he on the Dairy Barn?" A little research provided some answers. The James Manufacturing Company was established in 1912 in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin and supplied dairy equipment, including weather vanes and lightning rods. Early 20th century vanes featured cut-outs of cows, horses or chickens and may have had glass bulbs. All that is left of this weather vane is the trademark "James" arrow - assuming there ever was other decoration.

The Texas Tech Dairy Barn was constructed in 1926. The first dairy students even brought their own cows to college and profited from a horse-drawn milk run around town. The barn served as a teaching facility for 40 years but was abandoned in 1964 when dairy operations moved elsewhere. The building sat neglected for many years and plans for re-use never materialized. A student movement in the 1970s prevented razing and the Dairy Barn was declared a historical landmark in 1985. Earlier photographs of the Dairy Barn in the Southwest Collection don't show the weather vane or roof vents. These may be additions from the 1990 efforts to weatherize and preserve the building. Now I know who James is but still don't know why he's on the Dairy Barn.

giddy-up, horsie!

Come August, this cowboy will be a grandfather. At the shower today, his gift to the future grandson was a plush rocking horse. The hat and guns will come later. It's hard to believe that my baby brother is a "pawpaw." (photo taken circa 1958 in the den at New Deal -- open-face gas heater, cabinet television with doors, and patterned drapes)

JUNE 25, 2011

38 special

At the car and bike show, I spotted this 1938 vintage vehicle with customized interior. It's name? What else but the ".38 Special."

Wild West Harley Davidson
5702 58th Street
Lubbock, Texas

the coffee shop

The regulars gather almost every morning around the table to drink coffee, discuss current events (and those not so current) and to harangue about the weather.

Vecchio's Mexican Restaurant
1203 Avenue D
Abernathy, Texas

breakfast club

Two-year old Clara is the youngest member of the Friday morning coffee shop regulars. Her grand-daddy brings her for scrambled eggs and ham. The first request upon seeing Pop, her great-grandfather, is to ask for "qwawters." Some of vending machines are conveniently placed at two feet height for Clara to insert her money and get the prize. Of course, the regulars enjoy the Friday morning entertainment provided by Clara, who is torn between eating and exploring.

french quarter

This time last year I was in New Orleans attending the national MMRS conference. This year the conference is in San Francisco and I'm feeling a little depressed about being retired and missing it.

From the Archives:

French Quarter

New Orleans, Louisiana

06.22.2010

landmark

The building with the tower at the corner of Elgin and 34th has housed a variety of eating establishments over the years. Currently the Burrito Tower occupies the space.

Burrito Tower
3001 34th Street
Lubbock, Texas

sleeping child

The great-granddaughter of sculptor Vivian Cooke slept through the unveiling of her statue "A Golden Day" at City of Lubbock Cemetery on Saturday. The statue commemorates all the infants buried in the Babyland section of the cemetery and is the first piece of public art installed in Lubbock in 50 years.

Babyland, City of Lubbock Cemetery
2011 E. 31st Street
Lubbock, Texas
6.18.2011

happy father's day

From the Family Album:
Going to grandmother's from the hospital - my first road trip. It must have been a special occasion - note the suit, tie and hat.

flagman

Team ropers compete for fastest time. The header must lasso the horns and the heeler ropes both rear feet; the ropes must be taut and both horses face the steer. The flagman then drops the flag, signaling the timer to stop the clock. The flagman serves as arena judge and assesses penalties for "breaking the barrier" (starting too soon before the calf exits the shoot), roping only rear foot, or "no time" (failure to get a rope on the cow).

West Texas Church at the Barn Roping Arena
8322 West Erskine
Lubbock, Texas

team roping

Team roping is one of the six rodeo events and also a popular sport in West Texas. The West Texas Church at the Barn includes the roping arena in the back. Friday evening found wives in lawn chairs, children on the swing set and cowboys and cowgirls waiting for their steer to exit the chute.

West Texas Church at the Barn

8322 West Erskine

Lubbock, Texas

summer evening at the drive-in

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air spotted at the Sonic

64th and Frankford

Lubbock, Texas

september sign

At the Main Street Art Festival in Fort Worth, I was intrigued by a booth with poster-like photographs of signs. I thought "how did she do that?" -- "I can do that"...

Check out www.prettylittlepixel.com

South Plains Fairgrounds

1012 Avenue A

Lubbock, Texas

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

more better?

The former English teacher in me cringes at the use of a superlative and comparative in the same sentence.

TopNotch Unisex Salon

1108 Avenue J

Lubbock, Texas

joy of retirement --
no requirement to be patient!

United Coalition Pharmacy

1318 Broadway

Lubbock, Texas

mesquite's

Mesquite's Bar & Grill by early morning light is a scene not often seen by college students.

texas grapes

Llano Winery hosted its 14th annual Wine & Clay Festival today. Imbibe the grape and enjoy the art!

Llano Winery
E. FM 1585
Lubbock, Texas

heard it on the radio

From the archives:

959 FM

Fort Worth, Texas

04.04.2011

dance for rain

shave and a haircut

From the archives:

Aguilar Barber Shop

1215 Avenue F

Lubbock, Texas

avenue h underpass

As a child, when we drove south on US 87 to "town" I knew we were in Lubbock when we passed 4th Street on Avenue H and drove through the underpass. At that time this was the main thoroughfare to Lubbock on US 87. The highway passed under the Santa Fe railroad tracks. I even remember when Avenue H and Texas split around the old courthouse!

State Highway 9 was one of the original state highways defined by the newly-created State Highway Department in 1917 and was part of the Puget Sound to Gulf Highway. The first paved roads in Lubbock County were Highway 7 Lubbock to Slaton, Highway 9 Plainview to Tahoka and Highway 53 Idalou to Brownfield. After several petitions and elections, the bond passed at $991,000 and paving commenced in May 1930. The Avenue H underpass has 1930 stamped in concrete; the US 87 underpass just south of New Deal is stamped 1931 --although the US 87 designation did not occur until 1935.

With the completion of the Marsha Sharp Freeway (earlier known as the East-West) the fate of the Avenue H underpass is unknown. The loss of another landmark, regardless of its lack of use, is lamentable. How else will folks know when they get here?

d-day

The decisive invasion of France on June 6, 1944 is known as D-Day and served as a turning point of World War II. The Silent Wings Museum commemorated D-Day with "Boogie Baby," a vintage C47, and personnel dressed in vintage WWII uniforms. My dad flew in a C46 --very similar to the C47 -- and shared his knowledge of the plane and its equipment. As navigator, he plotted by the stars (viewed from a transparent bubble on top of the plane) and sighted by ocean waves (viewed from a telescope in the floor). Do you really want to know about the plane's restroom which consisted of two funnels - one large and one small?

navigator's chair

As a Marine navigator in a C46 -- very similar to the C47-- my dad sat in a chair like this. He participated in operations in the Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Saipan, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. He thinks he was on Okinawa on D-Day.

pfc w o fortenberry jr

Billy dropped out of Texas Tech in 1942 to join the Army Air Corps following a lifelong desire to fly. However, he "washed out" of flight school because of his eyesight. The next month he was a Marine, training to be a navigator for the Third Marine Division--still flying but not as a pilot.

the victory line

Marine Corps photo: Billy met up with fellow West Texans Hop Halsey and Sam Privett in the Mariana Islands in the Pacific. They are pictured in front of a Curtiss Commando transport plane (C46) -- the type plane Billy flew in. (Billy on the right)

po-si-tively

From the archives:
"Absolutely World Class" industrial building
200 Cotton Street
Abilene, Texas
04.12.2011

drought

From the archives:
Monahans State Park
Monahans, Texas

Our drought continues. Summer greenery eludes us but the hot winds and blowing sand continue. There was a cloud last night and I heard someone said he had a "half inch" rain -- the few raindrops were one-half inch apart!

MAY 31, 2011

don't fence me in

The circus is in town. Instead of traveling by train, the performers convoy in RVs and the animals arrive via semi-trailer. As a child, I remember the circus coming to the train station and watching the elephants parade down Broadway to the Lubbock Auditorium. Today Ringling Barnum and Bailey circus has only three elephants-- Suki, Mimi and Bonnie -- who while away the time between performances in an area outside the Auditorium. (The elephant keeper with his wheelbarrow and shovel evaded this photographer!)