maguey and orange wall

With apologies to Edward Weston -- "Maguey, Mexico" 1926

conflicting messages

2320 Texas Avenue
Lubbock, Texas

flappers

From the archives:

Linda, Shirley, Phyllis and Sandy

New Deal High School
Halloween Carnival and Talent Show

10.31.1961

'nuff said

Tow (rhymes with "cow") is the oldest community in Llano County, Texas. It boasts a cemetery, established 1850 and a winery. Located on the western shore of Lake Buchanan, its main industries are retirement and recreation.

From the archives:
Tow Cemetery
Ranch Road 2241, Llano County TX

live oaks on a sunny afternoon

Rapides Parish, Louisiana
10.26.2011

live oaks on a foggy morning

Rapides Parish, Louisiana

"famous for homemade pies"

We missed the pie festival hosted by Lea's Lunchroom by two weekends. Not only known state-wide, Lea has even been on Johnny Carson. I had the coconut cream pie with three-inch high meringue.

Lea's Lunchroom
Lecompte, Louisiana

fish camp

Who dat? Dat be a New Orleans Saints fan. "Who dat? and the fleur-de-lis are registered trademarks of the pro team.

Kincaid Lake
East of Alexandria, Louisiana

frank

1855-1891

Since 1891, Frank P. Wise has lain at the top of a small rise about two miles south of the site of the Estacado townsite. Today Estacado, a former thriving town on the plains founded in 1879 by Quakers, is located only by a granite marker and its historic cemetery. From the paved road, one spies the Estacado Cemetery with its remaining century-old bois d'arc trees and double avenue of cedars spiking above the flat cotton fields. A few hundred yards down a turnrow through the fields brings one to the cemetery gate. Frank lies on the eastern edge of the cemetery--a sole Wise with no surrounding family. The 1890 census lists him as "laborer stock ranch." But someone cared enough to erect a cast-iron picket fence around Frank's plot. In the 1880s, such fences served dual purposes of marking the gravesite and protecting it from animals such as wandering cattle.

County Road 3900

Lubbock County, Texas

defoliation

Across the plains, the remaining cotton crops are in the process of defoliation. Chemical is sprayed, either by ground or aerial application, to stop plant growth, shed leaves and stimulate boll opening. This Fortenberry patch of cotton looks pretty good -- too bad it's only about 50 acres of drip irrigation.

Hale County, Texas

grape-o-lantern

Want to see 2,000 jack-o-lanterns? Drop by the Pumpkin Trail sponsored by City of Lubbock Parks & Recreation this weekend.

Pumpkin Trail - Lubbock Arboretum
4111 University Avenue
Lubbock, Texas

square spiral arch

A granite sculptural gateway connects the Clock Tower and the Experimental Sciences Building. This work by Texas-born sculptor Jesus Moroles is part of the Texas Public Art Program on the Texas Tech University campus.

Texas Tech University Campus
Lubbock, Texas

sitting pretty

School of Art
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

minneapolis-moline

On Sunday my 87-year old dad and I went to the antique tractor show, strolled through the equipment, and watched the tractor parade. I wished for a notepad or recorder as he talked about the various tractors he had owned (and what they cost). He regretted not seeing steam-powered equipment like my grandfather built for custom wheat harvesting.

American Museum of Agriculture
1501 Canyon Lake Drive
Lubbock, Texas

10.16.2011

preston f gott skyview observatory

Students in the Texas Tech Department of Physics and Astronomy can observe the stars from the TTU observatory located near Shallowater off FM 1729 in the midst of a pasture. It's not the McDonald in the Davis Mountains but it's the same stars!

but no duk eggs

North Farm-to-Market Road 2528

Lubbock County, Texas

six man football

From the archives:
Follett vs. Kress
08.25.2006

fall

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
62 degrees, rain

morgantown

West Virginia has several things West Texas does not -- mountains, trees, colorful fall foliage, green fields, RAIN!

through the porthole - rocky mountains

My Day:

Depart Lubbock International Airport (in the fog, believe it or not!), changed planes in Denver, Colorado with a glimpse of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, deplaned in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, drove through the fall foliage of the Alleghenies under cloudy skies, and finally going to bed in Morgantown, West Virginia.

fruits of fall

corn

The photo sums up this year's corn crop.

haunted house

FM 1729 East of New Deal

booger

in memoriam

fall reflection

From the archives:

People often ask me how long I've been taking pictures. This image was taken with a Pentax K1000, my first SLR camera. It was one of my first entries in the annual photography contest at the junior college in Gadsden, Alabama.

White's Gap, Alabama
November 1985

pumpkins

From the archives:

This year's pumpkin crop is quite different from that harvested in 2005 -- both in quantity and quality.

Floyd County, Texas

9/2005

morada

From the archives:
Abiquiu, New Mexico
09.16/2006

portal to santa fe

There's very little traffic on the back way to Santa Fe along US 60. Yeso is about halfway between Fort Sumner and Vaughn. It seems fitting to start October with a ghost town.

From the archives:
Yeso, New Mexico
10.31.2010