Wacko Waco with Julie - July 2007

Julie spent a month with Mary and I the summer of 2007. We, of course, had to go to work most weekdays, so Julie had to stay at home. That's boring! So, we took a little trip about 100 miles south, to Waco.

We stopped for lunch first. Mary and I enjoy burgers. They're healthy, aren't they? Well, would a burger place call itself the "Health Camp" if that were not so???





After a great lunch, where would most normal people go?



Okay, so we're NOT normal!

But we're in Waco (say, whack-o...yes, I know, the real pronunciation is wake-o), so...

The proprietor is a "mature" Texan with a lot of personality. You might think that a Taxidermy shop might be a little "stuffy", but this one was filled with interesting things! There were "cutesy" things, like this...



Things NOT in their natural setting (I usually see these feet up and flatter, by the side of the road)...



Scary things...



Butt the most interesting was that you could hang the head of a deer on your wall and on the other side of the wall, you could hang its behind! "Ya mean that deer just ran into yer study and got stuck in yer wall?"




Butt that's another tail!

Anyway, after an exciting visit to a taxidermist, where would one go in Waco for some refreshment?





You can't visit Waco without stopping to see the Dr. Pepper Museum.



There were a lot of interesting displays about the history of Dr. Pepper and the pharmacist who developed it as well as a little bit of history about other soft drinks. They had a movie loop that played a lot of old commercials that was very interesting and brought back memories. Before we left we stopped at the gift shop.




Now, what else can you see in Waco?





The Texas Ranger Museum and Hall of Fame! Duh!

I could spend hours and hours at this museum. To me, it's fascinating. I'm not so sure it was quite as fascinating to Julie, but she did seem to enjoy it. The history of the Rangers goes hand-in-hand with the early history of Texas. If you come to Waco, you need to stop at this museum.

Because it is also a "Hall of Fame", they even have a display in honor of...


"The Lone Ranger"

And how could there be a "Hall of Fame" without...



After a full afternoon of hitting the hot spots in Waco, we were a little hungry. So, before heading back home, we stopped at Rudy's for some Texas Bar-B-Que!





Good stuff! And with THAT pun, we come a little past full circle! Time to go home!

Mother's Day Weekend 2007 - Houston, Texas

Houston has a large art community. The sponsor of many artistic projects in Houston is the Orange Show. Here's one project they sponsor:


This is the Beer Can House. Apparently the owner liked his beer. He also liked it cheap, you know, so he could have more beer! He took the empty beer cans and, in some cases, flattened them out and used them for siding on his house. Others became parts of his fence. I'll just let the pictures explain.









Art Cars. Have you seen them before? Do you know what they are? Do I know what they are? Um....no! I suppose they can be classified as automotive canvases for the expression of personal freedoms and beliefs. I say they are just plain weird! The Art Car Parade is also sponsored by the Orange Show. I'll explain a little more later on about what the Orange Show is. For now, here comes some "art":













Since there were nearly 300 entries, I won't show more. Suffice it to say there was a lot of vehicular imagination on display!

Now, The Orange Show. What is it? Their web site ( www.orangeshow.org ) says, "The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is a non-profit organization, founded in 1980, to preserve and present works of extraordinary imagination and provide people the opportunity to express their personal artistic vision. Our programs for children and adults include hands-on workshops, music, storytelling and performance, the award-winning Eyeopener Tour program and Houston's most popular public art event - the Art Car Parade & Festival. Our internationally acclaimed stewardship efforts preserve two of Houston's most famous cultural icons The Orange Show Monument and the Beer Can House. Our archive and library are used by students, scholars, the media and artists."

To most the Orange Show looks like a house in a residential part of Houston. Here is a shot looking south on Sanders street towards Munger Street where the Orange Show is:




Yes, it used to be the residence of a Houstonian family. The house has been drastically modified (re-sculpted in cement - by the eccentric owner) and he made it almost into a concrete fun house! The owner (now deceased) was a fanatic about oranges and their nutritional value. Hence, "Orange Show."



See? Anyway, it is now a non-profit organization that sponsors artistic ventures in Houston.

After two days full of fun, we headed home. On the way, we stopped off at a statue of Houston's namesake, Sam Houston. Like all else in Texas, it's large! I'm standing below the "H" written on the platform upon which the statue stands!