Weekend Plans

 
This is what I have planned for the weekend... it's been one of those weeks!
Happy Friday to you!

Natchez-Under-The-Hill

Natchez-Under-the-Hill, Natchez, MS; once a rough-and-tumble place for riverboat men.  It was the naughtiest riverboat  landing on the Mississippi River.  Filled with bars, bawdy houses, and gambling "establishments", it was also the last place the let loose before setting off overland on the Natchez Trace.  Hundreds of steamboats plying the river docked here from the early 1800s thru World War II.  Today, it's still a riverboat dock for the Delta Queen and there are still a few bars "under the hill."

Somehow Thomas is related...

Mather Point, Grand Canyon, AZ, USA; May 2009.

Mather Point is named for Steven Tyng Mather, who spearheaded the creation of the National Park Service and served as it's first director.  It's located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and is the most popular viewing spot on this side for visitors to the Canyon.

Somehow Thomas is distantly related...

Hamlet's Crib

Kronborg Castle, Helsingor, DK; the home of the family that inspired Sheakepeare's "Hamlet".  It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it guards the Danish coast of the Orestund Sound, only 4km separating Denmark and Sweden (and united by a 20 min ferry ride between Helsingor and Helsingborg, directly across the sound; it's called, appropriately enough, the HH Ferry.)

Columns of Old Baylor

These columns are all that's left of the original site of Baylor University; they are located in Independence, TX. They are quite pretty in the springtime, with bluebonnets blooming all around.

Going to the dogs...

Delft Market, Delft, NL; home of the famous Defltware ceramic. Only two factores left in the world actually produce authentic Delftware; most of it is reproduction and made in China.

Anne Frank's Bells

This is the Westerkerk ("West Church") in Amsterdam, NL; it is not quite a block from the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht (Prince's Canal.)  Anne could see a sliver of the bell tower from her hiding place, and could hear the bells.  She mentioned it frequently in her diary.  There is a memorial statue of her in front of the church.  It's also the final resting place of Rembrandt van Rijn, the Dutch Master painter.

Rollin' over the river

Old Mississippi River Bridge, Vicksburg, MS

Sully- Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman

Lawrence Sullivan Ross statue, Texas A&M Campus. 

Sully was the 19th Governor of Texas, and the president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M.)  He saved us from having to go to that OTHER school... 

Also, under his leadership, the first Aggie Ring was designed, the nationally famous Fightin' Texas Aggie Band was formed, and the first football game against Texas was played.

The funds for this statue were raised by former cadets, and the state also provided some funding.  It was unveiled in 1919 by the sculptor Pompeo Coppini.  Aggie students traditionally place pennies at the foot of the statue for luck- in Aggie lore, Sully would tutor students and ask only "a penny for your thoughts" as payment.  Exam time often finds not only pennies, but nickels, dimes, quarters, even bills!
The Corps of Cadets outfit the Ross Volunteers are named for him; they serves as the official Honor Guard for the Governor of Texas, and they strive to uphold the ideals of "Soldiers, Statesmen, Knightly Gentlemen."

They shot Transformers here.

Hoover Dam, AZ side; this is where they shot the first Transformers movie.  They used the AZ side as it isn't as busy producing power as the NV side.  Autobots, roll out!

Happy Friday!

Caddo, the only natural lake in Texas

Caddo Lake, Uncertain, TX; the only natural lake in the state of Texas.
I spent lots of time here growing up.

Christmas in July...

San Antonio, TX

French Quarter Cat

Royal Street, New Orleans, LA

Progression

LBJ School of Public Affairs, Austin TX

Seven feet higher than the one in Washington

Texas State Capitol, Austin

Did you say nuts?

Ruffled Feathers

Posting a little early for July 7...
I am in Austin with Thomas for a conference.  While he is in class tomorrow, I am headed to the Bob Bullock State History Museum- all by myself.  I can enjoy it on my own schedule with no eye rolling- yay for that!  I love history...

Queen for a Day

This photo is all manual, no Photoshop- black and white film, Canon AE-1 manual camera.  I developed the negative and printed the photo, then hand-colored it.  This is the old Queen Theater in downtown Bryan, TX.
Itching to get back into a darkroom...

What's more American than beer?

I'm excited for the 4th...

What are you lookin' at?

This better be good, I was having a nice nap...