[SpecialK]

Houston v2.

1940s Air Terminal museum.


Braniff uniform.


TWA history.


Eddie Rickenbacker info.


Control tower clock.


Original Pam Am parasol.


Womannequins.


Continental display.


Early Hobby airport photos.






Playing cards.


Kathy Linklater was a stewardess on Braniff charter flights for the Houston Oilers football team from 1970-79. When Oiler coach Bum Phillips went to the Saints, he asked that Kathy be assigned to their flights.


Posters.

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Last edited by SpecialK; 04-06-2016 at 06:07 AM.

[SpecialK]

Still in Houston.

Construction.




The largest Joan Miro sculpture in the US - "Personage and Birds".


Going into the Chase Tower for the view.


The view from the 60th floor observation area.

[SpecialK]

North of Houston is the National Funeral History Museum. Sounds kind of creepy but it is professionally presented.

President Washington's funeral bill.


Funeral hearse for presidents Nixon and Ford.










1921 hearse.


1900 children's hearse.


Wardrobe displays.




Swiss guards.


Cardinal Egan.


Fantasy coffins.


Tibetan tapestry.


The wake.


Sarcophagus.


Biographical displays.










Casket for three...


1900's railroad baggage cart.


Policeman's coffin.

[SpecialK]

My week of vacation coincided with torrential storms throughout the state. As you can see from the past images, I had been pretty lucky with the weather. On this last day, driving from Houston to Dallas, I encountered light mist, then progressively stronger rain.

By the time I got to Conroe and The Lone Star Monument and Historic Flag Park, the drizzle had made the flags heavy, and they were sticking to the flag posts :-(





The 14 ft bronze statue has 13 rocks under left foot representing the 13 day siege at the Alamo. There are 354 marks in the rocks, one for each soldier massacred at Goliad. There are 18 buttons on the coat, shirt and pants for the 18-minute battle at San Jacinto. The tie and sash spell out Alpha and Omega. Under the right boot are nine stones, one for each Texian that died at the Battle of San Jacinto. Under the right toe is the Santa Anna stone, a symbol of the discomfort the Mexican general rendered to the Republic of Texas long after the Battle of San Jacinto.


The Green, White and Red Tri-color flag with an eagle and snake in the center was the flag of Mexico under the 1824 Mexican Constitution.


New Orleans Grays 1835-1836 flag proclaims the “First Company of Texan Volunteers from New Orleans”, one of the first groups to join Texans in their fight for liberty.


Gonzales Flag 1835 COME & TAKE IT. When the Mexican authorities demanded the return of a cannon loaned to the colonists of Gonzales in 1831, the citizens denied the request. In late September of 1835, Mexico dispatched 100 dragoons to retrieve the cannon. As the town fortified against the approaching attack, Cynthia Burns and Evaline DeWitt painted the flag on white cotton.


Sarah Dodson’s Tri-color Flag 1835. This flag was flying over the meeting hall at Washington on the Brazos on March 1, 1836, where the first Constitutional Convention met for the express purpose of declaring the independence of Texas from Mexico. Sarah Dodson designed the first “Lone Star” flag for her husband Archelaus, a member of Capt. Andrew Robinson’s company.


Goliad Flag Severed Arm, Bloody Sword 1836. After the first Declaration of Independence from Mexico was signed, Capt. Phillip Dimmitt’s volunteers made this flag to celebrate it. Three months later, Col. James Fannin and approximately 400 Texian volunteers were captured and imprisoned at Goliad, and subsequently executed, burned and left to rot.


Second Flag of the Republic Burnet Flag 1836. In 1836, the new government of Texas accepted this new design for the “National Flag” of Texas. The Republic of Texas was recognized by the government of the United States as a sovereign and independent nation under this flag. Texas applied for annexation and statehood in 1837, but the request was declined by U.S. President Martin Van Buren. Texas remained a free and sovereign nation until December 29, 1845.


You can read more about it in the public library next to the monument.

[SpecialK]

Just to finish up my vacation. Same day as the flags above.

I met Albert, an army buddy I had not seen in 35 years, in Huntsville (he lives in College Station an hour away). I arbitrarily picked Mr. Hamburger in Huntsville (as close as I would get to College Station) as the meeting spot months earlier. Lots of cloning out the powerlines, poles and misc crap in the background :-)


I met Jay, another army buddy, at the rental car drop-off at D-FW airport. This is at Denny's using my crappy old 3GS.


Jay's selfie in front of the hotel.


This is actually back a few days in San Antonio. I had not had any contact with my dad for 50 years. Finally found his phone number and talked to him a couple months before my vacation. He, and his 3rd wife, drove to San Antonio from Midland, about 325 miles away.



Thanks for tagging along!



.

[SpecialK]

The monthly breakfast club at the Petersen museum. Last time featured Shelby, this time mostly Ferraris.




Lakers fan.










Some not-Ferraris...

Datsun racer.


Lotus Esprit.


DeLorean.


1956 Mercedes-Benz 220S.


Corvette.


Lamborghini.


Fabiolus!


Maserati 3500 GL.


One of many.

[SpecialK]

Irvine Lake mud run.



The cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.


The "surprise" ditch.






This shows how bad the California drought is.




The second person is blind and being guided by the leader.










Run, Forrest, run!








The blind man and guide in the last obstacle of foam.






Unfortunately, the best 2 obstacles - the 50-ft slide, and log-pit - were missing from this course.

[ffking]

I was lent a 1D X and EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM to do some aerial pix - a couple of results ...

[redox61]

Canon G7X

[wildman]

My little Canon S95....

[redox61]

Canon G7X

[Dan Rentea]

Canon 6D, 70-200mm f4L IS USM lens
f5.6, ISO 2000, 1/160, ambient light only



Canon 6D, 70-200mm f4L IS USM lens
f6.3, ISO 1000, 1/160, ambient light only

[redox61]

Canon G7X

[SpecialK]

17mm TS on 6D and 70D.

















Not my model.

[gaweidert]

A shot from Little Round Top overlooking the Gettysburg battlefield very early one hot summer morning a few years ago. Done with a Canon PowerShot.