behind the green door"Green door, what's that secret you're keeping?
Wish they'd let me in so I could find out
what's goin' on in there!"
Bill Haley & The Comets
1956
McPherson Cellars Winery
1615 Texas Avenue
Lubbock Texas
June 4, 2010
grand old ladyAlley Assignment 4:
The Pioneer Hotel, a grand old lady in Lubbock, is getting a facelift. The Renaissance Revival-styled structure is being renovated for high-end condominiums. The look includes 637 custom-made windows for the arched brick openings.
Originally built as the Lubbock Hotel on Avenue K and Broadway with six stories in 1926, six additional stories were added in 1929. The hotel reigned as Lubbock's tallest building until 1955 when the nearby Great Plains Life Building opened.
Work on the Pioneer has slowed as subcontractors clamour for money owed them.
June 3, 2010
teddyAlley Assignment 3:
I wonder how this one-armed, ceramic teddy bear salt shaker ended up on the gas meter in the alley behind the Lubbock County Warehouse #3 at 805 15th Street? Is he waiting for his buddy the pepper shaker? Did he get lost from the picnic? Is he an escapee from the inmate work release program?
June 1, 2010
1938Assignment for the Week: Find a photograph in the alleys accessible by walking from my office downtown.
Rusted gates guard a rusty door at the rear of 1938 Texas Avenue.
May 30, 2010
555The 32 miles of paved Road 555 out of Raton leads to Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch, a guest ranch with 21 lakes and many trout streams. Fishing rates - $550 per day, two night minimum.
May 29, 2010
highway of legends
The Highway of Legends (Colorado State Byway 12) circles from Trinidad to Walsenburg and offers picturesque lakes, ranching towns, and mountain vistas.
May 28, 2010
hitching postCimarron Art Gallery
New Mexico Highway 21 from Springer to Cimarron is a scenic drive. Be sure to slow down for the metropolis of Miami. While parked in a driveway taking photographs, I was approached by the lone motorist. He was seeking directions; unfortunately I was as clueless as the census taker! Outside Miami is Miami Lake, a beautiful private lake so the sign informed us with no fewer than seven "no's" - no trepassing, no fishing, no gasoline motors, etc. Lunch was at the newly renovated St. James Hotel in Cimarron. Need a tour guide for the backroads? I'm your gal!
May 27, 2010
vacation postcardOur annual trek to Raton, New Mexico - home of the NRA Whittington Center -- for the "Best in the West" Benchrest Shooting Match. Of course the women have other plans like lunch, shopping, sightseeing.
May 26, 2010
ravages of warThere is a battle going on in my backyard. A few days ago the snails were winning. They started on the amaryllis leaves and then had the audacity to eat the petals off the Hippeasterum Minerva. My "miracle" petunias (the ones purchased as purple which had red flowers) were nothing but sticks!. This morning the battle count was
Sandy - 27 corpses
Snails - 0
Thank you, metaldehyde!
May 25, 2010
reflectedThe Lubbock Corral of Westerners International met at Lake Ransom this evening. Lake Ransom is a residential community east of Lubbock near Buffalo Lake. Westerners is a study group devoted to the history of the American West. Tonight's program was on the South Plains Army Airfield - now home of Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport.
Is is slough or slew - creek or crick?
May 22, 2010
happily ever afterCinderella had a golden carriage -- but Katie and Seth left the First Baptist Church in Seymour in a brand-new John Deere 8720R (which probably had a bigger price tag than the carriage!)
By the way, Seth farms and probably hurried home to finish planting cotton.
May 21, 2010
ranger creek ranchRanger Creek Ranch has been family-owned since 1900 but primarily "runs" hunters rather than cattle in recent times. The barn has been converted in to hunting lodge with a rustic ranch feel. An attached silo provides a sleeping loft, pool table and balcony from which to watch a Texas sunset.
The lodge welcomed the Fortenberry and Winn families for a wedding party celebrating the May 22 nuptials of Seth and Katie. Barbecued chicken, baked potatoes, and salad topped off with fruit cobbler or buttermilk left everyone replete.
Ranger Creek Ranch (www.rangercreekranch.com) is located in Vera, Texas -- 17 miles west of Seymour on Highway 114. Bubba, the collie-catahoula mix, was featured in Wyman Meinzer's "Working Dogs of Texas." The ranch setting has also been photographed by Marlboro for its ads.
May 20, 2010
courtyardcactus alley
Hidden away in Cactus Alley, Manna Bread and Wine is a pleasant dining experience with old world charm, unique entrees and non-Lubbock ambiance.
2610 Salem
May 19, 2010
duhIn case you need some:
King Convenience Store
19th and MLK
(the gasoline, beer and wine are not free)
May 18, 2010
claim to fameThe real-life Peggy Sue is immortalized on the wall of Montgomery Furniture at 19th Street and Crickets Avenue. Although separated by a few yards, she shares a cement brick wall with her ex-husband and Crickets bandmember Jerry Allison. Vintage lawn chairs adorn the hem of her prom dress.
May 17, 2010
columbine
May 15, 2010
unstable monumentsWonder what would cause tombstones to go berserk?
Rowdy children for sure!
Seymour Memorial Funeral Home
Seymour, Texas
May 11, 2010
baby "einstein" robinMama Robin is fairly comfortable in our backyard and tolerates our presence. Yesterday she chased a squirrel out of "her" tree, even diving and nipping him on the butt as he scurried across the lawn. She allowed photographs of the approximately 5-7 day old chick with the 300mm lens. "Einstein" with his fuzzy head feathers-to-be in only interested in the next regurgitated worm.
May 7, 2010
parkview motelIn the 1950s the Parkview Motel, located on Highway 62/82, boasted air-conditioned rooms with a restful view of Mackenzie State Park. Visitors could dine in the nearby Cliff House Restaurant, 520 East Broadway. Today, what remains of the Parkview Motel, up the hill and hidden from the roadway, are shells of the stucco rooms, still with arched doorways into the bathrooms -- still air conditioned with decorations by taggers and dopers.
May 6, 2010
welcome - come on inThis 1930s vintage house welcomes diverse groups like Rockin' Box 33 house concerts or the first anniversary of the Girl Scout Alumnae. It is home to an amazingly creative lady.
May 5, 2010
courtyardThe newest boutique winery in Lubbock is McPherson Winery. McPherson retro-fitted the original Coca-Cola Bottling Company at 1615 Texas Avenue in the historic Depot District as a winery, complete with grape crusher, vats, tasting room and event area. One may sip a glass of Sangiovese and while away an afternoon in the courtyard with melodic fountain.
May 4, 2010
symbols of faithLubbock Chinese Church
1502 15th Street
(You might check out their web page, but only if you can read the top line of the church sign!)
May 3, 2010
here's yer signWilkerson Radiator at 320 19th Street is getting a new sign from Burton's Signs.
April 30, 2010
1502 avenue hAt the formal opening May 31, 1930, the B. E. Needles Tire & Service Station was touted as the finest and largest on the South Plains. Built at an expense of $50,000 (according to Needles), the building was exemplary of the commercial architecture of the time. Unfortunately, time and lack of funds beat out the Lubbock Heritage Society and historical preservation.
(Comments courtesy Sally Abbe, Lubbock County Historical Committee; City of Lubbock Planning Department "A Guide to Lubbock's Architectural Heritage")
April 29, 2010
ruby t's party busMight this be the very same bus in which 26 "minor" Texas Tech students were arrested for drinking in 2005 and provoked a change in the city ordinance about buses transporting groups from bar to bar (or football games) with beverages in hand?
(see another Lubbock party bus on blog January 19 and January 29)
April 27, 2010
jambalaya, crawfish pie and fillet gumbogonna have big fun at Pappdeaux
Austin, Texas
(with apologies to Hank Williams)
April 25, 2010
iris- the state flower of Tennessee
- Greek word for colorful rainbow
- fleur-de-lis - stylized iris adopted by Louis the 7th
- "Irises" - painted by Van Gogh during last year of life in 1890 while in asylum at St. Paul-de-Mausole
April 24, 2010
6666 barnThis red barn was a landmark of the 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas. Built in 1908, the barn was donated to the RHC in 1981. Today, in conjunction with the 40th Annual Ranch Day, Red Steagall offered cowboy poetry in the barn.
April 23, 2010
the dukeCities like Chicago, Scottsdale, Seattle host great public art - often requiring 1% of construction costs to be devoted to public art. Lubbock has John Wayne (Broadway and Avenue E)
April 22, 2010
got sake?On my trip home from work, I followed the bus for the band Rio Grand, playing tonight at the Blue Light. Their web page states "our live show is like kicking you in the teeth and you're gonna like how it tastes." While Rio Grand is probably not a rowdy C&W band like when Willie played behind chicken wire, I would expect their audience to prefer Coors Light over Ty Ku sake. Ty Ku is advertised as a premium Junmai Gingo, handcrafted in the Japanese manner with pure water. Ty Ku and Coors Light share "pure water" -- just not Rocky Mountain-brewed!
April 21, 2010
first pink of spring
Gerbera daisies are at the top of my list of favorites. My gerberas weathered the winter's severe cold and snow. The first curly leaves unfurled and then tight button buds appeared at ground level. As the stalk grows, the daisy opens.
While photographing this daisy with macro lens, I did not notice the insect until uploading on the computer. Can you identify the yellow, almost translucent, squash-looking bug on the tip of the fine-haired sepal (green part) at about one o'clock?
April 20, 2010
clematisOne of the daily delights of spring is seeing what is blooming in the garden. Today the clematis has its first full open flower. Last year the vines had 17 flowers at one time. Wonder if it will exceed its own record this year?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
