Photo Contest...

I entered a photo yesterday in a Shutterbug Magazine photo contest. The winner will receive a digital camera, Panasonic's newest entry into the dSLR arena. I'm baffled by the contest criteria. The contest is called "Inspirations." I read the rules and still am baffled. So, I chose a photo that should baffle them right back. He He. I call the picture, "Dad's Old Pontiac." That's baffling in itself. The car never belonged to dad. But, it offers something for the judges ... a black black spot; a white white spot; and detail that makes you want to touch the image to see if it's real.



No matter. I'm bored and wanted to enter something. It keeps me busy. Here's a look at the picture. Whatta ya think?

Lawrence of Arabia

I wonder if the current administration has watched the movie. The Middle East seems to have changed little since the making of that movie. They continue to govern just as they did before the Magna Charta established the roots of democracy -- sheiks, sheikdoms, or whatever term is used to depict the reigning family. They have a tribal way of life that has no use for democracy. We're a 200 year-old country. Have we learned more in that 200 years than the Arabs have learned in thousands?

Is not one of our allies in the Middle East a family-run country? Was not Saudi Arabia established to be dictated by the Saudi family? Will we next force democracy on them? Or, will they be protected by the Bush families' friendship?

I watched Lawrence of Arabia again last night. All along I was being reminded of how the volatile situation there developed. I was also following the twists in perception as information was presented from different points of view. It makes me wonder if we will ever find a way out of the mess in the Middke East. Is there not a better way than "you're either with us or against us?"

I see the Arabians as shrewd, well-informed negotiators. Just as in Lawrence of Arabia, they have a way of putting their own twist on a situation. You can hardly discredit Mr. Bush for avoiding negotiating with Iran and Syria. I've never heard him described as schrewd.

I wish Mr. Bush would listen. He has counsel from some very wise and knowledgeable sources. It seems to me that even his military commanders also advised against this buildup. He replaced them. He has ignored most advice from the Baker-Hamilton Commission. I won't claim to be smarter than Mr. Bush, but most people are.

And, I question our association with Great Britain. Their extensive world holdings unraveled when they became over-extended. Can we not learn from their mistakes? Will thousands of years of Middle East culture succumb to force? Are we doomed to constantly repeat history?

I hope Mr. Bush was watching Turner Classic Movies last night.

L8r

Freezing in Central Texas

This is not fun. The extreme cold has me dreaming of warmer places and fun trips of previous years. We've sold the motorhome. We're having second thoughts. That motorhome was the key to some wonderful times. Two winters in Key West come immediately to mind. What a wonderful place to avoid this depressing winter siege. I think it is in the 80s there.

We could pack the pickup and head south. South Padre should be reasonably warm. However, this cold breath of Canadian air is forcast to reach Corpus Christi, maybe farther. At this point, I suppose we are destined to ride it out.

We've been considering a spring or late summer trip. The Big Bend of Texas is a spring option. The Four Corners Area or Montana would be a nice trip for late summer. We had a wonderful time in the Taos area of New Mexico. We spent nearly three months there hosting a BLM campground. It was a fun job and allowed plenty of sightseeing time. Here is an image from an area where Georgia O'Keeffe lived and painted. The picture of the cottonwoods was taken while driving on an out-of-the-way road alongside the Rio Chama near Abiquiu.

The picture of the gate at Santuario de Chimayo is the result of a PhotoShop-manipulated image of a photogenic site along the "high road" between Santa Fe and Taos. Chimayo is also the site of a fantastic restaurant. We had lunch there on more than one occasion.

I'll continue dreaming. Perhaps increasing the temperature on the thermastat will relieve the depressing nature of this day. Or, maybe we should load into the truck and drive to Austin. There are lots of motorhomes and towed RVs waiting for new owners. The fever is there; we need to finish the tax returns to determine our financial status.

L8r

Long Absense

I've been remiss. But we had a great Christmas vacation. We spent it with our daughter and grandson in Maryland. Here is a photo of my grandson on Christmas Day. Yep! He got a dirt bike with all the trimmings. He has one here in Texas but only gets to ride that one during the summer months. Having one in Maryland should lend to a great improvement in his riding. Who knows. We may have a future champion in the family.

The weather in Maryland tried to cooperate. We made it to the track on the Saturday following Christmas. It had been more than four months since he rode, but he regained his confidence pretty quickly. Here is another photo.

He is one lucky kid. His mom has a new truck just to make sure she can get him to the track occasionally. He should be pretty darn good by the time he gets back to Texas.

I'm taking my time getting back into the swing of blogging. There is plenty to write about. It just isn't as pressing now that the Democrats have assumed control. :=)

L8r