Persimmon

This little tree is in the same garden as the scallions from last week. I loved the look of it despite the tinge of sadness in the drying fruit. I believe those are persimmons (which I love). I couldn't get closer as I don't know the garden owner.

The little tree makes me think of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. Which makes me want to make this persimmon tree my honorary Lunar New Year tree. February 7 will be the first day of the new year for many Asian communities, families and individuals. We will be celebrating the year of the rat (or mouse, if you prefer). If you are Vietnamese, you call Lunar New Year, Tet.

There is typically not a lot of Tet festivities going on in Seguin -- not in public anyway. But Mark and I usually do the house up in preparation. For now, I would like to point you to a few other Daily Photo Blogs I enjoy visiting -- Subang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. These, in particular, are in Asian countries so you can get a glimpse of what other people do to prepare for New Year's Day. Me? I must start cleaning house!

Staring at the honey pot...

What does a honey pot have to do with my lack of posting? Well, the cedar pollin has been out in full force and I had done well in avoiding "cedar fever" but then it hit me hard Sunday and I was simply too out of it to post. This morning, my head pressure was much better but I was so tired, I just sat at the kitchen table and I barely break my gazing at the honey pot. I really like the bee. We have a little collection of these little pots. Now, if only our sweet little bees will produce some honey for US this coming year! :)

Anyway, cedar fever is a big thing around here. I had never heard of it before moving here but the pollin can really make people's lives quite miserable. Itchy eyes, scratchy throats, cough, slight fever, a head that is so full of pressure that even sleep doesn't provide relief. Sound fun?

Happy birthday!

Today is Mark's birthday...happy birthday honey! I love finding cool wrapping paper for people I adore though what you see is actually not wrapping paper. These are pages from discarded atlases that I have saved. I love wrapping special presents with them. And now that we are all exploring more of the world through these photo blogs, I thought it was appropriate to post this. Another reason the paper makes me happy? It reminds me of all my DP buddies!

Beautiful sky above

Our sky's been just gorgeous lately and the weather has been very beautiful. I thought I would post this now since next week is suppose to bring in a cold front that will hopefully bring some much needed rain to ease our drought conditions.

Yesterday, my new friend Dan from McKinney (TX) tagged me! McKinney is about 4.5 hours north of Seguin and I have not been there yet but if I go, I will of course look for Dan!

I've never been tagged on the blog before so here we go. This game of tag goes like this, When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions we seem to fall into four categories: 1) quite serious about them, 2) flippant about them, 3) pressured to do them, or 4) do not do them. So, the purpose of this game of tag is to let us know which category you are in. I will give mine, then tag 3 other sites to do the same thing.

Hmm...as with most things, when you are in a position where you have to select just one "thing," you realize things are never as clear cut as you hoped. But if I have to choose, I would say I am in the 2nd category. I try not to set unrealistic goals, or resolutions. And I think I set goals at different times of the year. Why wait until January 1? That said, I did decide in November that I would work on things that I enjoy but have pushed aside b/c of work and just taking care of things around the house. That means more knitting, reading, leisure cooking and beading. And if possible, I'm going to try sewing b/c I have been thinking and reading about it for about a year now. I think I'm ready.

Okay, so now I'm going to tag some friends. Please be sure to check out Annie of Little Rock (AR), Web OJ of Kuwait and Edwin S of Kuala Lumpur. You can learn so much about other places near and far with just three clicks. There are some amazing pictures and comments on other daily photo blogs so I hope you will have fun!

Winter Garden

On Ireland Drive, there is a wonderful garden that has something growing throughout the year. Mark and I always enjoy seeing what's there whenever we drive by and we like the way the garden plots are contained in neat rectangles. Right now, there are some scallions growing. I love scallions. I have seen a few other gardens around town as well. We hope to start a little one ourselves this year.

Hanging out

UPDATED 10-Jan-08

Thank you Keith!

KeithAlanK said...

That's a Turkish Gecko in case anyone's interested. Also called the Mediterranean Gecko, they started out in the USA as stowaways on cargo ships who brought them to port in Mobile Alabama and other cities around 1830, and have spread northward and across the south ever since. Eventually they will rule the world, one moth at a time.

It has been a little busy lately so I was looking through my photos to see if there was anything I haven't shared yet when I saw this guy. I had totally forgotten that I had snapped him and meant to share him. This is the bathroom window, looking out to the back deck where the light was on. He was no doubt trying to catch dinner as little bugs were hanging out by the light. Plus he kind of went along with the theme of my last post.

ET & UFOs

This sign alone is one thing. But if you pair it with the yellow sign on the other side of the road, it takes on another dimension. :)

Click on the picture for a bigger shot so you can see the yellow sign.

Updated January 8:
Sorry, it pointed to my Flickr and if you don't have an account or are not logged in, you do not get the option to view "All Sizes." Try to click on this link for the big picture. If it's still not big enough, use the resizing button that will appear on the image if you roll your mouse over it. Hope it works for you. Let me know if it does not.

Bees buzzing about

Today it got up to 78F degrees. It was a beautiful day though I did turn on the ceiling fans due to the warmth inside the house. :)

Our bees are doing well. They have been out and about, gathering up as much pollen as they can find, which is not much right now since there aren't many blooms to be had. We do have a couple of plants with little flowers and a rosemary bush still flowering also so they are gathering from there. I'm sure they're enjoying this more than the cold we have had lately.

Just a note, there is an opening about 1 inch in the bottom box but it is on the right side so you can't see it in this shot. Just wanted you to know the bees can get in and out just fine.

River Drive

This is River Drive along the Guadalupe River in Starcke Park. On the left is the golf course. On the other side of the river, there are some very pretty houses with big yards and paths down to the river. There's one for sale I think so I'll try and snap some pics that aren't intrusive.

After each flood (esp. since the big one in 1998, it seems we have flooding issues every other year almost), more of the road was eroded and for a long period of time, this drive was closed for safety reasons. I believe it was last year, maybe year and a half ago, that the city had the funds to rebuild the banks so that it was safe for vehicles to once again cruise along there. I'm really glad b/c it's quite beautiful.

Sunrise

Today I had plans to post my last shot of our visit to Starcke Park but I just had to do this one instead. I was saying goodbye to Mark this morning as he left for SA at about 7:10am and I loved the sky I saw! I also visited Mitch in Minneapolis and was happily surprised by his post today so be sure to check his site. :)

Earlier this week, PaB asked if the name Seguin was of French derivation. Our city’s name was originally Walnut Springs but was later changed to Seguin in honor of Juan N. Seguin, who had been a colonel in the Texas Calvary at San Jacinto .

The family name did indeed originate in France, where an ancestor left Paris in 1654 and sailed to the New World. You can read more about the city’s namesake by visiting our Convention & Visitors Bureau page.

Way back on September 12, 2006, I posted about our Juan Seguin statue down on the square. There was an anonymous request to see a shot of Juan Seguin’s burial site and I have been there a few times but I still don’t have a photograph which I feel does justice to it so when I do get one, I will post it.

Lone golfer

Before the postings for the new year, I mentioned we had go to Starcke Park and I took several pictures I wanted to show you. Here's another one. The golf course is very nice, sprinkled with mature pecan trees. Right now the trees are bare and the grass is brown but that's to be expected, though there is still a beauty to it in my opinion. This part of the course runs along the Guadalupe River (where my back is as I shoot this picture). I'll go back when things are in bloom; it's quite pretty. You can rent carts, bring your own or walk it, as this gentleman is doing here. It's good exercise. When my husband worked with the City of Seguin, he had to oversee the course at one point and so he took up golfing. I went with him and we walked it once and had a great, relaxing time. I enjoyed it much more than anticipated but we haven't the time for it these days. It really eats into your day to do 18 holes, or even 9.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is my favorite post from 2007. I like it because a bluebonnet is so unique to Texas and I just love seeing them bloom each year I’ve lived here. Before I moved here, I never realized how beautiful a blue flower could be. Now the bluebonnet stops me every time I see it, whether it is a single bloom as it is here or in a field among thousands.

For our January 2008 Theme Day, there are 118 other city bloggers participating so be sure to take a little trip around the world!

Paris, France - London, England - Hyde, UK - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Grenoble, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Riga, Latvia - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - New Orleans (LA), USA - Wichita (KS), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Francisco (CA), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Mainz, Germany - Melbourne, Australia - Portland (OR), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Toulouse, France - Naples (FL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Brussels, Belgium - Stayton (OR), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Nashville (TN), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Prescott (AZ), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Evry, France - Trujillo, Peru - Arlington (VA), USA - Denpasar, Indonesia - American Fork (UT), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Coral Gables (FL), USA - Montpellier, France - Joplin (MO), USA - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Boston (MA), USA - Torun, Poland - New York City (NY), USA - Dunedin (FL), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Chateaubriant, France - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Budapest, Hungary - Austin (TX), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Cypress (TX), USA - Bicheno, Australia - Wrocław, Poland - Brookville (OH), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Cheltenham, UK - Wellington, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - London, UK - Haninge, Sweden - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Arradon, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Mumbai, India - Terrell (TX), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - Delta (CO), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Saigon, Vietnam - San Diego (CA), USA - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Belgrade, Serbia - Auckland, New Zealand - Seguin (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA - Oslo, Norway - Singapore, Singapore - Las Vegas (NV), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy - Susanville (CA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Memphis (Tennessee), USA

Favorite Photo - 2nd runner up

Another favorite from this past January, this traffic light is still pretty cool looking to me.

Favorite photo - 3rd runner up

As we near the beginning of the new year, some other Daily Bloggers have been showcasing their favorite posts so I thought I would go through some of my own from 2007 and find my top three favorites. I posted this shot back on January 21. It was about 20F degrees when I shot the picture and it looks like we will kick off 2008 with a big cold front so I'm looking forward to that. This current mild weather is nice but a bit of cold weather is nice this time of year.

The January 1st theme for City Daily Photo Blog will be "Best Photo of 2007" so be sure to check back here on January 1 and I will include a list of all the participating city bloggers.

Fishing along the Guadalupe River

Lately the weather has been lovely during the day. Still a nip in the air but enough sun to warm you up a bit. We like to cruise around town once in a while to just soak things in. It's very relaxing to drive, listen to the Sirius jazz and see what goes on around town. This is along the river in Starcke Park. There were plenty of fishing going on but I like this spot these men found. When I moved here from NC, I noticed and really liked the color of the water in rivers and creeks here. I grew up near the Cape Fear River and water in the middle of the state of NC tends to be muddy so you have a rusty color. I love the bluish green here.

I'll post a couple more the next few days of things we saw in the park.

Chilly mornings

Lately we have had very pretty weather though we do need some good rain. During the day, it's been in the 60s (F) and mostly sunny. Overnight, it's been dipping down into the upper 20s (F), which means mornings can be frosty. This is the windshield of the truck. I tried to scrap the frost as much as possible but it's hard when the frost is on a truck and you are only 5'2"! :)

Here's a shot of the windshield from inside the truck, where I implemented Plan B -- melting the frost, which only took 1 minute really.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Sorry for the last minute post but I was ill yesterday and then we visited family all day today. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas filled with love, laughter and fun!

Nutcracker Museum

Besides pecans and other nuts, dried fruits and sweet treats, Papes Pecan store also has a nutcracker museum that you can browse. It is amazing how many are in the collection! There are all different sizes, shapes and characters...from Ronald Reagan to Yosemite Sam.

Hot Santa

Here it is a few days before Christmas and in Seguin, we have beautiful weather -- in the 60s with plenty of sun and very little humidity in the air. The only "bad" thing about this is that it's hard to get into the Christmas mood if you don't have to layer on some clothes. I wonder if Santa is hot in his suit.

We were running errands this morning and we passed Santa standing in front of a florist shop. I was impressed by this Santa b/c he face really looks nice and what I envision as a "good, authentic Santa." Some Santas you see don't even bother covering up their dark hair! We didn't stop to chat but his beard even looked real. Very nice.

We stopped by Gift & Gourmet to pick out a few more final gifts and now it's wrapping time. Or napping time. This is the first weekend in months where we do not have to be somewhere or do something away from home. It feels nice. :)

Honorable Mention

It was hard to capture a full view of my office decorated with the snowflakes and lights I have posteb about earlier. But here is one shot. I think I cut out about 40 snowflakes! It was fun today in the office. Lots of cheer in the air. Sonia and I received Honorable Mention along with another coworker for his office. There was also a winner for Most Creative and another winner for Best Traditional.

Christmas lights and a little friendly competition...

Tonight I am busy pulling together the final touches for my office decorating contest. Things have heated up a bit and people were busy preparing for the judging tomorrow morning. The snowflakes I cut and posted about a few days ago have all been taped or hung in the office along with some trees fashioned out of tissue paper. I needed just a little something to finish off my space. My friends suggested adding ambient lighting. So here I am digging through attic boxes to find unused lights. Choices, choices. White string or dancing color...hmm. I will let you know if I place in the contest and I'll post a picture of the finished product. It's really fun.

Mistletoe

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Texas was the abundance of mistletoe EVERYWHERE and this is year-round. In the past, I only encountered mistletoe during the Christmas season and usually in a boutique or at the tree stands. I recall having to hunt down some mistletoe once to have some for decorations for a party. And here? I can just walk around (or even stop along the road on the way to work) and snip off whatever I want. It's pretty neat. I also snapped a shot of a batch with berries this past weekend. Okay, off to bake more brownies. Have a good week everyone. Only six more days of waiting!!!

Visit to the City Cemetery

When we visited the cemetery to put a flag on Calvin Williams' grave on Veteran's Day, we noticed this next to it. We don't know what it is. Do you know?

The last trip to the post office

Yesterday Mark and I made our last trip to the post office and our gifts for far off family members are on their way. We did priority because the postal rate is currently 5 days behind, pushing arrival of our things to post-Christmas. It is always nice when the staff tells you what your options are and also when they honestly tell you if it will make it in time!

This trip was fun. Everybody in line were good spirits and we talked and laughed and waved to Santa, who was there for pictures with anyone who wanted one. It was one of the most fun trips to the post office ever.

White Spider

I don't know much about spiders but I thought this one looked very interesting. All sorts of living things love our plumeria. Check out those cool legs he has! Every time I got too close with my digicam, it would scoot to the other side of the plant. It took several times and slow movements to catch him.

Hair Haus Revisited

About a year ago, I posted my first post of Hair Haus. I thought I would post an updated shot since some greenery has been added to the front. I like the potted plants and the little tree to the side. You can't go wrong with more green. Tomorrow I finally get to use my Stress Reliever gift certificate and I am so excited!! 2 hours of pampering; what a treat.

You can also see the location of the shop is very close to the Aumont, which itself is pretty interesting. I need to look inside the Aumont sometime and perhaps get a shot inside. Well, it will go on my mental list of things to check out for the blog. Two blocks beyond the Aumont, in the picture, is our town square.

Bare pecan trees

We're still experiencing quite a bit of see-saw weather lately. 80 on Monday, 40s on Tuesday, 50s today. Who knows what it will really be tomorrow. Anyway, as I was driving from the library to the house, I noticed these neat piles of leaves in this yard. It reminded me of my childhood in NC, where fall meant lots of raking on weekends. We used to rake winding paths in the leaves and ride our bikes all around the yard before we finished our task. It made the chore more fun that way. Around Seguin, pecan trees are mostly bare of leaves now but on the tree in our backyard, we still see some pecans still in their little coverings, waiting to drop. And yes, there is still plenty on the ground.

Snowflakes!

This is the closest we have gotten to snow this year. :) I am busy trying to wrap and ship gifts (5 boxes sent yesterday) and decorating both home and office this year. There is a 9 foot tree in our living room, tall and VERY slim. Can a 9 foot tree be cute? I think it is. It's on loan from my sister as we couldn't find one we really liked.

I have not cut snowflakes in over 20 years I believe! These are for my office at work. There is a decorating contest and Sonia and I have decided to participate. When we finish, perhaps I will post a picture here for you to see. We are really enjoying working together at the steel mill in town.

Hello from up above...

We're slowly getting the house put together after having so much work done on it this past year. The study is coming along although it is currently Gift Wrap Central. We have a house about a hundred years old. Mark found a government survey of historic homes in Seguin and our house was included. I like features on our old house, like the storage space tucked in above the closet here. Smokey likes it also, as you can tell. Anytime the ladder is brought out to do any kind of work, he has supersonic hearing and is up the ladder before we know it. And of course if we don't notice him right away, he will meow to get our attention.

Inside Chiro Java

This is an inside shot of Chiro Java, a coffee house located on the town square. (I also have an outside shot of Chiro Java.) I am really glad we have a coffee house in town and I hope that they will one day extend their hours into the evening a bit more. It'd be a great hang out where you can unwind in the evenings and would also be a good place to gather for some group activities such as a knitting group, which is something we did in San Antonio once a month.

Besides coffee, there are other beverages and some food. I've met friends there a few times for lunch and we had some great salads and sandwiches. You can also surf the we there on a PC that's provided.

Beautiful days

Well, I've been out of town again so I didn't get a chance to post before I left. I'll be home tomorrow so look for some more pictures soon.

Here is a little birdy I noticed on the tip of our roof day before the trip. I heard sweet little chirps and looked for him but it took a while to find him up there. I'm not sure what he was looking for up there. The blue sky is an indication of just how lovely the weather has been lately in Seguin. Just perfect temperatures; cool and crisp during the day and chilly at night. Cold enough to enjoy hot chocolate properly. :)

Red leaves

Sometimes we get so busy that we miss things right under our noses. I have been in Texas for a little over 12 years now and I have grown to love it here. I still, however, ache to see endless seas of orange, red and yellow leaves to herald in the fall of North Carolina, where I grew up. We were getting in the car Sunday and as I got in, I noticed the leaves on our crepe myrtle. Well, when did that happen? The leaves are so beautiful. I love red leaves.

Our weather has been sort of up and down lately. We caught a cold spell with nights in the 30s (F degrees) but then it warms back up into the 80s. It's hard to tell if it's spring, fall or winter. That's south Texas for you.

"Smokey" Joe Williams Blog Launches Today!

Today I wanted to let you know that a new blog has been created to honor a native son of Seguin that many people outside the area probably know nothing of unless they are baseball history buffs.

On October 17 2006, I posted an entry about "Smokey" Joe Williams and my favorite photo of him. I am happy to report that my husband, Mark, has created a blog where he will share some of his nine years of research on "Smokey" Joe. This incredible man and ballplayer brought recognition to Seguin when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, yet most people, even in our own little city, know nothing about his accomplishments. When you know "Smokey" Joe's story, you will also have a glimpse into the lives of other black ballplayers who played during a time when baseball was segregated. It's very interesting and also amazing how these men loved the game so much, they were willing to suffer through many challenges just to be on the field.

The picture you see here is of young Joe Williams. You can learn more by visiting the "Smokey" Joe Williams blog when you have a chance.

Elvis in Seguin

As promised, here is my celebrity shot from last night's Holiday Stroll festivities! When I saw him, I knew I had to get a shot. Elvis was a riot and it seemed everyone enjoyed him. He made us all laugh and even belted out a few lines for us.

Lighting of the Town Square

Tonight we met up with a new friend and shared with her the lighting experience and I had a great time. It seemed like we had fewer floats and not as big a crowd but it was still really nice to get out in the chilly weather. Really gets you in the holiday mood. The parade started at 6:30p and then the town square was lit up while the high school band prepared to play some Christmas tunes. It's always fun to see how bright it gets once the light switch is flipped on!

We walked around and looked at the decorated Christmas trees around the square and then walked over to the Heritage Museum, which was open late and offered refreshments and a warm welcome to passers by. (I'll post a very funny picture tomorrow of a celebrity impersonator who was one of several at the Museum tonight.)

Thank you to everyone who commented to me about the blog and/or the article. I felt so happy that people took an interest in this hobby that I have. I think it was the first time Mark and I have been out on the town and I actually talked to more people than he did! ;)

Christmas Preparations

It is very hard to believe that December is a couple of days away already. My sister and her family were visiting from FL so I really wanted to finish gifts for all our FL family members in order to send it all back with her but I lacked just two gifts! Oh well. Here are some stockings we did manage to fill and send back with her.

I love Christmas time and finding just the right things for a friend or family member. It really is fun. I learned about the stocking tradition when I met my husband and his kids. I had so much fun finding goodies for them that my sisters and I started stockings for the kids in our families and each other. I think it's my favorite gift related activity!

Thank you everyone for your interest in the blog and for your comments and emails. I love hearing from all of you!

Pecan & Reporter

Recently I was interviewed by our local paper, The Seguin Gazette Enterprise about this blog and I thought it was a really neat experience. Actually, I was quite surprised and tickled when I received the posting from Michael asking that I contact him if I wanted to talk about the DP blog.

It was fun but felt odd to have someone asking about why I do this and then photographing me photographing Seguin. This is a shot of Michael shooting me. His shot can be found on the Gazette website if you want to check out the article.

Thank you, Michael. It was a great experience!

Checking the lights...

I did ask first if I could snap a shot. :) This is a close up of one of the City of Seguin employees preparing the lights on the trees on the square. I can't wait until we're all lit up!

Sorry for the lack of posts. With family visiting for Thanksgiving, it was non-stop with little time for surfing or posting! Hope everyone had a nice time. We were so thankful to have the chance to spend time with family. It was wonderful.

Christmas Lights on the Square

Here's another sight I saw downtown that was an unexpected but wonderful surprise. City employees were busy putting lights in the trees. The lighting event will be on November 29! I love tree lights. It becomes really magical. The event also includes a night parade and is usually a lot of fun.

Decorations

While downtown, I saw evidence that Christmas is indeed right around the corner. Decorations are going up, including on this light post. It's cloudy this week according to the forecast but when I took this series of photos last Friday, it was a perfect and beautiful day.

Juan Seguin and the Water Drops

Yesterday I was downtown and walked around Central Park to take some pictures. I'll be posting them this coming week since I saw several things I found interesting and want to share here. What I like most about this shot is the way the water drops look. They look frozen but then I look at it again and they look animated. Also, I like how it appears as if Juan Seguin is doing battle with the water.

Insulators & Flowers

It's November and when I took this photo a couple of days ago, it was in the mid-80s in temperature. Too warm for my taste since I can't get into the holiday spirit with unseasonably high temps. Today, it was wonderfully cool...lower 70s all day and tonight will be in the upper 30s. I love the crisp, cool weather.

We have these insulators on our fence on the side of the house. Mark and I use to go insulator hunting along railroad tracks. Those were the good old days when we actually had more personal time!

Corner of Kingsbury & Austin Streets

I have been trying to get a good shot of this sign for some time. I smile every time I drive by because it is so clever. I haven't been there as a customer, which I suppose is a good thing, but they do brisk business from what I see.

Veterans Day

Grave of a forgotten veteran...

Calvin Williams was born a slave in Orange County VA on Juy 4, 1832. After securing his freedom in 1864 he joined the ranks of the Union Army. After the Civil War, Calvin re-enlisted and served in the 38th and 24th Infantry as one of the famed "buffalo soldiers" assigned to protect settlers on the American frontier. After his discharge in 1871 at Ft. McKavett TX, he settled in Seguin TX. He lived the remainder of his life there, quietly raising a family and developing the Second Baptist Church, which still stands today. He passed away on Jan. 12, 1909.

That very year, his grandson Joseph Williams embarked on a professional baseball career that earned him a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

Today's post was written by Mark. Thanks, honey! I knew you would be the best person to write this for Calvin. On October 29, 2007, I posted something else about Calvin.

Red eye candy

I don't even like candy apples but I was so drawn to these beautiful red creations I just had to ask to photograph them. The lady was so nice, she took the plastic off the top. Can you spot something interesting or unusual about one of these?

We saw these at La Paleteria, which I posted about on October 20, 2006. It's a local ice cream place we keep hoping will succeed but worry about b/c we hardly ever see people there. There is ice cream, fruit bar, shakes, smoothies and more! If only they were on the town square, it would be lovely to walk around there with a yummy treat.

Here's a Photo without flash, which I sort of like though the vibrant red with the flash won out on it.

White Plumeria

It has been a super hectic week at work. I am barely keeping up with things. I did want to post this Plumeria bloom. I find it so soothing, the white on green. Our plant is about 3 or 4 years old and has never bloomed until this year, when we put it in the ground. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Gift & Gourmet

This is a wonderful little gift shop right across the street from our home. I love walking over there. Or I should say, I use to. I have not been in there for some time so I will try and check it out next weekend for an inside shot. I like to check out the window display. I took this right before Halloween, hence the pumpkins and so on. I meant to see about that green dish towel with the candy corns. It looked so fun.

I knew the lady who owned this store but Anne has sold it (I think last year) to another lady, her name escapes me but I did meet her once in the store. There was always something wonderful in there I wanted and Anne kept a wish list for customers so that she can make suggestions to shoppers. That was really nice to have a retailer give you that attention. She also bought some earrings I made and so that was coolto see my stuff in the display case. I think that was my first official sale to a store (versus friends and family buying my creations). Sometimes, I would just hang out with Ann and chat. That seems ages ago.

Water Tower Completed

All summer, we passed the water tower and it was covered either partially or entirely. Very mysterious even though we knew it was getting a cleaning and new paint job. And now here it is! I really like the clean look and the blue lettering. If you want to see what it looked like before and during the face lift, check out these links:

Photo 1 Before facelift and Photo 2 During facelift

Men at Work

Something blue for the theme today - the sky! I saw these two men working waaaaaaaaaaaay up high at the high school before one of our Friday night football games. Gotta make sure all those lights are fully functional I suppose so they kids can see where they're running and throwing the ball. :)