More Architecture

Thinking about going on vacation later on this year with my sis really has caused me to look back through all the photos we've taken on previous vacations together.  I found a whole directory of pictures of houses that I've never shared before. 

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy.  Click on picture, then the F11 key to see a larger image.

Some of the little towns we stopped in were small enough that we could just park the rental car and walk through the residential streets and see a pretty good representation of the architecture for that area.  We saw an awfully lot of picket fences.  Picket fences are so much more inviting than the 6 and 8 foot fences you see nowadays. 

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy.  Click on picture, then the F11 key to see a larger image.

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy.  Click on picture, then the F11 key to see a larger image.

See what I mean? 

Fancy Schmancy Peonies

Photo by Chris Duffy

Some friends sent us these beautiful peonies yesterday and I just can't get over how pretty they are.  I grew up with peonies in our back yard, but not exactly like these and not this deep dark red.  I'm especially intrigued how the outside petals are nice large smooth petals, whereas the center of the flower is made up of more crinkly petals with edges that look like they've been clipped with pinking shears. 

Photo by Chris Duffy . . . click on picture, then the F11 key to see larger image.

These dark pink peonies are the kind we had at our previous house and the kind we had when I was growing up in Illinois.  Both varieties are very pretty. . . it's just that I'd never seen the deep dark red ones with the serrated edges before yesterday.  I thought all peonies were like these.  Just goes to show you . . . you can learn something new every day.

Thinking about Vacation Time

My sister and I are again planning a vacation together later on this year, and this time we're going to scenic Arkansas.  We haven't firmed up our itenerary yet, but we have secured a nice Bed and Breakfast in Eureka Springs and will use that as our starting point each day as we head out in a different direction.

Thinking about what we might do and see I got nostalgic and went through some of the pictures from previous vacations together.  There were a lot of grave yard shots and this is one that I've never shown you before. 

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy . . . click on picture, then F11 key to see a larger image.

I wonder exactly when the practice of burying the church's dead on the church grounds was discontinued. 

What a Scare !!!

I thought my computer was toast again.  I downloaded some music and some software from the web and within hours my computer was freezing up.  I couldn't do ANYTHING.  I couldn't close anything, couldn't open anything. . . heck, I couldn't even turn it off.  The only way I could turn it off was to unplug it.  I did this about four times and the last time it wouldn't boot up again.  Just went so far in the boot process and then stuck there.  I was pretty bummed out over it.  I unplugged it again and left it that way over night.  Then this morning I figured I'd try to get into SAFE mode and delete the software and music that I'd downloaded and see if that would fix my problem.  I really wasn't very hopeful though, because what I really thought was that I had caught a virus.   But, low and behold, when I plugged it in it FINISHED the boot sequence and now it works fine.  I don't think I'll chance downloading anymore free software from the web.  My nerves can't take it.

Revisiting San Antonio

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy.  Click on picture and then the F11 key to see a larger image.

I couldn't resist this stone wall with all it's wonderful arches, and this huge tree had such character.  Gee, I wish I could find someone willing to pay me to travel around the country, take pictures and then post them to the web.  Wouldn't that be the PERFECT job!!  I can dream can't I?

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy.  Click on picture and then the F11 key to see a larger image.

Here's the same wall only from the other end.  I liked the way the shadows from the low hanging tree branches play on the flagstone walkway.  The temperature under this magnificant tree was considerably lower than out in the direct sun.  We could have stayed here for hours if we hadn't had a schedule to adhere to.

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy . . . to see a larger image, click on the picture and then the F11 key.

Surprise, surprise.  I think I mentioned before that since we moved into our new house in August of last year every flower that comes up in our yard this spring is a surprise and delight to us.  We don't know what's planted where . . . except for the trees and shrubs of course.   So it was a joy the other morning to go out in the front and find a bunch of pink Asiatic Lillies blooming in the burm that separates our circle drive from the sidewalk.  I went in the house and got my camera and took several pictures.  I'm still in OKC with my sister but we dumped the pictures from my camera onto her computer so I could show you all. 

Photo by Chris Duffy . . . to see a larger image, click on the picture and then the F11 key.

And there are three more clumps of lillies that you can't even see in this shot.  I wonder what other delights await us? 

Stormy Weather in OKC

I'm in Oklahoma City this week end visiting my mom and sister.   Partly because I haven't seen either of them in quite a while, and partly because it's Mother's Day week end.  I had barely arrived and gotten in the house when it started hailing, and then a few minutes later the weather man was telling everyone to seek shelter.  At the time it looked like a tornado was headed right for my sister's house and so Alice, her husband and I all crowded into the bathroom that's in the center of their house.  Alice and I got into the tub with our tennis shoes on and pillows to help protect our heads while her husband sat on the floor a few feet away watching a little 6 inch TV we'd brought into the bathroom to keep us up to the minute on the weather situation.   We were in the clear about a quarter till eleven.  We were supposed to get more potentially dangerous weather sometime after noon today (Saturday) but that never materialized, at least not in our part of town. 

Photo by Chris Duffy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This is my mom.

Today ended up being a very pretty day.  We picked up mom at her apartment and brought her over to Alice's house.  One of the things that mom wanted to do today was to just sit out in the yard and read.  So we set her up in the comfy patio chair with a glass of lemonaide and a collection of Alice's short stories to read.  She stayed out there for over an hour and said she really enjoyed it. 

More San Antonio Pics

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy . . . click on picture, then the F11 Key to see a larger image.

This was part of the Alamo grounds.  I had always thought that the Alamo was just the church building, but it's quite a bit more than that.  I really liked all the old stone buildings and I was surprised at how many trees there were on the property.  It was really pretty in a rustic way.

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy . . . click on picture, then the F11 Key to see a larger image.

And we all know what a sucker I am for arches, gates and doors, and when you combine an arch with an old stone building I'm as happy as can be.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I really do hope you take the time to click on the picture and then on the F11 key to see these pictures at the size they're supposed to be viewed.  Thanks for indulging me.

San Antonio Sights

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy . . . click on picture, then the F11 key to see a larger image.

We may have only had a couple hours to spend on the Riverwalk, but believe me, when I've got my camera I can take quite a few shots in a relatively short period of time.  I'm not sure how many shots I actually took, but I ended up keeping 54 from the two hours we spent at the Alamo and the Riverwalk. 

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy . . . click on picture, then the F11 key to see a larger image.

I'm also not sure how I lucked out on this shot with no people in it.  It was, after all, the last day of Fiesta and there were thousands and thousands of people out on the Riverwalk.  Maybe there was a parade at the time, I don't know.  Anyway, I prefer my shots this way. 

What a Week End !!

Photo and enhancement by Chris Duffy . . . click on picture, then the F11 key to see a larger image.

We had friends come in from Seattle, Portland, Houston, Richardson, Dallas and Plano for the wedding.  Barney, our friend from Seattle has always wanted to see the Alamo so we spent a couple hours with him and his wife touring the different buildings and exhibits at the Alamo.  I think this building had been part of the "Long" barracks.