White Christmas

 

I lamented last year around Christmastime that Texas isn’t exactly the most “idyllic” of settings for Winter positioned holidays.   Now, you all know I’ve never really been one to let a silly thing like scorching hot temperatures keep me from expressing my holiday cheer and have oft been found with enough saltwater seeping from my pores to float a mid-sized barge but, damnit, it’s December and you can pry that soggy paisley scarf from around my neck only AFTER I’ve passed out from severe dehydration (and even then there might be some lingering synapses, so perhaps the “cold, dead hands” metaphor is a bit more apropos) [long sentence much?].  I’m also pretty sure my good friend, Television, agrees with me:

Modern Family’s Cam and Jay (my favorite plutonic May/December relationship) from the 2011 Christmas episode

 

 

from The New Adventures of Old Christine

This year there really wasn’t much to complain about because it was quite chilly (proportionally) and there was a fire in full blaze when I got to uncle Sid’s house in Lufkin. My fraternal grandparents had driven down from Midland and mom and dad had come over from Crockett for the festivities. I kinda took the day off from taking any pictures so Sid was kind enough to send me a couple of family shots!

 

 

Pheobe, Sid, Catherine, Liz, Hannah

 

 

Grandmother, Granddad, Mom, Dad and I

 

The cousins!!

 

Artist: Barbra Streisand / Album: A Christmas Album

Bye Bye Blackbird

 

(I’m still woefully behind on my blogging as is evident from this Labor Day Weekend post I’m just now getting up.  Things have been pretty busy at the gallery and I’m in the process of moving further into the city [yay!] this weekend so I basically get home from work and pack and pass out… sorry.)

For those of you who aren’t exactly up to date with your hunting calendar then I’m thrilled to let you know that, in Texas at least, Labor Day weekend is perennially the opening of dove hunting season… or as it’s known in our family: The Roberts’ Annual Bird of Peace Murdering Dove Hunt Extravaganza Weekend.  I kid, I kid of course.  Some of you may take issue with hunting but I don’t… and for many reasons: population control, shooting guns is generally quite fun when in a safe and controlled environment, and of course, dove tastes delicious.  

The festivities are always held in Midland, TX (where my fraternal grandparents live) and this is the first year I have been able to get out there in well over ten years.  Little J.D. Joseph wasn’t as interested in hunting as I am now and being away in the foreign lands of Michigan didn’t help that much either.

At any rate… due to a snafu with my license I wasn’t exactly able to hunt, per se, so I had to stick to shooting pictures as opposed to birds this year.

 

 

The hunting lease our family always uses is about 25-30 minutes outside of the city and at the second entrance to the property was a fence lined with coyote tails… “a warning” I was told by one of the workers.

 

 

I also couldn’t help but notice the property had an outdoor “venue” for performances. 

I’m totes doing a recital here!

 

All of the hunting takes place on the dirt roads surrounding a large sunflower field (the birds come to eat and are shot when entering/exiting) and dawn is one of the better times to go out.

    

Dad and uncle David getting their gun on

 

Brett, my brother’s friend and college roommate (of recent wedding fame), and his dog, Millie joined the party and a large portion of my time was spent with the latter: the perk of not being able to hunt means that it’s absolutely acceptable—even expected—to have an early morning aperitif! That’s what hunters call it, right?

  

 

Speaking of dogs, Matt brought along Scout as well to do a bit of bird-doggin’ and she was quick to find some moisture to cool off in.  And what fun is a sopping wet dog without a bit of a roll in the dirt?

 

Scout just loves a good action shot!

 

We also got a little visit from the game warden… just to make sure everyone was licensed up and not exceeding their respective limits.

 

During some of the slower bits, not that there really were any, I figured I’d take a self portrait of sorts.

It looks like I’m holding the tree BUT I’M NOT!!!  (How sad for me)

 

By the end of the hunt everyone had their limit and the ground was littered with shell casings and feathers:

So perhaps this doesn’t qualify for “littered” exactly but you get the point.

 

All in all it was a great couple of mornings and hopefully next year I’ll have my act together a bit more regarding the license! Group photo time!!!!

L to R: Uncle David, Granddad, Dad, Scout, Matt

 

And finally, one parting shot:

*BAM*

 

Artist: John Kander and Fred Ebb, Liza Minnelli/ Album: Liza with a Z

BONUS:  Ever wondered what it sounded like to go dove hunting but did feel like getting up before the sun did just to find out!? Well you’re in luck because I recorded a bit of audio while out there!! Now that I think about it I’m not exactly sure why I didn’t move it into the 21st century by taking a video but I suppose that’s the lot you’ve been cast today.

Fifty Percent

 

We had the entire day of the Brahms concert free and so Ed and Zack’s host father took Zach and I along with them for a trip to Brussels! 

Our first stop was this large gate, with a war museum on one side and an art museum on the other.  Luckily the war museum was free and so we strolled through a bit, though to be honest the main reason we went in was to head straight to the restroom (traffic on the way was a tad longer than expected!).

 

  Model of the gate with the war museum and art museums flanking either side

 

When walking down to one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city we happened to run into Carole, Katie, Jessie and Sabrina, who had all taken the train into Brussels for the day.  How serendipitous!!  Obviously we needed to get a group shot in front of what I would consider one of the classiest pieces of art from the last 400 years:

  

GET IT LITTLE PEEING BOY!! (Hey, at least he had clothes on?)

 

A short walk away lies the city’s buh-gorgeous town square:

 

Next on the tour was a stroll down what used to be a butcher’s alley but has now become a picturesque, café-laden boulevard.  We stepped into a bar where (name) has been going for many many years every time he goes to Brussels.

   

 

On the way to the cathedral (did you think you were getting out of a major city without some church pictures?!?) we passed the Brussels version of the New York Stock Exchange so I snapped a quick shot for my granddad Roberts:

GIVES ME SOME MONEY!!!

 

And now your aforementioned church fix for the day:

 

Exterior and Interior

 

Heading back to the car I saw this graffiti on a bridge and feel it sums up exactly how I feel about the tour.  Genk was our third stop of six and therefore we were then at the halfway point:

I’m pretty sure this is from Chapter 12, Verse 31 of the Gospel of Joseph

 

And finally, the last view of the city I saw before having to go!

 

Artist:Billy Goldenberg and Alan and Marilyn Bergman/ Album: Ballroom