Anyone interested in a Austin gathering in early September?

That can't be the Bean. She's all grown up!

I visited the Texas State Cemetary this morning, and saw the grave sites of many of Texas' luminaries including Joanna Troutman, the Betsy Ross of Texas; Stephen Fuller Austin, the father of Texas; John Connally, Jr,, gov of Texas who was shot in the Kennedy assassinationin 1963; Tom Landry, football fame; and several others including a memorial to 9-11, and Willie Wells, a black baseball player who played in the black leagues and became a promoter of black ball players.

I napped a bit in the afternoon, but went into town, because I wanted to the see the famous bats of Austin. I had dinner at the Iron Cactus on 6th Street, then walked back towards the Congress Ave bridge at about 7:15. Dusk was at 7:45 today, but the bats didn't show until about 10 minutes after 8, and they were difficult to see. Thousands flew out from under the bridge, but they looked like specks, and pictures were impossible to take. They lasted about 10-minutes. There were some kayaks and two tour boats on the east side of the bridge where we waited, and there were no more than about a dozen people on the bridge waiting for the bats.

At least I tried.

did you take your sunglasses off?

I like Bean's new haircut. Very roaring twenties.

chai, I have transitions, so they clear up as it gets dark.

However, I must relate this very interesting story. I went downtown yesterday, because I wanted to be close to the Congress Avenue bridge to watch the bats at dusk, so I had dinner at the Iron Cactus, and walked to the bridge. As I arrived quite early, about 7:15, I just watched the scenery and took some pictures of the capitol building and the river. There were about a dozen people who waited on the bridge, and several kayaks and two tour boats came by as the sky began to darken. A young man stood next to me and who told me his name was Rueben and said he was from Cheyenne, and was without any parents. He was asking me if I understood what it means not to have a mother, and I told him everybody has a mother; that's the reason we're here. He said I looked like a nice man, and he would like for me to be his father, but I told him I already had two sons, and that's all I wanted for my life. I also told him I didn't want any more responsibility to become a father at my age, and I told him I was 74-years old. He said, he thought I was 40-years old. By then, the bats were pretty much gone, so I said "goodbye and good luck."

Weird experience.

Indeed, very strange.
When we were at breakfast, I did try to figure your age, and I never would have said 74. I would say a young looking 60...maybe 59
So, this guy wanted you to be his daddy and take care of him....oh dear.

chai, You are a nice lady to say such things, but I've never shied away from my age or my looks since I had no control over those two things. LOL I is who I is.

I should also mention that I met up with my air force buddy on two occasions while in Austin. We spent a few hours at the hotel bar before he took off for home in Terrell, about 3.5 to 4 hour drive for him. He's one of my oldest friend, even though we knew each other from our one year stint in Morocco in the late fifties. We were young innocent men with some wild streak in us, and we spent many a day drinking beer all day long at our base and in Marrakesh on weekends. We both lost our girlfriends back home, so we cried in our beers too! Jerry, Jessee and I were the three musketeers who spent most of our free time together,, so in essence our friendship was based on many, many, hours spent together, and not so much from the perspective of that one year.

Our first meet in Austin was for dinner with his daughter and her family. They adopted a black boy, and named him after his grandpa.
The also have a daughter, and the hubby works in high tech.

Jerry's put on some weight, but otherwise has that same smile and personality. It was really good to see him again to talk about old times. We concluded that when we met in Morocco, three-quarters of the world population didn't even exist. How's that for philosophical trevia.

When I got discharged in 1959, I visited Jerry in KC, KS, where he then lived. When I worked for Florsheim in Chicago, he lived in Omaha, and I visited him in the late seventies, and then now. When I sent him my last christmas card,, I told him I will be visiting our son in Austin in Sept or Oct, so he said he'll drive up to Austin when I visit the next time.

Nice story.
I am glad to hear that you are okay, CI. You mentioned that you might be in Philly? When is that?

In November during the early weeks. I'll have to look at our itinerary when I get home to post actual dates.

And I know the dust will not have time to settle and you will be gone on another trip (where)?

Glad you enjoyed Austin. But one thing about you CI you enjoy yourself to the nth degree.

For sure you are A2ks Goodwill Ambassador where ever you go!

OK where are the pictures???

joefromchicago is coming to San Francisco on Sept 23. I leave for Vietnam on Sept 27. My wife and I will go to Philadelphia on November 8 for six nites, and we're staying one block from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Should be fun.

Oh have fun.

I drove by the Big Island Candy Factory in Hilo the other day and thought about our shopping spree. I think you can order from them online. My son likes their chocolate covered macnuts.

Great place! Still think about our trip to Hawaii, and look at the pictures every several months.

Okay, I'm going to post some pictures, but in no particular order to make it easy on myself. I'm having to reduce the size of the pictures that are really time consuming, so they will be shown in increments.

This first one is the first breakfast or "official" a2k meet in Austin.
From L-R: Bean, Mr shewolf, shewolf, and chai.


My first dinner with my older son at the South Congress Cafe: duck.


The South Congress cafe.


Another building not far from the cafe.


Driscoll Hotel on 6th Street.



State capitol.


Typical 6th Street scene (where many restaurants and clubs are).


From the Congress Ave bridge on bat night.


My son and I had dinner here one night.


My cajun pork was delicious!


Austin is known as the music capital of the world.


Our drive to Houston (Bean, Mr and Mrs shewold, and me).

Our visit to the science museum.

Dinasaur room.



Pendulum.

Indian tepee with Bean.

Headdress.

Beautiful pottery.


Large Egyptian mural.

Goode Company seafood restaurant in Houston.

Dinner with PDiddie and the Mrs.


Back in Austin. My visit to the Austin State Cemetary.

This is the Confederate section.

Tom Landry's headstone.


One day my son and I drove south and stopped at Cabela's on our way home. It's a huge sports store (the largest I have ever seen). They do em big in Texas. LOL

They have huge sections devoted to stuffed animals.





Finally, my air force buddy and I were able to spend a couple hours together. The first time we had dinner with his daughter and family, and the second was the day before I left, he came to the hotel where I was staying, and we were able to spend another few hours before he drove home to Terrell, TX.


I will probably post a few more pictures later on.

Terrific pictures, c.i., thank you.

McT, Glad you stopped by to take a peek. How's things going in your neck of the woods?

The pictures are just great. Thanks

Here's the last group of pictures.

This is your photographer.


Back at the science museum.
They have a special showing of the Terra Cotta soldiers from Xian.


Sloth (I saw its small cousin in Costa Rica earlier this year).


Mayan.


I think this was Indian.


Cancer memorial in Houston.

The long bar at the Goode Company seafood restaurant.

The fountain. We waited for PDiddie and his wife near here.


Popular BBQ restaurant in Austin.



I'd better post this group, because my ISP cuts it off with blank spaces if it's too long.

Back at the Texas State Cemetary.
Vietnam War memorial.

Stephen Austin, father of the city.

Waterfall near the entrance to cemetary.


Building in downtown Austin visible from many miles around.


My air force buddy Jerry with daughter and grandson.


This is the "wall" at the County Line BBQ restaurant.


Back at the sports store.






Best left for last.