Here are some of the many photos I promised to upload when we got to a broadband Internet connection. These are from Thanksgiving Day 2009 (and a few from the night before).
You can download any of these shots from Flickr at a variety of resolutions. For printing, download the “original” size. For viewing on a computer, “medium” or “large” should do the trick.
To download a photo, start playing the slideshow then pause it by clicking the || icon. Select the photo you want in the filmstrip at the bottom then click on the photo in the viewer. (Use the left and right triangles to move left or right in the filmstrip.) Select “All Sizes” (just above the photo) then select the resolution you desire and click download.
For a full screen slideshow, click on the icon at the bottom right hand corner that has the four arrows pointing out. Hit the Esc key to return leave full screen mode.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Monday, November 30, 2009
2009 trip to Texas: Day 11
Sarah, being on the east side of Dallas, and Bryan, being on the west side of Fort Worth, makes for an hour-long trip between them. We prayed and hung rosary beads from the rear view mirror, hoping that our rented Chrysler would make the trip without disintegrating on Interstate 30.
We arrived at Bryan’s without incident and he gave us the nickel tour. Typical of a bachelor’s pad, everything was arranged to maximize ergonomics rather than to promote esthetics. Mary went to the bathroom, flipped on the light switch, and on came the boom box located on the toilet tank lid blaring country western music.
Bryan took us to the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth which is currently hosting an exhibit featuring privately owned 18th and 19th century European paintings. The museum also is home to an excellent permanent exhibit.
Original works by Matisse, Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Munch, and many others almost seem out of place in this city made famous by its reputation as a cowtown. All of the privately owned artwork was loaned to the museum right out of people’s living rooms in Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston and other nearby towns. Hey, what else are you going to spend your oil fortune on?
Kimball’s centerpiece is Michelangelo’s first painting, The Torment of Saint Anthony. Painted in 1487 by a twelve-year-old budding artist and sculptor, the museum paid an undisclosed sum for it this year. I was intrigued by the way Michelangelo took a German artist’s sculpture of this biblical event, painted his own version of it, changing some of the aspects of it but staying true to the original piece.
A little culture in Texas. Who would have thought?
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
We arrived at Bryan’s without incident and he gave us the nickel tour. Typical of a bachelor’s pad, everything was arranged to maximize ergonomics rather than to promote esthetics. Mary went to the bathroom, flipped on the light switch, and on came the boom box located on the toilet tank lid blaring country western music.
Bryan took us to the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth which is currently hosting an exhibit featuring privately owned 18th and 19th century European paintings. The museum also is home to an excellent permanent exhibit.
Original works by Matisse, Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Munch, and many others almost seem out of place in this city made famous by its reputation as a cowtown. All of the privately owned artwork was loaned to the museum right out of people’s living rooms in Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston and other nearby towns. Hey, what else are you going to spend your oil fortune on?
Kimball’s centerpiece is Michelangelo’s first painting, The Torment of Saint Anthony. Painted in 1487 by a twelve-year-old budding artist and sculptor, the museum paid an undisclosed sum for it this year. I was intrigued by the way Michelangelo took a German artist’s sculpture of this biblical event, painted his own version of it, changing some of the aspects of it but staying true to the original piece.
A little culture in Texas. Who would have thought?
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
2009 trip to Texas: Day 10
Saturday morning was cool and partly cloudy. We packed the Chrysler POJ (piece of junk) for the drive back to Dallas.
My cousin Cathy and her husband Ronnie from Victoria made the long drive to the ranch to see us. She’s an ICU nurse and had worked the night shift Friday night, so I really appreciated her making the effort to come see us.
Ronnie commented to me before they left that Cathy would probably be snoring by the time they got to the main road. He paused, thinking about that, and then said “Better than me snoring.”
Here’s another idea for you that we came up with while discussing a possible family reunion for next year. I set up a group on Facebook called Hunt Family Reunion. Only family members can join the group and nothing that we share is visible to nonmembers.
There we can post pictures, videos, announcements, reminiscings, and start discussion threads. When we have enough family members signed up, it will also be a resource for the extended family. From trying to figure out where some family heirloom ended up to requesting information about a genetic disease, this Facebook group could prove valuable.
If you’re a Hunt family member, search for Hunt Family Reunion on Facebook and request to join. If you do not have a Facebook account, you can create one while providing only a bare minimum of information. There’s no need to share your life story just to join Facebook.
Tomorrow we meet Bryan in Fort Worth.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Never Buy This Car
My cousin Cathy and her husband Ronnie from Victoria made the long drive to the ranch to see us. She’s an ICU nurse and had worked the night shift Friday night, so I really appreciated her making the effort to come see us.
Ronnie commented to me before they left that Cathy would probably be snoring by the time they got to the main road. He paused, thinking about that, and then said “Better than me snoring.”
Here’s another idea for you that we came up with while discussing a possible family reunion for next year. I set up a group on Facebook called Hunt Family Reunion. Only family members can join the group and nothing that we share is visible to nonmembers.
There we can post pictures, videos, announcements, reminiscings, and start discussion threads. When we have enough family members signed up, it will also be a resource for the extended family. From trying to figure out where some family heirloom ended up to requesting information about a genetic disease, this Facebook group could prove valuable.
If you’re a Hunt family member, search for Hunt Family Reunion on Facebook and request to join. If you do not have a Facebook account, you can create one while providing only a bare minimum of information. There’s no need to share your life story just to join Facebook.
Tomorrow we meet Bryan in Fort Worth.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Saturday, November 28, 2009
2009 trip to Texas: Day 9
The day after Thanksgiving is all about the leftovers and how creative you can be with them. I had turkey quesadillas with cheese, green chile salsa, and a dab of cranberry sauce.
In the evening, Alan and I went out to look for hogs. We took the Kawasaki Mule to a neighboring property and set up at a high point to monitor a couple of large hay fields. By “large” I mean 35 to 40 acres for one and about 25 acres for the other.
We had nearly a full moon, so there was enough light to see large, contrasting objects like hay bales in the field, but not enough light to see animals more than a couple of hundred feet away.
Of course, we were equipped with Alan’s night vision equipment and, with the aid of the moonlight, we could see like owls. The goggles intensify the available light up to 60,000 times, so making out deer at 500 yards was no problem.
In fact, we watched as a buck and four does grazed, moving closer and closer to us until they were no more than 100 yards away. We weren’t interested in deer, however, as they pose no threat to anyone’s ranch or livestock. They were fun to watch and were certainly vigilant, looking up every few seconds to scan for predators.
In the end, after two hours of surveillance, we only spied deer, a few coyotes, and plenty of cattle. By the way, these cattle don’t stop eating at dark. It seems that they just can’t get enough of that coastal grass.
I drove the four-wheel drive utility vehicle back to the ranch with the aid of the night vision goggles and we hung up and stowed away our gear for another time.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
In the evening, Alan and I went out to look for hogs. We took the Kawasaki Mule to a neighboring property and set up at a high point to monitor a couple of large hay fields. By “large” I mean 35 to 40 acres for one and about 25 acres for the other.
We had nearly a full moon, so there was enough light to see large, contrasting objects like hay bales in the field, but not enough light to see animals more than a couple of hundred feet away.
Of course, we were equipped with Alan’s night vision equipment and, with the aid of the moonlight, we could see like owls. The goggles intensify the available light up to 60,000 times, so making out deer at 500 yards was no problem.
In fact, we watched as a buck and four does grazed, moving closer and closer to us until they were no more than 100 yards away. We weren’t interested in deer, however, as they pose no threat to anyone’s ranch or livestock. They were fun to watch and were certainly vigilant, looking up every few seconds to scan for predators.
In the end, after two hours of surveillance, we only spied deer, a few coyotes, and plenty of cattle. By the way, these cattle don’t stop eating at dark. It seems that they just can’t get enough of that coastal grass.
I drove the four-wheel drive utility vehicle back to the ranch with the aid of the night vision goggles and we hung up and stowed away our gear for another time.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Friday, November 27, 2009
2009 trip to Texas: Day 8
We had platoon to feed on Thanksgiving and everything came together beautifully. Turkey (baked or deep fried), ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, two styles of dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce, cobblers, pies…
The ranch took on a look more like a Good Sam Club gathering than its much quieter, normal setting. My nephew and his wife brought their travel trailer for additional sleeping and an extra kitchen.
Kids were everywhere. One of my nieces brought a bounce house. There were plenty of other things to do, including taking rides in the cattle tank on a peddle boat, riding the Kawasaki Mule, and tossing footballs, baseballs and Frisbees.
Alan and I took several bags of salt feed out to the feeding troughs, which was a lesson on the natural order of things. The donkeys get first dibs at the trough because the horses and cows are afraid they’ll get kicked. Then the horses take their turn followed by the cattle. Even the cows have their own pecking order.
It’s a very interesting dynamic to watch. I’d want to be a donkey, given what I saw, but I imagine that if Alan had a few elephants on the ranch, they’d probably get to eat whenever they felt like it.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
The ranch took on a look more like a Good Sam Club gathering than its much quieter, normal setting. My nephew and his wife brought their travel trailer for additional sleeping and an extra kitchen.
Kids were everywhere. One of my nieces brought a bounce house. There were plenty of other things to do, including taking rides in the cattle tank on a peddle boat, riding the Kawasaki Mule, and tossing footballs, baseballs and Frisbees.
Alan and I took several bags of salt feed out to the feeding troughs, which was a lesson on the natural order of things. The donkeys get first dibs at the trough because the horses and cows are afraid they’ll get kicked. Then the horses take their turn followed by the cattle. Even the cows have their own pecking order.
It’s a very interesting dynamic to watch. I’d want to be a donkey, given what I saw, but I imagine that if Alan had a few elephants on the ranch, they’d probably get to eat whenever they felt like it.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Thursday, November 26, 2009
2009 trip to Texas: Day 7
To all of my friends who don’t realize that “animal rights” is an oxymoron, rest easy. All the feral hogs are safe today. We scouted the ranches that Alan has permission to hunt on and we didn’t see any bacon on the hoof.
More kids arrived and more will join us for Thanksgiving, upping the official crowd estimate to 33. There will be a 19-lb turkey baked the conventional way and a second turkey that will be injected with Cajun spices, then deep fried in peanut oil. My nephew, Pat, is a licensed deep fried turkey expert and has yet to burn a house (or doublewide) down preparing one. (Just google “deep fried turkey fire” to see what I’m talking about.)
Here is a list of typical ranch activities that my brother, Alan, and I participated in on Wednesday:
1) Breakfast
2) Chipping golf balls onto his front yard practice green
3) Driving golf balls over the front yard fence into the cow pasture
4) Taking the four-wheel drive Kawasaki Mule into the pasture to recover golf balls
5) Starting to build a hog trap, but stopping ten minutes later because one of the acetylene torch hoses cracked and needs to be replaced
6) Lunch
7) Target practice with his S&W .40 caliber M&P pistol
8) Snack
9) Greeting more kids who arrived in the late afternoon
10) Dinner
11) Bitching about all things Obama
12) Scouting for hogs
13) Bedtime
I’m bushed.
P.S. I have taken lots of pictures and will post them when we get back to Dallas and have a faster Internet connection.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
More kids arrived and more will join us for Thanksgiving, upping the official crowd estimate to 33. There will be a 19-lb turkey baked the conventional way and a second turkey that will be injected with Cajun spices, then deep fried in peanut oil. My nephew, Pat, is a licensed deep fried turkey expert and has yet to burn a house (or doublewide) down preparing one. (Just google “deep fried turkey fire” to see what I’m talking about.)
Here is a list of typical ranch activities that my brother, Alan, and I participated in on Wednesday:
1) Breakfast
2) Chipping golf balls onto his front yard practice green
3) Driving golf balls over the front yard fence into the cow pasture
4) Taking the four-wheel drive Kawasaki Mule into the pasture to recover golf balls
5) Starting to build a hog trap, but stopping ten minutes later because one of the acetylene torch hoses cracked and needs to be replaced
6) Lunch
7) Target practice with his S&W .40 caliber M&P pistol
8) Snack
9) Greeting more kids who arrived in the late afternoon
10) Dinner
11) Bitching about all things Obama
12) Scouting for hogs
13) Bedtime
I’m bushed.
P.S. I have taken lots of pictures and will post them when we get back to Dallas and have a faster Internet connection.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
2009 trip to Texas: Day 6
We drove down to Alan and Mary’s ranch, a relatively short 4½ hour ride from Rockwall. Interstate 35 passes by Killeen, home of Ft. Hood, and that brought up thoughts about the Islamic terrorist and how that will play out over the next year or so.
We arrived mid-afternoon in our rented POJ (piece of junk) after listening to the unbelievably loud transmission and wheel whirring. The POJ was, you guessed it if you have been following this blog for awhile, a Chrysler.
I’m not even sure what this thing is. Apparently, they’re too embarrassed to put a label on the car to identify it, but it’s kind of a 1930’s looking car with a hatchback that holds far too little luggage and drives like a sailboat.
We unloaded the POJ of everything we could get into it; Sarah and Mark will bring the rest of the stuff on Wednesday.
After dark, Alan and I went on a reconnaissance mission for feral hogs. He loaned me his night vision goggles, which are the same model that is used by the Army in Iraq—they even came with the Army manual. (By the way, pictures of all this stuff will come later. I’m somewhat limited regarding what I can upload via the telephone Internet connection here.)
These things light up the night like you’re watching a black-and-white movie shot in the daytime. We drove several miles down the dirt county roads surrounding the ranch a scoured the fields for sounders of hogs.
Alan had his .308 caliber rifle equipment with a night vision scope and laser targeting light. I was packing a .44 magnum revolver with a laser targeting light built into the grip.
Good for the fields, but bad for hunting, we spotted nothing but a couple of skunks.
We’ll keep trying. Stay tuned.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
We arrived mid-afternoon in our rented POJ (piece of junk) after listening to the unbelievably loud transmission and wheel whirring. The POJ was, you guessed it if you have been following this blog for awhile, a Chrysler.
I’m not even sure what this thing is. Apparently, they’re too embarrassed to put a label on the car to identify it, but it’s kind of a 1930’s looking car with a hatchback that holds far too little luggage and drives like a sailboat.
We unloaded the POJ of everything we could get into it; Sarah and Mark will bring the rest of the stuff on Wednesday.
After dark, Alan and I went on a reconnaissance mission for feral hogs. He loaned me his night vision goggles, which are the same model that is used by the Army in Iraq—they even came with the Army manual. (By the way, pictures of all this stuff will come later. I’m somewhat limited regarding what I can upload via the telephone Internet connection here.)
These things light up the night like you’re watching a black-and-white movie shot in the daytime. We drove several miles down the dirt county roads surrounding the ranch a scoured the fields for sounders of hogs.
Alan had his .308 caliber rifle equipment with a night vision scope and laser targeting light. I was packing a .44 magnum revolver with a laser targeting light built into the grip.
Good for the fields, but bad for hunting, we spotted nothing but a couple of skunks.
We’ll keep trying. Stay tuned.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Monday, November 23, 2009
2009 trip to Texas: Day 5
What to do with a two-year-old and a one-and-a-half-year-old?
We pushed a twin stroller from Sarah’s house over to Home Depot to look at tile and paint for my daughter Gayle’s house. Fun for the adults, not so much for the kids.
After a quick stop at Michael’s, we headed for a sure thing: Chuck E. Cheese’s. It’s the perfect place for antsy toddlers and doting grandparents.
I’m pretty sure that “Chuck” is a rat, though it’s lost on me why a restaurant chain would pick a rodent for a mascot. Seems dumb…
I have to say that it’s quite different to be able to stroll over to all of these places on sidewalks with curb cuts. Our off Cape trips to Lowe’s and JC Penney are planned days in advance, especially since the Sagamore Bridge has been tied up with construction. By the way, I heard that it’s open again until next spring. That’s a relief.
Tomorrow we head down to my brother’s ranch.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
We pushed a twin stroller from Sarah’s house over to Home Depot to look at tile and paint for my daughter Gayle’s house. Fun for the adults, not so much for the kids.
After a quick stop at Michael’s, we headed for a sure thing: Chuck E. Cheese’s. It’s the perfect place for antsy toddlers and doting grandparents.
I’m pretty sure that “Chuck” is a rat, though it’s lost on me why a restaurant chain would pick a rodent for a mascot. Seems dumb…
I have to say that it’s quite different to be able to stroll over to all of these places on sidewalks with curb cuts. Our off Cape trips to Lowe’s and JC Penney are planned days in advance, especially since the Sagamore Bridge has been tied up with construction. By the way, I heard that it’s open again until next spring. That’s a relief.
Tomorrow we head down to my brother’s ranch.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Sunday, November 22, 2009
2009 trip to Texas: Day 4
Last night, Sarah made chicken enchiladas and they were great. With sides of Mexican rice and refried beans, it was a perfect “welcome to Texas” dinner.
But with refried beans comes a well known side-effect. It was time to teach little Timothy the “pull my finger” game. Dan, Jeff and Sarah’s husband Mark take no prisoners when doing guy things.
Mark offered his index finger to two-year-old Timothy, instructing him to “pull my finger.” The result was predictable and everyone laughed, though Timothy’s was more of an I’m-not-sure-why-I’m-laughing laugh.
Then Jeff told Timothy to “pull my finger.” Timothy complied, followed by the same outcome. Everyone laughed again. This time Timothy was laughing because he’d figured it out.
Looking to step it up a notch, actually a lot more than just a notch, Timothy directed Uncle Jeff to “pull my hand.”
Well, when you’re the only participant who’s wearing a diaper, I suppose anything’s fair game.
They’re all still laughing today about Timothy’s invention of Extreme Pull My Finger Game.
Tonight, Gayle joined us. She flew in from El Paso with our second youngest grandchild, Troy. Troy is one of our son Chris’ three kids and we’ll meet Chris, his wife Celina, and their other two kids down at my brother’s ranch next week for Thanksgiving.
My last thought for today came to me while I watched Sarah parading around with Charlotte in her arms to keep her happy while she* (Charlotte) worked on passing some gas.
I wonder if Sarah has tried pulling Charlotte’s finger…
* To Sarah: Sorry, I felt compelled to clarify who "she" was.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
But with refried beans comes a well known side-effect. It was time to teach little Timothy the “pull my finger” game. Dan, Jeff and Sarah’s husband Mark take no prisoners when doing guy things.
Mark offered his index finger to two-year-old Timothy, instructing him to “pull my finger.” The result was predictable and everyone laughed, though Timothy’s was more of an I’m-not-sure-why-I’m-laughing laugh.
Then Jeff told Timothy to “pull my finger.” Timothy complied, followed by the same outcome. Everyone laughed again. This time Timothy was laughing because he’d figured it out.
Looking to step it up a notch, actually a lot more than just a notch, Timothy directed Uncle Jeff to “pull my hand.”
Well, when you’re the only participant who’s wearing a diaper, I suppose anything’s fair game.
They’re all still laughing today about Timothy’s invention of Extreme Pull My Finger Game.
Tonight, Gayle joined us. She flew in from El Paso with our second youngest grandchild, Troy. Troy is one of our son Chris’ three kids and we’ll meet Chris, his wife Celina, and their other two kids down at my brother’s ranch next week for Thanksgiving.
My last thought for today came to me while I watched Sarah parading around with Charlotte in her arms to keep her happy while she* (Charlotte) worked on passing some gas.
I wonder if Sarah has tried pulling Charlotte’s finger…
Sarah & Charlotte
Timothy
Jeff & Gayle
Mark & Dan
Troy
* To Sarah: Sorry, I felt compelled to clarify who "she" was.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
Saturday, November 21, 2009
2009 trip to Texas: Day 3
We went to the zoo today.
I have mixed feelings about zoos. Most zookeepers justify their existence by claiming that, without zoos, many species of animals would disappear. That their efforts bring us closer to nature. That their research somehow benefits the world.
I really doubt that. I consider it pure entertainment. Nothing wrong with that, of course. It’s a step above the circus, but entertainment, nonetheless. When you see the looks of some of the animals on display, you detect a lack of energy. A sadness. A complete loss of free will. Dependence.
So, with that in mind, off we went to have a fun day at the Dallas Zoo. As zoos go, it’s a pretty good one. And, if you go, bring a kid with you. Half the fun is watching kids marvel at the animals, laugh at the monkeys, and recoil into their parents arms at the sight of crocodiles, snakes and lions.
My favorite exhibit was the children’s zoo, which featured an aviary where you could feed the birds. They landed right on your shoulders and arms and impatiently waited for you to hold your seed coated popsicle stick where they could peck at it.
There were also watercolor painting pigs. I can’t even think of something clever to say about that…
The award for the most entertaining animal was a monkey that swung from limb to vine to limb with grace and athleticism that would be hard to match. He finished his incredible gymnastic performance by swinging onto the twine fence in front of us and then… whizzed in the direction of the awestruck observers. I know he’s planning to improve his range by next summer in order to give the crowd an experience they’ll never forget.
Here’s the slideshow. Click the icon in the bottom right corner with the four arrows pointing out if you want to see it in full screen.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
I have mixed feelings about zoos. Most zookeepers justify their existence by claiming that, without zoos, many species of animals would disappear. That their efforts bring us closer to nature. That their research somehow benefits the world.
I really doubt that. I consider it pure entertainment. Nothing wrong with that, of course. It’s a step above the circus, but entertainment, nonetheless. When you see the looks of some of the animals on display, you detect a lack of energy. A sadness. A complete loss of free will. Dependence.
So, with that in mind, off we went to have a fun day at the Dallas Zoo. As zoos go, it’s a pretty good one. And, if you go, bring a kid with you. Half the fun is watching kids marvel at the animals, laugh at the monkeys, and recoil into their parents arms at the sight of crocodiles, snakes and lions.
My favorite exhibit was the children’s zoo, which featured an aviary where you could feed the birds. They landed right on your shoulders and arms and impatiently waited for you to hold your seed coated popsicle stick where they could peck at it.
There were also watercolor painting pigs. I can’t even think of something clever to say about that…
The award for the most entertaining animal was a monkey that swung from limb to vine to limb with grace and athleticism that would be hard to match. He finished his incredible gymnastic performance by swinging onto the twine fence in front of us and then… whizzed in the direction of the awestruck observers. I know he’s planning to improve his range by next summer in order to give the crowd an experience they’ll never forget.
Here’s the slideshow. Click the icon in the bottom right corner with the four arrows pointing out if you want to see it in full screen.
Copyright 2009 Randy Hunt
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