PATTY & MARY GO TO MARFA.

Patty and I have been pals for 27 years. We waited tables together at the R-12 Cafe in San Marcos. She had last week off and came to Del Rio (Thursday night) and we went on a road trip. We hadn't even left town yet on Friday and we were smilin'. This is at the gas station...she didn't buy that hat but looked so cute in it!

Stupid electrical lines always ruin my photos. It drizzled some and then began raining steady and continued to do so for a few hours. It was not fun and made me nervous driving. Lucky for my bad foot that Patty-Atty-Watty shared the driving. The clouds were a-sittin' on the hills/mountains. It always looks cooler in real life. We stopped for lunch in Sanderson at a tiny diner...as soon as we were done the lady put the 'closed' sign in the window and said it was her nap time.

Got to Alpine and this guy is sprucing up a mural on the side of Kiowa Gallery (which is the BEST art gallery/store ever). Getting ready for Alpine's big "Art Walk" at the end of this month. I like that 'peccary' in the bottom right corner....

I've seen this mural many times before....love the Dan Blocker/ Hoss Cartwright image. It's a damn good piece of art.

This is a new mural right next t'other one. Patty and I stopped at Needleworks in Alpine and heard a good story about the painting. FYI- Needleworks is the the 2nd store that Peggy Walker owns. I worked for her at her other place in Pecos. Anyways...when the artist was trying to get this done it was raining and raining. He needed to have it done for a particular event. He came back after it stopped raining and painted it by the light of the full moon...no lie. The saleslady in Neeedleworks told us about it and said she went over there at midnight and watched him do it. Damn...wish I'd been there. I like the tiny stars in the sky.

I have shown this mural before on my blog. I like the ranch/brands at the bottom and the big Texas sky. These murals are all located together....west, north and east. How cool is that?

We stayed at the Paisano Hotel in Marfa. It was built in 1930 and housed the cast of the movie "Giant" in 1956. There is a small room off the lobby that has memorabilia. We got the very last room available (booked online the previous night) as there was a 'meet & greet' going on there that  night for a wedding. Jamey and I stayed here for night when we lived in Pecos and she was there for quite a few days last summer when she volunteered for their film festival.

This is the view from our room at the courtyard as they were setting up for the wedding dinner. I bet it was chilly. At least it stopped raining.

The facade above some rooms over looking the courtyard. The architects for this hotels were from San Antonio and also did: the Gage Hotel in Marathon, the Holland Hotel in Alpine, the El Capitain Hotel in Van Horn etc.etc. I'm glad that places like this still exist.

Excellent painting in the lobby. There's only 2 floors and no elevator....I had a rough time w/ my bad foot going up and down a flight of steep stairs....sigh....grrr.

A lounge off of the lobby. We looked in there later in the evening and there was a nice fire and people hanging out. Beyond this room is the ballroom and a pool area. The halls are lined w/ excellent B&W pictures of the hotel and famous guests.

Yeah...so THIS was the big picture op of the day. The fountain usually has water flowing. We were told by a wedding guest that the florist drove all the way from San Antonio to make this arrangement and the table bouquets....that's over 6 hours!!! This picture was taken the next morning...so you don't see the table flowers and set ups etc. The wedding guests were moving to Cibolo Creek Resort Saturday night for the actual wedding. Big bucks....

This is on way home. Look at that blue, blue sky! Weather cleared up fine. Damn electrical wires. It's just west of Alpine.

We stopped in Alpine for a fine Mexican lunch. This is next door to the cafe....a cement artist works here.

The gate to the outdoor seating area of the cafe. Food was very goo'.

I hate to take pictures with the sun in front of me but just had to get a shot of this cement lizard a-slidin' over the wall at the outdoor cafe. Look at his tail. I wish it was in my yard.

Alpine. This place was built in 1886 and is right by the railroad tracks...as everything of importance was back then. It was open to the public until 1945. It has never had indoor plumbing. Hotel Richey has been purchased by somebody who wants to revive and restore it into an art meeting place.

I WILL be attempting to create some mosiac skulls like these someday.

We were 'riding the fence' about going to the museum at Sul Ross University in Alpine. I had been there before. But 2 different folks told us we HAD to go because there was a special showing of Frederick Remington art. It's called "Treasures from the Remington Museum" and rarely ever leaves their home in Ogdensburg, New York. We enjoyed it VERY much and some of the other exhibits as well. We could've stayed there longer but the day was going by fast. We hurried back to Del Rio and arrived just at dark and Mr. Geno had fajitas ready for us.Thanks for visiting Patty!!!!

WE HAVE A NEW DOG ALREADY.....

Another Rat Terrier that we are technically fostering from a local rescue group. She plopped right into the cat basket.

She is 18 months old and goes by the name of "Daya" but we choosing a new name today.

I'm trying hard not to compare her to Bennie. She is crate trained and so far...apparently house trained.

She had been w/ the rescue group for 4 months and folks in Austin and Houston wanted her but I'm local...so....

Willie's a little jealous but I am giving him extra attention and he's coming around. Harold cat is surprisingly indifferent. He's known to attack dogs...smiles. We've only had this dog 24 hrs.

R.I.P. DARLING BENNIE.

We lost our 3 legged Rat Terrier on August 29th.

He had a sudden, massive heart attack.

He was quite the personality and we miss him so much.

Our other dog Willie misses him too I guess. He isn't moping around but seems pretty bored.

A cat stand off.

Two sleepy guys.

Bennie was 10 years old and we had him for 9 years.

What a couple of 'hambones'!

ROBERT & SYLVIA'S PINIC TABLE.

I started this project in late April or early May I guess. It belongs to our neighbors. I've never done a picnic table before.

I used a sharpie pen to make the 'seeds'...it took a LONG time. Robert helped.

Their little neice and nephew put their hand prints on either end and then Robert added their dog's pawprints.

Now they have flower power.

GOURD #3.

I had a good time painting this gourd. I love the shape.

This project took a long time. If they take a long time I usually end up losing interest.

I wish somebody would buy my art.

ISLA COZUMEL 2013- Part 2.

Sunsets are fun to watch. The clouds almost always obsure the sun at the last minute.

This cover band called "Fugga" was very, very good. They play right on the water so you can enjoy the sunset while listening to your favorite classic rock.

The band invited this woman up to belt out a song...she was great and so was the kid because she played his leg like an air guitar. Everybody is there....kids, dogs etc. It winds down around 9 p.m.

Jamey & Michelle at Playa Palancar where we took a small boat out to 2 reefs to snorkel. Saw a HUGE turtle, nurse shark and tons of lovely colored fish. Man it was HOT...the water felt sooo good.

The next day we went on another snorkel trip. This one was longer. Here's Jamey at the end of the trip party...snorkel 1st...drinks after.

Tiger in front of the boat he took us out on...at the party he and his mate come out into the water and served cheese & crackers and great guacamole. There were 10 of us total on this trip. One of the reefs we snorkeled was a garden of purple sea fans.

J.J. the mate is chatting up Michelle...trying to get a date. He was very kind to her. She had never snorkeled and is fearful of water. He said "I get EVERYBODY in the water". He was one on one with her while the rest of us went off w/ Tiger. I was so glad Michelle got to see some fish!

On the ride back...Darling Bruce contemplates all he saw underwater .

Michelle is happy.

A spray painter on the plaza downtown. We usually go there on Sunday nights for the salsa band, eat some fresh churros and sweat ALOT!

Spent a day on the east side. It's undeveloped pretty much...w/ one hotel and a handful of beach bars. There is no electricity over there so they close at dusk. Had the BEST margarita at Mezcalitos. Every year we greet the Siamese cat that lives there...she's really entertaining.

Girls just wanna have fun...and they did. After swinging there is 'hammock time'. The east side has some big waves and a nasty undertow...we did not get in.

Mezcalitos.

What is it? It's a turtle nest...do not touch. Red sticks mark the nests all up and down the beach on this side of Cozumel. The volunteer group works hard every night to make sure the Loggerhead and Green turtle nests are marked and not disturbed and hatch safely.

Next stop was Punta Morena. It's bigger and has a nice, cold saltwater swimming pool.

Last stop was Coconuts. It is on a small cliff w/ great view. There are a couple of resident dogs, birds, crocodile, chickens etc. After 3 stops we were ready to go back to the hotel. Another successful vacation to our favorite spot on Planet Earth.