Exactly 6 months have passed since I last shared some photos and adventures. WOW!! Much has happened in the interim. I've gone to many events, walked hundreds of miles (literally), and had many changes take place in my life. Mostly positive, too! Let's get to the good stuff... the adventures and photographic evidence.
There was a street festival in Hillsboro, Texas and this was seen along the highway as we drove to the venue. My love affair with rust is well documented by now.
In September and October we went to the State Fair of Texas multiple times. I had free passes and I used the opportunity to put many miles on my pedometer and walking shoes. In the past, we always rode the Texas Star at night. This year it was such a clear day I wanted to ride in sunlight. Here is the Dallas skyline taken from the car of the Ferris wheel.
Many pretty colors on the ground below.
I've never ridden Bumper Cars, but those who braved the foray looked and sounded like they were having a blast.
Big Tex is the voice of the fair. He greets the visitors with friendly banter and his traditional "Howdy, folks".
Each evening after dark there is a laser light show and fireworks display along the reflecting pool and fountains. This year I challenged myself to capture decent photos.
The heat from the pyrotechnics could be felt at quite some distance.
As the fall weather began to settle in, we attended an annual Bluegrass Festival in a nearby community park. Musicians simply show up with their instruments and start jamming with each other. It was a wonderful day.
Then H's daughter and her boyfriend came to town from the gulf coast and again we went to the State Fair. Every year there is a contest among the food vendors to develop the tastiest fried goody. This year featured Fried Bubblegum and other artery-clogging snacks. This pictured below is Fried Peanutbutter and Jelly Sandwich, a winner from a prior year.
Our young adults braved the torture of the wildest rides they could find.
I sat in the shade taking photos of everything around me while they stood in line for rides.
And then, our brave, fearless kiddos opted to go on one last, "tame" ride. Every one of them got off the Swing ride dizzy and sick to the stomach. Too funny!!
How's this for a crew??
Look at the steak on this big boy!!!!
The Longhorn cattle were arriving for their competition the next day. These young longhorns didn't have a care in the world as long as someone kept them supplied in hay.
Then I saw him. A brand new, baby longhorn.... complete with baby-sized horns. He was so young they didn't even bother to tether him to anything. He wasn't about to leave mama's side.
Finally he decided to do some posing for me. He got up and nudged his mama with the signal he wanted to eat. He wasn't too sure what I was doing.
Bath time. After the cattle arrive in their trailers, the young contestants take them to the washing area for a good scrubbing. The cattle don't seem to mind one bit.
One of the main reasons I went to the Fair a third time was to see Randy Travis on the last weekend of the event. I have always wanted to see him but had never paid the steep ticket price. All this cost was the price of admission at the fair gate. Randy Travis was excellent.
A week or so ago, there was a Hot Air Balloon Festival in a nearby community. I've always wanted to attend the Balloon Glow after dark, but in the 2 previous attempts to see the sight, the wind was uncooperative and the event had to be cancelled. This time I watched the weather closely and decided Friday night was the night.... I was not disappointed on my third attempt.
Last weekend we attended a street festival in yet another neighboring community. It was low-key, fun, and provided many hours of merriment and walking.
After the extraordinary heat of the summer and the unprecedented lack of rainfall, autumn colors are practically non-existent this year. These photos below are about as good as it's going to get this fall.
And last night was the final night of the horse racing season in this area. We went to enjoy the sights. None of us won any wagers on the horses, but both H and my cousin won drawings for $50 gift cards.
For the most part, that gets me caught up. There are many Christmas festivals and celebrations around the corner. Thanksgiving is nearly here, too. Will try to be better about sharing adventures throughout the remainder of the year. Thanks for stopping by.Until I decide to spend more time blogging...
