Being away...

While away things are hopping on the Aeros front, Locke, Rosa, Olvecky and Kolanos are moving on to "greener" pastures, Stoner, Earl, Irmen and Pouliot staying with the Wild. Unknown fate at this time: Matt Beaudoin and Schaefer. Looks like a new media team will be taking over in the front office and new faces will show on the coaches side as well.

3 days away was relaxing.

The Ft. Worth Modern Art Museum is a favorite spot, not only looking at art which always surprises, but also offereing a lovely spot for lunch 'lakeside' refreshing on a hot day (107 degrees said the car thermometer!). A quick spin through the Amon Carter Museum of American Art with its Remingtons and Russells, showcased Afro American Art on Paper as a special exhibit.

Naturally,. the Cowboy hall of Fame is a MUST see, while waiting for a (;-) cattledrive reenactment. I had not realized how wide a span there really IS between the horns of Longhorns (up to 5-6 feet-yeah, feet!!). And then visiting the Stockyard Museum and seeing an aerial view of the Stockyards of yore with hundreds on cattlepens.... I can just imagine the bellowing, roaring, mooing going on 24/7 and the "aroma" ... sure glad we did not live there then!

And a quick visit to La Buena Vida Winery with Texas grown whites Viognier and Pinot Blanc -highly recommended.

And then it rained... the windows in our hotel room must not have been sealed well, because there was moaning and whistling all throughtout the duration of the storm, with rain pelting against the window and lightening flashing across the dark sky - but the morning temperatures went down to 74! Bliss.

And it kept sprinkling all the way to Palestine, where boarded the old train for a 1 1/2 hour each way run through thickets and marshes. Lianas, thick enough to make one expect Tarzan and his apes swinging between the tall trees, hanging down profusely . Deadfall trees, overgrown brush and what seemed to be Kudzu covering most, and sucking out the trees sap.... On the marshes cattails fought for ground with encroaching lilypads.. Alas, no froggy prince in sight. A few deer skipped among the straight into stratosphere reaching pines, and an occasional glimpse was had toward 'cultivated' grounds where Angus, Brangus and Brahmas grazed peacefully on the green. The rocking motion lulled us to sleep on the return ride from Rusk.

Then it was back to Houston where emails waited to be read, among them the video below of friend Jacques Francois Loiseleur de Longchamps, a bariton in recital.

Jacques, several years ago, appeared as the witch in 'Dido and Aeneas' presented by Opera Atelier of Toronto at HGO... he did make a fetching witch after shaving...LOL. Enjoy....

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=l%27oiseleur&search_type=&aq=f

And friend Erwin, formerly an atomic powerplant engineer, now showing great talent as painter sent this to show his oils http://www.rummelart.ca/.

My favorite an oil of Matador Beach in California, below..