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Palace Theater

Abandoned Palace Theater in small town Texas.  The marquee is still there, but the theater remains empty although ticket booth is still in front of the theater on the street as a reminder that once upon a time, it was an active venue.

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One of the planes flown by WASPs during WWII seen in the WASP museum located in Sweetwater, TX.

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Alaska-Siberia Lend-Lease Memorial

I didn't know anything about this program during WWII.  I never heard a word about it in school and only found out about it after I made this image.

During WWII Russia was unable to manufacture all the equipment it needed for the war, so the United States and Russia developed a program where the US would lend planes to Russia so it could

fight effectively against our enemies.  (Other European countries also participated in the program and there was some sort of a low repayment program).

Planes were shuttled to Fairbanks from the lower 48 and a combination of Russian and American pilots would fly the planes to Russia. Approximately 8,000 aircraft were lent in this program.

This statue is located in Griffin Park, downtown Fairbanks. It was designed & created

by R.T. Wallen and was unveiled on August 27, 2006.

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A Retro Gas Pump

I saw this pump in the side yard of a house as I was walking down the road one day a couple of weeks ago in upstate NY.  Don't know why I didn't post it yet, but how cool is it?

My heart is grateful for:

people who preserve history

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Yankee Hill Lock, Erie Canal

Yankee Hill Lock is located along the Mohawk River between Tribes Hill and Amsterdam, NY.  It was one of the few with a double lock so that two barges could pass through at the same time going in opposite directions.  To the left of the lock is located the general store seen in the previous post.

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Cabin at Abandoned Zoo in Cisco

The abandoned zoo trail led along a series of cabins on the hill that had been available for zoo visitors.  The outside walls and most of the inner walls are still intact, giving a great visual of how beautiful these cabins must have been in their hey-day.  

My heart is grateful that:

some history is preserved, even if not in pristine condition

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Blanco County Courthouse, Texas

This incredibly beautiful courthouse is seen in the town square of Blanco, Texas.  The building was constructed in 1885-1886 by Austin Architect Ernst Ruffini.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

My heart is grateful for:

A good trip to New Braunfels, TX with some friends

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The Paramount Theater

This is a beautiful historic theater in downtown Abilene, Texas.  While I was walking around downtown this morning, I approached it from a different angle that I usually do and this is what I saw.  

It was cloudy this morning, so the colors are rich looking and beautiful.

The Paramount has shows of all kinds and often shows old movies which, I think, are very well attended. 

I'm thankful for:

folks who work hard to preserve our rich history

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Remains of a Covered Wagon

Seen on the grounds of Ft. Phantom Hill in West Texas. It was an important fort in the late 1850s.

My heart is grateful for:

America's birthday, July 4th

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Abandoned Mailboxes

The other day I was walking around downtown and I came across these abandoned mailboxes in front of a house that also looked abandoned.  I took a long shot of both, then a closer shot of the mailboxes and I like this one better.  

Whenever I see an abandoned house, whether in the country or within a city/town it makes me so sad.  Just thinking that once upon a time it was probably someone's special home.  Did they raise their children there?  Was it their first home?  Did they have fun decorating it to make it their special place?  Did their children celebrate their high school graduation with a party in the yard?

We'll never know.

Today I'm grateful for:

being able to tell my children about their history and having photos to share with them

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Pecos Mission Church

In Pecos National Historical Park, just 30 miles from Santa Fe, NM, the remains of this mission church  stands as a testimony to the early Spanish efforts to convert the Pecos Indians to Christianity.

The building was constructed of adobe and wooden beams, and in the area to the right of the image (not shown) are the foundational remains of the living quarters of the church leaders.

My heart is grateful today for:

some unexpected "down" time during the day

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Jesus Carrying the Cross

In the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM there are these small sculptures around the perimeter of the sanctuary on the walls.  They're depictions of Christ carrying the cross.  I didn't photograph all of them.  The other one I captured is the first Time Christ Fell.  

I'm not Catholic, we don't have these types of sculptures in my Protestant church.  Regardless I think they're beautiful art in a beautiful chapel. This chapel is where The Staircase is located.

The Staircase is an architectural marvel.  I'll post it tomorrow with the amazing history behind its construction.

My heart is grateful today:

for God's grace in my life

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Cholla Cactus in Pecos National Park, New Mexico

I've never seen a cactus like this.  They were all over the park and most of them had yellow flowers blooming.

Grateful for:

safe travels to New Mexico and back

A Couple of Days

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I Cor 16:13~~"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave,be strong.  
Let all that you do be done with love."

Sometimes we do things because 1) we have to,  2) for the job we have, 3) because no one else will do it, 4) because someone has told us to, 5) because we think it's the right thing to do, 6) because it has to be done before the next part can be started and the list goes on.  There are so many reasons.

But no matter the reason, we can do it with love.  That's sometimes difficult to remember when we're doing something that we find objectionable, but if we consider the blessings we have it's a little easier to squeeze love into the equation.  The blessing of health, food in the fridge, clothes in the closet, shoes on our feet, roof over our heads, friends, etc.  When we remember how blessed we are, it's easier to do "what we do" with love.  It often takes practice.  

I need to practice more.

The past two days of my Photo-a-Day challenge have been fun.  I can't believe it's day 23 and I haven't missed a day yet.  I'm not usually so diligent.

Your Shoes:  I don't have very attractive shoes, especially for the winter.  Just a pair of year-old sneakers and an old pair of semi-dress shoes that I wear to church once in a while.  After giving it some thought I decided to wear my boots.  Ho, hum.  The caption is "is it spring yet?"

Jan 22, "Your Shoes"

Something Old:  Once upon a time my husband's father and uncle ran two dairies that delivered milk to homes in the area.  My husband isn't sentimental, but I thought it would be cool to have some of their original milk bottles for the kids.  So I've been collecting them whenever I find them.  There don't see to be too many of them around, but I keep looking. 

Jan 23, "Something Old"