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Looking Up

Another very large nutcracker at the zoo against a beautiful blue sky.

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Nutcracker with Tree

The zoo is already partially decorated for the Christmas season.  Kind of early as far as I'm concerned, but I guess it takes a while to get completely decked out for the season.

There are many nutcrackers scattered throughout the zoo and it's pretty difficult to pass by any of them without grabbing an image or two of them.

I think this one is really cute as he's holding a staff with a small Christmas tree on it.

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Pink Flamingos

The weather was incredibly beautiful again today and I wanted to spend some time outdoors without having to travel 2 hours to make some images.  I decided to go to the local zoo even though I've been there sooooo many times.  

Right at the beginning of the walking trail there's this enclosure with  these gorgeous pink flamingos.  I usually find it really difficult to get a good image of them, but I kind of like this one.

It was a beautiful day to be outside.

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Apartment Building

This building in downtown Abilene was once a motel, but it's now an apartment building. There's a beautiful lobby and the lower level has public shops.  

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DoubleTree Icon

This is one of the newest buildings in downtown Abilene.  It has the typical rooms that a motel has.  It's within walking distance of many restaurants and coffee shops.

I've never been inside but I looked at the photos on the website and it seems pretty beautiful.  

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Whirly Sculpture

It was so beautiful outside today that I forced myself out for a walk in town again.

It's getting pretty tedious since there doesn't seem to be anything different in town, but I walked past this whirly sculpture and decided to try another shot of it from a different angle.

When the wind blows just right, the discs at the top spin around, but there wasn't much wind today.

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The Mill Restaurant

One of the buildings on the edge of downtown is an old mill structure that's been transformed into a popular destination restaurant.  It's a real interesting structure and it's always tempting to try to get a different image of it.  

I've never eaten there but I know people who have and they say the food is really good.

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Old Overhead Door

During my walk downtown today I saw this door, which is part of an abandoned building.  It looks like it used to have a loading dock.  I don't know what this building once was or what it's being used for now.

I just like the way it looks.

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Renovated Structure

It was a beautiful afternoon.  I took another walk around downtown Abilene.  This structure has been under renovation for a long, long time.  I think it might have been a school once upon a time, but I honestly don't know for sure.  

It's a beautiful building but I don't know what it's being renovated into.

My heart is grateful for:

the good results of the election and the beautiful day it was today

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Retro Tombstone

I pulled into a cemetery looking for something interesting to photograph and I came across this retro tombstone propped against a gnarly tree trunk.

The letters are very hard to read but it looks like the last date is 1896.

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Ice Cream Shop

I met my daughter, sil and grandkids met at this cute ice cream shop in their little town this afternoon.  I got there before they did and was sitting with my camera looking for photo ops when I noticed this cute little scene right outside the shop.  

I love the pink and aqua colors together.

My heart is grateful:

for the cooler fall weather

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Operation Christmas Child

Every year Samaritan's Purse conducts their Operation Christmas Child ministry.

My church is readying for the ministry by displaying a sample box with potential gift items.

This church provides all items to be packed at a packing party, or you can get your own boxes and pack them yourself.

Their goal is 800 boxes, up from last year.

What an amazing ministry!!

Praise God for Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son, who developed this project through Samaritan's Purse. 

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Shoeboxes

It's that time of year.  Operation Christmas Child.  My church stacked these empty shoeboxes in one of the lobbies for people to take home and fill.  

The boxes go to a central distribution center, they're checked for appropriate contents, then sealed and sent to various locations around the world. 

The children receive the boxes with options to attend classes to learn about Jesus.

What an awesome ministry conducted every year by Samaritan's Purse which is led by

Franklin Graham.

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End of Track

One set of train tracks in Abilene, TX comes to an end.  Another set goes straight through the downtown area.  

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Union Pacific Train

A train track runs through Abilene, Texas.  This train was parked on the tracks.

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An abandoned Cabin at the Cisco, TX zoo

The zoo in Cisco, TX that was active in the 1920s-1930s had several cabins on the property that could be rented for people to spend time in the country near the zoo exhibits.  The cabins were small, usually one or two small bedrooms, living room, bathroom and a kitchen.  The structures are still standing, but they are empty and windowless and trashed.

One can only imagine what it was like in its hey-day.

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Another animal enclosure

This is one of the animal enclosures in the abandoned zoo in Cisco, TX.  

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Abandoned Animal enclosure

In Cisco, TX there's an abandoned zoo.  It was active in the 1920s-1930s.  As primitive as it seems now, it was state of the art at the time.  It closed because of several suspicious animal deaths within the zoo.

Now there's about a mile of walking trail through what once was the zoo grounds and you can see the remnants of the enclosures and some of the fencing.