No Pics Yet

It's been raining constantly and various other considerations have prevented us from getting out and getting photos until recently. I have a batch that needs to be re-sized to fit this blog, however, taken with a $2 HP Photosmart I found at an estate sale. This little camera even contained a 1 gig SD card. I tried it out this past weekend and found that it takes good pics. I retired two older point-and-shoot cameras. Now I have: the Nikon D200 for the best work, a very good Canon point-and-shoot (eBay, about $35), a pretty decent little Sony (eBay, about $20), and the little HP. And we always have my wife's iphone. With these cameras, I think I am ready for anything. They all have advantages and disadvantages and some work better than others under certain conditions, but I feel they make a good photographic tool kit. I hope to have new pics here soon.

Let's Finish This Series

While it rains on the plains once again, and I'm not complaining about that, let's try to complete this latest little Lubbock photo series.

These are specimens of local weeds, the sort of stuff that will take over your yard if you aren't on top of things.
 

In The Same General Area

We remain in the same area, doing the usual close-ups. Yesterday was Lemonade Day in Lubbock, in which kids are supposed to set up lemonade stands and learn the joys of free enterprise. Sort of a cruel hoax in my opinion. The rich kids get the best stuff in the best neighborhoods and make the most money. And none of them have to deal with city codes, health department thugs, taxing entities, liability insurance, blood-sucking attorneys, or realtors, or neighborhood associations. Lots of luck with your farcical "free enterprise". Most business start-ups are crushed within the first year. At any rate, we drove to the poorest neighborhoods we could find and patronized the lemonade stands there, until we couldn't hold any more lemonade. We found a little Hispanic boy in a wheelchair, and even though he might have borrowed that wheelchair from his grandad, we stopped at his stand. In fact, he had a much older sister out in very brief shorts and cowboy boots and a tight top, helping to flag down traffic and you've got to admire that kind of enterprise, touching all the bases. Yes, we enjoyed his lemonade, and admired his initiative.

 

Hidden Lubbock

Unless you live in the area I photographed, you aren't likely to see it, ever. I suggest that folks in the spanking new additions and new arrivals in town go exploring. Get out of your habitual territory and see something new.

You should especially do this if you live in one of Lubbock's exclusive "enclave" areas, like Village Township or Heritage Village, or whatever-- your community is artificial, contrived, fake. You live in fantasy land. See what the real Lubbock is like. Above, is the hidden playa lake. You have to approach it from the backside to see this part. You can get a glimpse from 50th east of I-27.

 

More Lubbock

Yes, if you want to live out on South University, way out in the boonies, you've got to have a junked out car or two or three on your property.

That would be OK with me, because I like junked out cars, and junkyards in general. I kind of like weeds growing up tall in and around old cars. When I was a kid my dad would take me to a local junkyard. He'd search for parts and I'd explore. It was great! My dream was to live in a junkyard. If I won the lottery I'd probably build a junkyard and try to talk my wife into moving into a nice house in the middle of a vast sea of junk cars. Then she'd kill me.

These pictures are from the vicinity of Avenue D and about 40th Street. This is an interesting part of town, with a hidden playa lake.

Some interesting erosional features, above. Looks a little like parts of Mars. The newer and more prosperous parts of town look like crap, to me. Sterile. Over-crowded. Hostile to life.