Photoshoot at Work

Cancer Survivor Memorial in Hermann Park by Finijo

Today, my co-worker, Pedro, had us all out at the park taking pictures for our newsletter. It was a gorgeous day, so I snapped a few shots of some landmarks. I have always been fascinated by this memorial for cancer survivors. Upon closer inspection, it is an interesting, but odd statue. The child appears to be walking on legs that do not belong to him, and the man is strangely effeminate in his stance. There are also a younger woman and an old woman peering at the advancing trio, as if they can't quite believe their eyes.

Hermann Park Gazebo by Finijo

I love the ironwork on this gazebo. It is delicate and strong at the same time. Our photos came out great and the newsletter is also shaping up nicely. This was a very nice way to start our work day.

Carlos Runcie-Tanaka: FRAGMENTO

CARLOS RUNCIE TANAKA, Tiempo detenido / No Olvidar, 1997-2006 (photo by finijo)

I went to see the Carlos Runcie-Tanaka exhibit, Fragmento, at The Station Museum of Contemporary Art with Saibe today. The morning started with breakfast at Tacos-a- Go-Go and editing one of his stories. This exhibit is different from the others I have seen at The Station Museum, in that it was serene. Beautiful Asian music played and the installations had a calming effect when viewed. The funereal scene (shown above) caused a reverential feeling, like what I was viewing was sacred.

CARLOS RUNCIE TANAKA, Huayco / Kawa / Río, 2003-2006 (photo by Finijo)

The ceramic balls shown above brought to mind a Japanese Zen garden of sand and stones. Walking among the ceramic balls, the sense of tranquility was visceral. The lighting was perfect and the music only enhanced the feeling.

CARLOS RUNCIE TANAKA, Manto, 1978-2006 (photo by finijo)

According to the Station Museum website:

Carlos Runcie-Tanaka is an artist with superb artistic skills, compelling visual
insights and a profoundly spiritual sense of mystery. He was born in Lima, Peru;
his heritage is Peruvian, Japanese and English. Lima is the multi-cultural
capital of Peru on the Pacific coast of South America. With over eight million
inhabitants, Peru’s demographic consists of Indigenous people, Europeans,
Americans and Afro-Peruvians.

Galveston One Year Post Ike

Galveston Stairs by Finijo

I visited Galveston a year after Hurricane Ike left his mark on the island. The day was windy and cool and quite beautiful. It was like most days in Galveston, but the clean up since Ike is almost complete and there is so much new construction that you would hardly believe that the devastation that took place just a year ago even happened.

Kettle House by Finijo

This is one of my favorite structures on the island. I am not even sure how it came to be, but this

is what I could find out about the Kettle House from the Galveston Shuttle:

KETTLE HOUSE, GALVESTON TEXAS - According to the “Weird Texas” by Wesley Treat, Heather Shade and Rob Roggs, the Kettle House in Galveston was “supposedly erected by a gentleman who used to build storage tanks for oil companies.” Neighbors no little of the man, but the house house has been there over 50 years and has survived Hurricane Ike. No one lives there even though a man is sometimes seen there making improvements only to disappear for months again.

Ike's Truck by Finijo

This truck can be found on what is left of a pier off of Seawall Blvd. heading West on the island. It has been there since the storm and the pier is in need of repair before it will be retrieved. In spite of a sign saying that that pier will be open again soon, it does not look like anything has been done there since Ike, other than to erect a fence to keep people off of it.

Birds Recycle by Finijo

If you click on this photo, you will get an idea of how well nature adapts after a natural disaster and how well it manages to deal with the waste we leave behind. Someone is out a truck, but now many birds call that truck home. I almost hope they leave it out there. It would be a shame to see them lose their home.

Galveston Blooper

Galveston Blooper by Finijo

I took this footage by accident during a trip to Galveston. I didn't realize the video setting was on, so the shot I meant to take is the one that I finally settled on at the end of the footage. I will get the hang of it eventually.

Art Opening with Dawn

Oriole by Finijo

Dawn and I scheduled one of our dinners out, but then she got a better idea. A former employer of hers, Jim Blackburn (an environmental attorney who does really good things in Texas) sent out an e-mail about an art opening he was having, so we went to the opening before dinner.

Heron by Finijo

The show was held at The Art League (next to Inversion Coffee House) and it was titled: Birds: A Collection of Verse and Vision by Jim Blackburn and Isabel Scurry Chapman. Ms. Chapman painted birds native to Texas on cigar boxes and Mr. Blackburn wrote poetry about each bird and it all connected with the conservation that is so close to his heart.

The Grackle by Finijo

After the opening, we went to Barnaby's for Dinner. Ryan was our waiter and he was both funny and charming, as usual. Dawn is now a fan of Barnaby's burgers - which are arguably some of the best in Houston. We need to schedule more of our outings, but we always seem to get caught up in our day to day lives and just don't make time like we should. Maybe we will do better in the coming year...

Patty Visit for Patsy's Wedding

Patsy's Rhinestone Wedding Hair by Finijo

I got a call today from Patsy telling me that Patty was in town for her wedding. Patty had come all the way from West Virginia and I was very excited to be able to surprise her during her visit. Because of the festivities I only got to spend a little over an hour with them, but I got to sit with them while they got their hair done for the wedding (which was planned in a Cowgirl theme). I really do need to plan a trip to West Virginia to visit Patty and about 45 cousins up on a mountain...