Cowgirls part ll

Several of the displays on the National Cowgirl Museum, here in Ft. Worth, celebrate the cowgirls that were trick riders in the old Wild West Shows which toured the country in the early 1900's

One such cowgirl was Mamie Francis 1908-1950. Mamie was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of fame in 1981 for her daring performances in Wild West Shows. She would dive, on horse back, from a 35 to 50 foot platform into a tank of water below..

as seen from this old photo. Mamie, who was only injured a couple of times preformed this act over 600 times.

 There is an artist's rendering of this event on the ceiling, as soon as you walk in the door of the museum.

Next up...the famous Annie Oakley

Cowgirls

In 1975, in the basement of the Library in Herford, Texas a display was assembled documenting the American Cowgirl. The idea was not to preserve this history, but to share it.

Those items laid the groundwork for the 33,000 square foot building that is now The National Cowgirl Museum. The imposing Art Deco designed building  by Mehl Lawson opened it's doors in Ft. Worth, Texas's Culture District in 2003. The senior program (Silver Frogs) at TCU University had a docent tour of the museum yesterday and Tom and I both attended.

An imposing sculpture by Mehl Lawson titled "Desert Princess" greeted us at the front door.

The attention to detail was amazing everywhere you looked...notice the door handles. I should have cropped it...but there I am!

For the next few days, I will share with you the displays that impressed me. So stay with me!

The Old Front Porch

So many of the old neighborhoods in Ft. Worth, Texas that are close to downtown are being refurbished.

I came across this old beauty in an area just south of downtown. I adore the front porch, and it looks like the people that live there do too.

The Parking Garage

This photograph caught my eye.

and some of you may have already seen it.

Yes, it is a parking (or car park) garage in Houston, Texas. So, why is it full of people?

Well, the Houston Astros (baseball team) had just come home from wining the World Series in baseball and, they were watching their celebration parade through the streets of downtown. I am not much of a sports fan, but seems all of Houston and the whole state of Texas was very proud of this win!

The Musicians

I would like you to meet Amy and Benny, friends of my niece's who joined our family dinner on Halloween night.

Amy and Benny are both from China and studying at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas.

Benny, who is completing his PHD in Music Performance, is a renowned double base player in his home country, and is being courted by the Beijing Symphony.



Amy, who is an undergraduate, has the same major and also plays the double base. I feel sure both of these students are multi-talented, but I have a bit more info on Amy. She has a beautiful voice, sings opera and and is proficient on both the Gugin,

which is a seven string instrument in the zither family,

and the Pipa, a four string instrument with a 2,000 year old history that is often seen in Chinese operas.

Lilly

I sure had a nice day yesterday, went out with some of my Colorado girlfriends to a beautiful new French restaurant for lunch. I didn't take any pictures. Sometimes I am uncomfortably aware that I am the only one photographing things. Do you ever feel that way?

 Afterwards, I stopped at a new gift shop that is primarily a stationary store. If you can believe that. I didn't think people were actually using stationary anymore, but this store is huge...two stories!!....and that is where I met Lilly. I guess Lilly belongs to the owner,

and she sits quietly watching customers walk to the door. She doesn't try to get out, or even react when you enter, which surprised me.I thought she was just darling, especially since my last dog was a Westie. I sure miss my Duffy. I know some of your pets....Does everyone but me have one?
 For my Colorado followers that don't comment. I was with Linda G, Betty T, Marty N and Jane A

The Dinner Party

I hope that everyone had a fun Halloween. We sure did. Now, I simply must share pictures of a friend's dinner party. She loves Halloween and goes to great lengths.

A ghoulish butler welcomes you to dinner.

My goodness this place looks scary!

The table is set with great pains....matter of fact the centerpiece looks a bit hungry,

 and so do those folks on the chandelier.

There was a delicious soup served in a test tube, followed by a scrumptious salad

and very unusual pizzas.

home made cookies,

along with delicious and "brainy" red velvet cake topped with raspberry sauce.

....and then there's Leslie, the chef and hostess who is probably already planning next years feast.

*I didn't actually attend this dinner party. Leslie lives in Houston