The Last Cowboy

Photographs by Adam Jahiel.  This was posted on my favorite site How to be a Retronaut.
These are simply amazing photos!!  I just had to post and pass this along!  Please click on the link to see more of his work.  http://www.adamjahiel.com/LastCowboy_gall1.html

Riley Cleaver, playing cards.  (my No.1 grandson is also named Riley)

There is a great story about how these photos came to be that you can find on Jahiel's site that was printed in the March 2007 edition of Western Horseman. http://www.adamjahiel.com/in_search_http:

 Riley Cleaver, horseback

Another Riley.  Riley Brown.  Great hat!

Thanks for visiting and your comments.  I hope you check out this site!
Hugs!
kat

Lone Star... A Cow

Yes!  A giant cow!

Here is her story (in her own words)

Here is another postcard that I found online

Miss Maulsby also owned the smallest cow living.  Lady Star traveled the fair circuit with Lone Star.  She is three years old and Lone Star is 11 years old in this picture.  (They are not related)

Here is another picture of Miss Maulsby and Lady Star.  Miss Maulsby changed a lot in just a couple of years!

There are a lot of these postcards for sale online from $7.00 to $25.00!
Who knew that cows could be so interesting?
Thanks for visiting and your comments!
Kat

Southern Pacific Railroad Depot in San Antonio

The Sunset Station was built in 1902.  In Feb. 1907 it was nearly destroyed by a fire caused by the electrical lighting.  It is said that they went to work rebuilding it immediately and finished the reconstruction/restoration in seven months.

From my postcard collection:
The first card is in color, undivided back, postmarked 8, Nov. 1907 from Nacona, Texas.

Before 1907 only the address was allowed to be written on the back of a postcard.  Hence, people wrote as much as they could on the front.

The next two postcards have divided backs but were not written on or posted.  I am not sure which of the two is older.  But, the one in color has a huge cactus growing next to the right side of the building.  Both cards were published by Van Noy - Interstate Co.  I am guessing that the black and white one is older because the publisher is just written out whereas the color one has their logo.

The last card is postmarked Feb. 28, 1927.  It has a brief description of the subject printed on the back.  And the statement "THE WINTER PLAYGROUND OF AMERICA"  This card is the only one of the four that has a flag on it and it looks added.

(good luck reading her penmanship)

Today the Sunset Station is a venue for events, entertainment, weddings and banquets.  It still looks beautiful!

Hope you enjoyed my little history lesson through postcards.
Kat

New site that excites!

http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2010/03/ghosts-of-amsterdam/
There are soooo many cool things on this site that I spent hours on it!  This is just one of the many great posts.  It is very moving.  I encourage you to check out the site for many, many more cool features!  (They are not all sad, I promise, or I would not be sharing this!)

Ghosts of Amsterdam

These images are the work of Jo Teeuwisse, a Historical Consultant in Amsterdam – and a master Retronaut. Over to Jo:
“Years ago I found some negatives in a fleamarket. I scanned them and put them online. I then found some of the spots in the photos and took pictures there.
In the picture above, you can see a group of young factory workers posing probably outside the factory during the war. I cheated a little bit by removing some pots of flowers which are on the steps today…!
The picture below is of the Liberation Parade on Friday June 29th, 1945 in the Vijzelstraat, Amsterdam.

The next picture is from the same parade and shows the Underground Press, wearing face masks. The banner carried is from “De Waarheid”, the Communist underground paper:

The next two pictures are of Reguliersgracht in Amsterdam. These people worked in a factory and the office part was perhaps in one of these buildings.


The next picture shows the SS Recruiting Office in Dam Square during the Occupation, across from the “Big” Club. Some great film footage exists of someone climbing onto the lower roof and smashing the SS windows with great force – and great pleasure:

The final two pictures are of Dam Square on Monday May 7th 1945, two days after the German surrender. Thousands of Dutch people were waiting for the liberators to arrive in the square. They had lived through five years of war and months of fear and hunger. In the “Big” Club, members of the Kriegsmarine watched as the crowd below their balcony grew and grew, people danced and cheered.
Then, for some reason, the Germans placed a machine-gun on the balcony and started shooting into the crowds. It has always remained uncertain why it happened but the tragic outcome was that, at the brink of peace, 120 people were badly injured and 22 people died.
The shooting finally came to an end after a member of the Resistance climbed into the tower of the Royal palace and started shooting onto the balcony and into the Club. Then a German officer together with a Resistance commander found their way into the Club and convinced the men to surrender.
The first picture shows Peek & Cloppenburg, a large shop that was already there in 1945. Today Madame Tussauds is in the same building as well. We can see three members of the Scouting movement, which had been outlawed by the Nazis. As soon as the War came to an end, they put on their old uniforms and started helping the resistance and the Allies. Three brave young people are crossing the square. The Club is in the right side of the photo, and we can also see the Royal palace tower.
Crowds filled the square very quickly when the Germans stopped shooting so its quite likely that these people were risking their lives. Note the shoes and hats dropped by the crowds as they fled for their lives:

In the final picture, we can see a wounded man being taken away from the square. There are no other people in the square at this point so the situation is still quite dangerous. The man on the left is a medic – he may be a doctor, a Red Cross volunteer or a member of the air-raid emergency groups. Luckily there were many present there on this day.
The building on the left in the Royal palace from which the Resistance started shooting back. On the right you see the “Nieuwe Kerk” (new church). Note the shoes and hats dropped by the crowds as they fled for their lives. The sidewalk is covered in blood and there is also a pram without a child in it.

During the shooting a toddler walked onto the square, a brave man risked his life to grab it out of the firing line. That film footage still makes me cry.”

…..
Thanks very much indeed to Jo Teeuwisse.

California or Bust!

My DH accepted a new job in Sunny Cali-forn-i-a!!!  YAY!!!  No more snow.  No more raking tons of leaves.  No more Hoosiers (sorry).  It's not Texas but at least it's WEST instead of, well, you get it. 
Now the fun part begins.  Packing, purging and panicking.  Figuring out how to best transport 3 dogs and 2 cats over a three day trip...  Exciting times!!!!
Hugs!!
kat

Of all the mailboxes...

These ants chose mine.  It's a mystery to me.

At first I thought they were stockpiling grain or seeds but, with a closer look I realized they were moving larvae from the mailbox to the outside.

Not the clearest picture (they declined to stop and pose for me)

Even weirder, for the past few weeks, they would be there one day and gone the next then back a few days later and on and on.  I never knew what I would find going on in there from one day to the next.  They were not in my neighbors mailbox (I peeked).  Hum.

Miss You, Mom

Can't believe its been 15 years since we lost you!  I can still feel you holding my hand.  Love you.
kat