I thought this was pretty cool until I started thinking about just how much it cost and how much more it cost than a plain, non-engraved bench and that the money to pay for it AND the difference came out of my pocket.
I think that, if you are IN Pampa, even if you're looking for a place to sit, you probably already KNOW you're in Pampa. On the other hand, this might be the new Economic Development Corp's latest effort to bring in new business:
"Pampa: We got the nicest park benches in Texas!"
I snapped this one a tad early; just seconds later this goose did a fantastic breakdance, even spinning around several times on his beak in time with the beat. Man, the feathers flew.
He was just starting to moonwalk when I took this shot.
You should've seen it.
Recreation Park lake/rodeo grounds
Pampa, Texas
This wasn't the intended shot; I was wanting take a picture of this mule's entire head close-up, but after changing the setting and being absorbed in making sure things were OK, and then suddenly seeing this in the viewfinder... I was so surprised I accidentally pushed the button and took this photo.
Not a good one...but if you could've seen the mule slobber on my camera and hands.... These mules weren't mean, and one ol' mare was downright sweet, but some of the younger ones wanted a quick nibble, just to make sure I wasn't made out of hay, carrots or sugar cubes, I guess.
"THUMP" (the mortar going off)
"BOOM" (the firework, after reaching its apex, explodes)
"Ooooh" (the crowd)
"Ahhhh" (the crowd, generally said in conjunction with "Ooooh")
I had slept a sum total of two hours last night, then had a busy day (ok, a "busy day" for me could be carrying out the trash, but....) but had full intentions of going out to the rodeo grounds, setting up my camera on a tripod with the "Fireworks" setting and taking some photos. I had in mind I would reduce them all to a min. size, then change to .gif format and put them together in an animation.
I lay down at six yesterday evening after setting my alarm for eight, figuring that would allow me plenty of time to get up and get out and get going to take the photos.
Oh, the alarm woke me up all right; it even GOT me up, but just long enough to turn it off. I went on back to sleep, fretting all the time that I was letting a bit of fatigue mess with my plans. The next time I woke up was when the "THUMP" s and "BOOM"s reverberated through the walls of my house. ( I live about a mile or so from the rodeo grounds, far enough that I see the fireworks explode shortly after I hear the thump of the mortar and THEN hear the firework exploding) When they really get to going fast with the show, esp. near the end, it sounds like how the movies portray war zones, the artillery off in the distance. There are even "rifle shots", firecrackers being let off at odd intervals by the neighborhood hoodlums children.
(and it's always been ironic to me when I hear of people not letting their children play with toy guns, but think nothing of watching fireworks, which, at least on the 4th of July, represent the battle described in the Star Spangled Banner. That's akin to those who decry Harry Potter yet dress up as Santa for their kiddos)
I jumped in my truck and decided to go take some photos; that was a bad move. I went out on the loop around town and the sides of the hwy were taken up with hundreds of vehicles full of folks watching the show.
I came on home, watched some more of the King of the Hill marathon, and took another nap. Now it's the middle of the night, and I can't decide if I should drink some coffee and stay up or go on back to bed and try to sleep some more.
Y'know, it's a decision that matters not one whit to the shape of things in this world and to be honest? It's not really going to make any sort of impact upon my own life, much less any other's. That's how I am going to look at not getting any fireworks photos. It really doesn't matter, does it?
|
