Five-Day Mexico Cruise

We decided before Fall classes began we would go on a short cruise.  We hadn’t been to Progresso Mexico in many years, and we found a cheap price on a five day cruise to Cozumel and Progresso.

In Cozumel we did basically the same old thing.  We took a cab into San Miguel and started at Los Cinco Soles.  This time we tried to find a different place to eat.  There was a restaurant I read about called “Los Oatates.” We looked it up on the map and walked there.  When we got there, it was not open for lunch, and, I kind of think, if it had been open we probably would not have eaten there.  So, we went back to Palmeras and had lunch there.  These are a couple of boats pulled upon the beach in San Miguel.

La Nina

The second stop was Progresso. We stopped there about ten years ago on a similar short cruise but neither of us remembered much of it.  We took an excursion called “The White City and The Golden City of the Yucatan.” We drove through Merida on the bus and saw several attractions, but were not allowed out of the bus.  Then we drove to Ixamal which was the Golden City.  It is a small village deep in the jungle.  We went to an old convent and toured it and then, after a carriage ride, had lunch a local restaurant. 

Ixamal

Carnival Conquest Show – Epic Rock

Our first night at sea, we went to the show.  Normally they do not allow any photography in the show but this time they said photography was allowed as long as no flash was used.  So,  got my camera and got these pictures of the performance.

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Summer 2016 Cruise – Ft. Lauderdale

We took another cruise from Ft. Lauderdale a week ago.  This one went to St. Martin, St. Kitts, San Juan and Grand Turks. We stayed the night before in a Hyatt Regency in Ft. Lauderdale.  We went to dinner on the Marina, and I got this shot coming back from dinner that night.

Pier 66 Sunset

They had a tower that overlooked the resort and Ft. Lauderdale. In the morning, I took some pictures including this one of the two ships docked in the cruise port.

Carnival Conquest and Oasis of the Seas

Mardi Gras 2016 Weekend

As always, we went to Galveston for Mardi Gras weekend. I spent Saturday morning on the West Side looking for birds.  Here is a group of Sandhill Canes I found.

Sandhill Cranes

Out there, I noticed a small creek and saw there was a skeleton in it. It looked to be too small to be a cow, so I think it might have been a coyote. You can see it on the bottom right of this picture.

Watery Grave

We did go to Mardi Gras, and I kind of liked the way this picture of one of the participants on a float turned out.

Coy

San Antonio Christmas 2015

We went to San Antonio last week.  We haven’t been there in many years, and not at Christmas in a very long time.  The Riverwalk is always pretty, but they go all out for Christmas.  As we were walking along in the late afternoon, I looked up to see the sun shining through the cedar trees and almost making them glow.

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But, of course, the real show is in the evening.  There are lights all over. They have a luminary every evening, and there are lights hanging from the trees. With the water reflecting them, they are really effective.

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Dickens on The Strand 2015

Last Weekend was Dickens on The Strand.  As before, since we are members of the Galveston Historical Society, we were able to use the VIP room they have.  This allowed us to view the parade from a balcony, and I could get some better pictures of the parade. The “Queen’s Parade” is always Saturday afternoon, and, of course, features “The Queen.” I am not sure who this woman really is, but she portray’s Queen Elizabeth every year.

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They encourage people to come in costumes, and there are always lots of steampunk costumes and lots of pirates. This was a nice street image I got of one of the pirates meeting a small boy.

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Blood Moon

Sunday was a rare combination of a lunar eclipse and a “Supermoon.” During such an event, as a result of the nature of the light, the moon appears to take on a deep red color. It wasn’t the easiest picture to take, as the area in shadow is extremely dark and the area not in shadow is bright.  So, an exposure fusion ended up being the best way to get a good picture.

Moon

Freedom Ball

Saturday I was asked to donate photographic services for The Freedom Ball.  This event raises money for scholarships for the children of service men. It was about the same thing as a wedding reception, with a couple of wrinkles. One of the things they do is show their appreciation for the widows.

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One of the ceremonial portions was the “Missing Man Table.” It honors those who could not attend the event.

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HOT Air Show

The Heart of Texas Air Show was Sunday at the TSTC airport. I paid a little extra for “flight line” seats, and I am not sure they were worth it.  But, the show was great.  Several aerobatic performers, some vintage planes, three performances by The Golden Knights, and the Air Force Thunderbirds.

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