Razzmatazlady

Category: Pictures

  • Southfork Ranch

    The Famous Southfork Mansion Patio

    We did go out to Southfork Ranch on Wednesday. We purchased the tour which lasted about an hour and decided that it was well worth doing even though there wasn’t a Ewing in sight. The ranch is located northeast of Dallas near Parker, TX. We learned lots of interesting facts – the show ran for thirteen years, for example. The first episode aired in 1978.

    Did I really spend thirteen years of my life glued in front of the television set on Friday nights? I guess I must have because there weren’t too many episodes that I missed, I can assure you. That was before Tivo. If you missed an episode, you missed an episode. And that was that…
    By the way, it was Jack’s fault that I got hooked on that show. He was in a bowling league that met on Friday nights. One night I was just looking for something amusing on TV and found “Dallas”. I was one of the thousands of faithful fans until it ended.

    This is a photo I took of the Waterford chandelier that hangs in the foyer. We were told that it is valued at $17,000. There are also two smaller Waterford chandeliers in the dining room which are worth $7,000 or so each. Who knew?
    The original owner of the ranch and his family actually lived there while Lorimar Productions filmed the series. Lorimar was only allowed to film during the months of June, July and August because the family didn’t want to disrupt the children’s school schedule. As time went on the series became so popular throughout the world that the influx of tourists who wanted to visit the ranch became overwhelming and the family sold the ranch and moved away.
    So that was a good day. We’re leaving our housesitting assignment today after Pretzel & Kitz‘ family returns. Tomorrow we’re headed north. Please, please, please let the weather be good when we get home…

  • Pretzel and Kitz and JFK

    We drove into Dallas this morning to see the place where JFK was fatally wounded on November 22, 1963. It’s quite a sight.

    It’s believed that the shot(s) that were fired at President John F. Kennedy came from the sixth floor of this building which is the Texas School Book Depository. It would be the last window on the right side, sixth floor.

    Lee Harvey Oswald was apparently the shooter. Of course, there are those who believe that it was a CIA conspiracy and that Oswald was merely a pawn. That’s all I really know about it.

    The next photo is part of the memorial at the Dealey Plaza right near the infamous “grassy knoll” where there were several witnesses to the assassination. Dealey Plaza is now a National Historic Landmark.

    The picture below that is of the actual JFK Memorial. It’s supposed to represent an open tomb. The picture really doesn’t do it justice. It’s quite impressive but it’s not at all what I expected a memorial to JFK would be. I don’t honestly know what I expected but it wasn’t this.

    We wandered around that area for quite some time. There are lots of restaurants with outdoor tables and some “touristy” shops. It was a beautiful day so it was very pleasant.

    Then we drove up to a picturesque little town called Grapevine. Lots of antique shops, gift shops, art galleries and places to eat. I highly recommend a trip to Grapevine if you’re ever in the area. I wish we would have had more time to spend but we did have to get back to our little friends, Pretzel and Kitz.


    So Ta-Daaa! (or however you spell that) This is a picture of Pretzel and Kitz! Cute little things and they just love us. Especially me. Pretzel is the one in front. You have to be careful not to get Kitz too excited or she piddles. Just give her a quick pat as you’re fussing over Pretzel.

    Tomorrow we’re going to Southfork Ranch – anyone remember the television show Dallas? Well, that’s where we’re going. I loved that show. Photos will be forthcoming, of course.

    By the way, I think I’m getting the hang of this camera.

  • The Meaning of Texas-Size

    Well, we had planned to go sightseeing, today. I was going to take lots of cool pictures. Didn’t happen. First of all, we got a late start and then we didn’t want to get stuck in the Dallas traffic so we decided just to browse around the area.
    There’s a place called Cedar Hill State Park that’s not far away. We sort of found it. Didn’t actually go into the park but we found a “scenic view” area and I took this picture of the lake. Not one of my better efforts, I admit – kind of blurry. I’m still learning about this camera and I probably don’t have the settings right, yet. But I’m posting it to give you an idea about the kind of day it was because, believe it or not, this is actually a color picture.
    When I said we sort of found it, I mean we sort of got lost. Well, not really lost. We just didn’t have a very good map. At one point we wandered into a subdivision of houses that you had to see to believe. That’s what I should have taken pictures of.
    Each house was bigger than the last. Not just big – HUGE! It’s what Texas-size means, I guess. Really, really huge. Let’s see, how can I describe it? O.K., picture a homeowner looking at the newer bigger house next to his and thinking “Well, this just will not do…..” So he’d add another room. Or another wing. That’s what they are like. Big blocks attached to more big blocks. Willy-nilly. With no particular architectural definition. Sort of Contemporary meets Colonial meets Victorian meets Southwest. It was just nuts! I hate to admit it but that was the excitement for the day.
    Tomorrow we’re leaving earlier and going downtown. We’re going to the book depository where JFK was shot. Hopefully, do a little shopping, too. It’s supposed to be a nice day – sunny and warm.
    I’ve tried to take some pics of Pretzel and Kitz but I haven’t been able to get them to sit still long enough. If they see me coming with the camera they scamper right over to me, tails going a hundred miles an hour, jumping up and down and want to be patted. They do not know what “sit” means. I’ll keep trying.
    More tomorrow, I hope.
    If you go to Dallas, here’s the link to the visitors’ guide. http://dallascityhall.com/services/Services_Visitors.html

  • On The Way To Dallas

    Prickly Pear Cactus at Tohono Chul Nature Preserve in Tucson
    Saguaro Cactus in Tucson, Arizona

    We’re back in Arizona. Got here on Sunday. Believe it or not, the trip from Los Angeles was uneventful. Boring, actually, except for the Santa Ana winds that were incredible. We did not blow off the road, however, so I think the “travel curse” has been lifted. On the other hand, it could just be toying with me and we’ll get nailed somewhere between here and Dallas – ha!

    The Arizona desert is so unique. Traveling to Arizona I am always excited when I see the first cactus. Coming down into the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix) from Flagstaff it’s the prickly pear cacti that you see first. You’ll spot one or two all by themselves and then a few more and a few more and before you know it they’re all over the place!

    If you’re driving from California, the first cactus you see will be the saguaro (pronounced sah-wah-roh) about an hour or so from Phoenix. Just one or two. Here and there. Then you know you’re nearly there. I think you either love the desert or you hate it – there’s no middle ground. I love it.

    We’re leaving for Dallas tomorrow for another housesitting assignment. Two mini-dachshunds. Should be interesting. I think it’ll be fun. More to come…

  • More Bainbridge Island…

    We’ve returned from our outing and managed to snap several decent pics! This is one of the ferries that travels between Seattle and Bainbridge Island. We were on the other side of the bay but I used my zoom. Dark clouds were rolling in just about then.

    Here are two shots of boats in the marina. There are hundreds of boats! All kinds from small sailboats to yachts!

    I love the reflections on the water in the picture above. Almost looks like a painting. In fact, it would make a great painting! Good idea. Maybe I’ll paint it. Sometime.


    This is cool, too…all those masts standing at attention. Just waiting for someone to climb aboard and set sail.

    Just up the road we stopped so I could take this picture of the Seattle skyline. A little bit of sunshine making a brave effort to get through the cloud cover…

  • Winslow, Bainbridge Island

    A pretty garden near the house. I think the gate with the leaded glass is such a neat idea.
    We have several gardens back home and I’m always looking for great garden art. I think this spring I’ll try to find a similar piece.

    It’s sunny (so far), today, so Jack and I are going to take a drive around the island. Not sure how long the sun will last, however.

    My sister has this to say about weather in Washington state, “High of 40, Low of 40” and “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute and it’ll change.” So far she’s right on both counts! But I guess if the climate was any different there wouldn’t be all the lush, beautiful, green landscapes that are famous in western Washington! And that would be sad, indeed.


    Here’s a close-up of more art in this same garden. I think this is a sculpture of a spirit from the folklore of Alaska but I’m not really sure. I’m going to try to find out. Maybe Mother Earth? Notice the owl “cap” on her head. Isn’t it so intriguing? I love it.

  • A Couple of Pictures from Port Angeles

    I really wanted to get some spectacular shots on the way to Port Angeles. However, even though it was sunny, it was cold and windy and I took this through the windshield of the car. Not fabulous but it’ll have to do. This is the view when you drive down into the Discovery Bay valley. The scenery is wonderful; however, zipping along in a vehicle is probably not the way to get the best pictures!

    Driftwood at Ediz Hook

    There is a spit of land in Port Angeles called the Ediz Hook. It’s more than three miles long and it protects the Port Angeles Harbor (which is the pacific northwest’s deepest harbor). Back in the mid-nineteenth century the people would burn driftwood at the very end to provide light for the ships that came into the harbor. President Abraham Lincoln eventually authorized the construction of a lighthouse. The lighthouse is no longer there – I think I read somewhere that it was sold and moved and is presently a private home.


    The Ediz Hook is a very busy tourist attraction during the summer months. On a clear day you can see Victoria, British Columbia. We drove out there to see if I could get some good photos but it was just a bit too cloudy for good shots of Victoria. Here are a couple of pictures of the driftwood that is strewn along the beach there. As I made my way down to the shore, I noticed that somebody had stacked little stones upon the rocks. I don’t know how long they’ve been there. But it was kind of neat, I thought, so I took a picture.


    Then, as we were driving back, I took these pictures of the view of Port Angeles from the Hook. Doesn’t look like the busy town that actually it is. Really, none of these pictures do justice to the actual landscapes. Oh well.

    I’ve come to the conclusion that, unless you’re a pro, it’s hard to translate the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula in a simple photograph. Guess you just have to see it to believe it.

    In any case, it was a great trip!

  • This and That

    Here’s a picture I took a couple of years ago of the mailboxes at home after digging them out of a snowbank! It’s a good reminder of why we decided to pursue housesitting in the winter. I love this picture! You could hardly even see our house. Now, that’s a lot of snow.

    We’re all settled in and have finally put that nightmare of a train ride behind us, I think. I wonder how those other poor people are. I am amazed that total anarchy didn’t erupt. Wouldn’t have taken much more to turn many of us into blithering idiots…

    I have to say that it doesn’t get much more peaceful than it is here in the Pacific Northwest. It’s like therapy, really. And, boy, did we need a good dose of therapy!

    I plan to work diligently on my new website. I’d love to have it well under way by the time we leave here. It’s so much more complicated than I thought it would be but that’s because a blog is much easier to create than a website. I think.

    I just need to stay focused. It’s going to be hard work and it’s going to be a steady job but, hey, I wanted a new niche…

    There is a Zen Buddhist Proverb that pretty much says it all:

    Before enlightenment – chop wood, carry water.

    After enlightenment – chop wood, carry water.

    O.K. I can do that.

  • A Ferry Ride to Bainbridge Island,WA

    I took some photos while we were on the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. It’s a gorgeous view from any vantage point on the ferry.

    I took this shot of another ferry heading from Bainbridge Island to Seattle. You can see the famous Space Needle which was constructed for the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle. It’s towers to a height of 605 feet (184 meters).

    This is a cool shot of a sailboat we passed with a view of Mount Baker (10,778 feet) in the distance. Mount Baker is an ice-clad volcano in the North Cascades of Washington State. “After Mount Rainier, it is the most heavily glaciated of the Cascade volcanoes” (United States Geological Survey-USGS).

    According to the USGS, it’s located 31 miles due east of Bellingham, WA. And considering that Bellingham is 78 miles north of Seattle, that’s one heck of a distance!

    From the other side of the ferry I could see Mount Rainier volcano (14,410 ft) in the distance. Hard to believe that it’s about 100 miles south of Seattle!

    Although I was looking into the sun, I still got a great shot. It’s our third trip to Bainbridge Island to housesit. It’s good to be back.

  • Why I will never ride the train again. (The Sequel – Part II)

    I snapped this picture through the window of the train as we were going around a curve.

    After our “very good night’s sleep” we left the hotel and hailed a taxi to take us to Los Angeles’ Union Station which I am certain is one of the most beautiful train stations in the country. Not that I’ve seen all that many. But it’s got to rank up there in the top ten.

    We boarded Amtrak Coast Starlight Train #14, Car 2412 in great anticipation of the beautiful scenery we would surely see along the way. As hesitant as I was to continue traveling via railway, I was being a good sport. (Jack’s bribe of a kitchen remodel played only a very small part in my newly revived enthusiasm. Really.)

    We were assigned seats #29 and #30 and after stowing our carry-on bags above our seats we settled in for a pleasant journey. The train glided out of Union Station. It was a beautiful sunny day.

    Seated just behind us were two guys who introduced themselves to each other and then decided to go to the lounge car for a beverage. They came back a few minutes later, each carrying a beer. It was about 10:30 a.m. Not a good omen.

    They settled in their seats and proceeded to get acquainted. One of them (I dubbed him Chatty Chuck) talked non-stop. I mean, NON-STOP. And he was LOUD. And he was an expert on EVERYTHING. After more then an hour of not being able to concentrate on my book we found the conductor and requested new seats at the front of the car.

    Our request was granted. It was great. We could barely hear Chuck and his new friend. We traveled this way for quite some time just enjoying the scenery and visiting and feeling quite smug that this train trip would be a piece of cake. Wrong.

    And now a brief commentary of the “very unfortunate events” that unfolded:

    • Near San Luis Obisbo, California – The train came to a stop and we were told that there was a car stuck on the tracks. An hour or so later we moved forward.

    • Near San Jose, California – The train came to a stop (again) because there was a car crash near the tracks and we could not proceed until the tracks were examined to be sure there was no debris on the tracks. An hour or so later yadda, yadda, yadda…

    • Near Chico, California – Well, this time the train couldn’t come to a stop and actually sliced a vehicle in half! As it was explained to us, a young woman who was extremely intoxicated got her 4 x 4 stuck on the tracks. She ran down the tracks toward the approaching train to try to get it to stop. As intoxicated as she was, she did think to jump out of the way just in time to save herself but, of course, we were traveling much to fast to stop before hitting her car. Investigation ensued and shortly thereafter we were moving, again.

    At this point we were running just a couple of hours late. Not so bad.

    • Klamath Falls, Oregon (about 100 miles north of Klamath Falls, actually) – The train came to a stop (yet again). We were told that there was another train stopped ahead of us for some reason or other and we couldn’t proceed until it did. An hour or so later we were advised that there was an eight foot mud slide on the tracks ahead of us. WHAT????

    So it was decided that we would pull forward to a spot where the engine pulling our train could be moved from the front of the train to the back of the train and it would take us back a hundred miles to Klamath Falls. There were busses at Klamath Falls which would take us to our various destinations. I cannot tell you how disturbing that news was. I cannot describe to you how much I dislike bus trips. We wracked our brains trying to decide what alternatives there might be when we got to Klamath Falls.

    • In the meantime, we were chugging along for who-knows-how-long when we came to yet another stop. The railroad track was broken and we could go no further. I am not lying. That’s exactly what happened. How we got over that broken track going north, I couldn’t tell you. So we were trapped between an eight foot mudslide and a broken railroad track. Great.

    A repair team was dispatched to our location. The track was repaired. By this time I have lost all track of time. It was probably three hours or so later before we were again on the move. We arrived in Klamath Falls. There weren’t enough busses. We were herded onto a bus that was just one step up from a school bus. No, maybe one step below a school bus. It was supposed to be a tour bus and let me tell you that it totally put me off the idea of a bus tour.

    That was about 7 p.m. Five hours and two stops later we pulled into the Amtrak station in Portland, Oregon. There was a train waiting to take us to our final destination, Seattle, Washington. Arrived in Seattle at approximately 4:30 a.m.

    We’re flying back to Los Angeles. Already have our tickets.