The Lege is Back

I'm not saying these are members of the Texas Legislature or Lobbyists, but I took this picture near the Capitol and the Texas Chili Parlor and the biennial session has just started.

New sculpture on the Capitol Grounds.

This magnificent statue on the Capitol grounds celebrates African-American heritage.

Tending the Wounded

In this shot you see more of the scene from the Vietnam Veterans memorial. The soldier's arm from yesterday was that of the wounded soldier on the right. The designers intended him to be one of our South Vietnamese allies. However, he was later 'changed' to an Asian-American soldier. I read in the newspaper  recently that they didn't change all the elements of his uniform and, in fact, there are epaulets and other details that would mark it as a South Vietnamese uniform. The reason for changing it to an Asian-American was to complete the ethnic tableau of the soldiers.  White, black, Hispanic, Native American were already represented. (I have to confess, I just saw soldiers.) There was also the issue that this monument was about Texans who died. Dog tags with the names of the dead are entombed in the monument.

Soldier's Arm

In this detailed shot from the Vietnam Veterans memorial on the Capitol Grounds you can see how realistic the soldier's skin appears (especially with the rain drops that were dotting the statue that day).

Vietnam Veterans

In the Vietnam War, 3417 Texans fought and never returned. There is a memorial on the Capitol Grounds that was dedicated this year to those who fought in that war.

Hall of Honor listing.

This plaque is part of the monument on the Texas Capitol grounds showing the names of Texas law officers who have died in the line of duty. Here you see a section that includes Billy Paul Speed who was shot by the University of Texas Tower Sniper and J.D. Tippit who was killed after the Kennedy assassination. That is my reflection.

Lone Star in Glass

This lone star in glass (that's my reflection on a warm January day in Austin in a short-sleeved polo) is on the Goodman Building, a commercial building near the Capitol that was probably built in the 1890's as a grocery store by one Jacob Goodman. The first floor was a grocery until 1924.

Anonymous Pioneer Woman

We were walking around the Capitol Grounds recently and decided we had never featured  this sculpture. It is just a 'pioneer woman.' I guess they wanted a female statue and couldn't come up with anything better than a hardy pioneer Jane Doe with her baby on her hip.

36th Infantry

This memorial on the Capitol Grounds honors the 36th Infantry Division (also known as the Texas Division) with their arrowhead T patch rendered large.

Albino Squirrel

This albino squirrel was prowling the Capitol Grounds in July.

Native Home of the Cowboy

We sometimes use the Capitol Grounds as a thoroughfare and sometimes walk there as a destination. The other day I noticed this statue and read the inscription. The artist is Constance Whitney Warren. She was a New Yorker who went to Paris (to study sculpture I assume) and produced this piece there. The governors of New York and Texas arranged in 1925 to have it donated to Texas "as a memorial gift to the native home of the Cowboy." Well, we still see lots of hats and boots!

Names and Dates

Here's a detail from the memorial we showed yesterday. Notice the fallen officers on these two dates: 8/1/1966 and 11/22/1963.

Peace Officers Memorial

We showed you an interesting reflection in this memorial to fallen Texas Peace Officers a while back. Here's a photo facing it looking east.

A Chili Institution

For over thirty years, this tiny spot, The Texas Chili Parlor, has dealt out 'bowls of red,' Texas chili in three heats (X, XX and XXX) with no beans! Oh, they have other items: burgers, enchiladas. Lots of cold beer. Steeped in tradition and easily accessible from the Capitol (it's between 14th and 15th on Lavaca) and the University, it has fueled political deals, students and UT football fans since 1976. I snapped this picture of the modest front one day as we headed from downtown to the University on a museum crawl. It opened shortly after I made Austin my hometown forever!

Bar for the Pols

Near the Capitol building is a little bar below street level. Called the Cloak Room (after the ante chambers where 'deals' are supposed to hatched at the Capitol) this little bar has probably seen its share of political shenanigans.

Nothing But Blue Skies

Actually, we had some clouds and a tiny bit of much-needed rain yesterday. But this picture was taken in October. Looking east on 17th from Guadalupe, we see an odd sign promoting a little cafe tucked on that off-the-beaten-path street and, beyond it, a crane in 17th Street which has been blocked east of Lavaca by construction of stalled condos/mixed use development for some time. We have just heard in the traditional media that the project has new investors. The project, if it gets finished, would be pitched to UT and lobbyist sorts since it's between UT and the Capitol Area.