Im sure everyone has heard that old wives tale, "if you wash your car that it will rain." That old guy Murphy can do you one better, schedule a photo shoot with a classic restored car in Texas in the summer and you will get thunder, lightning and rain in the midst of a drought. 

  That is exactly what happened on Sunday afternoon. Due to time constraints we had set the shoot for the evening and as the day got closer, the chance of rain seemed to escalate in accordance. A half hour before the shoot and a huge, ominous cloud appeared on the horizon. Contacted Chuck Nixon, the owner of the lovingly restored 1929 Ford Model "A" Huckster and he rushed over a little early. We got the car placed on the set, fired a couple of test frames and heard a thunder clap. 

  Rushed a few more frames off and shot some details as Chuck hoped in the truck and started her up, a couple of motion blur frames as he pulled away and that was it. I dont think he was there for a total of 5 minutes including introductions. I Talked to him latter and he said there were just a few drops on the pristine Hucksterwhen he got home and that he dried them with a towel. 

  I used to think it was just prima donna athletes that rushed you thru photo shoots. Guess that mother nature will do it too.

   News flash, its hot in Texas today. In case you have not noticed, those round puddles you so blithely danced over on the sidewalk are actually remnants of the recently imported northerners that just couldn't take the heat and melted away. Kind of like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz without the screaming. 

   Sad part is I am a native Texan and I'm starting to feel like one of them today, just cant take it any more. As a kid I spent all day outside in the sun, even worked as a lifeguard on a tower getting baked. But these days all I can think of is cold mountain streams, snowbanks, howlin' winter winds, and drinking soemthing really cold. 

  Kind of funny that I post a picture of a Martini then isn't it. But this one was almost frozen, give you those ice cream headaches like a slurpee. The bar that serves it is this subterranean vault of a blues bar called Scat Lounge that is as cold as a meat locker. To top it off the bands crank out some of the coolest jazz and blues you can find this side of New Orleans. Bring it all together and you just got to cool off a little bit.

   Here is another great motto to live by, "Try and learn something new everyday" sometimes the things you learn are kind of unexpected. Like the fact that hops in beer is a natural preservative, and there are no bacteria in beer that will make you sick. One more reason that drinking the beer in Mexico is way better than drinking the water, even in the states. So here is to drinking more beer. 

  I learned this all from Tony Formby, Managing Partner at Rahr & Sons Brewing company (http://rahrbrewery.com/) in Fort Worth, Texas. The little home town craft brewer has a new line of endangered critters beer starting with the Blind Salamander Ale. I has a really smooth taste that works great to quench that thirst on a hot summer day. Got a chance to watch them bottle a few and taste a little recently and it just makes you understand whyt people will volunteer just to help stack boxes of bottles at the plant for a few samples. 

  Really proud of what they have accomplished and hope they continue with the tasty products they are now making. Ra Ra for Rahr!!

    Just another example of not remembering the beautiful things we have around us. I spent a couple days taking some pictures of a local park in Fort Worth that has been here long enough that it can be completely forgotten though hundreds of thousands of people pass it by every day. It was even the location of a Hollywood movie "Logan's Run". 

   The place is the Fort Worth Water Gardens and it makes for a perfect summer break from the concrete jungle and the heat it creates. Splashing, cascading, rippling water is everywhere drowning out the noise of the city and bringing you back to the tranquility of a mountain stream. 

  At night, lights create a completely different mood with much more dramatic flair. Pools of color and accents with the dramatic new Omni hotel next door. 

  Just another rose waiting for all of us to stop and sniff.