To Dallas and Back

Wow! That was fast. Spirit Airlines spirited me away to see Cousin Jim and Nancy in Dallas over a long weekend. I traveled light so no laptop postings this trip.

Memorable places we went were The Perot Museum of Nature and Science on Friday; on Saturday we went to the AT&T Stadium, home of the Cowboys football team, where we saw the Dallas Opera's streamed simulcast of the musical Showboat (where else would you expect to see a simulcast of a musical in Texas?); and, Sunday, the Dallas Arboretum where there was also an art and craft show happening. Sandwiched in between were really good eats at an array of wonderful restaurants. We even worked in senior rejuvenating naps. Plus, their daughter Laura self-produced birthday cupcakes to celebrate her birthday Sunday evening as we dined with her beau Brandon and his daughter Reagin who has blended in with Laura's daughter Jessa (granddaughter of Jim and Nancy) in a happy, energetic, sibling/friendship.

Nancy and Jim added a Yamaha to their household. Jessa has showed a solid interest in recent times. Nancy is getting back to playing, too.

A restaurant picture from the first night there. Brandon, Laura, Jessa, Reagin, Jim. Nancy was working.
 Note my "side salad" in the right front. Yes, we were in Texas.

At the Perot Museum Hall of Collections. The Cowboys, of course.

Jim next to someone's vintage bicycle collection. 

I was taken by someone's collection of junk and trash necklaces. These parts are cut from yogurt bottles.

And these are from egg cartons.

Driftwood pieces with red string.

There are 11 halls so Nancy and Jim are grabbing a breather.

At the Perot 3-D movie about to see Sea Monsters.

Jim on Saturday outside AT&T Stadium.  

Showboat was a highlight for me. It was a grand, ambitious production with lots of absolutely wonderful songs that we've all heard all our lives and didn't really know they came from Showboat--except, maybe, for Old Man River--and, oh my, what a great rendition we heard of that.

On Sunday at the Arboretum there were many beautiful young ladies in all sorts of spring-colored gowns being photographed for their quinceaneras.

And a ballerina smiled a hello.

The art show long-horn steer.

Jim and Nancy at one of their favorites. The giraffe head moves kinetically and inspired Jim to make plans to acquire a welder and junk to show Jessa how to weld while they make something together.

This one is my fave.

Another beautiful day in a lovely setting did not go unappreciated.

Nancy's business found her for a few minutes.

I found the Wright brothers and sat down for a conversations, but they didn't have much to say.
The lake behind has nine miles of paved pathway around it and sometimes Jim and friends ride their bikes around it.

Many water features flowed down to the lake with cascades and pools along their way.

You know I hardly ever remember names of anything. Nevermind, these.....were everywhere.

Nancy and Jim.

This was a first.

Reagin and Jessa finishing up the restaurant playground evening.

Toyota is moving to Plano. There were 10 or 11 cranes at the multi-building site.

Back home again yesterday and Aidan and I went to the park on his day off from school this mid-day before thunderstorms swept in. He kicked the soccer ball around and I voted. Will be interesting to see the PA results tomorrow. We stopped off for chocolate chips for the crepes he wanted to make.

A tree planting at Franconia Park. How I wish I'd had this auger in Tucson.

The crepes were delicious.