Long lost kin......?

Regular readers and friends might look at the photos above and say, "Cute, more pictures of D. Daphne Dog". I don't blame you...but this isn't D. Daphne.

Over the last several years I've gotten linked up informally with other dog owners/lovers in an email network that tries to find homes for needy dogs and the photos above and others came to me this morning. I really couldn't believe my eyes. This dog in need is a clone of D. Daphne Dog. I have never seen two dogs look so much alike....especially dogs of mixed breeds. The coloring, markings, the ears, the size and build, the slight upward curl to the tail are all identical.

From what I know, D. Daphne was found, along with other littermates, abandoned along a highway when she was a puppy. My first conclusion was that this dog in need certainly had to be one of her siblings. But, a reply from the caretaker of this dog informed me that he is only one year old. So much for the littermate theory.....but they have to have come from the same source somewhere not to long ago. My Mom has been hinting about a dog, and she loves D. Daphne, perhaps she'd like her clone?

Reunion '08

Do you know the whereabouts of anyone in the Midland High or Lee High classes of '67 and '68? Send them here..... big doings this summer.

Soccer Season....

The sports folks at Midland High seem to want me busy. I started out last year doing the MHS football website and photos. Earlier in the year I picked up the Lady Dawgs basketball assignment and this week was hired to do the MHS boys soccer coverage. I enjoy helping out the old alma mater, meeting new people and it's nice to get paid for doing something so enjoyable.
MHS Dawgs Soccer

Sibley Center Groundbreaking...

On Tuesday we held the ceremonial groundbreaking for our Million Dollar expansion at the Sibley Nature Center. Thanks to all those who worked hard and/or contributed to make this addition a reality. A special thanks to Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick who thought enough of our plans to work for us in obtaining a matching grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

And now, "Groundbreaking, The Movie"

2001: A Time Odyssey....

Tonight, Turner Classic Movies aired "2001: A Space Odyssey". I've seen this many times over the years and I still like watching the first hour or so, the rest rather drags on after you've seen it so many times and the ending is a tad too '60s psychedelic for me. But what got to me tonight was the realization that this film was made 40 years ago. 40 years! Damn!

I suppose what is so brain fuddling about this is that "2001" still has a modern feel for a film made in 1968. The space ships look like they could have been designed last year as do all the computer screens that control the Saturn probe. I'm sure that the filmmakers thought that quite possibly, we'd be going to Saturn in 2001, 33 years after the film was made and that computers would be thinking entities competing with humans for control.

We've made some progress in this direction but fall woefully short in both of these areas. We landed men on the moon one year after "2001" came out but all we've done since 1972 is have humans circle the planet. The face recognition, reasoning powers and conversation synthesis of anything like the HAL 9000 may be another 40 years away.

Priceless....

Spending all morning flying in a Huey with the doors open, shooting pictures ....two of my favorite things in one. Getting paid to do so........Priceless!