Filming

I have no idea why this guy was filming across from the giant star at the Texas State History Museum. But I like pictures of people taking pictures.

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.

Lone Star Entry

The State of Texas, once the Republic of Texas, has a Lone Star on its flag and it's the Lone Star State. So stars, alone and sometimes in groups, are a frequent iconography around the Capital City. I thought I'd start featuring them once in a while. This one is part of an entryway to the East Side on 11th Street.

Lone Star for Your House

There's a house on South First that has its own giant 'Lone Star.' Texas is, after all, The Lone Star State and our flag has the single star on the blue field. This was the flag of the nation from 1836-1845 and was preserved after statehood.

Summer Salute

Allen's Boots on SoCo was flying some Texas Lone Star Flags the other day and it looked pretty neat with the old stones and stars on the building and the summer blue sky.

Seeing Stars

I like these star decorations on a parking garage at Austin Community College on Twelfth Street. The garage covered this old mural.

Upstaged

Larry Hagman, featured yesterday, was upstaged last night by his lovely wife of 55 years, Maj, left, and Linda Gray who was famously his on again/off again wife, Sue Ellen, on TV's "Dallas." In presenting the Texas Film Hall of Fame award to Larry, Linda told how during the filming of "Dallas" Larry showed all of them around to get them comfortable with all things Texas. He was the only Texan among the major players. Of course, Larry's mother was famous actress Mary Martin. Texans are often asked about the prime time soap opera "Dallas" which ran in syndication all over the world. The answer is that there is oil and cattle in Texas but it doesn't always look like a soap opera and plenty of people have neither.

Who Shot Whom?

(Left to right: Larry Hagman, actor who will be inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame by co-star Linda Gray tonight; Evan Smith, President and Editor-in-Chief of Texas Monthly; Julie Thornton, hostess and owner with her husband John of one of the most spectacular homes in town.)

My team member on this blog (husband FFP) shot this picture. He is often the one who gets a shot like this...because he is willing to ask! Not that he asked for the hostess of the party to pose like that or Larry Hagman (best know around the world as J.R. Ewing) to make a gun with his hand. (He put down the soda he was drinking to make a better picture. You can still see a linen cocktail napkin in his hand. You know it's a nice party when the cocktail napkins with the drinks and passed apps are all linen.) The party was a reception leading up to tomorrow night's Texas Film Hall of Fame awards gala.