Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Grapevine, TX. Tragedy at Le Mans. John Wayne Dies.

 

For “Travel Tuesday”, lets visit Grapevine TX.

Which is in the Texas Prairies and Lakes Region:

#Region.R_Description# “The Texas Prairies and Lakes Region offers a wide variety of destinations & attractions, from the fast-paced cosmopolitan excitement of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex with the best in shopping, dining & entertainment, to the beautiful lakes & laid-back country lifestyles found throughout the region. Discover the Excitement of the Texas Prairies & Lakes.”

Welcome To Grapevine, Texas

“Take off your hat, put your boots up and stay online with us a while.  Let's get acquainted...
Flags on Main Street Grapevine, TexasThere's all kinds of events going on in town and here's your personal invitation to join us. Consider yourself part of the Grapevine, Texas, family of friends.

Yes, Grapevine does radiate that real American hometown feeling. After all, that's why so many of us live and work here. Nestled on the top side of DFW International Airport---directly between Dallas and Fort Worth ---we have easy access to the whole Metroplex from Grapevine.  Come visit, we're expecting you anytime!”

 

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Historic Fun Town

GVRRThomas
Puffy

(photos courtesy of John Morris)

“It's more than a train ride, it's an experience.

The Grapevine Vintage Railroad travels along the historic Cotton Belt Route between Grapevine and the Fort Worth Stockyards. The Railroad is serviced by two vintage locomotives - "Puffy" the 1896 steam locomotive, which is the oldest continuously operating steam engine in the South, and a 1953 GP-7 diesel locomotive. Passengers enjoy riding in authentic 1920s and 1930s Victorian-style coaches as they take a step back in time and experience train travel as it was in the glory days of the expanding West.

Thomas the Tank Engine™ rolls out in the springtime, when a toy train becomes lifesized for Day Out With Thomas™. Other special features include: Great Train Robberies and The North Pole Express.

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Texas Vacation SpotOur Texas-friendly Visitor's Center and  Historical Train Depot and Museum
Grapevine
—fast becoming one of the country's favorite year-round vacation spotshas special events and family fun all Spring long. Click on the Community Calendar  link to find out about the latest entertainment, then come enjoy one of Texas' favorite historic towns — Grapevine!

All special events are listed daily on this website, thanks in part to the City of Grapevine, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce, GCISD and many civic and faith-based organizations.  Spend a few minutes with us online and plan what you'd like to do this week in Grapevine.

Downtown Historical Grapevine Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All-American Hometown 
Also, this website can get you to the hottest spots in town: outstanding Restaurants, notable local Wineries, fantastic Shopping, comfortable Lodging, exceptional Theatre/Arts venues, wonderful Churches and fun events at Lake Grapevine and our community parks. And, don't forget catch the latest News About Town, too.

But what makes this a great place? It's the people in Grapevine who really make a difference in the quality of life.  Folks here are downright friendly... and hard working... and fun... and connected.  So the invitation is open... "ya'll come."”  From: http://www.ilovegrapevinetexas.com/

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“Historic Grapevine, Texas is the premier go-to destination when planning a trip to Texas! Grapevine, centrally located between Dallas and Fort Worth, provides visitors a sophisticated escape from the big city. Step back in time in Historic Downtown Grapevine and visit the more than 80 shops, wineries, restaurants and artisans. Hop aboard the Grapevine Vintage Railroad or unwind at one of Grapevine's many winery-tasting rooms.”

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Grapevine, Texas Tour

Here is a quick tour of some highlights of Grapevine, Texas.

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On This Day:

Tragedy at Le Mans, Jun 11, 1955:

“On this day in 1955, a racing car in Le Mans, France, goes out of control and crashes into stands filled with spectators, killing 82 people. The tragedy in the famous 24-hour race leads to a ban on racing in several nations.

The race continued despite the horrific accident (Hawthorn won), purportedly because if the remaining spectators had left the area, they would have blocked the ambulances called to pick up the dead and injured. The rest of the Mercedes team was recalled.

Grand Prix races in Germany and Switzerland scheduled for later that year were cancelled, and a complete ban on racing in Switzerland remains to this day. Both Spain and Mexico also temporarily banned motor racing following the 1955 Le Mans tragedy.”

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John Wayne dies, Jun 11, 1979:

“On this day in 1979, John Wayne, an iconic American film actor famous for starring in countless westerns, dies at age 72 after battling cancer for more than a decade.

Off-screen, Wayne came to be known for his conservative political views. He produced, directed and starred in The Alamo (1960) and The Green Berets (1968), both of which reflected his patriotic, conservative leanings. In 1969, he won an Oscar for his role as a drunken, one-eyed federal marshal named Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. Wayne's last film was The Shootist (1976), in which he played a legendary gunslinger dying of cancer. The role had particular meaning, as the actor was fighting the disease in real life.

During four decades of acting, Wayne, with his trademark drawl and good looks, appeared in over 250 films. He was married three times and had seven children.”

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Yesterday:

SAM_2029-001 Misty and I went to get Jay. We had figured out a way to put the accent cedar on the screen porch so that the screen could be replaced at any time without disturbing the lap-and-gap cedar.

Top-cedar-to-match-bottom

 

It took a while to cut all the pieces to fit, and it will look a lot nicer when it is painted to match the bottom.  We still have to install the fascia board and do some more trim work.  I was ‘gophering’, carrying boards, handing Jay the screws and drill bits as needed, and that kept me busy all morning. We are using up some scrap cedar off another job.

Then in the afternoon, I got a phone call from Kenya.  Nila was not drinking or eating at the Cat Habitat, which is serious for a cat.  She also thought that Nila might have a urinary tract infection, as she was peeing outside her box.  I went to the Habitat at Petco to pick her up, and met Kenya at the vet on the east side of Conroe.  Kenya couldn’t pick her up as she had another cat with something contagious, so I had to do it.  Nila was happy to see me, and readily got in her carrier.

The vet said that just even the stress of being moved so often could have made her not use her box, and took a urine sample.  While we were waiting for the results, Nila just cuddled up to me, all happy.   The vet gave her B12 and other things in a shot. Her tests came back AOK, and so I brought her home.  First, she used her box, then ate some dry food, and then her canned, so all is well, and she is happy again. 

Nila is a very shy cat, and the Habitat was too traumatic for her, even though she was given a nice cozy hiding place in there.  She is one of the few cats that we have that is too shy to be at the Habitat, and will have to rely on being seen online to get adopted.  So she might be here for a while.  Once she gets to know you, she is fine.

Simba has settled down, and trying to get everyone to pet him through the holes in the Plexiglas of the Habitat.

It had been a busy day, and then my allergy meds kicked in, so I went to bed early yesterday.

2 comments:

Rod Ivers said...

Maybe Nila is your new cat? She obviously knows you and likes you.....!

LakeConroePenny,TX said...

Thank you for your comment Rod.

Nila is very happy to be here, she is a sweet kitty. I would think about keeping her, but she is a young cat, and also a ‘hider’. I am hoping to give an older cat a home, one that is less adoptable, and a ‘greeter’.

Once Nila has been in a new home for a while, she will make someone a great pet.

Happy Tails, and Trails, Penny.