During our visit with Ellen and Steve at our house last summer, we began planning a trip to visit them during the "Azalea Trail". This is an event that occurs during the first 2 weekends in March every year. It's organized by the Houston Garden Club; and is basically a trek to 6 or 7 of Houston's nicest mansions, some of historic significance, to see their displays of Azaleas and other garden delights.
We went down to Houston via auto, stopping in Arkadelphia, AR on the way to visit a friend of Kim's; and arrived on Thursday March 7.
Ellen and Steve discuss the family budget.
Steve comes to the realization that he is, in fact, master of all he surveys.
Julia tells the dogs about alligators.
All super models now how to accessorize.
We become our grandparents
Ellen poses for the Martha Stuart Catalog
Another custom designed home from QS Designs.
Steve and Dave check the porno sites on the Net.
It's a well known fact that the primary credentials required for outdoor cooking are testicles.
The one Steve is carving came from a very large bull.
Life is fine in Houston.
These next square images were all shot as 2 1/4" X 2 1/4" slides with a roll film camera. As a result, I had to scan them with a flat bed scanner with transparency adapter. (I can't afford / Marsha would kill me to buy a medium format slide and negative scanner.) Therefor, they are not of the same quality as the scans above. The slides themselves are superb. So, everyone needs to come to our house to see the slides projected to their full 6 X 6 foot glory.
On Friday March 8, we drove down to Galveston; and visited Moody Park, where we toured the greenhouse.
We also went to "The Strand". the old original waterfront area of Galveston. Now, mainly boutiques.
On Saturday March ninth we (Ellen, Steve, Julia, David, Chuck, Marsha, and Kim) did the "Azalea Trail". The Azaleas had been affected by a severe cold snap the weekend prior, and were still primarily in there budd stage; but the homes and gardens were beautiful, none the less.
We had a great lunch at an unusual gourmet cafe whose name escapes me entirely.
One of the homes on the tour was that of former Governor James Stephen Hogg.
He passed his estate on to his daughter, whom he had the perverse audacity to name "Ima". The home now belongs to the city and is a beautiful historic site. The next four images are of the Hogg farm.
On Sunday the 10th we went to Ellen & Steve's church, which was very enjoyable. Then the guys went to "Fryes" the SuperWalmart of electronics stores, while the gals went to Spring, a cute old village with boutiques again.
We guys met the ladies there later, and had to lug their drunken torsos while shooting our way out of this roadhouse.
Monday, the Clemenses dragged our bruised and battered mortal remains to the car and skeedadled back home over the course of two days.
