When I shot this picture a year ago, much of Kansas and Missouri was paralyzed with show in what the media called the 2011 Groundhog Day Blizzard and the temperature in Hutchinson, Kansas, was -2 overnight. Today I am wearing short sleeves outside. Of course, last year on January 28 it was 70 degrees outside before the cold and the snow came so I shouldn't get used to this.
This morning, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in Gobbler's Knob, PA, and forecast six more weeks of winter. We don't have a groundhog here in Hutchinson, save for the one at the zoo (above), but we do have prairie dogs. I still say we should make a big deal of them on Groundhog Day. See more in Groundhog Day...or Prairie Dog Day?
Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebration for 2012, and it's the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is considered to be the most powerful of the twelve elements of the Chinese zodiac.
It's been my pleasure to report on three sites of Chinese culture in the Western world. Ace is seen above in the wonderfully tranquil Portland Chinese Classical Garden, in which the ceremonial head (top), and many tradition plants (below two photos) are displayed.
Tolkien fans also get a year of the dragon, of sorts, in that December will see the release of part one of the film version of The Hobbit, a story that centers around a quest to relieve a dragon of its treasure.
The eyes of Martin Luther King gaze from a painting by artist Jordan Craig.
Craig worked on the painting on stage during the "Dear Dr King" birthday celebration at the Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kansas, Sunday night. The event was a function of The Kansas African American Museum (TKAAM). On stage in this photo is the TKAAM Youth Choir.
Of course, every time I attend an Orpheum event I'm bowled over by the great restoration job on the architecture. For more photos of this atmospheric theatre see our previous post on Arlo Guthrie at the Orpheum.
For the first of our previous Martin Luther King posts, see Lorraine Motel.
I never seem to come up with a better year-closer than this picture, and frankly, I still like it. It was shot in a motel room after a New Years Eve party, using glittery stuff I bought on clearance in party stores and arranged using my laptop as a base.
For this year, I was tempted to shoot a picture of a toy coffin with "2011" painted on it, and run a comment like "let's bury this thing because it stinks already", but that would be too negative a perspective, influenced by personal losses.
My family and I lost someone dear, and my mother came close to death twice - once when Wal-Mart collapsed around her during the Joplin tornado.
The second time we nearly lost Mom was a week later when a stress-related heart condition sent her to the hospital just as I had finished a job taking stills and video of the President across town. 2011 had that kind of contrasts.
Wanna see the scariest thing I've ever shot? I don't even watch this because the audio now gives me the chills. On May 22 I was shooting video of cicadas when the warning sirens sounded the second time - the time when they weren't for something we didn't need to worry about:
In a few minutes those trees you see starting to move in the foreboding wind will be tortured and broken.
Oh, the cicadas?
Well, Brood XIX of the 13-year periodical cicadas emerged this year right around the end of April and and I was able to document it in Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas during the beginning of its run, but was then mostly cut off from it by the post-tornado Joplin curfew and the need to stay close for medical reasons.
But it's really not so bad. Most folks around me are alive and kicking, coping with their medical, job and relationship stresses, and doing so with grace and aplomb. How often do your hear "aplomb"? - not too often, I'd say.
And so we go into 2012, not really significant were it not for the artifice of a calender. I'll be publishing more Christmas posts, because I saw some nifty things and didn't have time to even look at the photos myself.
May you share a Merry continuing Christmas with us, and have a Happy New Year.
And you know that trip? The one someone you care about wants you to go on with them? Do it. Tomorrow is nebulous. Today is a gift; accept it.
Normalcy is precious, especially after the May 22 tornado that hit this Missouri town. The ponds and tortured trees along Schifferdecker ave. at about where 28th st. would be, are in one of the more tragic areas as the body of Will Norton was found in one of them.
Though some rebuilding has taken place, former resident Lou Molinar has not yet returned. But he has brought back these pole tree lights, adhering to a tradition over two decades old. One of his neighbors told us Molinar did this because he felt residents of the city needed a bit of normalcy this Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Mr. Molinar, and Merry Christmas to you, too. (another photo)
Joplin, Missouri - post-tornado Christmas Eve Mass schedule
With the destruction of St Mary's Church this past year, Christmas Eve Mass in the remaining Catholic church (St Peter's, above) may be a bit crowded.
St Mary's was destroyed in the May 22, 2011, tornado, but its huge cross survived, becoming iconic in the days following the disaster:
I called St Peter's at 417 623-8643 and got the schedule: 4pm - (no details listed); 6pm - hosted by St Peter's Father J. Friedel; 10pm - hosted by St Mary's Father Justin Monaghan; Midnight - hosted by St Peter's Rev. J. Friedel. The message says all are welcome at any service. Here's my post from last year.
I don't consider myself religious, but I'll go yet again. It's a link to departed family members and a cultural connection, with all the historic darkness and light mixed in. My favorite part is when everyone sings Christmas carols in this huge stone church.
While in Arkansas Thursday night I had a chance to see the Fayetteville town square "Lights of the Ozarks" display, complete with camel rides and zillions of lights.
Here's another video taken before the east side of the square was closed off for rides: link.
We were in Fayetteville to see the Asleep at the Wheel "Santa Loves to Boogie" Christmas show. I'd love to show you pictures of the band, but the Walton Arts Center did not allow photography during the show. It's an unfortunate venue policy that does not encourage social media publicity of the place and the acts that perform there.
However, the helpful guy at the band's merchandise booth recommended we go outside to the tour bus if we wanted any pictures with the band, and that's just what we did. Ace met vocalist and rhythm guitar player Elizabeth McQueen.
Here's part of Asleep at the Wheel during a 2008 performance at Tulsa's Cain's Ballroom when the group played for the concluding banquet of the National Trust for Historic Preservation annual national conference. I was attending the conference in order to network about googie architecture sites; the band was a nice bonus. Left to right, this is Ray Benson, Jason Roberts and McQueen. When I saw her Thursday night I almost didn't recognize McQueen without the glasses.
The band played "Route 66", both in the 2008 Tulsa appearance (video) and in Fayetteville in 2010. The latter surprised and delighted me as that Arkansas town is a ways from the Mother Road.
McQueen has a nerdy, jazzy appeal as a solo artist as you can hear. She's also a blogger.
After the show I made my first visit to a sushi restaurant - Tokyo Sushi and Bar near the Walton Arts Center.
I recommend the H3. I don't remember what exactly was in it but it had lots of tastes and textures. It was really good for something that looked like an alien caterpillar.
We also ran across the Collier Drug store at 100 West Dickson, which is a real car stopper. According to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Art Moderne building dates from 1950 and featured a soda fountain (now gone) and the first set of electronic doors in Arkansas. (more photos: 1, 2, 3)
Across the street from Collier, Nightbird Books was selling "howling forks" which can hold stuff.
And back in our motel room, I discovered you can see the keys on your laptop by using battery-powered Christmas trees that don't disturb anyone's sleep.
Apparently, Santa does his laundry at Twin Bridges Park of Lights in Oklahoma. The holiday attraction is part of Twin Bridges State Park which is roughly between Miami and Grove, Oklahoma.
No red nose on the opossum?
In addition to the rustic themed displays here, there are all sorts of lights and figural light frames, as one might expect from a holiday light attraction.
Our very own nuclear scientist and Christmas robot inventor, Dale Hankins, created a new automated child to seek "Grandma's House." This one was parachuting to Grandma's House when he got stuck in the "Dumb Tree." Here's a video of the whole attraction:
Memory Lane Antiques had some vintage Christmas store window animated elves and children:
All of the neighborhood displays shown in Hutchinson, Kansas, Christmas Lights and Sights, 2010 are just as good as they were last year. The sound and light synced houses are running again. The only real change is that Hayes Sight and Sound does not have the "A Christmas Story" leg lamp display this year.
Here is a brief walk down part of Main Street from 2nd Ave going south on the east side of the street, starting from Cottonwood Quilts. Note also the window display at Payton Optical. This was during Third Thursday on December 15, 2011:
The Fox Theatre will be showing Polar Express on Christmas evening.
If you're visiting Hutchinson and have time to see only one thing, go for Dale Hankins' "Grandma's House" display at 25 Countryside Drive, where that street meets Downing Road. There are light show houses, theme neighborhoods and drive through frame displays all over the country, but I've never heard of anything like Dale's display anywhere else.
I just heard Andy Williams' version of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" on the radio for the umpteenth time (though not too many) and it reminds me he isn't appearing at the Christmas show named for him at his Moon River Theatre in Branson, MO, this year due to treatment for bladder cancer.
A note on the website that handles tickets for his Christmas show states "Due to health reasons Andy may not make a live appearance in his Christmas Show." There were a number of other performers listed, including the Lennon Sisters, which were added since I last saw the show in 2009.
For pictures from Williams 2008 and 2009 Christmas shows, check out this post.
CNN reported in November that Williams, age 84, is undergoing chemo-therapy in Houston and plans to move with his wife to Malibu, CA, to be closer to cancer specialists in L. A. area hospitals. He is reported as planning to return to performing in 2012.
Regarding the cancer, Tyler Francke of the Branson Tri-Lakes News reports Williams said "They're kicking it, and they're winning more and more every year. And I'm going to be one of them."
In my quest to pry into other people's homes and businesses in order to research the history of holiday store window display pieces, I run across the mystery of Santa with a giant boot quite often. Or is it a diminutive Santa with a normal-size boot? I don't know, and I don't understand in either case.
A friend of mine said the one above looks like something you'd see in a nursing home. This and the example below were made by the Harold Gale display company (defunct) of Kansas City, though I think other companies may have made similar items. I've no clue as to the date of the one above, though it has an angel hair beard so it's a ways back.
This Santa head in a felt and cardboard boot was made in 1970, if the dated newspaper found stuffing the boot is original to the piece. This one really messes with me as it would seem to imply that Santa has been decapitated, unless he is popping out of another dimension with the boot as the portal. Maybe he does this with chimneys and flues and he uses his own boots for practice?
Harold Gale even made an automated version of a Santa head and torso wiggling around as the Jolly Old Elf seems to emerge from a boot. Did someone at Harold Gale, in a desire to crank out quickie product, say "hey, we've got all these boot parts from larger Santas and some small Santas. Let's Frankenstein some Santa stuff together"?
I can suspend disbelief for flying bio-luminescent reindeer and time-folding Kringles, but the big boot/small Santa thing doesn't work.
I saw this sign on the door of Quiznos in Hutchinson, Kansas, today. I'm betting this was the result of a small spelling error compounded by an auto-complete program. I'm happy to report the food did not cause the apologized-for effect.
Hundreds turned out last Friday, December 9, to see the Kansas City Southern Railroad's Holiday Express during its stop in Joplin, Missouri. (photo by Steve Holmes; another photo)
I wasn't able to see it this year due to other obligations, but I'm quite familiar with it from previous visits.
The train is pulled by the railroad's executive train, The Southern Belle, headed up by classic streamlined diesels, as seen here in Noel, Missouri, in 2008.
But the payoff for kiddies is the faux steam engine and cars that contain Christmas scenes and Santa himself. I'm not surprised that such a right jolly old elf as Mr. Clause travels by rail; he's a classy guy.
My brother, Steve, shot this picture of the Holiday Express part of the train last Friday.
The great illuminated star atop the South Mound in Fredonia, Kansas, used to turn, but hasn't done so since its motor gave out in 2008. I was fortunate to linger over it in its last days of rotation, as seen in Star of Fredonia. It also doubles as a cross in the Easter season.
Even though it is stilled, I always enjoy stopping to spend a few middle-of-the-night minutes peacefully looking over the lights of Fredonia as I did when I shot the picture above, on December 13.
This month in 1941, Universal Studios premiered The Wolf Man with Lon Chaney, Jr. in Los Angeles. On December 12, 1941, it opened nationwide, giving rise to several sequels and much parody, including our own lycanthropic jackalope.
By coincidence, this year December 13 had a full moon and a lunar eclipse. I'm glad I didn't realize the juxtaposition at the time, what with me having no gun and no silver bullets.
And what do werewolves do during a lunar eclipse, anyway? "Hey, I know I chased you down and started to gnaw on you, but now that the moon is in umbra, I'm just not into it. Do you mind cleaning up and having dinner in a restaurant with me through penumbra, then we take up where we left off?"
I must confess, at the risk of being ostracized by fellow classic horror fans, that I was never fond of Lon Chaney Jr's Larry Talbot. It seemed the true curse of the Wolf Man was to be interesting one day a month and a bit whiny the rest.
I mean, c'mon Larry, as to that "I'm cursed and lonely" thing, just walk into any goth bar, drop any hint of personality and announce that you're cursed to turn into a primal beast. Granted, the women you get will be fatalistic danger junkies but look on the bright side: you'll have reduced the population of Twilight fans.
I had front row seats to the Trans-Siberia Orchestra's Wichita show tonight and I passed them along so I could attend the Hutchinson Symphony's Christmas show at the Fox Theatre. (2009 photo)
It wasn't just the appeal of supporting my local musicians that appealed to me. Tonight is Third Thursday and the idea of wandering downtown Hutchinson, Kansas, has a special lure when it's trimmed with Christmas lights. (2008 photo)
Mind you, I like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra but I've seen them for the past four years. Here's a collection of pictures I shot at previous shows.
I guess I just figured I'm just feeling like giving the lasers a break for a year and basking in understated incandescence. (2008 photo)
Documenting holiday commercial store window displays, especially motorized ones, is a hobby of mine. I photograph them in windows, antique stores and private homes, then I try to find out who made them. December 6 was St. Nicholas Day and I was reminded that although there are many different animated Santas, one rarely sees his progenitor saint. I guess the actual saint isn't as appropriate for pushing merchandise as the Santa.
This one is West German. The owner had it in a cluttered storage room so I have removed the background. I do not know the age or the manufacturer of the piece. Originally, he probably had an orb in his right hand and a crosier (staff) in his left.
There's a train show and swap meet scheduled tomorrow, November 26, 2011, at the Joplin Museum Complex in Schifferdecker Park on Route 66 at 7th Street and Schifferdecker Avenue in Joplin, Missouri. The show runs from 9am to 3pm; admission is $3 for adults. Kids under 12 are admitted free with a paid adult.
From his base in Hutchinson, Kansas, Ace Jackalope ventures forth - sometimes to foreign lands and sometimes to his own backyard - in order to drink in the wonders of the world around us.
