Update 25 June 2010: I’ve added some photos that Juan took during the day (to have pictures of me, as proof that I exist. Plus Juan’s a good photographer).
Juan, Natalie, Laura, and I took our first full day off yesterday. The morning was spent doing laundry, swimming, reading, and otherwise lazing about. In the early afternoon we planned to watch the Germany vs Ghana match, so Natalie, Juan, and I walked to the corner store for snacks and beer. In what has to be a misinterpretation of some law, one of the stores refused to sell beer to anyone that didn’t have Texas issued ID. The store across the street had no such problem.
After the match, we went to the Dogwood Junction Family Fun Park to play some mini-golf. Natalie, by some combination of being really good, really lucky, or soberer than the rest of us (the latter is my excuse, at least) kicked our asses.
Finally, we took a walk downtown to see what Palestine is like off of the circular highway around the outskirts. Turns out they have sidewalks here and there, lots of bail bonds places, and a lot of unoccupied but great old brick buildings. Our intended destination, the Old Magnolia Sandwich (and souvenir) Shop was closed when we arrived. It was sad, but we plan to go there another day for lunch.
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- Our home away from home away from home (home away from home being the CSBF highbay)
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- Natalie models the correct attire for a day off
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- A truck on a truck on a truck. Sweet.
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- We’re off to mini-golf
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- Park exploding wheelchairs here
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- The course, in all its empty somewhat repetitive lack of shadiness
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- Natalie starts kicking ass with a hole in one on the first hole
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- Juan shoots next
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- Followed by Laura
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- Natalie watches from the shade as Laura putts
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- The holes are all as straightforward as this. We’re all pretty bad
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- Playground. I like the truck
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- Mini-golfing is tiring work
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- Shady Lady
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- Natalie convinces the Shady Lady to share her shade
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- Laura strives to maximally enjoy the course-adjacent pile of rubble
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- Every hole has a separate sponsor. I find this amusing
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- If they had searched Laura’s bag, they would have found several weapons
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- Unsupervised teens will act like ladies and gentlemen or they will be asked to leave
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- The first sidewalk sighting. It lasts for a block
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- The office is probably closing because the company is too abstract
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- Palestine has a very large courthouse. Probably for all the nearby prisons
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- Decrepit education center in a dated style: old, old-school school.
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- Good closeup by Juan of the old school’s entrance
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- Old Town Palestine apparently consists of a ravine
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- Old Town Palestine from the other side of the gate
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- There’s something about this backyard that I like
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- Natalie and Laura inspect the empty insides of another amazing old building
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- Presidents and Governors with no discernible selection criteria. According to some Greg (via Don) this is painted by inmates
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- The mural is painted on the corner of another old building
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- E Main St on one side
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- W Main St on the other side
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- This must be downtown. The empty buildings begin to sadden me a little
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- There was a train here. I missed it
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- Old Magnolia. We planned to stop here, but it was closed
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- I look for posted hours, and can’t seem to find any
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- Ivanhoe Building (the 15th?). Meeting Place for the Knights of Pythias
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- With the sandwich shop closed, we scope out an alternate dinner location
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- The restaurant is nice and colourful, but also closed
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- So, that mean’s it’s time to head back, and settle for the restaurant beside the hotel
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- Juan concentrated so hard on this portrait that he stepped on a dead bird. Natalie failed to warn him in time
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- A collection of the pretty red-yellow flowers/weeds they have here
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