Hazy Mother's Day in the Ouachita National Forest

I've said it before, I always seem to be in a hurry to get somewhere or to get home, and never have time to shoot anything interesting or fun coming from or going to a job.  Case in point; two weeks ago I was assigned the graduation ceremonies for University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.  I was late leaving and so I drove through the switchbacks of the Ouachita National Forest in Southeastern Oklahoma at night, and partially in the rain.  I described it as the setting for the horror movie Wrong Turn: Oklahoma because it's the kind of out of the way place that if you disappear no one will ever find you. 

Anyway it was night driving up so I got to see nothing, on the way back I was trying to get back because it was Mother's Day and the wife was understandably upset that I wasn't there to begin with and even more annoyed that I wouldn't be making it back into town before noon.  It was a beautiful morning with sparse clouds and I had a good sunrise getting out of Arkansas, but once I hit the Ouachita again a haze rolled in and blanketed the low peaks, this is the only look out cut into 259 that I saw and I caught it as a little sun was trying to break through.  I wish I would have been able to sit for a while and see if I could have had a little more hit the valley, but it's not a bad shot.

US 59

Sunday I had a PR assignment in Houston.  I am always in a hurry when I am driving there or back, but this time I told myself I was going to stop and take some pictures.  I had my oldest step-son with me helping me drive so I got to sit and look out for shots.

The top image is a closed down drive-in south of Nacogdoches on US 59, which the state of Texas is turning into interstate 69, and will be soon demolishing the old structure.  So, I had to make sure that I stopped and documented it before it was no longer there.  I don't know if I will get a chance, but it faces west and I would really like a shot of the sun coming up right next to it. 

The middle image is from downtown Houston, the sugar skull I saw on a junction box right in front a cemetery and  thought it was too perfect to pass up the shot. 

Finally, the bottom image is one that I have been dying to get since the first trip I took down 59 last January.  I have also seen the tag in Dallas and out on I-20 on a railroad bridge so I am guessing that it was the same person cruising around Texas throwing up the Bob Omb tag for us.  I just think it is excellent that this guy is just hanging out in the middle of the Big Thicket in between Moscow and Corrigan Texas it's too perfect.

Warrior Dash Mississippi

Last Saturday was Warrior Dash Mississippi.  Here are some of my favorites from the day.  Great race venue, if only we could have parked closer than a million miles away that would have been excellent.  The guys on the construction crew wanted to buy #uglyhat but I let them know that my race companion was not for sale under any circumstances.  First race of the season that felt like summer, and I got a little crispy sitting under the sun all day.
(c) Gameface Media

Survival Race Sunday

Sunday was the Texas Survival Race outside of Dallas.  Mother Nature thought she would be funny and add to the mud, by throwing down a thunder/hail storm, just as the first runners where getting to us.  Thankfully #uglyhat saved my head.  I was perched on top of the climbing wall, slipped on a wet 2x4 and fell, didn't drop my camera though, so that was fun. 

After the morning water works it was business as usual though, hung out up there all day and stayed relatively clean, and dried out eventually.  Got done and as I was leaving saw a couple of guys drinking cold ones in the parking lot so I stopped of course.  

Thanks for the beers guys.