Photo Friday - PhotoTrice

Sunlight

Cypress Trees, Medina River - Central Texas Hill Country — Cypress Trees, Medina River – Central Texas Hill Country

Spring generally comes early in the Central Texas Hill Country. This year is no exception to that rule. It has been a marvelous winter season with lots of rain. Texas is poised on the edge of a spectacular wildflower bloom starting about now along the coast and progressing northward for the next couple of months.

The Hill country is just at the point of transition into spring. Cypress trees along the Medina River are not yet covered with new growth. They are still elegant silhouettes lining the banks of the river. It was eighty four degrees here yesterday and the locals were picnicking and swimming with the giant trees overhead.

After years of severe drought we can all rejoice in a gentle abundant Spring season.

Seeing Red

This time of year I wake up on Saturday thinking about who will make Q3 and how the start will go on Sunday. It is a ritual that I have kept since the day I watched Senna driving a wet track on slicks and passing everyone. Unfortunately not in a Ferrari.

There are many brilliant drivers in the history of F1 but two are at the top of my list. Two very different drivers, Mansell and Senna. Mansell seemed to approach every start with the attitude that he would not be denied the win. He was a perpetual underdog in his own eyes. That made him unpredictable in the paddock and on the track. When he was on the grid you could sense his single minded determination above all else.

Senna was also a passionate man with consummate skills. He was magic. He didn’t just drive a car they bonded to become a single entity. That last race at Imola is still fresh in my mind. Drivers walked away from crashes like that. Not this time. He deserved a better fate.

This year a new formula, new opportunities and an open championship. Could be a good year. Best wishes to all the greats, near greats and journeyman who ply their trade in F1.

City – Peacock Alley

Peacock Alley is just a couple of blocks from Alamo Plaza which is perpetually crowded with tourists. There are no tourists in Peacock Alley. It is part of the bones of the city, servicing back doors of upscale hotels and sheltering people that tourists would rather not see. It is a place for workmen, cooks and maids to catch a quick smoke out if sight.