Category: Texas

Here Comes The Rain Again

Century of Change, 1910 swimsuit

And the precip keep a’falling in the greater Austin area today. I’m thanking God I’m in the suburbs, as all of Austin is under a mandatory water boil notice, after the historic hill country flooding. Our lakes look like Nestle Quik.

http://www.texastribune.org

Several of my friends’ lakeside homes have been destroyed. Many don’t have flood insurance because we’re lucky to get two drops of rain per year. This is a drought city. We go several months at 100 plus temps and not a drop of rain. Nearly every dang summer. It’s feast or famine.

And now it’s feasting time. You don’t realize how important clean water is until you need it. We have a whole house filter in our home, as well as a reverse osmosis on our fridge water, because I HATE the taste of nasty water. And our non-Austin, unfathomably overpriced city water tastes nasty. We’ve all been in restaurants with that chlorine-y water or at a relative’s house who serves ice that’s been sitting in her freezer for three months. Gross.

But Austinites would be happy for that nasty tap water today. All the local Starbucks are closed (though you’d think if any place could boil water, it’d be them), grocery stores have tossed all produce that was sprayed with city water, most eateries are closed (save the few that have workers coming in early to boil massive quantities of water to wash vegetables and clean dishes, while serving canned drinks), and no schoolchildren can drink from faucets. Needless to say, all of the plastic bottles have flown off the shells. Not a great time for such an environmentally-aware city.

And how are folks bathing? You’ve got me. They say it could last up to 14 days. Things could be worse, of course. But let’s never take clean water for granted.

infograph.venngage.com

The website cited above states that 99% of earth’s water is not drinkable. Most of you right now have a glass of water, or a mug of tea or coffee (made with clean water) adjacent to your keyboard. We are blessed, folks. The fortunate ones.

Pinterest

The Cure’s Robert Smith Leaves Stage To Arrest Disorderly Confederate Soldiers

Cactus 79

At least that’s what it looked like to me.

But upon further inspection, it’s not Smith; it’s a UT campus policeman, arresting one of the Kappa Alphas during their traditional (and illegal) “confederate swim” in Littlefield Fountain. Bet that wouldn’t fly nowadays on any side of the aisle.

Halloween 1978

The original Halloween was released 40 years ago, in 1978.

giphy.com/gifs/entertainmentweekly

It still creeps me out. That mask is terrifying.

But the students at the University of Texas in 1978 were fairly tame by comparison. I’m not even sure what the woman on the left is. A younger girl?

These were “50s be-boppers.”

The large Groucho nose was a big deal in the late 70s. Why did everyone have Raggedy Ann cheeks?

Now this is more like it.

I still can’t figure out what was the deal with clowns. At least there’s a vampire here, although his head looks more like Han Solo. 

The saucy wench looks like she’s having the most fun–and it isn’t even dark yet!

giphy.com

Hoo Ray For Raye

1949 Cactus

With politics so prevalent in today’s news feed, let’s dial it back to a simpler time. When the wheels were turning for Ferris.

When babies were too young to vote for Jane Cloyes.

And cows were used as props to show that voting for Cissy was no bull!

A Car Is Shiny, But A Burro Is Sure

Nat Geo 1/68

Such is the caption in this 1968 Nat Geo, as I call them. Evidently, it was a common practice for motorists to attempt to cross the Rio Grande River at its low points in fall and winter, though I would personally advise to NEVER ford a river by car. Yes, the wheels get wet, but so does the engine.

Cue the enterprising young Mexican boy on the burro, who offers round trip rides for 75 cents to get across the river. Often, they neglect to mention that a dirty half-mile ride to Boquillas then awaits them. If they have another 75 cents.

But what do they do with the CAR??

When Helen Was A Popular Name

In days of yore, both high school and university yearbooks included many pages of the campus’s most attractive dames. The 1933 Austin High School Comet was no exception. Let’s start with the freshman.

How equestrian! How polished! How elegant!

Now on to the sophomores.

Check out the razzle-dazzle art deco framing their pics. I guess most high school girls owned riding crops. Now we see the juniors, both named Helen.

And there are no 12A or B favorites, oddly. Just Essie Mae Wentworth, Queen of the Spring Festival.

When Everyone Dresses Like Criminal Bonnie Parker

Comet33--004
1933 Comet

Pictured above are the Austin High School 1933 Girl Reserves. I wasn’t clear what exactly “girl reserves” were (what came to mind was not pleasant), so I searched for clarity. According to the yearbook, their “aim” was to “find and give the best.” Their flower is listed as the “phlox” and their colors as “blue and white.” Seems like a lot of wasted information to me. Perhaps they were reserving the truth?

Below is the group of Sodalitas Latina. Motto: Esse quam videri. I am guessing the boys up front are freshmen, as they hardly look a day older than 14.

Along with the German Club, the Motion Picture Club (motion pictures being about the same age as the teachers), and TWO Nature Science Clubs, there was also this Golden R Readers Club, with one happy boy and several angry girls. Ralph appears to be mid-prank.

Not to be outdone by R’s, I present the Order of the Golden A, comprised of those who have achieved non-athletic interscholastic victory.

This one is a hoot. The front row middle girl is being held hostage by the iron fists of the Dead Center. Then we have Messy Martha, second from the left, who is not only scowling through lenses, but clutching her handbag protectively. Further to the right is that amazing three button dress.

Lastly, I share the Austin High Student Council–in two pieces, so you can really climb in there and check them out. Those pockets! That ruffle! What kind of Depression was this?

This shot is really just to appreciate Angry Eyebrows and Odd-Stance McCrary there, both in the front row (or as they called it, the FIFTH row, since the Top Row was in the back and there was no Front Row). If one thing is certain, it’s that those two aren’t dating.

 

 

1933 Austin High School Tumbling Team

The AHS girls’ tumbling team consisted of these five ladies: Henderson, Remund, Silberstein, Piper, and McGill. Remund clearly was distracted.

For anyone familiar with Austin, you will recognize the capitol in the background, before the skyline was a jagged, crowded hodgepodge of skyscrapers.

I love the juxtaposition of the upside-down girls against the vintage cars, but it also raises many questions. Personally, I recall the discomfort of doing Jane Fonda aerobics in my high school cafeteria, especially when the boys walked past us during pelvic raises. One can only surmise how many citizens observed these antics as they passed by in the days prior to registered sex offenders, and how vulnerable these gals may have felt, limbs akimbo. Also, it looks quite painful! What are your thoughts?