Welcome to the rt tulley photography blogIt features photos, text, and poetry.May 19Civic Duty
I am thankful for the honor of doing our civic duty by serving on jury pools and on juries. It is our system of freedom and justice that enables people to rest comfortably with the knowledge that all people are innocent until proven guilty and that our justice system will do its best to determine innocence or guilt and remove dangerous people from circulation so that they will do no further damage or harm to innocent people or commit further crimes. It also allows us to determine responsibility in civil cases. It is because citizens agree to do their civic duty by serving on jury pools and on juries if selected that our system of justice is possible. No system is perfect but our system requires that enough evidence is obtained to assure the most just verdict by a jury as possible.
A few weeks ago I served on my third jury pool during my adult life. I, as well as most of the several hundred people there did not really want to be thee but we were all willing to do our civic duty in return for the freedoms that we get to experience in our country. I have never been chosen to serve on a jury but have had a couple of close calls. One time it was for a case of a man's family who were suing a chemical company because he died of cancer. They were trying to convince the court that the man died due to chemical exposures from his job. When I was questioned by the lawyers, I was asked what I did for a living. When i told them I was a chemist who served as the safety officer at my job, they laughed and dismissed me. The good thing is that I got paid for serving on the jury pool. I made all of $14 the last time, which averaged out to considerably lower than minimum wage. Well, I don't think anybody does that job for the money (except for the attorneys, of course).
This photo is of the bas relief over the entrance door at the Louisiana State capitol building in Baton Rouge. The Louisiana state motto is inscribed: Union, Justice, and Confidence. The scales of justice are shown above the pelican and also being held by the man below the inscription.
civic duty
justice is a word that reminds us of right for ethical treatment to or not to indict our civic duty is required to support the balance of justice and our system of courts. © rt tulley
May 18Interesting Stories
I am thankful for interesting stories. I love stories that remind us that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. I love researching and digging out lesser known facts and stories.
Today's photo is a statue, which I never noticed before, that I came upon on North Boulevard in Baton Rouge while I was taking a photo of the new 19th Judicial District Courthouse. It stands right in front of the courthouse in the North Boulevard Promenade. What interested me was an inscription at the base which says "WCTU 1914". A little research (Landmarks & Monuments of Baton Rouge by Hilda S. Krousel, Ph.D., The History Press, 2012) told me that WCTU stood for Women's Christian Temperance Union. This became a little more intriguing. These Christian women were for temperance in all things, especially involving alcohol. I learned that the statue was of the Greek Goddess Hebe, cupbearer to the Gods. Originally, there was a large basin and water fountains surrounding her. It seems that the WCTU put the statue up to promote alcoholic temperance, thinking that Hebe delivered water to the Gods. However, as Greek mythology tells us, Hebe's pitcher contained wine and not water. The WCTU was more than a little bit embarrassed. The statue became known as the "Naughty Lady of North Boulevard" or the "Naughty Lady of the Shady Boulevard".
My dad was the consumate story teller. He would have us rolling with laughter during the telling of his tales, mostly true stories based on his experiences in our hometown in Indiana. The following is my version in verse of a story he used to tell a long time ago. It was based on the true story of a man who worked in his plant. I have added a little poetic license but it is, as far as I remember, pretty much as he told it. I did manufacture an ending of my own (the part in parentheses), but who knows, maybe it actually happened like this.
john q
there was a man who’s name was john q he had so many pet rabbits his wife didn’t know what to do she said to him one day “either the rabbits or you have to go i can’t continue to live this way john q you have to know there are rabbits in the den and rabbits in the hall when i go to take a shower there’s rabbits in the stall” so john q scratched his head he had a decision to make he loved his rabbits and his wife there was a lot at stake so he did the only thing a man could possibly do he himself and his rabbits to his car they withdrew so he lived there in the car the rabbits and john q but the inside of the automobile became a rather messy goo he was about to give in he was about to give the bunnies away when his wife came to him and said they could all come home and stay she would take him back even with every last bunny so john q is now happy with the rabbits and his honey.
(his wife has a little secret though she cooks him his meals anew consisting of vegetables, onions, and potatoes and a meaty mystery stew). © rt tulley May 17Texas Longhorns
I am thankful for longhorn cattle and Texas Longhorns. Don't get me wrong, I am an LSU fan through and through and do prefer Tigers to Longhorns. However, having said that, Texas is my, I guess you could call it, adopted home. It's one of the places I attended graduate school, so I came to enjoy it. I do think Tigers could pretty much whoop up on longhorns. But, there is something elegant and gentle about a longhorn - I know those horns don't look gentle but I've found them to be docile animals (by the way, Tigers are elegant and beautful, but definitely not docile). If LSU plays Texas, I will always root for LSU. But if Texas was to play a team like, say Alabama, I'd be saying "Hook 'em horns!" with gusto. Maybe that's not exactly fair - I root for anybody that plays against Alabama. But you know what I mean.
I took this photo in the country not too far from Georgetown, Texas. It was an entire field of longhorns. These particular longhorns noticed I was shooting them with my camera. The eyes of the one laying down never left me and the other one came running (well, it was more like a lazy saunter). I waited for just the right moment and snapped.
longhorns
such elegant mammals longhorn cattle staid and imposing that’s no prattle i know there’s one by the name of bevo he represents his school to them a hero wish i had a couple of them in my lawn because i would use their horns for to hang my lawn tools upon. © rt tulley
May 16Texas Barbecue
I am thankful for Texas barbecue. From our time in Texas, Bebe and I became enamored with the two distinctive foods of Texas: Mexican and Barbecue. We absolutely love Louisiana cuisine, but we do miss those two from Texas, so when we are in Texas, we never miss out on Mexican and BBQ.
This photo is from Cooper's BBQ in Llano, Texas. My sister Mary Beth took me there the first time and then I requested that we eat there the next time I visited. It was worth the hour and a half drive from Georgetown. They also sell a BBQ and steak spice that I have stocked up on the two times I've been there (it is available online so you don't have to go there). You walk up to this pit and choose which cut you want and how much. Then you go inside and get as much potato salad, BBQ sauce, pickles, and beans as you wish. The restaurant has long tables with benches, so you get to be intimately connected with your neighbors at the table. The last time we were there, Mary Beth and I sat next to a group that said they were on a tour of Texas BBQ restuarants. They rated this one as the best they had been to.
The following wasn't originally in this blog. I get doing multiple blogs at a time, so sometimes can get ahead of myself and save the poem for the end, which I usually add before posting. I obviously completely forgot about it this time. Thanks to Gay for pointing it out. At least I know one person is paying attention (and thanks for 'barbecue love you'!)
barbecue
i can count of you so thank you my good friend named gay for telling me i forgot my poem today but when eating barbecue it is so yummy i forget about everything else enjoying the experience from mouth to tummy add a little beans and a little bbq sauce potato salad and pickle in my reverie i am lost so for gay I have this to say barbecue just remember i love you. © rt tulley
May 15Texas Wildflowers
I am thankful for Texas wildflowers. Like I said in yesterday's blog, Texas erupts in colorful wildflower displays every spring. They can be quite lovely.
This photo is another taken on the Willow City Loop near Llano. These are primarily blanket flowers, with assorted other wildflowers, and some bluebonnets.
i lay myself down
i lay myself down in a bed of wildflowers today covered myself in a blanket of colored array of red and blue and yellow a living flower bouquet and so i remain and this is where i’ll stay until the flowers no longer bloom and earth has taken them away but i will return at the first breath of spring to be covered by next year’s display. © rt tulley
the wildflowers are rampant in texas
the wildflowers are rampant in texas i heard someone say so i jumped into the car to go and see them today but when i got there for the flowers to admire i saw not wildflowers but instead rampant wildfires (let me now just end this rhyme by simply saying that texas accent fools me every time!). © rt tulley
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