Gallivanting in Galveston: Rain and Shine

What are the rules at the beach in Galveston?  Well, there is this set of rules posted in the lobby of the building where we are staying:

Good vacation rules, especially if you like puns.  Which i do.

Has the weather cooperated with the plans we made?  Not completely.

While the sun was rising in the east:

Sunrise -- while the rain was falling!

A storm was blowing up in the west:

Wind and storm clouds coming up from the west.

And it was quite a corker of a wind, it set the deck chairs sliding:

The deck chairs did a lovely sliding dance right into the water!

This did not stop us from driving in to Houston and touring the home of Ima Hogg, and having some lovely meals together, and meeting Fivecat and Mr. Fiver's two dogs, and doing what we love best, talking and chatting and catching up with each other.

Rain or shine, and we had both at varying times during the day, it was a lovely Thursday.

Today is: 

Arcola Broom Corn Festival -- Arcola, IL, US (includes a parade; through Sunday)

Boonesborough Days -- Boonesboro, MD, US (living history, food, antiques, and a celebration of the original spelling of the town's name; through tomorrow)

Chadds Ford Days -- Chadds Ford, PA, US (Brandywine Valley traditional art celebration; through tomorrow)

Day of Remembrance/Patriot Day -- US (all flags at half staff)

Discontinued Thoughts Exhibition -- Fairy Calendar

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 1, Unity (sponsored by We, the World) 

Emergency Number Day/National 911 Emergency Day -- US

Festival of the Vine -- Geneva, IL, US (celebrating the flavors of fall, especially good food and wine from around the world; through Sunday)

Fiesta de Santa Fe -- Santa Fe, NM, US (festivities include the burning of the Zozobra -- Old Man Gloom effigy -- on the first night, so bring your personal gloom written down before the burning, and watch it be destroyed, then enjoy one of the oldest fiestas in the US; through Sunday)

Fiesta Nacional de Cataluna -- Catalonia, Spain (National Day of Catalonia)

Goroka Show -- Goroka, Papua New Guinea (a cultural festival and showcase of over 100 clans and tribes and their customs; through Sunday)

Great Canadian Beer Festival -- Victoria, BC, Canada (through tomorrow)

Jinnah Day -- Pakistan (Founder's Day)

Libraries Remember Day -- encouraging libraries, which preserve knowledge and heritage, promote tolerance, and represent all that is the antithesis to terrorism, to remain open the entire 24 hours of this day as symbol of freedom, tolerance, and hope

Make Your Bed Day -- make your mom happy!

National Day of Service and Remembrance/Patriot Day -- US 
National Hot Cross Buns Day

Nayrouz -- Coptic Orthodox Church (Coptic new year and day of confessors) related observances
     Enkutatash -- Ethiopia
     Keddus Johannes -- Eritrea (a/k/a Geez New Year)

No News is Good News Day

Norwalk Seaport Oyster Festival -- Norwalk, CT, US (vintage ships, crafters, entertainment, oysters, and a Kids' Cove; through Sunday)

Ohio River Sternwheel Festival -- Marietta, OH, US (a three day riverfront extravaganza)

One Arm Dove Hunt -- Olney, TX, US (a one-of-a-kind event, begun by two Texas politicians from Olney who were both amputees, they and the town of Olney invite every amputee or person who has lost use of a hand or arm to come to "The Friendliest Town West of the Mississippi River" for Texas food, fun, a glove swap, musical entertainment, one arm jokes and tales, one arm golf tournament, the famous 10 cents a finger breakfast, a Cow Chip Chunk'n, Amputee Vs. Politician, and the big dove hunt; through tomorrow)

Pohnpei Liberation Day -- Micronesia

Popeye Picnic -- Chester, IL, US (celebrate everyone's favorite cartoon sailor in the town where his creator, E.C. Segar, was born; through Sunday)

Puyallup Fair -- Puyallup, WA, US (one of the top ten fairs in attendance in the world; through the 27th)

Queen Paola's Birthday -- Belgium (an official flag day)

Sacrifice to Zeus Epoptes -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

South Carolina Apple Festival -- Westminster, SC, US (through Saturday)

St. Sperandea's`Day (Patron of Cingoli, Italy)

St. Vincent of Leon' Day (Patron of Cercemaggiore, Italy)

Teacher's Day -- Argentina


Anniversaries Today:

Diocletian New Year
Remembrance of 9/11/2001


Birthdays Today:

Harry Connick, Jr. 1967
Moby, 1965
Virginia Madsen, 1963
Kristy McNichol, 1962
Amy Madigan, 1951
Donna Lopiano, 1946
Lola Falana, 1943
Tom Dreesen, 1942
Brian DePalma, 1940
Paul "Bear" Bryant, 1913
D.H. Lawrence, 1885
O. Henry, 1862


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Little House on the Prairie"(TV), 1974
"The Rookies"(TV), 1972
"The Carol Burnett Show"(TV), 1967
"The Queen's Messenger"(TV, first drama ever broadcast), 1928
Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale"(first US performance), 1850


Today in History:

Battle of Teutoburg Forest ends, 9
Michimalonko leads indigenous warriors to attack and destroy Santiago, Chile, 1541
Alexander Hamilton is appointed first US Secretary of the Treasury, 1789
The Hope Diamond is stolen along with other French crown jewels when six men break into the house used to store them, 1792
Stephen Foster's well-known song, Oh! Susanna, is first performed at a saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1847
Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale", gives her first US concert, 1850
The Olympia Columbian becomes the first newspaper published north of the Columbia River, 1852
The postal mail chute is patenteted by James Cutler, 1883
Mahatma Gandhi coins the term "Satyagraha" to characterize the Non-Violence movement in South Africa, 1906
The Quebec Bridge's central span collapses, killing 11, 1916
Hurricane Carla strikes the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state, 1961
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel meet at Camp David and agree on the Camp David Accords, 1978
Hungary announces that East German refugees there are free to leave for West Germany, 1989
Hurricane Iniki, one of the most damaging hurricanes in United States history, devastates Hawaii, especially the islands of Kauai and Oahu, 1992
September 11 terrorist attacks on the US, 2001
The State of Israel claims completion for its unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip, 2005
Russia tests the largest conventional weapon ever, the Father of all bombs, 2007
The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is attacked by terrorists, 2012