Herman Park and Art Museums.

This morning there was some hope that today would be sunny and warm. maybe nice to wander around Herman Park and visit some of the Art galleries as today was 'Art Houston' Day when all the Galleries around the Houston area open, some with evening events and refreshments.
It was an opportunity for me to go and view some of these places.

The day started out sunny so I decided to drive just South of the City of Houston, parking in Herman Park. I started my walk around the reflection pond and then went walking around the Japanese gardens.





Then the Rose Gardens just next to the Museum of Science and Natural History and not far from the Miller Ourdoor Theater.















I some found the secluded gardens through a fragrance garden, full of herbs and spices where many insects were busy collecting pollen.








I entered a sculpture garden with some interesting and odd and conventional sculpture. I found myself exiting that area, by now pretty hot and sweaty, and looking for an art gallery to cool off in.







I also stumbled upon the 'Jung Center' for education and learning. It looked interesting and cool so I entered.
Founded in 1958 to aid learning and gain fresh perspectives and deper insights into the human condition, is what it purpose was. There was a lecture going on and I contemplated booking into one in a few weeks.
It was a restful place with some interesting art on the walls, lecture rooms, a library and a book store.
I spent a good hour or so in a meditative environment, gentle music playing and the tinkling of chimes in the background. I spent my time flicking through books, reading paragraphs on various spiritually edifying aspects of life.

I purchased 3 books.
'How to find the Work you Love' by Laurence G,. Boldt.
'The Roar of Silence' by Don C. Campbell and
'The Wisdom Teachings of the Dalai Lama'.

Having been rejunivated spiritually, and a lot cooler than when in the humid hot Houston atmosphere, I continued on my wanderings again.
It was clouding over now.

Just behind the Jung Center was the Houston Contemporary Art Gallery. At first sight I though it was a warehouse or an area blocked off for building work, but the oddly shaped building I walked around eventually finding the entrance of this no doubt hurricane proof building. It was a bit like walking down into a bunker.
There was much interesting Art and Sculptures inside and the art extended out side where there was a metal palm tree outside.
After visiting that I entered another gallery, where some people were drinking wine , I could not find where they got it from, and I tried to look thirsty, but did not get offered any.
It started to rain as I left that gallery, wineless, but inspired by some of the art there.

It was only raining lightly, but the scenario looked bad for more heavy rain so I headed to the Houston Museum of Fine Art just down and across the road.
10% discount if you are a member of 'AAA' (American Automibile Association, not as I once thought many years ago, Advanced Alchoholics Annonymous).
I first headed to 'Cafe Express' in the center of the museum for a much needed late lunch, and an opportunity to catch up on the Germany v Portugal Football scores. (bad luck Portugal).

I started reading my books also. In fact I sat down in various galleries to read, where they had comfortable seats.
The atmosphere in the Museum was tranquil, and cool, and I could hear thunder and torrential rain outside. There was no rush to go anywhere else.
The Museum is much bigger than I originally thought, with antiquities right through to modern art. There is a tunnel under the road joining to another building belonging to the Museum. The Tunnel was worth experiencing in itself.
The tunnel was designed by someone called James Turrell, and it is called ' The Light Inside' it is an amazing optical illusion of light and I walked through it a couple of times just to work out what I was walking on and whether if I stepped off the sides of the black path, would I fall into oblivion or was it on the same level.
After several hours in the Art Museum, I ventured back outside to a humid and yet drying out Houston.
The Clouds were slowly clearing.
I wandered back around Herman park.


I must say that the Squirrels there were extremely tame and this one followed me around until he realized there was no way I was relinquising any nuts for him.

I was contemplating heading off to the Miller Outdoor Theater and watching the music performers that were scheduled for the evening 7.00pm -9.00pm. However, I was feeling my legs having walked most of the day, and my back carrying the camera, all saying to me go home old man, so I headed back to the car and drove home.

Feeling mentally rested, once back home I sat on the front porch with a much needed cup of tea, relaxing to Indian Flute music, burning incense and Tiki lamps lit, to ward off the mosquitos and that is where I wrote this blog entry.
Macie joined me laying down on the steps watching the rabbits.

Cicadas were calling with their repetative almost electrical sounding call, whilst tree frogs called out with their high pitch calls.
We have some frogs, or maybe they are toads, whose call sounds like sheep. Most odd.
After giving up looking for sheep some years ago I realised it was the toads.
I wonder if they are covered with wool ? and I can't find 'Sheep Frogs' in the Amphibian books I have.
The success story of the evening is that no mosquitos were around me until the incense burnt out. I considered that a major win in the battle to find ways to enjoy my front Porch without being something elses meal. The other conclusion I came to is that Tiki lamps look nice as they burn, but are ineffective in keeping Mosquitos away , but mosquities do not like the smell of Lavender incense.