Houston for New Years Weekend Day 2 & 3

After breakfast Eric and I went for a walk.  Mainly to leave Ray alone to prepare for his dinner party.  Right near the house is the

this is the second largest bat colony, second to Austin Tx..

be very careful around the bats..

we went to two sights in the afternoon.  the first was the Orange Show..

Jeff McKissack (1902-1980) spent the Depression transporting Florida oranges, and something about the happy citrus fruit sparked obsession in him years later. In the 1950s, as a Houston postal worker living in a quiet neighborhood at 2406 Munger Street, McKissack decided to buy two adjacent empty lots. His get-rich-quick notions of turning the land into a worm farm, plant nursery, or beauty parlor eventually gave way to something much better: an artistic tribute to the orange.
Starting in 1956, McKissack transformed the lots on Munger using bits of junk and material salvaged along his mail route. He fashioned tons of masonry block, tiles, and throwaways into whimsical sculptures, doorways, gates and displays, based on his personal philosophy that oranges were "the perfect food." The Orange Show filled 3,000 square feet with a multi-decked building and series of rooms, a wishing well, an amphitheater with an array of old tractor seats, a pond, and an oasis. He did all the work himself.

Finally in 1979, nearly 25 years after he began, McKissack officially opened the doors of The Orange Show to the public. He believed his creation would become a major attraction, but early attendance dropped off to just a curious few who Jeff would cheerily guide. Seven months after the opening, McKissack collapsed from a stroke and died in the hospital.

Unfortunately it was not open..  not sure if it was because of it being New Years Eve.  Next we headed to another Houston sight...

John Milkovisch, a retired upholsterer for the Southern Pacific Railroad, started his project now known as the Beer Can House in 1968 when he began inlaying thousands of marbles, rocks, and metal pieces into concrete and redwood to form unique landscaping features. When the entire front and back yard were completely covered because he "got sick of mowing the grass", he turned to the house itself and began adding aluminum siding – aluminum beer can siding, that is. Over the next 18 years the house disappeared under a cover of flattened beer cans for both practical and decorative reasons. Garlands made of cut beer cans hanging from the roof edges not only made the house sing in the wind, but also lowered the family's energy bills. Ripley's Believe It or Not estimated that over 50,000 cans adorn this monument to recycling.
John considered his work an enjoyable pastime rather than a work of art, but he did enjoy people's reaction to his creations. He once said, "It tickles me to watch people screech to a halt. They get embarrassed. Sometimes they drive around the block a couple of times. Later they come back with a car-load of friends..."
The house and landscape are adorned with many different types of beer that John, himself, drank (though his neighbors and his wife, Mary, were always glad to lend a hand!). Did he prefer one brand to the next? His favorite beer was always "Whatever's on special".

Again this was not open either...
  but we enjoyed the view..

we headed back home for a nap so we could try to stay up until Midnight. 

Ray's friends came by at about 6:00 for a dinner of curry pork and coconut rice.  we had a great time and really enjoyed their company.  we tried to stay up until midnight but.. we did watch New York celebrate. 

New Years Day;  we met Ray's friends for brunch at the Rainbow Lodge.  we shared a bowl of black eyed peas, it is suppose to bring luck if you eat it on Jan 1.  Eric had shrimp and grits (very good) and I had a southern Pork hash (pretty good).  of course mimosa's and champagne was on the table too!  we went straight to the airport from brunch. 

our flight was 2 hours behind!!  what the heck..  it was late coming up on Thursday..  but the 9:30am flight was late too!  It was 2:15 and we ran to the gate, was able to get on the plane and was back in Brownsville by 3:40!!  I think the peas worked, we were lucky to get to the airport early enough to catch the early flight and there were plenty of seats.. 

we really enjoyed our time in Houston.  Ray is a very good host. we hope to meet up with him again before we head back home..

hope everyone had a wonderful New Years weekend.  and wishing you a healthy 2012