Red Hat Society Southern Hospitalitea Convention in Atlanta, Georgia

April 24-28, 2013

After completing our packing the night before, Doug and I arise this morning, get ready, eat fruit and Cherrios along with drinking our morning cup of coffee and head out to El Paso, Texas. We love our small town, Alamogordo, New Mexico. However, to fly anywhere, we must first drive 90 miles to El Paso. We arrive timely, get through all the rigmarole at the airport and board our Southwest flight heading firstly to Dallas, Texas where we change planes. We have now been up since 3:00 a.m. MDT. Our flight takes us to Houston where we just land to allow people to deplane and others to board. Now, we truly are heading to Atlanta for the Red Hat Society Hospitalitea Convention. We arrive in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. EDT. We get into a cab after retrieving our luggage and head to the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel. On getting to our room, we unpack, freshen up and get a bite to eat at a restaurant in the hotel. Exhausted, we fall into bed at 9:30 p.m.

Thursday morning, April 25, 2013, I have a pool splash party to attend hosted by Queen Joann Miller of the Bionic Babes chapter from Reston, Virginia. It is a fun time, especially because the pool is heated and it is quite cool in Atlanta this time of morning. I make new friends and we have a grand time. I return to our room to change clothes before boarding a bus taking us to Georgia Aquarium for a gourmet luncheon celebrating the Red Hat Society 15th Anniversary. This is a world class aquarium and the dolphin show is excellent. Unfortunately, no photography allowed so no pictures of these beautiful creatures. It's back to the room after some shopping at the Hat District for a costume change to attend the Queen Mother Board private dinner at Pitty Pat's Back Porch restaurant. Down home Southern cuisine and quite delicious.

Friday morning, April 26, 2013, I dress in my saloon girl costume and go to meet Empress Tara and several other Red Hatters from Miss Kitty's Social Club for breakfast and an update on this Red Hat chapter. The rest of the day is mine so after shopping in the Hat District, I return to the room, change into more casual Red Hat attire and Doug and I go exploring the area around the hotel. We find a lovely place to eat lunch, Max Lager's, and they too are celebrating their 15 years in business. There is a lot of statuary in Atlanta and we enjoy taking in the sights and sounds of this lovely city. Just before the "Low Tea" the National Red Hat Society Ambassadors gather for a Meet and Greet with Jo Eliot aka Lady Cranberry presiding.  Friday evening brings  the Opening Ceremonies and Welcome Dinner called a "Low Tea". For this event, I don purple overalls, a purple western shirt, a red sparkly cowboy hat and red sequined boots. I am located at Table 82 and hostesses for our table are Rhonda and Misty Garrett, a mother/daughter duo from Colorado. A dear friend, Queen Gwyn Kelley from Dallas, Texas is also at this table and we have a great time reconnecting. After dinner, I join many on the dance floor for line dancing.

Saturday morning, April 27, 2013, brings the Back Porch PJ Breakfast and this is one of the most looked forward to events. Yes, we really go to breakfast in our PJ's or some semblance thereof. Doug comes down with me just to photograph the interesting people and their costumes. I look like a bag lady because I'm carrying various bags with items in them for another event following on the heels of this one, Tea Cup and Saucer Exchange of which I am a hostess.  Guest speaker at the breakfast is author Victoria Wilcox reviewing her new book, titled " Inheritance" Book One, (Southern Son, The Saga of Doc Holiday). I buy her book and get her autograph. Afterward, Doug and I again have some free time to spend exploring and we return to Max Lager's for lunch. Time for another costume change, this one is a "High Tea" where we all dress in antebellum style ensembles and have our photos made with Exalted Queen Mother Sue Ellen Cooper and Vice Queen Linda Murphy of the Red Hat Society. After dinner, there is more dancing.

Sunday morning is check out time and I must miss the Farewell Glitz and Grits Breakfast because of having to be at the airport timely. It was a marvelous convention and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. In fact, I'm waiting for information on the convention next year in San Francisco so I can register for it.

Carla heading out for the splash party with the Bionic Babes chapter

L: Carla ready for Anniversary Luncheon R: Carla ready to go to Pitty Pat's Back Porch Restaurant for dinner

Carla in Saloon Girl costume ready to meet members of Miss Kitty's Social Club chapter

I would be remiss if I didn't include some photos of the hotel architecture

Another shot of this fabulous hotel

Red Hatters in the Hat District taking hat making lessons

Max Lager's is celebrating right along with us and the food is delicious

This is just one row of their brewing apparatus housed upstairs

Carla, ready for the "Low Tea" and some line dancing

Red Hatters have a romance going on with highly decorated Solo Cups, but this is the ultimate creation

Their Queen created these ensembles including purses that serve as saddle bags

Everyone figures out a way to attend and get around

My friend from Lewisville, Texas , Queen  Linda "Zoomy" Ward. See that decorated Solo Cup!

Carolyn Roche from Texas-Too cute!

Just look at Kathy Harrison's beautiful Solo Cups

Here am I with a group who came as miners. Imagination runs rampant in the Red Hat Society!

This is a group of "Hun E Boo Boo's"

Another long time Red Hatter from Houston, Texas

An excellent idea for displaying "15" years of Red Hatting

Our lovely hostesses at Table 82, Misty and Rhonda Garrett from Colorado

Two of our table mates, Linda Dye and Sema Henderson blowing lip whistles included in favors from our hostesses

Carla and Doug arriving at the PJ Breakfast. Do I look like a bag lady or what?  Photo by Red Hat Society official photographer, Doug Carraway

Bonnie Mitcchell just became an American Citizen the day before and we celebrated her

Carla's #82 table mates at the PJ Breakfast

Misty and Rhonda Garrett, our mother/daughter duo hostesses at table 82. They are Queens of their respective chapters and don't you just love their crowns! Very creative pair.

My friend from Dallas, Texas, Queen Gwyn Kelley of the W.O.M.B.A.T.S. chapter

My sister Ambassador from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Barbara Broussard

Another architectural shot of the 10th floor of the hotel

An outside view of the hotel. As you can see, it bows out from the bottom causing it to become known as the pregnant hotel.

A group of Red Hatters waiting for the elevator going to the PJ Breakfast

Carla with all her necessary little bags

Many Red Hatters come in matching costumes

Aren't they cute and colorful!

Aren't they a great looking group. That is Mary Stuart on the left. She's been Red Hatting from the very beginning!

On the right is Queen TooToo, our 2011-2012 Red Hatter of the Year

The gal on the right with the Tina Turner hair style is Shanda Taylor-Boyd, U.S. Army retired

Two lovely ladies ready for the "Formal High Tea" on Saturday evening

Carla, feeling every bit as elegant as Scarlett O'Hara

L to R: Exalted Queen Mother Sue Ellen Cooper, Carla and Vice Queen Linda Murphy

Ladies waiting to be photographed with our fearless leaders

Delightfully elegant in their vintage costumes!

A quick shot of the ball room filled with Red Hatters

A sea of Red Hatters in the hotel lobby

Queen TooToo in her outrageous hat box hat creation. Love it!

Brenda and my friend Gwyn again on the right

Red Hatter of the Year 2013-2014, Queen Mary Mims

Looking lovely as always, our table hostesses, Misty and Rhonda Garrett

 

Someone took one last shot as the evening ended

I apologize for not getting all the names of those photographed, but you know who you are. Hope you had as grand a time as I and are looking forward to San Francisco in August, 2014. Wonder what the theme will be?? Maybe "Sweet Sixteen"?

Doug and I shared the photographic honors this time. Thanks, Doug for your help.

This is all I have to say for now.

New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter/Red Hat Society 15th Anniversary

April 25, 2013

Members of New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter of the Red Hat Society (RHS) celebrated the RHS 15th Anniversary at Memories Restaurant. Vice Queen Penny Pirrung presided quite ably at this event because Queen Ladybird (Carla) was in Atlanta, Georgia attending the International RHS convention.

Prior to this event, Carla wrote and  received a proclamation from Mayor Susie Galea of Alamogordo, New Mexico and also one from Governor Susana Martinez celebrating the RHS 15th Anniversary. These were presented to the RHS at the convention by Carla. Mayor Galea also appointed Carla as emissary from Alamogordo to the convention.

Along with the regular members of the chapter, one new member was welcomed, Lu Mattson. Our chapter now numbers 19 and growing.

Rosa and Debra

L to R: Margie, Alice (also a new member), Lynne,  and Lu

Esperanza

L to R: Rosa, Debra and Dorothy

Dorothy and Vice Queen Penny

Happily holding up decorated 15's celebrating the RHS Anniversary at Memories Restaurant

L to R: Marian, Dorothy, Mayor Susie Galea, Queen Ladybird (Carla) and Melissa receiving the official proclamation announcing Red Hat Society Day in Alamogordo, celebrating the society's 15th Anniversary

If you click on any image, it will enlarge it enough to read or see the photos better.

Super Red Hat hugs to Vice Queen Penny for organizing and handling the 15th Anniversary event in my absence. Thanks also for the great photos at Memories Restaurant. I really missed being with all of you.

This is all I have to say for now.

Acquisition of an Oliver 23-B Plow

April 22, 2013

Doug and I had noticed, as we drove around Alamogordo, that many homes had antique farm implements residing in the front yards. I mentioned liking this idea and we began to seriously look for just such an item and visited several junk yards and antique shops in our search. One day when returning from a trip to Las Cruces, we spied this plow setting under the sign of a closed antique store on the highway. We stopped to examine it and determined that this was exactly what we were looking for. Looking around for a phone number on the door, I decided to go next door to a junk yard to inquire about the owner. The gentleman there was nice enough to give me her name and phone number and we immediately called her. After some negotiation, we bought this 450-500 pound Oliver 23-B plow and arranged to have it delivered to our backyard. I had decided that we had enough items in the front yard and that Ollie (as Doug had named her) would do well in our back yard desert setting. We estimate her age at about 90 years.

All or most all of her parts were rust frozen, but the wheels would turn. Doug spent a lot of time shooting penetrating oil in every place that would accommodate it and after a lot of physical labor, research and investigation on the Internet, Ollie became a workable plow again. Doug even dug a furrow for one wheel to set in and another hole for the right bottom (each plow blade is called a bottom) to simulate a plowing situation. He has written a 23 page description of how Oillie works which can be accessed at: http://dougkerr.net/Pumpkin/articles/Oliver_23-B_plow.pdf

This is how Ollie looked when we found her

L to R: Doug, Al and his son, unloading Ollie to our back yard

Ollie, completely restored and ready to plow but missing horses.

Carla, in her plow girl outfit (yes, those are purple overalls) astride Ollie

As Doug was doing his research he came across this wonderful British poster from WWI

Thanks to Doug for the photos and restoration of Ollie.

This is all I have to say for now.

Three Rivers, New Mexico Petroglyph Site Visited by Red Hatters

April 27, 2013

Members of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter of the Red Hat Society drove to the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site to explore the amazing rock art created by the Jornada Mogollon people who disappeared about 800 years ago. More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert. The art is created by using stone tools to remove the dark patina of the exterior of the rock. A small pueblo ruin is nearby.  On the village site, there are foundations of three types of prehistoric buildings which were partially excavated in 1976. The trail is quite rugged and only three of us ventured up the mountain to see the glyphs. The other members joined us for lunch later at Tulie Cantina in Tularosa, NM where the food was delicious and we had a lovely afternoon visiting.

As I am not an expert in translating these petroglyphs, I'll leave this to your imagination

One of my critters and isn't he cute!

Could be a dwelling or a cake?

I can't figure out if its an animal or an insect

Centipede?

I believe this is a person

Could be a baby all wrapped up

There were many of these and sometimes they were plainer and on a body

This one might be a puma or mountain lion. There's a story there somewhere.

Clearly a foot, but what's the other sign?

This rock had so much on it, I called it the newspaper rock

Bighorn Sheep and I didn't even know we had these in New Mexico

Appears to be quite a voluptuous body blessed with those stars around her head

No doubt, a deer. Interesting body anatomy.

Geometric jargon of some sort?

Beats me!

Another big cat of some sort, rather cartoonish

View from up the mountain

Darla, one of my sister mountain climbers

Jean, communicating with the real world!

Is it time to head back yet?

L to R: Jean, Carla and Darla photographed by a nice gentleman

L to R: Jean, Forest Ranger Art, and Darla

L to R: Alice, Esperanza, Rosa, Darla and Jean at Tulie Cantina

As you can see by the photos, New Mexico truly is the Land of Enchantment. We did not have time to explore the village site and will return to do this another day. Also, I took many more pictures, but how many can one stand at a sitting?? Evidently, I was tired of taking pictures by the time we got to the restaurant because, as you can see, only one is printed here.

This is all I have to say for now.

Texas Canyon in Arizona

April 7, 2013

As we returned from Tombstone, we made a side stop in Texas Canyon, home of The Triangle T Historic Ranch. We did not drive into the ranch itself, but here are some interesting facts about it. The original movie 3:10 to Yuma was shot on the ranch with Glenn Ford, Van Heflin and Felicia Farr.

Duel in the Sun wth Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotton, and Jennifer Jones was shot on the ranch. The Japanese Consul General and his entourage who were captured in Honolulu after the Pearl Harbor attack were brought to the ranch and interned there for the duration of the war; 22 adults and 15 children.

During the filming of Stagecoach, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash stayed on the ranch. Steve McQueen and Jodie McQueen used to stay on the ranch, and Jodie performed trick shooting for the guests.

Dorothy McLeod (then general manager) was the stunt double for Dorothy Mackaill in the movie "Mine with the Iron Door", Circa 1927.

The boulders in Texas Canyon (in Arizona) were formed from a granite intrusion of Texas Canyon Monzanite, with freeze/thaw and wind erosion. The ranch was the site of Cochise' winter camp.

The rock in the saloon was originally in the courtyard of the main ranch house. The house burned down in the 30s, and the saloon was built around the rock in the 70s.  Interstate 10 was built across the ranch, and a livestock tunnel was constructed under I-10 for access to the acreage on the north side of I-10. The ranch is approximately 160 acres.

The science fiction book "The Ancient Ones" by Lori Hines was written about the ranch, and has Linda Kelly (aka Melissa) as one of t he prime characters.

We were fascinated by the gigantic rock formations and Doug took many photos of which I've chosen a few to illustrate the view and, of course, there is even a critter in the mix.

I thought this looked like Dumbo in some ways

Sort of looks like the hooded King Cobra

I'll leave this one to your imagination

What? No hat?

I see all kinds of hidden faces in this one

And here's my critter. Looks well fed.

Could be a whale coming out of the ocean?

This gives you some idea of the size of these monsters

Some of these boulders are barely hanging on

Some guests at the ranch going out for a ride

If you are ever in need of a rock, just sayin'

Thanks to Doug for the great photos.

This is all I have to say for now.