Tuesday, February 09, 2016

Happy Mardi Gras ...Texas style!

A bonus while strolling around with my son and his family in San Antonio, was a "preview Mardi Gras" on the famed RiverWalk. 

The boats came by with their "Crewes," tossing beads to the amphitheater crowd.

Several NOLA-type jazz bands played in the background.

And a LOT of sponsoring Bud Lights were being consumed. Far as I saw, nobody fell into the river.

I, of course, set a fine image for my son and grand kids. Drank nary a drop!

Tourists-filled boats would glide by every few minutes and several got mixed in with the colorful theme-decorated boats.

What an added adventure for them!

I had flown to San Antonio to be there when my 19-year old grandson graduated from Air Force basic training and became Airman Boyd, Andrew S.

My son, his wife and their daughter and I were very proud of this young man.

I bit my tongue a few times to not utter comments about how the Marines did boot camp "back in my day."

That was then and this is now.

He went through 7.5 weeks of what the Air Force dishes out to its trainees.

Young Andrew was in the top 10% of his class. That works for me and for his dad and family.

Through the use of a Topaz plug-in photo software called Lens Effects, I was able to make him the focus center of attention.

As his Flight marched toward us in the viewing stands, I took this photo then later used selective blurring on my computer.

I did mention that we Marines had the same raincoat with the zip-out liner back in the 1950s. Ours were green of course, not Air Force blue.

The weather in San Antonio was quite pleasant, in the 60s during the day and just above freezing at night. 

Airman Boyd was excited to put on civvies again to spend some family time before he starts technical training on Monday. 

Over the weekend, we ate in a Lackland AFB Food Court among extremely healthy young men and women, all wearing camo gear.

On liberty, we explored the Alamo and the RiverWalk and drove out to nearby Natural Bridge Caverns.

 We also went to a hockey game at AT & T Center and the San Antonio Rampage won 5-2. 

 The ice was tinted pink for Breast Cancer awareness and the home team wore pink jerseys which were auctioned off afterwards as a fund raiser.

 (Click on the photos and links to see more details.) 

 Thanks for sharing a family-proud weekend with us.

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posted by chuckography @ 12:28 PM

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