I really should spend more time driving the back roads of America. I am very fortunate to have been able to travel all over the world. Still, some of my best memories and favorite photos come not from some romantic foreign city, but from the small places much closer to home. The Owl Drug Store, Soda Fountain and Grill is a recent addition to that list of fond moments. In the photo below, Sarah and her mother from a nearby Christian Agrarian community enjoy a milk shake at the soda fountain in Coleman Texas.
This place is wonderful. Sitting at a booth eating a burger brought back memories of many years ago. As a child growing up in Austin I would ride my bike to the nearby Rexall drug and drink a cherry coke in the back of the store at a soda fountain much like this. The walls of the Owl Drug store are filled with memorabilia. Many pieces have been donated by families and individuals that have moved away from Coleman but wanted to leave a little bit of history they could return to and visit. On the right side of the photo you can see signed photos left by every ‘Miss Texas’ for the past 10 years or so during their traditional visit. Like the neighbors from Coleman that donated a bit of their history to the store, the store allows each of it’s visitors to re-live a bit of their own history through a memory. It makes me want to return. Next time we will have to try out one of those milkshakes.

You would not know it by looking, but it was probably 100 degrees and about 95 percent humidity when we did this photograph. This is one portrait from a family session I did a couple of weeks ago. (More images from that session to follow.)
My client ‘s sister was in town on a quick visit from New Zealand and his children were about to leave for college so we did a Brother Sister & family session while we had the chance. We got some great shots and everybody seemed to have fun. I am hoping to do another session for the sister and her family in New Zealand soon.

This is an another photo taken while waiting through a three hour layover at the Chicago O’hare airport. You can see another photo I did in the tunnel (here).
Ahhh…. if only the airlines would work this hard to make flying a pleasurable experience…

This green eyed beauty is by far the smallest of those living in her household. She shares her home with two dogs, one far larger and much less sophisticated cat and two humans whom she has trained to provide her with food and a warm spot in her bed. While she is seemingly shy & demure, she is quick to communicate that she is the positively queen of them all.