Transportation whoa
Famous rodeo cowgirl Bonnie McCarroll takes a fall in the 1915 Pendleton Round-up. Women’s rodeo events were common in 1920’s. This rider was thrown during a later rodeo and died which caused a huge outcry that the sport was too rough for women and as a result, women were stopped from competing. Gotta protect the little women, the darer sex. They get thrown by things. (USPD/Commons.wikimedia.org)
Men and women see things differently. Like trains coming to the frontier
Men were probably like “Dang. Now we can shove them cows on the train instead of pushing them by horseback to market which will free up time to get on board and shoot all the buffalo we can see from train roof. Nothing impresses a gal like a dead animal, so more is better?”
Women were probably like “Dang. Store bought goods again. Oh, noooo! Now my mother, mother-in-law, and assorted old biddies in lace caps will be showing up to tell me how to run my life: how to dress, the proper way to ride horseback, and scowling ‘Your children are growing up like heathens.’ End of freedom, darn it.”
Both quickly snapped to the major issue that isolation protects against: the fights over command performances for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners – and which place to go to when.
The way the West was fun.
And it still is when updated horsepower meets creative minds in Houston’s 31st Annual Art Car Parade with over 200 cars from multiple states and countries.
You thinkin’ “Keep Austin weird”? Nothin’ on Houston – and may be a solution for road rage? (Oh, click over for some stories and pictures if you ain’t got time for the video.)
Bringing the school kids up right, too. Self-reliant, independent thinkers and problem solvers. Hear the kid artists talk about their cars: fast forward (past the NFL cheerleader tryouts) to end of this broadcast.
Shhhh. Don’t tell Ma and the lace curtain types…
Talk about your high horses
Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.
Previous art car parades:
- Where thou? Art cars (2012) Thou art? Art Cars (2012)
- Simply shrimpy. Confusion to drive by. (2013)
- Classic. Cars On auto. (2014)
- Artful: a day’s drive. (2015)
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31 Comments
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Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge 
Houston’s got so many fun, quirky little places and events, and this is right at the top of the list. Of course, those who want the other end of the spectrum always can take in Keels and Wheels, but this is more to my taste. If it weren’t for having to hop in the car and drive into Houston, I might have been there this year. Just as trains were a mixed blessing, also cars.
Happy sunshine!
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What could be more fun than seeing these car being driven around the city the weeks before and afterwards. Gotta make even the crankiest driver in traffic smile…if they look up from texting.
You know how skilled craftsmen once carved for sailing vessels? Wonder if car creators don’t feel/see the same sort of pull to make modern movers.
Yes, suuuuuunnnnnn. Will take the chill if there’s sun! (Blizzards? Shiver…and OK is already in flames – with Mother Nature would calm down)
Thanks for towing in a comment to park here
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Someone I worked with moved to Houston several years ago. She goes to this every year and posts pictures on Facebook. Looks like a really fun time! Nowadays they have those dang airplanes so the relatives can keep pouring in! Maybe if I don’t wash the sheets, they’ll stop? 🙂
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Maybe it’s your fluffy towels and the fluffy comfort cats? There’s a couple of local cafe/coffee shops that feature rescued cats to pet. (No drive-thru windows…probably because the cats sprawled out in the driveway sun and refused to take orders or change. Apparently they chose the counseling jobs instead)
The art cars are such fun – brighten up the roads for weeks, too. Once when my roller blades were swifter – oh, well, how about a link to pictures of the first parade: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/slideshow/The-early-days-of-the-Houston-Art-Car-Parade-127842.php
Things just keep rolling. Thanks for changing lanes to stop and chat
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Well, I like art… and like cars too. I had quite a few of them in my life, and enjoyed each one. In fact, now that I think about it, I even went to a parade once, though I don’t remember what it was about… but this post is a challenge. Wow! Two hours of video? Can’t help wondering if someone holds the cheat sheet, like those they pass out to people who just don’t last through a Shakespeare play… maybe the condensed video that only lasts 5 minutes. After the purple people eater… who’s got strength for more?
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Even the dedicated parade watchers were thrilled when entries were limited to around 200 – it had just gotten too long and after 3 hours….Usually I just post a few pictures so you can zip through and glance, but this video does give you a bit more flavor of the town and event(one of the links does have a picture slideshow). It’s a lot easier to see them all during the pre-parade party when they are all parked for viewing. Nobody ever dreamed a idea for art in the streets would spread so wide and get so popular. Lots of fun when you see one in traffic or parked at the grocery store, though.
Never enough whimsy! Thanks for coasting in with a comment
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Art cars are big at Burning Man, Phil, as are mutant vehicles, a slightly different type of beast. The bottom line is if you want to drive out on the playa, your vehicle has to be modified to look like something else, an octopus, for example. Thanks for bringing us a Texas version! –Curt
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The Art Cars of Burning Man are probably distant cousins rather than kissing’ ones to the Art Cars here. These are daily drivers and you do see many of them all year long. Although many of them do have some sort of environmental or activist theme. There’s even a museum of them here and a couple out in an LA museum. The parade, now limited to around 200 – it just got tooooo long – has come a long way from the art community’s beginning: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/slideshow/The-early-days-of-the-Houston-Art-Car-Parade-127842/photo-9770852.php
I always loved that old gator one – and the 101 Howdys
Thanks for steering a comment this way
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Interestingly, Phil, there is an art car camp at Burning Man and a clear distinction is made with mutant vehicles. Art cars are decorated. Mutant vehicles are mutated. 🙂 –Curt
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Whew. Driven to madness? HAHA Thanks for racing by
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Check this out, Phil: http://wandering-through-time-and-place.me/2017/02/24/
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HA! I remembered that post. Very moving! Enjoyed the return trip, thanks for the rode map.
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Because we drive up and down an unimproved mountain road almost every year in Wyoming, we always look at cars that barely clear the street and say, “No way would that get up the Red Grade Road.” 🙂 Art cars just go to show that art is everywhere (even though I don’t think some of it is–art that is, not everywhere.)
janet
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One benefit of flat coastal plains – art cars roll easy (Just mind the salt water and humidity rust…oh, wait, just incorporate that into the design! Whimsy is all that counts – and a jolt from everyday dullness. Thanks for the drive-by comment
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Houston always has something going on for all tastes! Now just think of what the internet would have brought to those ladies in the West! They could have tried all sorts of new things to shock the lace curtain types.
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When you get so many people in one spot, whimsy, laughter, and lightheartedness are a must. (Keep ’em busy and outta trouble HAHA)
The railroads and the internet were/are sort of good news and bad news. Life may not have been easy, but it was their own. (And it was totally misunderstood/alien to east of the Mississippi…I remember people in Boston suburbs (when we were living up there for a bit) asking if I rode a horse to elementary school in TX…of course I said yes – and there were still Indian raids to worry about…Mother had a fit about that, but dad just laughed and grinned along. Can’t destroy that Hollywood Wild West image. HAHA)
Thanks for painting up a comment to leave
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Funny that the females seem to far outnumber the males in modern times in their desire to be thrown violently from the backs of rather large animals. My own daughters dragged me from nice safe yacht racing into trying to persuade an an unwilling steed to propel itself over terrifying obstacles, with me on board and trying to stay that way..
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It is odd that more girls like to boss big horses around than boys…except maybe in the steeplechases? Hey, you all should have compromised and started racing 16-18 foot catamarans- It’s often smooth sailing but there are spells where they buck like broncos and you do get some boat bites along the waves.
Glad to know you’re adaptable for styles of flying through the air! Thanks for reining in a comment to leave
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Had my share of cats – Hobies and Paper Tigers mainly.
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Where have the old Hobies gone? We’ve been looking for one to bang around in off the beach (we’ll manage hoisting the mast somehow). They used to be everywhere… Ah, those were the days of wine and wild sailing
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Kind of explains the expression “Only in America” 😀
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Hey – that should be Only in Texas – or Texas is a whole different place HAHA
It is an international event, but there’s probably a drought of display places and competitions elsewhere?
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Is it really that bad in Texass
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Mavericks in all things. Keeps life colorful!
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I shudder to think where mankind would be without women taking the wheel…
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It takes two: like two eyes to see, two feet to cover time and space, two hands to hold the other’s two. Wheel keeps rollin’ and we’ll keep tryin’. Thanks for traveling this road and stopping to chat
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Artistic cars are a fun idea for a parade. Meanwhile, I can’t imagine the days in the Wild, Wild West.
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What? You wouldn’t drive one of these to work? HAHA. Actually many of these are daily drivers – more smiles to the mile! (I think you could probably do a great ocean wave/beach one for next year…or scenes from my travels…could work! Thanks for shifting gears to comment here
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I’d drive one! 😀
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And I thought women in rodeos were limited to barrel racing …
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Once the train of limited thoughts arrived….
We keep reinventing the real.
Thanks for riding in to lasso comment
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