Native American POW WOW

Traders Village - Houston, TX
The Native American Pow Wow at Traders Village is being held this weekend. We went today and watched the dance competitions.

There is a significant amount of work that goes into the making and putting together of each costume.  As you can see they are very colorful and of course each costume has a specific meaning.

The organizers started the Tribal Dance competition with the toddlers (2-4 year olds). The toddler dancers were so good that a winner could not be chosen and all were given First Place :) The drums are moving to hear with the 1,  2, rhythmic beat and a couple of haunting tunes were played by a flute player from Okhaloma.

Houston, Texas

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON

Tutankhamun Exposition - The Golden King

Hey there's a yellow arrow ....

Anubis stands on guard outside the museum.

Photography is not allowed at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston so this is it!

HOWEVER ...... 
In 2000 Garry, Stephen and I went to Egypt for an NSF MARGINS workshop and geological field trip (Sinai). In Cairo we visited the Egyptian Museum and we were in awe viewing the museum's wonderful collections. The Tutankhamun collection in Cairo is huge, the items displayed are breathtaking, and photography is allowed (or was in 2000). My photographs are shown below and do not do the pieces justice. At MFA, H today I was disappointed with the small number of items on display but the presentation of those pieces is excellent. If you have not visited the Egyptian Museum in Cairo or the Egyptian collection at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET) then you should visit this Tutankhamun exhibit.

Just so you know: I realize how fortunate I am to have the luxury of travel and to have lived in the New York area for twenty-five years. I am very grateful for the travel opportunities that I have enjoyed all my life.

Beautiful .... absolutely beautiful. Look at the exquisite face and royal beard (first photo) and the engravings on the back plate (second photo). Even today looking at these photographs I am still in awe of this death mask. I remember standing and looking at this mask for a long long time ... I was mesmerized and I did not want to leave.

This stands about a meter tall ... I just love it. Ladies can you imagine the conversation taking place ..... they have been cramped here for thousands of years and will be for eternity.

These animals are taller than life size .... I love the gappy teeth

These are adult size statues ....

.... and these are doll size.

Are there boomerangs in this lot? Sure looks like it to me. All the above items were meant to accompany Tutankhamun on his journey in the afterlife.

HOUSTON, Texas
A few scenes below from Houston, taken as we drove a French guest around town. The fountain in the Museum District and the buildings of Downtown (which is a dead place on the weekends).