Creative Destruction

This was taken in Schertz, TX, on the side of Route 78 just north of Randolph Air Force Base, near the Cibolo line.

I liked Lee & Jack's commitment to customer service - to sell so they can sell again. Wonder what they're up to these days. I'm using this picture for our weekly photograph theme "Silence".



Just behind the VFW I spotted an old drive-in movie screen. I had to go down to check it out.




More interesting than the screen was the building that I assume used to be the snack bar (above - outside; below - inside).



Not far from the snack bar was an old trailer that has been torn to shreds and has been there a long time - based on the trees that have grown up around it.



Just a few feet from the trailer was this little fenced in grave site with three abused head stones. It's fascinating what you will find juxtaposed in a rural environment.



The economist Schumpeter wrote years ago of capitalism as "creative destruction". Something is constantly destroyed as something else takes its place. Here are some images of the destruction side. Schertz and Cibolo are rapidly growing communities - there is far more creation than destruction. But old forms are left behind as new forms take there place. Economic growth is not Pareto optimal.

Loretta's Finest, Schertz, TX

We went out to eat at Loretta's Finest in Schertz (just down from where I was shooting the run down abandoned old furniture store) for the first, and probably last time, since the waitress told us they are going out of business in two weeks.

Good food, nice service, in a haphazard setting. But that might be because they've already started emptying it out. It felt a bit like I was eating dinner in someone's basement. But setting aside, the "Chile Love Shrimp" that I had was excellent. Sorry - the phonecam shot doesn't do it justice. Sweet and spicy, tender shrimp. Very good. Would recommend Loretta's but you'll have to hurry.

Old Town

I took these pics the other day in the parking lot of an abandoned furniture store on Route 78, which is just around the corner from where we live in Cibolo, TX. Not sure if this is actually Cibolo, or the next town over, Schertz - we live very close to the town lines.



this is the rather run-down apartment complex right next door.



An old caboose and an old fire engine in the parking lot - it's hard to believe with those sorts of marketing gimmicks that this place went out of business.



Cibolo/Schertz is a community in transition. Not long ago, it was a sleepy rural area made up of ranches. In the last decade many of those ranches have been plowed under and been replaced by subdivisions of McMansions. At the other end of Farm Road 3009, about 3 miles from where these pictures were taken, is I-35, and huge strip malls filled with big box (and little box) stores. We sit right between the two. I think of this photographed area as Old Town Cibolo - or maybe Schertz - and what is coming not far to the West as the future.

There's some soul to these old town areas, but it's a poor soul, a minimal soul, a scraping by, selling cheap things expensively soul. I don't romantacize corrugated tin buildings and sole proprietorship liquor stores. But still, something will be lost when these places are plowed under, too, along with the cow fields.

Bud Light River Walk Mud Festival

This looks promising! Will have to check it out... (no Bud Light for me, tho)

Bud Light River Walk Mud Festival
January 7-16, 2011
This event is held in January to celebrate the draining of the San Antonio River for maintenance by the San Antonio Downtown Operations Department. This year, the City of San Antonio has scheduled the draining of the River from January 3-11. Civic & Media personalities vie for the title of River Walk Queen & King by competing to see who can raise the most money for the Association. The King & Queen act as River Walk ambassadors throughout the year, supporting the mission of the Paseo del Rio Association to promote, protect and preserve the San Antonio River Walk. The celebration features: Mud Pie Ball, Mud Coronation, Mud Parade, and an Arts & Crafts Show. All festival events are free to the public.


When: Mud Kick-off – October 21st, at Iron Cactus, 6:30-8:30pm
Mud Crawl – January 7th, on the River Walk, 6:00pm-12:00am.
Mud Pie Ball – January 13th, TBD, 5:30-10:00pm
Mud Coronation – January 17th, at the David Strauss Bridge, 1:30pm
Mud River Parade & Post Party– January 17th, 2:00-6:00pm
Where: Various locations on the River Walk

Cameo Theater and "Let's Misbehave"

Kandie and I took my folks to "Let's Misbehave" last night at the Cameo Theater in downtown San Antonio. The show was a song and dance review of Cole Porter's work. Songs like "I've got you under my skin", "Be a clown", "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", and "I get a kick out of you" I knew as re-makes by Sinatra or other big band style singers, or just from having been performed in commercials. Many other songs I didn't know, but still it was fun.

The Cameo is an intimate, mid-size theater - I'm a bad judge at numbers, but I'd guess it seats less than 300. There really isn't a bad seat in the house, so long as you don't get stuck sitting behind a lady with big hair (or a big man with no hair).

Good time - I'd be happy to see another show there.