ACTFL 2007 I: Convention Center

A first post from ACTFL 2007 ...

The Henry B Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio is a gorgeous building.

Oh, the inside is pretty typical of a modern convention center, with a few touches such as these murals

or a hall of famous Texans (mostly men, but Barbara Jordan is here

along with Babe Didrikson

and Katharine Porter)

carpets, lots of glass windows, big rooms that can be made into smaller ones...

Nothing extraordinary. And the outside of the building itself isn't a stand-out, though it's attractive enough,

with a few Texasy touches like this painting,

And these ubiquitous warning signs - in case you forget you're in Texas.

No, it's the setting.

A river runs through it. (C'mon, I had to say it...)

Part of the Riverwalk, the water slides between the two wings of the convention center

complete with waterfalls

along with trees, flowers ... and birds

There are handsome grackles, shining blue in the sun,

and of course there are sparrows (aren't there always?)

and the almost as ubiquitous mallards

lots of mallards

This isn't just an ornamental stream; it's part of the San Antonio, and it has fish

which brings more than ducks.

I didn't get a picture of the egret, but here's a heron

and after he fished, he sat for a while in a tree

arousing the very vocal wrath of some wrens, too busy bouncing from branch to branch for pictures to come out. Cool clear water taking green color from the limestone it flows over, cypress trees, shrubs, flowers, and birds ... between sessions this convention center is a joy. More to come... the convention itself, the Alamo, and more.