Click to enlarge the images to see the details of the sculptures. They are amazing.
Galveston's streets used to be lined with majestic oak trees until Ike's storm surge killed them. Salt water topped the seawall and flooded the neighborhoods.
Local artists have begun carving the stumps into magnificent sculptures. Bayou City Outdoors did a bike tour of them this weekend.
I had a tough time deciding on favorites. They were all beautiful. There was also a mermaid, an angel, and by the fire station there were a huge fire hydrant and dalmation.
The sculptures were all on private property, but none of the homeowners complained. Several came outside to find out who we were and where we were from. The man in the picture above was genuinely excited to see us. He told us the Greek column design was his wife's idea. It symbolizes work left unfinished, or something like that. I wish I'd videotaped him. He said, "This is awesome! I'm so happy to see you guys!" As we were leaving, someone told me he was the new mayor of Galveston. That explains why he was so giddy about seeing almost 40 cyclists touring the island. His city relies upon tourism, which has not been what it once was. There is still a lot of rebuilding to be done.
Those are some of our bikes on the ferry. Cyclists don't have to wait in line with the cars. Even with this many, we rode up to the front and walked on. The ferry is free and a lot of people ride just to site-see. There is a lot provided for anyone to park and walk on if they wish. We saw a few dolphins and pelicans, but the uncooperative beasts refused to pose for photos.
So you'll have to settle for one of me.
13 comments:
really cool. love the sculptures...i think i like the roman column as well...
That is so amazing! I had no idea about the sculptures and think it's a great way to make something positive from the loss of the trees.
Those are awesome! What a great idea!
enjoyed the picture of you and what a wonderful thing to do with the stumps of the trees. I'm sure all are works of art! I would definitely enjoy seeing them in person
thanks for sharing with us :)
betty
Amazing, how I'd love one of these for our garden.
Those stump carvings were a great idea, and done well!
I think it is so cool that there are talented people that can do that, We have one here in Lincoln. He made a spectacular Eagle with wings spread. Thank you for sharing.
Wow! These are amazing, I love them! I have always wanted a huge piece of Canadian driftwood for my garden, but they are so expensive to ship over here.
A totem pole would be good, but we do have a lot of wooden sculptures around the place.
I just love these, and they may even still grow if the roots haven't been damaged.
I have many photo's of broken trees that have started to grow again.
The carvings look great. Very clever.
Good entry, interesting. It is amazing what some artist's come up with. I love a wild imagination.
Oh that was fantastic! That is such a great way to draw attention to the island! So glad to see the place is starting to bounce back a little.
What a great country that must be where you are living in. Thank you for sharing this glimpse of its inside. Please have a nice Thursday.
Beautiful, I love your photo. That flat country should be good for biking!
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