Doniphan graffiti

Strangely, a wonderful collection of local (and regional) graffiti artwork hides within a chain linked used car lot on Doniphan Drive near the Artcraft bridge. Years ago, I was able to take a few pictures of this collection when it was just an empty lot. Back then the street art was vivid and bright; I snapped pictures with my new toy--a leaky plastic Chinese-made Holga, a medium format film "toy" camera.

Friday, I had a few extra minutes to drive down to the lot, and ask the men minding the cars if I could take pictures of the graffiti. They looked at me like I was nuts and asked me in Spanish why I couldn't speak the language.

Funny. It's always smart-ass Mexican men who look at me and ask in an accusatory manner. Whatever.

I can only explain my heritage so many times. I told them no--who did they think they were talking to anyway? My dad is Anglo, speaks only English and my mother chose not to teach me Spanish. End of story.

However, that does not mean I cannot draw like a Mexican, look like a Mexican, and at times get angry like a...smarty pants American mutt.

Charging rhino :: Mesa and Schuster Streets

A while back, a local sculptor named Julio Sanchez de Alba, created a life-sized charging rhinoceros. Now, I don't know if his target client was the local hockey team whose mascot is a charging rhino, but they purchased it and it is now installed at the El Paso Colosseum, the team's home rink.

As this Holga photo is over 2 years old, the sculpture is gone, as is the gallery. But the house remains with a new occupant, a plastic surgeon.

I miss the rhino, though.