Into the Jaws of

ticky-tacky.

We stopped at this roadside "attraction" at the behest of the shoppers among us. The "Jaws" motif in the entryways to curio and beachwear shops in South Texas has been done to death. Or so one would have thought, but here is yet another and newly built shop with the same tired old theme. Oh, wait. This shark is not a pretend-living creature, but merely a sorry replica of what might be skeletal remains, if there were such.

It took me three minutes inside to make a firm decision to announce to the accompanying cadre that I would be waiting outside. Yes, some of them think I'm a buzzkill. Better, though, to wait outside than to kill their joy by my mumbling commentary. Which I would not have been able to withhold.
(Disclaimer: I am well aware that many people, perhaps even you, dear reader, enjoy these places and their wares. I do not begrudge you; please give me the same respect I tender to you.)

While waiting, I 'shot' the dinos shown inside this four-foot chain-link fence, the object of which was clearly not to restrain the dinosaurs, but rather to protect them, for tourists are not to be trusted within armslength of these magnificent creatures.

One year ago today at STSTT.