Got any boots in a size 300? - Click photo for larger version
With apologies to George Strait for blatantly ripping off the title to this post from his hit record, Big Balls in Cowtown, I submit to you a giant pair of wireframe cowboy boots. While I imagine that the boots worn by Big Tex at the State Fair of Texas are bigger, these are no slouch in the size department. (Of course, any Texan knows that you never call that big annual event in Dallas, the Texas State Fair!) This sculpture resides at an unexpected place. I shot this photo at a RTD (Regional Transportation District) Park & Ride lot in Denver near Colorado Boulevard and I-25. While they are not placed in a very picturesque setting, they definitely add a point of interest to the mundane parking lot.
Like any good pair of cowboy boots, they have pointed toes. My dad has the humorous reason why that is so. Living near the Texas Gulf Coast, the area where he lives has an indigenous pest known in Florida as the Palmetto Bug. They are really giant flying cockroaches! My dad's story is that the boot is pointed so that you can squash the roaches when you get them trapped in a corner.
If you have never lived where these disgusting creatures abound, let me tell you, you ain't missing much. They fly at you, and when you squash them it makes a loud "SNAP" like breaking a twig. Then their white gooey insides ooze out like a giant Junior Mint being squeezed. People spread borax around to kill the bugs, which according to the bug experts, cause them to explode after they eat it. I am not making this up.
So let's see. . .Houston has giant cockroaches, killer bees, fire ants, chiggers, and other assorted insect critters. That explains why when I lived there, it was a quarterly affair to clear out the cabinets and have a proactive visit from the exterminator. As much as I love the Bayou City, there are good things about being here in Colorado.
Maybe I could have also titled this post Big Bugs in H-Town! Junior Mint anyone?
