Rhon Shover's Unique Sculpting & New Lit Projects

I've caught up on sleep my last two days off.  In fact, I think I almost slept through both of them.  My system didn't come equipped with a night-owl mode, and I may never get used to this shift.  But, on the bright side, the colleagues I work with at night are the best, and so I'm always in good company.

Also, there's that wonderful perk the night crew has about being able to use our computers and mobiles when we're not busy that counts for a great deal.

But the crunch it's putting on my social life, I can't say I'm liking a whole lot.  However, in the pursuit of better things to come, I'm persevering and dealing with it.

During my family's day-after-Thanksgiving outing, which I wasn't a part of because I was stuck in bed nursing a migraine, they kept their plans for lunch at Riscky's in the Fort Worth Stockyards.  I hated to miss it because I love the place, but glad they got to go.  Nee (Alicia) was kind enough to snap some photos for me while they were there so I could share with you what the rest of us missed.

Stage Coach - Fort Worth Stockyards
(Source: Nee's fotos)

Per Nee, and her critical eye for horses, the equines pulling the coach were too thin and one seemed to not be feeling well, which didn't make her happy.  So, the owners/handlers didn't make any points with her.

The stockyards horses however, looked to be in great shape, as usual, and seemed to be feeling good and well cared for. I see them a lot, and they always look like that, which is much appreciated.  Kudos to the stockyards cowhands for taking good care of their four-legged colleagues.



The horses who routinely work the stockyards have superb personalities.  When the touristas gather around them, they get stared at, petted, surrounded by groups of kids and grownups and always take it in stride, never shying from being touched by strangers or the flashing strobe lights from cameras.

Some of these horses are retired ranch horses, who've still got plenty of spirit and energy left to put up with the Texas summer heat and make their way up and down the brick streets, carrying their riders and keeping pace with the long-horn cattle. 

It's tough being a celebrity.
(Source: Nee's fotos)

The cow-hands working the stockyards are just as friendly as their mounts, and are great about sharing information with tourists regarding equines, the history of the stockyards, what their jobs entail, and the history of the horses they ride.

Riscky's has the perfect location in the stockyards.  It's situated at the eastern end of Exchange street, in the northern end of the train station.  When the weather is cool, they unfurl plastic walls to surround it, so guests can still be seated outside without being uncomfortable.  This provides a great view of the stockyards activities going on along the streets and sidewalks, which is usually pretty interesting.

The cowhands and horses are
usually the center of attention
in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
(Source: Nee's fotos)

And, if you're the sort who likes to shop, step out of Riscky's and head into the train station.  On either side of the tracks visitors are provided with lots of shopping options.  From clothing to wine, there's also my favorite art gallery that has some of the most impressive Native American, western and country artistry I've ever come across.  One of the candy shops sells sweets out of large wood barrels, and they're one of the scarce places I can still usually find cinnamon suckers.

A little girl seems quite impressed with
the horse-drawn carriage.
(Source: Nee's fotos)

On Sunday, Kimi-Jo came with us to IHOP for a breakfast-before-departure gathering.  The place was packed.  It always is on Sundays with locals gathering there before and after church services, as well as travellers coming from I-35W & Loop 820 making their way to who knows where.

This time they had a new face mixing with the staff.  He doesn't work for IHOP, but works in IHOP, blending with the guests to make balloons for the kids.  I thought his stuff was pretty cool and kept watching his hands fly as he twisted and wrapped the balloons making some impressively detailed sculptures with them.

Rhon Shover making a T-Rex for a little boy at IHOP.
(Source: femme's fotos)

His name is Rhon Shover, and his business is balloon sculpting, magic and face painting, and several other things.

One of the wait staff traded business cards with him for me, and per his card, Rhon can be reached for bookings at 469.595.3745, or via his website at ShoverMagic.services.officelive.com, or via email at shover_magic@yahoo.com.

So, there you go.  If you've got little ones, I'm betting they'd like this guy at a party.  The kids in IHOP were certainly impressed with him.  I was too.  I even stopped sipping coffee to watch him work his craft.  I've seen balloon scupltures before, and the difference in the others is, Rhon's work is far more intricate.

To make this T-Rex, he used balloons of four different colors as well as additional markings for eyes.  The kids were as fascinated with watching him make the sculptures as they were to receive the finished product.

Rhon Schover - balloon sculpting.
(Source: femme's fotos)

I love to plug artists and businesses that catch my attention in a good way.  This guy impressed me with the way the kids reacted to him.  You can tell a lot about people with how they are around children, and how children react to them as well.

He got good reactions from both the grownups and the little ones, so he gets an A+ from femme's desk.

If you're local to my area (central Texas, DFW) and planning a party for kids, I'd suggest giving him a call.  He seemed to be in high demand throughout the restaurant, and in this crumbling economy, he showed inititive and exceptional creativity in where he showed up to perform.

Thumbs up, Rhon!  You got noticed!  I picked watching you over drinking my coffee, and that's saying a great deal!  Few peeps manage to pull that off.

Two of Rhon Schover's much appreciated balloon sculptures.
(Source: femme's fotos)

After breakfast, we said our goodbyes to Kimi-Jo and headed back home to get the family loaded up for the trip home.

I so hate it when the time comes to say goodbye, and one of these days, hopefully soon, we'll get to say goodbye far more often.

I'll keep plugging away at my larger literature projects, short stories and reviews, and hopefully it won't be long before our visits will be more frequent and last longer.

For now, I have to change gears and switch pages and finish up my latest short story series, 41 at Midnight for Hubpages.  I've had a great time writing this one.  Memories that bring smiles and laughter are always fun to share and write about.  It's received good reviews and comments on the Hub, and I'm anxious to finish it up because readers are waiting, and I have other projects waiting in the wings that need to be attended to.  It's taken a few days to get to it, but on occasion, I have to sleep.

41 at Midnight by femmeflashpoint (me) on
Hubpages.com (Source: Nee's fotos)

I'll head back to the coffee maker for another cup of energy-elixir right after I check the good Bishop Spencer K. McCool Sr.'s morning write up, which should already be posted by now, if he's sticking to his usual schedule, and he usually does.

My day starts, or ends, much better when I read his posts.  I, and a whole lot of other folks, are always appreciative that he takes the time to write them.



Thank you for the read, hope you enjoyed it and thanks much for the support!

By the way, comments are always welcome .... see below for the comment box.

If you've got something special going on you'd like me to share with my readers, please let me know and I'll be happy to spot you here at femme's desk.