San Antonio Prickly Pear Cactus
Late Spring in South-Central Texas
Nature happening in the back yard, or the more terrestrial side of …things I LOVE!!
All images: Alex Autin
AMAZING Images From Chris Hadfield
Anyone who’s a regular reader here is aware, without question, of my admiration for Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut and International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 35 commander Chris Hadfield. In addition to all he’s shared with us from space, one of he’s most amazing contributions has been the beautiful images he tweets from his unique vantage point in The Cupola, the European Space Agency (ESA) built observation module on the ISS.
Sunrise over the Great Lakes region of North America, Mar 31, 2013.
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Venezuelan valley framed by misty clouds, Jan 30, 2013.
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“Clouds, shadows and sand, playing with my imagination.” – Cmdr Chris Hadfield, Feb 4, 2013
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Glacial water burping into the Atlantic in deep Southern Argentina, Feb 10, 2013.
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The Richat Structure, in the Sahara, Mar, 25, 2013. “A giant gazing eye upon the Earth.”
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The Australian outback, Jan 24, 2013.
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Clouds and shadows off the China coast, Feb. 9, 2013.
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“If you give wind and sand enough time together, they create art.” – Chris Hadfield, Feb 10, 2013
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Green, lush, wetness of the Amazon basin, Feb 6, 2013.
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Even with all the things he’s seen and tweeted, the commander can sometimes be at a loss for words. This view over Africa seemed to leave him speechless. “My breath was taken away”, Feb 2, 2013.
All images: Chris Hadfield/CSA/NASA
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Other TIL articles featuring Cmdr Hadfield:
* The Inspiring Commander Hadfield
Texas Hill Country – Part 2
The scene outside The Pioneer Museum along Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas.
After leaving Enchanted Rock and returning to Fredericksburg, and with the Funyuns seriously wearing off, Lucero and I were ready for some hardy eats. Luckily in F-burg there is no shortage of dining options. Lucero expressed a wish for ‘German food’ and within minutes we encountered the Altdorf Biergarten….
The town of Fredericksburg was established in 1846 and has a population of roughly 10,000 — all of whom apparently avoid the Main Street area on a Saturday evening. The Altdorf Biergarten is housed in a landmark limestone building dating to back 1847, so without question, one of the oldest structures in F-Burg. The German community here boasts F-burg as being one of the oldest settlements in Texas, someone should inform those crazy Spanish as they were establishing missions south of here about 140 years prior. (San Francisco de la Espada, 1689) This does not, in any way, negate the food at Altdorf! Lucero, being much more continental than myself, understood the menu, while I mainly focused on the selection of beer! (In fairness, she was driving.) Finding Shiner Bock on the menu, I was happy! Extremely HAPPY!
Shiner, Texas and the Spoetzl Brewery — a whole ‘nother road trip!
After a wonderful meal of German meats, which we started with some Tex-Mex nachos (of course!), we spent some time strolling up and down Fredericksburg’s main street. It was somewhere around this time we encountered the 4 drunk girls — who were, in fact, so drunk they had been thrown out of one restaurant and were hard-pressed to find another who would serve them. Yes, there are few things sadder (and funnier!) than drunk AND hungry Texas girls. After a much-too-long time hanging on Main Street with the girls, I was ready to exit Fredericksburg, and luckily so was Lucero. But not before a cruise around town looking for an open liquor store — for more Shiner Bock, of course! Finding the liquor shop, I also found Enchanted Rock Vodka! (I shit you not!) Apparently, the folks up at E-Rock are making vodka and putting it into clever tourist-eye-catching bottles. And of course, I bought one! But, you know, just the trial-size.
The Admiral Nimitz Museum
Admiral Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War, established in the old Nimitz Hotel, Fredericksburg, 1852. There were NO drunk girls in here.
Lucero and I headed out of Fredericksburg in the direction of Kerrville along the banks of The Guadalupe River. The river runs from Kerr County southeasterly before emptying out into the Gulf of Mexico. The town itself boasts a population of 20k, and was named after Texas Revolution major James Kerr. However, before arriving in Kerrville, we pulled off the highway onto some long and deserted Texas back-road to engage in a bit of star-gazing. And, indeed the stars at night ARE big and bright deep in the heart of Texas.
IT. WAS. AWESOME!!!
Arriving in Kerrville, where we planned to stay the night, our attention was immediately caught by the lights of a Ferris Wheel! Apparently, we’d stumbled upon a small-town Texas carnival, and there was NO WAY IN HELL we weren’t going!
Folks in Kerrville, Texas enjoying a very pleasant Saturday evening.
After a night’s stay at the lovely Kerville Motel 6, where Lucero was finally able to do a bit of drinking, and we talked till about 3am, we woke to a very CHILLY Texas Hill Country morning. (Ok, it was more like noon.)
Sun rising over the hills from a Motel 6 balcony. Kerrville, Texas
After a breakfast/lunch at the local Cracker Barrel, and much coffee, we headed to the town’s visitor center to find out what was going on in Kerrville. It was then we found….Stonehenge! Or rather — Stonehenge II. It seems in the nearby town of Ingram, Texas, population 1,740, a local farmer, Al Shepperd, with the help of his neighbor, Doug Hill, had constructed a near-replica of the original Stonehenge located in Wiltshire, England. This being the stuff of road-trip glory, we were off and heading towards Ingram! We were SO not disappointed!
In addition to Stonehenge II, which is reputed to be 2/3s the size of the original, Sheppard and Hill also fabricated a pair of awesomely cool looking Moai, or Easter Island, statues.
Realizing that with our encounter with Stonehenge II we’d pretty much hit ‘road-trip nirvana’, Lucero and I headed back to Kerrville to chill out with a hike along the banks of the blue-green waters of the Guadalupe River.
Scenes of the Kerrville Dam of the Guadalupe River.
Cyprus Trees along the river bank.
Texas Wildflowers
After a nice hike, and a HUGE brownie, we were off and back on the road — this time heading for the town of Boerne, population 10k or so.
Crappy Moving Vehicle Photo #5
In Boerne, after cruising up and down the nearly deserted main street, we found out about the Boerne City Park Lake, and decided to head on over.
Campfire remains at Boerne City Park Lake!
After leaving the lake it was time to head back towards San Antonio, and towards more food! Lucero was craving Puerto Rican food, and that was sounding pretty damn good to me! But before reaching SA we encountered more road-side wild flowers and we just had to stop!
Road-side Bluebonnets!
All Photographs: Alex Autin
Texas Hill Country – Part 1
On Saturday morning my friend Lucero and I headed out for a little Texas road trip. We had no REAL destination, as any good road trip should NOT, and only a general idea of wanting to hit The Hill Country.
The Texas Hill Country pretty much applies to a region of Central Texas consisting of tall rugged hills which feature thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It includes the Llano Uplift and Enchanted Rock. (More on E Rock in a bit!!) The Hill Country reaches into portions of San Antonio’s northern suburbs, the western half of Travis County, and ends just west of Austin. The terrain’s large number of limestone or granite rocks and boulders plus its thin layer of topsoil makes the region very dry and prone to flash flooding. The Hill Country is also home to a host of cool native Southwestern vegetation including yucca, prickly pear cactus, cedar scrub, and the Texas live oak. And in the early spring — Bluebonnets, the Texas state flower!
Since this was a road trip, and since I’m pretty sure that trips of such nature are meant to be started late, we tried our best to get a late start. And we succeeded wonderfully! Even before leaving San Antonio, in fact less than a mile from my house, we had already made our first stop of the trip for roadside eats. In our defense it was nearly noon…. and who can resist Texas Brisket!!
Sal’s was delicious, and as promised, sloppy!
I had the brisket taco with jalapenos (on the right), Lucero had the brisket sandwich on Texas toast. (And no, I will not be documenting every meal we ate with photos. But only because I forget to take them! I remembered to take these — so I was damn sure gonna use them!)
It’s my thought that any proper road trip should include lots and lots of really crappy photos taken along the way from inside a moving vehicle. If you share this thought, this post WILL SO NOT disappoint! Here we are moving leisurely along I-10, and we’re fairly certain we’re moving in the right direction.
Crappy Moving Vehicle Photo #2
Me: It’s starting to look all hilly!
Lucero: Damn, did I miss my turn? (I heard this A LOT, and loved it each time!)
Crappy Moving Vehicle Photo #3 – Fredericksburg! Our first ‘official’ destination. Fredericksburg is a very cool town in Gillespie County, known as the home of ‘Texas German’, a dialect spoken by the first generations of German settlers who initially refused to learn English. It’s a lovely place, very German-ish-y, and not nearly as out-of-focus as this exit sign would imply.
- Crappy Moving Vehicle Photo #3 Hilly AND Curvy – LOVE it!
We checked out Fredericksburg for a bit, and realizing that Lucero’s a shopper and I’m a hiker — we then knew that compromises would need to be made. And quick!
In F-burg, taking part in the strange activity referred to as ‘Antiquing’. Interesting…. Lucero has Olympic-quality antiquing skills! I mostly walked around texting anyone and everyone I know. In fairness we spent very little time here, and were soon back on the road and heading for ENCHANTED ROCK! The locals at The Red Baron Antique Mall, extremely nice people who showed no signs of refusing to speak English, gave us directions to The Rock, and also a very valuable heads-up — If the road sign on Ranch Road 965 was ‘flashing’ this meant the park was full and no more visitors would be allowed in. Oh no! We now were re-thinking that whole ‘leaving late’ thing. But in true road-trip fashion we decided to give it a shot and headed out to Ranch Road 965 — after a quick stop for water and Funyuns. Hell yeah! (If you don’t have Funyuns — it’s not a road trip!)
Crappy Moving Vehicle Photo #4 — IT’S NOT FLASHING!!!! WOOHOO for us!
Enchanted Rock is one of those ‘must do’ places I learned of when first coming to Texas. So far, I had not been, and this was all about to change! (Thank you, Lucero!) According to Wiki — The Enchanted Rock State Natural Area includes Enchanted Rock, an enormous pink granite pluton rock formation, and 640 acres of surrounding land. E-Rock rises approximately 425 feet above the surrounding terrain to an elevation of 1,825 feet above sea level. It’s the largest such pink granite monadnock in the United States, and was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1936. According to me — 100% pure awesomeness!
Enchanted Rock’s prominent granite dome is visible for many miles in the surrounding Llano Uplift basin. The weathered dome is actually the visible above-ground part of a segmented ridge, the surface expression of a large igneous batholith of middle Precambrian material that intruded into the earlier Packsaddle Schist. The intrusive granite of the rock mass was exposed by extensive erosion of the surrounding sedimentary rock, primarily the Cretaceous Edwards limestone, which is exposed a few miles to the south of Enchanted Rock.
There are more than 500 species of plants inhabiting the rock, such as this White Lace Cactus. Vernal pools on the rock– ecologically threatened depressions of flora and fauna adapted to harsh environments — are said to contain fragile invertebrate fairy shrimp. I saw no evidence of fairy shrimp!
I did, however, see Bluebonnets! : )
Since this post is growing to monster proportions — and with Enchanted Rock how could it not?! — I’ve decided to break it up into 2 posts. Be sure to catch the next installment where Lucero and I return to Fredericksburg for some fine German dining including Shiner Bock (!!!), encounter the ‘drunk girls’, make a last-minute run to a liquor store (more Shiner Bock!), head out for some jaw-dropping middle-of-nowhere star-gazing, stumble upon coolness in another small Texas town, hike along the banks of the Guadalupe River, argue over freedom of expression, and find Stonehenge….
On the way back to F-burg, goats…who were completely unimpressed with E-Rock….
All photographs – Alex Autin
…things I Loved! Week of Jan 13th – Jan 19th 2013
On Wednesday, January 16, NASA published this animation of the Orion spacecraft’s upcoming (2017) Exploration Mission-1. Did it excite me? Just a bit, a great bit! Exploration Mission-1 will be the first integrated flight test with both the Orion spacecraft and NASA’s new Space Launch System.
In other Orion related news the European Space Agency (ESA) announced this week that, in a collaborative effort, it will be supplying a driving force to the Orion spacecraft in the form of its Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATVs). The ATV-derived service module will provide propulsion, power, thermal control, as well as supplying water and gas to the astronauts in the habitable module.
”ATV has proven itself on three flawless missions to the Space Station and this agreement is further confirmation that Europe is building advanced, dependable spacecraft,” said Nico Dettmann, Head of ATV’s production program. This collaboration between ESA and NASA continues the spirit of international cooperation that forms the foundation of the ISS.
This awe-inspiring image of spiral galaxy NGC 1309 was by far my favorite astronomy image of the week! Brought to us by the Hubble Legacy Archive, the ESA, NASA, and with processing by Martin Pugh, this stunning galaxy, which lies 100 million light-years away in the constellation of the River (Eridanus), spans about 30,000 light-years making it about one third the size of our own Milky Way galaxy. <– Click link for a jaw-dropping artist’s illustration of what some distant astronomers might likely see if peering back at us from across the expanse! I don’t want to sound all boastful or anything, but WOW, we have one awesome galaxy!!
In the blogosphere this week, I first and foremost have to sincerely thank the brilliant photographer, writer, artist, and all-around Renaissance-dude, J.E. Lattimer, for his very kind mention of Things I Love in his January 14th post, Blog of the Year 2012. The nod is very much appreciated, and many congrats to J.E. on his award. I first mentioned J.E. back in March of last year in my post titled …things I LOVED! Week March 12th through March 18th. Since that time Mr Lattimer has expanded to 3 blogs: Fictional Machines, Arcane Arrangements, and Mysteries of the Wasteland. Check them out, prepare to be amazed!
This week, for me at least, seemed to be dominated by images and the photographers who take them. 3 photographers in particular completely blew me away. Not only am I impressed with their images, but also in how they fully demonstrate how the resulting images, no matter how good the equipment, depend entirely on the artist behind the camera.
In his January 15 post titled Bavarian Forest National Park – Lusen Mt, one of my very favorite astro-photographers, Werner Priller, documents through words and A-MAZ-ING photographs a night spent camping out in -17C temperature just a stone’s throw from the Czech border. This is an incredible effort on the part of a photographer who makes a life’s work out of incredible efforts; the forest, the frozen summit cross (WOW!!), Warner’s camp site, the wolves (!!), all under such a beautiful starry night as to make Van Gogh blush! I don’t think I have to mention again to check out this post …you’re probably already there.
Another photographer I’ve mentioned before, the elusive George Weaver of She Kept a Parrot, this week stole my heart right out of my chest (she has a way of doing that!) with her January 16 post titled The Star Wars Cowboy. Ms Weaver is, by far, one of the best story-tellers I’ve ever come across. Though her stunningly honest photography, and her equally honest words, she takes us on a journey which always feels familiar because she is, in fact, reminding us of who we are. And we are human. Thank you George.
Speaking of humans, the 3rd photographer to catch my attention this past week is Richard Guest of The Future Is Paper Mâché. Since May of 2012 Richard has been walking up to complete strangers in the streets and alleys of London, asking if he could take their picture, and the results are entirely interesting! This week, amongst others, I found absolutely intriguing Mr Guest’s January 13th post titled Street Portrait #48 (Pierce), and his January 16th entry Street Portrait #50 (Peter). While you’re there checking out Richard’s street photography be sure to also check out some of his collaborations with other artists, including the above mentioned J.E. Lattimer (Nineteen Eighty-Four).
In closing this week I leave you with an earworm from The Misfits, I Turned Into A Martian, a little shout out to Curiosity who’s about to start drilling up the Martian surface!! Yep, we’re cooking rocks on another planet, and how freaking cool is that!!
Have a GREAT week, and Dare Mighty Things!!
Photographic Evidence! The Apocalypse Has Begun!
…in my back yard!
I woke this morning to the sounds of crashing (and splashing!), looked out my window to find clear, unquestionable, evidence that the Mayans were indeed right, and the world is coming to an end! And this devastation would only be the beginning….
Sure, it doesn’t look so ‘apocalyptic’ from this angle, but large tree limbs don’t just break and fall by themselves!! (Or do they? We may never know.) This is, without question, the result of the gravitational chaos of an approaching planet Nibiru! Don’t even try to deny it, you silly NASA people!
I’ve lived in denial until this morning! I trusted the scientists who said it couldn’t happen, wouldn’t happen! I trusted the skeptics! I trusted reason and sanity! But, after THIS? What more proof do I need?! (Photograph edited ‘slightly’ for dramatic effect.)
Prepare yourselves! OMFG! Skeeter Davis was right!
If it does all end, I want to end it with hair like Skeeter’s!!!
POTD: Autumn In Mississippi
Pines in a Blue Autumn Sky – Osyka, Mississippi (population: 481) – Alex Autin
Mississippi Pipeline – Tylertown, Mississippi (population:1,910) – Alex Autin
October Wildflowers – Osyka, Mississippi – Alex Autin
A Dog Named Peyton (As in …Peyton Manning) – Osyka, Mississippi – Alex Autin
A Spider Named …umm, well… just ‘Spider’ – Tylertown, Mississippi – Alex Autin
Wild Sunflowers – Tylertown, Mississippi – Alex Autin
Sunset in the Pines – Osyka, Mississippi – Alex Autin
Peyton, once more! Osyka, Mississippi – Alex Autin
POTD: In Search of Autumn
I went out for a long walk a couple of days ago. I was on a mission. I was searching for signs of Autumn. I set out very early in the morning, and indeed the morning did ‘feel’ a few degrees cooler than recent mornings, the sky was overcast and there was a definite breeze. However before I returned from my walk the sun had burnt off the cloud cover, and the heat of the day once again took hold. Summer, at least in San Antonio de Tejas, is clearly not ready to concede.
All Photography: Alex Autin, …things I LOVE!
POTD: Scenes From A WW II Bunker
Outback Bunker 10 – 7.11am – Alex Autin
Shelly Beach Bunker Door 2 – 5.47pm – Alex Autin
Dark Bunker Window/Out Back – 10.30am – Alex Autin
Outback Bunker 9 – 7.08am – Alex Autin
Dawn Bunker Window – 6.18am – Alex Autin
Outback Bunker 17 – 7.37am – Alex Autin
POTD: Color
Beach Flower – Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne – Alex Autin
The Aurora Australis – Hobart, Tasmania – Alex Autin
Magnetic Island from Rowes Bay – Queensland – Alex Autin
Palm Frond – Townsville Palmetum – Alex Autin
Bird of Paradise – Alex Autin
POTD: Attack Of The Killer Cockatoos
Don’t let the look on this bird’s face fool you. Her intent is quite evil. She and her cohorts fully intend to destroy this Indian Almond tree….
Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii) are native to Australia, can grow up to 24 inches in length, and can completely wreck a tree…in record time. Flocks of up to several hundred have been known to descend on peanut and other crops wreaking havoc. Though they are protected by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment they are also implicated as agricultural pests.
Here a pair go to work on an Indian Almond tree. Their powerful beaks are capable of easily snipping off entire branches…which they do!…often then letting the branch fall to the ground and moving on to another.
Doesn’t he look quite proud of his devastation?
Like many Australian cockatoos and parrots, the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo is threatened by a thriving illegal trade in bird smuggling. Red-Tails are intelligent, capable of learning a few word, and can be quite affectionate. However, unless one is very willing and able to expend the time and expense of having such a highly social bird in their home this fellow is probably much better off in the Indian Almond tree. The tree, however, may disagree.
All Photographs – Alex Autin
POTD: A Tree For El Guapo
Palms relaxing….just chillin’
In a recent post titled Frame of Mind, the ever charismatic El Guapo of Guapola, The Asylum Within The Asylum. And music! expressed a somewhat dire, yet basic and simple, need. The need of a Palm Tree.
As it so happens, palm trees fall squarely into the category of …things I love. This should not be surprising. Palms are, after all, a primary necessity of existence. In fact, aside from oxygen …which is HIGHLY over-rated and can be quite lethal, and water…which the development of tequila has all but eliminated the need for and which can also be lethal…palm tress are, without question, our most primary need.
Despite the somewhat dubious estimations that more people die annually from palm trees than from shark attacks (or was it lightning strikes?), palm trees alone can not be held responsible for these deaths. Palm trees do not kill people, falling kills people. It’s a gravity issue. This also should not be confused with the rather alarming statistics of people being killed by falling coconuts. Since not all palm trees have coconuts it would be faulty logic to link coconut induced death to palm trees, the tree is simply a delivery device aided by a combination of gravity (again!) and one’s desire to hang around under a coconut laden palm.
Since a single palm exists in a near state of perfection, the only thing more perfect would be two palms strategically located the precise distance apart from which to suspend a hammock. The amalgamation of palm and hammock is unprecedented in it’s ability to simultaneously induce relaxation as well as cause it’s user to appear amazingly ‘laid back’. Anyone requiring evidence of this please see my December, 2011 post titled Hammocks.
And now, for El Guapo, as well as anyone else who’s bothered to read this far:
The Palm And A Few Of Its Many Moods
would someone dim the lights please…..
…in silhouette, stormy, melancholy, Van Gogh-esque
…in sunset and silhouette, dynamic, bold, sexy, HOT!
…in Hollywood, flashy, glitzy, anorexic.
…in moonlight, romantic, intoxicating, sensual (or is it sensuous?).
…in Bali, exotic, adventurous, hanging out with interesting architecture.
All photography – Alex Autin
Images may be clicked for a larger view…yes, even the ones which are already ridiculously large.
Hey baby, what’s your sign?
Sign outside The Great Northern Hotel in Queensland. I’m sure there’s a very good reason for this…I’ve yet to figure that reason out.
The famous Hollywood sign. It’s there…somewhere…in the equally famous Los Angeles smog. This was taken on a particularly clear day.
‘And possibly also’ – My favorite words.
Impromptu late-night road trip from Darwin to Alice Springs. We never got there…but we could have, damn it!
How one salt-water croc can completely mess up your day…
Best. Sign. Ever.
Gotta love that last line…
All photographs: Alex Autin
POTD – Boats, Timor
This series of photographs featuring ships and boats were taken in and around Dili, Timor Leste.
Sorong Rata, Jakarta workboat in Dili Harbor with Lighthouse in background. 8.23am – Alex Autin
Timorese Fishing Boat with double skid stabilizers along Praia da Areia Branca (White Sand Beach) – 10.37am – Alex Autin
The USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) anchored in Dili Harbor. The Mercy is the lead ship of her class of hospital ships in the United States Navy. 8.24am – Alex Autin
Lone fishing boat in Dili Harbor at sunrise. 7.55am – Alex Autin
Boats Seen While Cycling Along the Road to Liquica. 6.27pm – Alex Autin
One Day Hike – Pedernales Falls
Pedernales Falls State Park, located along the banks of the Pedernales River in Blanco County east of Johnson City, Texas, covers 5211.7 acres and was acquired from private owners in 1970 before being opened to the public in 1971. This area, formerly the Circle Bar Ranch, typifies the Edwards Plateau terrain.
- The river limestones belong to the 300-million-year-old Marble Falls formation and are part of the southwestern flank of the Llano uplift. Layers of limestone were tilted by the uplift, then eroded long before early Cretaceous seas covered this part of Texas and deposited sands, gravels, younger limestone, and marine fossils.
In addition to some awfully inviting swimming holes, like these, the area also offers camping, 19 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, 10 miles of equestrian trails, and 14 miles of backpacking trails.
- Wildlife in the area is typical of the Texas Hill Country and includes white-tailed deer, coyotes, rabbits, armadillos, skunks, possums, raccoons, and over 150 species of birds. Oh yeah! And also these little guys!
The Texas Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus texanus).
Cute, clever, and fast…just like Texas men! (Though Texas men DO have ears, they use them only very selectively!)
All photos: Alex Autin, …things I LOVE!
POTD – Balinese Street Markets
Food Vendors in a Balinese Market – Bali, Indonesia – Alex Autin
Fish Stall – Balinese Street Market – Bali, Indonesia – Alex Autin
Woman working in a Balinese Street Market – Bali, Indonesia – Alex Autin
POTD – Townsville at Sunset
Dockside Townsville at Sunset – Townsville, Queensland, Australia – Alex Autin
POTD – The Road To Cristo Rei
Along the Road to Cristo Rei – Dili, Timor Leste – Alex Autin
Vernal Equinox
The Vernal Equinox may still be a little over a week away, but don’t try telling that to the Pear tree out in the backyard. After two days of cold and rain, south Texas woke this morning to sunshine, 70 degrees, and a sky so blue there’s no mistaken….you’re in Texas…and apparently an extra hour of daylight this evening to enjoy it! I hope it’s just as lovely where ever you are. ; )
Pear Blossom
Birds Do It…Bees Do it…
…now if I only had a partridge
Pear Blossoms
Neither a pear tree nor a partridge, but I had to get in a very uncomfortable position to get this…and I was damn sure going to use it! Beside, I really kinda like it, and it definitely kicks some Vernal Equinox butt!
POTD – Blue Bunker Window
Blue Bunker Window, Charters Towers, QLD, Australia – Alex Autin
POTD – Ray Ray
Ray Ray the Cat, on a front porch in Tylertown, Mississippi – Alex Autin
Green and Red on a Grey San Antonio Day
Not feeling well over the past several days (a mid case of flu), and being indoors for what seems like forever, I found myself getting a bit stir-crazy earlier this afternoon…and I decided on a walk. My room-mate had warned me that this neighborhood was a bit like a black hole…meaning once in, it’s nearly impossible to find one’s way back out. He, I learned, is correct. I did manage to get a bit lost….luckily I had my camera with me!
Oriental Poppy
Oriental Poppy
Oriental Poppy
Mailbox Lighthouse…to help postal carriers from crashing into the rocks…
Palm An A Cloudy San Antonio Day
Red Fire Hydrant
Squirrel…doing that cute thing all squirrels do…oh yeah, it’s called ‘eating’.
San Antonio Prickly Pear Cactus
San Antonio Prickly Pear Cactus – think ‘toothpicks’!
Hole In One
Ball Washer – (Insert Joke Of Your Choice Here)
Playing Through….
POTD – Rainbow Lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeet in Flowering Gum Tree – Alex Autin
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