The photo above is a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) butterfly, also called Blue Swallowtail. It is found in North and Central America. I had to try countless times to get pictures of this butterfly, but they move so quickly that … Read More

While revisiting some photos I captured in our old home’s backyard, I came across this Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) enjoying the nectar of a Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii). The shallow depth of field I got was obtained by … Read More

Happy Valentine’s Day! On a past visit to Palo Duro Canyon SP, our first hike was at the number one trail in the park: the Lighthouse Trail. Known for its view of Capitol Peak and the Lighthouse, this trail also … Read More

Giant Spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea) is a perennial flower in Louisiana and Texas. This three-petal flower blooms in white, pink, blue, purple, or violet. The colors indicate the acidity of the soil in which they grow. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower … Read More

We are under a “false spring” in Texas right now. This week, the weather has been very warm for this time of the year: upper 70s and low 80s (between 23-28ºC). Next week, winter should return. This shot was captured … Read More

Whenever the weather gets too hot in Texas, there is not much one can do but stay indoors or near air conditioning. In some years, we get milder and wetter conditions. When that happens, there is a lot of green … Read More

In our old home, we used to have a water feature with several native plants around the area. We had done a project to attract more wildlife, primarily pollinators. One of the plants we added was a Pride of Barbados … Read More

Since the Lens-Artists Challenge started in 2018, we have had several themes involving colors: warm colors, cool colors, monochromes, colors of autumn, etc. Are we ready to have more fun with colors? Let’s get our crayons and see how we … Read More

We just had our first significant freeze and snow of the year. So, why am I posting wildflower photos? Knowing Texas weather, I am confident — in the same vein a weather forecaster is — we will see new wildflowers … Read More

Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area is a Lower Colorado River Authority park along the Colorado River in northwest Austin. The park offers a 6.5-mile (10.5-km) mountain bike trail, horseback riding, plenty of tent camping sites, and a beautiful Colorado River (Lake Travis) … Read More