Many local shrubs and trees suffered devastating effects after the hard week-long freeze and snowfall that hit Texas in February 2021. Throughout the city, it was evident to see the damage caused. Most noticeable were palm trees. The city of … Read More

Some time ago, we went for a visit to a fantastic Austin nursery, Garden Seventeen. We were looking for native plants to add to our front and back yards in our old house. After the 2021 February snowpocalypse, a few … Read More

Brushy Creek Regional Trail has become one of my favorite bike trails in the Austin area. It’s easy to ride—if I don’t go to the demanding mountain biking areas—and offers exciting off-trail options when I want to explore more. The … Read More

Known for its expansive landscape views, Big Bend National Park (Texas) also has a fantastic display of wildflowers. If you have ever been to that park in the spring, you have seen a vast display of wildflowers covering the entire … Read More

While running some errands this afternoon, I made a speedy stop at a local Austin gem: Mayfield Park & Nature Preserve. Nestled in Central Austin, the park is an oasis with short trails, ponds, flowers, and several peacocks roaming freely. … Read More

This morning, I read an article about the Monarch butterfly’s plight in the Washington Post. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a significant proposal to declare Monarchs a threatened species. Scientists are saying the species is on the decline. The … Read More

Mexican Tulip Poppies (Hunnemannia fumariifolia) are known by various names, including the golden poppy and mallow-leaved poppy. They get their name because they are shaped like tulips. They can be bright orange or yellow with petals tapered and flared at … Read More

Before photographing flying dragonflies, the macro workshop I attended a few years ago had attendees photograph bees in flight. This macro photography workshop was very entertaining and educational. We were able to quietly observe the habits of these pollinators to … Read More

Is it spring yet? Well, some flowers thought that way a couple of winters ago here in Austin, Texas. We had several days of unseasonably warm weather, which is not untypical. Having daytime highs in the 70s (20s in Celsius) … Read More

Every year, around March-April, our red lily blooms. Although short-lived, the flowers amaze me with their intricate details and fragility. Red lily is a common denomination given to Amaryllis because of its appearance to lilies. They are only distantly related to … Read More