Latest Posts

After my previous post, I wanted to do a follow-up about Spider Rock at Canyon de Chelley (pronounced d-SHAY) National Monument. We first visited that park in 2006, when we were returning from our Grand Canyon South Rim visit. We … Read More

The Portuguese language has a wonderful word that always seems complicated to translate accurately into English. The word is saudade (IPA pronunciation: /saʊˈdɑːdə/). Wikipedia defines saudade as an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet … Read More

Lens-Artists Challenge #364: Quiet Moment “Where is your serene sanctuary? Is it the warm comfort of sipping your morning coffee as the world gently comes to life around you? Perhaps it’s the peaceful moments spent doing yoga by yourself.” That … Read More

The Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) is known as one of the feistiest hummingbirds in North America. I should know that well because on our recent trip to Colorado, I tried to photograph this tiny bird in flight, but I was … Read More

Lens-Artists Challenge #363: Virtual Scavenger Hunt Nothing like returning from vacation and hitting the ground running — or racing. Anne’s Lens-Artists challenge asks us to conduct a virtual scavenger hunt in our archives. Her challenge is fantastic and gives us plenty … Read More

Lens-Artists Challenge #362: Sports, Sporting Events and Fun Games My eyes could not believe it when I saw this week’s challenge. Beth (of Wandering Dawgs) picked Sports, Sporting Events, and Fun Games. Check out her post and photos to see … Read More

Lens-Artists Challenge #361: Looking Back to #20: Doors The Serra do Pilar Monastery, located in Vila Nova de Gaia (across from the city of Porto), Portugal, is full of history. Its architectural importance, unique design, and strategic location overlooking the Douro … Read More

Lens-Artists Challenge #360: Found at the Fair/ Market Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer said, “Curves are the essence of my work because they are the essence of Brazil, pure and simple.” Although he did not design the Mercado Central in my hometown … Read More

The use of backlight in photography offers many advantages to make your photos pop. For example, the featured image above, captured at Mills Pond, highlights the strength of form and texture. Backlighting separates the subject from the background and creates … Read More

Every summer, the skies in Round Rock witness hundreds of thousands of Purple Martins (Progne subis) gathering in parking lots. These birds create a massive, swirling roost every evening around sunset. People flock to see these wonderful birds as they … Read More