Queens of the Equinox: In the Garden with a Queen

The spring equinox arrives quietly — not with fanfare, but with wings. On a visit to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, I was surprised that my late arrival would give the gardens almost all to myself, the beautiful blooms, … Read More

Fleeting Flights

Lens-Artists Challenge #372: Ephemeral What a wonderful challenge Tina gave us this week: Ephemeral. Here’s her prompt: “I will start this week’s challenge with the dictionary’s short and simple definition of the word ephemeral – ‘lasting for a very short … Read More

Unexpected Royalty

Of all places I go, I would never have expected to see a Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) enjoying the nectar of Gregg’s Mistflowers (Conoclinium greggii) near the entrance of a grocery store. It was utterly oblivious to passers-by and even … Read More

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

To conserve, restore, and create healthy landscapes – That’s the mission of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Southwest Austin. Through innovative research, the center focuses on showing the beauty and usefulness of native plants in everyday life. It … Read More

Blurry But Beautiful: ICM Explorations

Lens-Artists Challenge #321 – Intentional Camera Movement I was excited when Anne (of Slow Shutter Speed) presented the theme for this week’s lens artists challenge. She wrote she had “never really attempted to do this except for the occasional image.” … Read More

Passage of Time

Clocks and calendars are two of many ways of keeping track of time. Similarly, photography can also capture time, even if just a moment in time. It may not be a continuous depiction of time, but nevertheless, a photo can … Read More

Monarch or Queen Butterfly?

— A couple of weeks ago, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center re-opened its doors for members only and with advance reservations. The process was perfectly tailored and safe for these COVID-19 times. Kudos to the Center! We took opportunity … Read More