Texas – Page 3 – Through Brazilian Eyes

Bald cypress trees along the Frio River at Garner State Park, Texas, their reddish trunks lit by golden light and reflected in still green water.

Best Ever: Nineteen Years Behind the Lens

Lens-Artists Challenge #409: Best Ever Images This week, our guest host for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is Steve Hyde, of Steve Hyde Photography Blog. Celebrating World Photography Day on August 19th, Steve thought this would be a perfect opportunity for … Read More

Golden-hour view over a bend in the Rio Grande near Santa Elena Canyon, with desert scrub, sandbars, and the Chisos Mountains glowing on the horizon.

Paradise Lost: A Canyon Under Siege

Anyone who has ever been to Big Bend National Park has probably hiked into Santa Elena Canyon — it’s one of the park’s signature trails, and the view is unforgettable. This shot was taken at golden hour, looking out over … Read More

Fall foliage at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, with Prairie Flameleaf Sumac in shades of red, orange, and yellow and the white, feathery plumes of Roosevelt Weed rising in the background.

Yellow Hues at Balcones Canyonlands

Whether you go on a long hike or a short walk, the sights at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge will always please you. In the fall, you have vibrant colors from the Prairie Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata) and Roosevelt Weed … Read More

Monochrome photograph of the limestone ruins of a building at Fort McKavett State Historic Site, seen from a low angle, with the sun forming a starburst through an empty upper window beneath a streaked, dramatic sky.

What Time Cannot Erase

When I was planning the itinerary for my February 2026 visit to Big Bend Ranch State Park, one place stood out along the route: the Fort McKavett State Historic Site. The preliminary information I read about the site gave me … Read More

Sheer limestone cliffs of Santa Elena Canyon tower above the calm green water of the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. The canyon walls and a strip of blue sky are reflected in the still river, with a weathered gray boulder and green reeds in the foreground.

Walls That Need No Wall

On a December morning in 2021, I stood at the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park, where the Rio Grande slips between limestone walls that rise as much as 1,500 feet (457 m) above the water. … Read More

An American Oystercatcher with a black head, brown-and-white body, pale pink legs and a long red-orange bill walks head-down across wet sand on a Texas barrier island beach, searching for food.

The Oystercatcher and I — A Quiet Morning on St. Joseph Island

We love spending time on the beach, especially when you can find a remote area where the only other animals are wild. Whenever we go to Port Aransas, Texas, we make time to cross the channel and enjoy quiet times … Read More

A three-image collage of flowers: a cluster of hooded yellow Jerusalem Sage blooms, two magenta Trailing Ratany flowers with fringed petals, and a spiny purple Leavenworth's Eryngo flower head resembling a small pineapple.

JKLoriously Floral

The time has come for another edition of Floral ABCs. This week, Terri’s Flower Hour #42 reaches the letters J, K, and L. I wasn’t sure I’d have an example for every letter. My photo archive and a quick internet … Read More

A shaded rest area framed by live oak branches, with a wooden bench overlooking the calm blue water of Brushy Creek Lake in Cedar Park, Texas.

Shade, Clear Water, and Two Wheels — A Morning on the Brushy Creek Regional Trail

How could I resist a morning ride on the Brushy Creek Regional Trail? The temperature was moderate for a Texas August, in the upper 70s to low 80s °F (25–28 °C), so I set out to bike the entire length … Read More

A Green Heron stands on a weathered log at the water's edge, enjoying the morning sun before beginning its grooming routine.

Morning Grooming

Every morning, while sitting on the deck, I never know what is in store at the pond. Yesterday, for example, a couple of snapping turtles surprised me with their attempts at mating — I had never seen snapping turtles here … Read More

Port Isabel Lighthouse silhouetted against a fiery orange and pink sunset sky, with children playing on the steps and families relaxing on the grassy hill below, Port Isabel, Texas.

A Beacon Above the Bridge

We used to spend time at South Padre Island a few years ago. The beaches there are clean and inviting, though the six-to-seven-hour drive from Austin can wear you down by the time you arrive. Anyone making that drive will … Read More