A single Texas Bluebell flower with lavender-purple petals and a deep magenta center, blooming among tall grasses in an open field.

A Late Entrance — Texas Bluebells in the Wild

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Some days I go bike riding and come home with several shots captured along the trail. Today was no exception. Short on time, and with the heat fast approaching, I headed to the Southwest Williamson County Regional Park, just a … Read More

Red-bellied Woodpecker clinging to the side of a small blue bird feeder, stretching its beak toward a seed port, with green foliage blurred in the background.

An Acrobat at the Feeder

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In my ongoing struggle to keep squirrels off a bird feeder (yeah, probably a lost cause), I can report that for four days now I have not seen a squirrel attacking the feeder in its new location. Instead, I have … Read More

Texas wildflower meadow in soft light: tall purple horsemint spikes with tiered lavender whorls on the left, and red-and-yellow firewheel (Indian blanket) blooms with round, pale seed heads filling the right side of the frame.

Two Flowers Spell Three Letters

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This week, Terri’s Flower Hour #40 arrives at the letters G, H, and I. I went to my photo archive to see what I could post — something local, to keep the challenge close to home. I found a few … Read More

Panoramic view from the Cinco Tinajas lookout in Big Bend Ranch State Park, with a sandy creek wash winding through green desert scrub toward distant mesas under a blue sky.

An Oasis on the Other Side of Nowhere

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Whenever I visit Big Bend Ranch State Park, just west of Big Bend National Park, one of my favorite hikes is the one to Cinco Tinajas. The trailhead sits about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from the Sauceda Ranger Station, and … Read More

Female Smoky Rubyspot damselfly with a metallic green thorax and blue-green abdomen perched on a pale twig at Hornsby Bend, Austin, Texas.

Two Sides of the Smoky Rubyspot

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On Sunday morning, I met some master naturalist friends at Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory. Our intent was to photograph birds, but we got sidetracked by the insects. In a couple of different locations during our walk, we saw several Smoky … Read More

Formula 1 Williams Martini car driven by Valtteri Bottas locks up its rear tire, producing tire smoke, while braking into Turn 15 at Circuit of the Americas during the 2016 United States Grand Prix weekend.

Lock-up at Turn 15

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I often kid with friends that the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track is home away from home. Since I’m a PSL (Premium Seat License) holder, I make it my habit to attend every race there. As a PSL member, … Read More

Intentional camera movement abstract of a large tree, with diagonal streaks of golden daylight crossing the trunk and branches, creating a double-exposure effect, photographed at Play for All Abilities Park in Round Rock, Texas.

Daylight Trails Through an Old Oak

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While photographing macros at Round Rock’s Play for All Abilities Park, I stepped away from the small subjects to try some intentional camera movement (ICM) abstracts. I usually work these in straight vertical or horizontal sweeps, but this time I … Read More

A single Gulf Fritillary photographed from above with its bright orange, black-marked wings fully spread across a large orange zinnia.

Front-Porch Fritillaries: Orange on Orange

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When we visited East Texas a few years ago, we stayed in a place with a front garden full of flowers. Sitting on the porch each morning, we were always delighted by the constant traffic of butterflies. One in particular … Read More

A three-image collage of Texas wildflowers: a field of golden Engelmann daisies, a field of pink-and-white Drummond’s rain lilies, and a macro of a lavender-blue False Dayflower.

DEFinitely Floral: Three Texas Wildflowers, One Alphabet Challenge

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When I saw Terri’s latest Flower Hour challenge on her Second Wind Leisure Perspectives website, I wasn’t sure what I’d be posting. I enjoy photographing flowers a lot, so I knew the hard part would be deciding what to include … Read More

Close-up of a Western Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii) flower cluster, its red-violet disc florets forming a fuzzy tuft of curled, thread-like styles, with a tightly scaled bud visible at the edge against soft green foliage.

A Fuzzy Purple Surprise — Western Ironweed Along the Trail

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A couple of weeks ago, I went on a short bike ride around my neighborhood. There are always interesting and sometimes unexpected things to observe. On this ride, I noticed several Western Ironweed bushes growing along one section of the … Read More

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