Duncan

Duncan and I have been together for about 9 years. He is quite an independent little cuss, but his heart is huge! The backyard is his domain, and everyday he sniffs for intruders. Squirrels are his nemesis! He cannot stand to have them in his yard, and they taunt him. It makes me sad to see him so upset!!

Duncan was born in Central Florida. I arranged to have one puppy from the litter, and Mom and Dad picked him up. They liked him the most because all of the other puppies followed him around and he was so lively and brimming with personality. They were captives of his charm!

He lived with Mom and Dad for a few weeks, then I visited them and picked him up for our journey from Florida to Maine. Even as a puppy, he was a wonderful traveler. Journeys satiated his enormous curiosity, and his antics during journeys always kept me amused.

Everyone likes Duncan. He is quite a verbal soul, making grunts and sighs and other sounds that betray his innermost feelings. When we moved to this house in Austin, Duncan decided he had enough of walking upstairs, so now he sleeps downstairs and I sleep upstairs with Casey.

It is quite difficult to get Duncan to stay still for a picture, but today I snuck up on him. Below is a picture that shows his earnestness. Beside it is an edited version that I really like. I don't know what I would do without my dogs Duncan and Casey!!

Angry Skies

The sky has be overcast all day, with intermittent showers and lots of preparation to do for my travels keeping me inside. I finally ventured out and realized that the sky was gorgeous. It was nearly sunset and the clouds were clearing, allowing some blue sky to peek through. The pictures above were taken in my neighborhood. There are some dead trees in the preserve behind the house, and they often make interesting focal points for photos.

I ventured over to the Pennybacker Bridge to get a nice view of the city and river with the clouds draping them. Unfortunately I was greeted by no-parking signs. I guess within the last week or so, the city decided change their policy. As I was contemplating my chances of getting a ticket or even worse, getting towed...some young people drove up. I pointed out the signs, but all of us decided to take a risk and walk to the top of the cliff to take pictures of the beautiful sky. It began raining again when we were on the cliff, and the young people gave me a disposable poncho so that I could cover my camera. It was a nice experience!

Dragonfly Whispers

The Dragonfly

Today I saw the dragon-fly
Come from the wells where he did lie.
An inner impulse rent the veil
Of his old husk: from head to tail
Came out clear plates of sapphire mail.
He dried his wings: like gauze they grew;
Thro’ crofts and pastures wet with dew
A living flash of light he flew.

—Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1833

Dragonflies fascinate me! Yesterday, I was at a pond in Austin and I was treated to a delightful dragonfly display. It was a time for dragonfly love, and they were putting on quite a show with their tandem flights. To be honest, I believe some of my dainty flying friends were damselflies...much too small to be dragonflies. Damselflies, dragonflies...I love them both.

They are territorial little creatures, darting to attention when competition enters their space. Eyes dominate their heads...and they seem like little spies when they perch on a leaf or stem watching over their domain.

This little guy...natty in black and turquoise...perched and ready for battle...is likely to go one-on-one with a flying competitor twice his size. I wonder what it is like to have eyes like his...can he see all around? Are colors the same? Does he see multiple images? What do I look like to him?

My gorgeous little sentinels of the pond...patrolling dutifully,

Gossamer wings so delicate they barely seem strong enough to support you...

Fluttering and carrying you through the air,

Taking you to your feeding grounds...

Where you help me by eating my my insect enemies.

My gorgeous little sentinels of the pond...controlling your domain,

Quickly avoiding your enemies with your graceful moves...

Do you feel the warm air against your wings?

Does the water soothe your soul...as it does mine?

I treasure your life force, perfectly aligned with your pond world.

Whispers from the Past: Oakwood Cemetery

A photo contest drew me to Oakwood Cemetery, a historical treasure owned by the city. A group is publishing a calendar to raise money, and the winners of the contest will have their photographs published in the calendar. I wanted to enter a photograph, but I didn't feel that my skills were developed enough. Graves at the cemetery date back to the middle 19th century, which is about the time that Austin was becoming settled.

Many of the gravestones are in poor shape, perhaps because their limestone composition is vulnerable to weathering. Others have maintained their original beauty quite well!

Mayfield

The weather is cooling down, and my energy is revving up. After work last night I visited Mayfield Park again to experiment with my photography. The picture in the top right shows lillies in front of a structure in the backyard garden. I love the structure, although I'm not sure of its purpose. Inside it almost seems like a chicken coop. The picture in the top left shows a view through one window, into the structure and out through the other side of the structure into the woods beyond.

The bottom left picture is a view from the pond's edge toward the back of the home. The bottom right shows the waterfall flowing into the pond. I kept the shutter open for 2 seconds to make the flowing water veil-like. In the front you can see a feather from the molting peacocks.

I used an app called "Be Funky" to make the pictures of the structures look like watercolors. I am having great fun experimenting!!!

Evening Light...

Yesterday, I left work and the sky beckoned me. The sun peeked out from behind a cloud... diffused, softened...draping my world with a golden veil. I turned toward the turtle pond with my camera.

Gorgeous lotus blossoms were replaced by their ungainly seedpods...fecund, but a sad replacement for the glorious blossoms. The lotus leaves lept high out of the water as the water lilly leaves, more mundane with their smaller size, hugged the pond surface.

What are the smooth gems punctuating the lily leaves? Water drops demonstrating the wonders of our miracle compound...surface tension, cohesion...huge blob-like drops...grabbing the sunlight, then throwing it back...grabbing my eyes...grabbing my imagination. The smooth pond surface reflects a venerable building beneath the leaves. Enchantment!!! I must visit the peacocks, so off I go to Mayfield Park to find them.

The peacocks were there. Last time I visited, they were in full regalia for mating and the males were parading around demonstrating the beauty of their feathers. This time, their long, beautiful feathers were goin, and they were molting. Not a great situation for the birds to be in a good mood.

Some of the peacocks were in a good humor though. This little white yearling sported gorgeous feathers, and a lovely crown.

On the way home, I again was able to soak up the beauty from the sun's gaze. Ahhh...what a wonderful day!

Dragonflies and Damselflies

I am so proud of myself! I managed to figure out how to put photos together to form a short video. This is my first attempt, and it contains some of my favorite subjects...dragonflies and damselflies. Their delicate wings and graceful flight makes my heart happy!

Election Year Blues

Unfortunately it is an election year, and people are being bombarded with a storm of negative statements and misrepresentations of the facts. I just wish we could watch nature and see how easy it is to get along. The bee and the butterfly have a lot to teach us.

Okay, I know. People have large brains...so how can I expect us to behave like these creatures with small brains? Our large brains make us human and enable our complex social structures which require governance. I love the excitement of life as a human, but I abhor the ugliness that it sometimes generates. Elections seem to bring out that ugliness. The most disgusting aspects are the oversimplifications and downright lies that are fed to the American people through speeches, and the fact that most people do not even realize that they are being manipulated.

I prefer to retreat into my imagination...where bees and butterflies get along...and so do people...and opposing politicians.