California or Texas?


Looking at these photos I have to ask myself is this California or Texas? I’ve lived in California most of my life, and think it  is one of the most beautiful states, if not the most beautiful. This is a state of mountains, ocean, and desert. Our son and daughter-in-law moved to Austin Texas a few years ago, and recently purchased a sail boat which they sail on Lake Travis. I always thought of Texas as a state made of desert and prairie. When I traveled to Austin for the first time, I learned I was very wrong. The Austin area is quite hilly and green, with clear rivers and blue lakes.
Our son learned to sail here in California, and has now taken his love for this sport to Texas.
final-image
amber-sailing
We are so happy that our daughter-in-law has learned to enjoy being on the water as well.
Ted-sailing
Our son enjoying the view as they return to the harbor.Texas-sunset
Can this really be Texas? This has certainly taught me not to assume anything about the other 49 states. I’m certainly looking forward to a future visit, and a day of sailing.

 

A Beautiful Sunrise

Morning-Sky
Most mornings I get up early, before the sun, to write in my journal. I sit facing a large window that allows me to see the sunrise. This morning, It looked like we were in for a beautiful one, and I was right. I quickly grabbed my camera and went out to the front patio and this is what I saw. It was a very exciting start to a new day.

Martin-Tree
Not long after, a work crew arrived to take down the pine tree you see above. I was sad, because that tree had been in our yard since the late 70s. It was one of our earliest Christmas trees. I felt like I was losing a friend. The reason we’d made this decision, was because the roots were lifting our stone wall, and cracking the sidewalk. The roots were also raising the ground behind our house making it difficult for water to flow to the drainage area. I posted a photo of the problem in a previous post. It was definitely time to have the tree removed.tree-is-gone
Here you can see what our yard looks like now. It certainly is different. We aren’t quite sure what the new plan will be. Perhaps a huge hummingbird garden, or several grouping of ragweed for the Monarch butterflies. For now we will think about it, and once it  is completed, I’m sure I’ll be posting a photo.

Digital Camera Closeups

Sharp-pink-flowerToday was my day to practice close up settings on my digital camera. I started out by taking this close up of a pink hibiscus flower.

Old-white-roseNext I photographed this rose that is well past its youth, yet still beautiful. I then began to wonder if I could use the close up setting in combination with my zoom lens, while photographing the wild birds that visit to our backyard fountains daily. Below you’ll see some of the results.

Blue-bird-1There is a flock of blue birds that visit us often, and I’ve photographed them before, but never in such detail.

Blue-bird-2This pair was certainly enjoying the cool water.

Birds-bathingHere they are thoroughly enjoying their bath. I could have watched these happy birds all day, but they only stay for a few minutes before heading on their way.

feet-in-waterThis last photo amazed me. I wish I’d been able to see more of his tail feathers in this shot, but still wanted to post it because I love seeing the details of his feathers and his bright eyes.

This was my third day of learning more about my digital camera, and each day has been more exciting than the last. I really can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.