Tug of War

Photo Information

Taken:	23 September 2007 08:59 Brushy Creek, Texas
Camera:	Cannon PowerShot A550
Exposure:	ISO 200
	5.8mm, 0 EV
	f/2.6
	1/60 flash

Backstory

This picture illustrates one of the reasons Rose survived despite her puppyish preference for chewing antiques. She is the sweetest!

When Suna took this picture, Gwenyth (the corgi) had been blind for more than a year. Rose (the black pup) would find the tug rope for her and take it to Gwen. Gwen loved to play tug of war, even though she couldn’t find the rope. She and Rose would play until Gwen was tuckered.

I’m sure this exercise helped keep Gwen alive and happy a little longer.

–29 May 2012

A Rose That Rocks

Photo Information

Taken:	9 September 2007 12:10 at Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church, Cedar Park, Texas
Camera:	Cannon PowerShot A550
Exposure:	ISO 80
	15.8mm, 0 EV
	f4.5
	1/500

Backstory

Live Oak is lucky enough to have a certified master gardener who volunteers to oversee its grounds. She works long, hard hours and beautiful flowers like this rock rose are the result. She focuses on native plants.

–7 May 2007

Miracles at Church

Photo Information

Taken:	9 September 2007 14:21 at Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church, Cedar Park, Texas
Camera:	Unknown

Backstory

For some reason, none of the photo information is saved with this file. The picture is in the middle of a group of flower garden pictures I took at Live Oak, so I’m making some assumptions here, but…


The landscaping is one of my favorite things about Live Oak. Hella and her volunteers do such wonderful things with native plants. And we all know native plants are important for attracting butterflies. This one looks like a mourning cloak, but I’ll defer to any real lepidopterist who wants to leave a correcting comment.

–29 May 2012

Mantis at Prayer

Photo Information

Taken:	1 September 2007 16:13 Granger, Texas
Camera:	Canon PowerShot A550
Exposure:	ISO 80
	15.8mm, 0 EV
	f4.5
	1/160

Backstory

I was at the Granger house to do a little to get ready to sell it when I noticed this lovely climbing the chain link fence. He was wary of me but totally unafraid. I was too big to eat and I tried not to be threatening, so I wasn’t very interesting to him.

As I recall, the day was hot and sunny, as befits the first of September in Central Texas. Sweltering is another word for it with lots of flying insects around—perfect conditions for mantises to hunt. This one seems to have been pretty successful.

–6 April 2012

Dad Shares His Wisdom

Photo Information

Taken:	14 August 2007 11:06 near Yorktown, Texas
Camera:	Olympus C200Z
Exposure:	ISO 100
	6.4mm, 0 EV
	f/3
	1/125

Backstory

I know pictures like this are the real reason most of my family ever looks at this blog. I love taking pictures of Dad not only because he’s my dad, but also because completely ignores the camera. Because of this seeming unawareness, he always looks natural. Even shots I compose look like candids.

This one was a candid. He was lost in thought talking about something, and I was able to get him with his trailer, truck, and tractor as a backdrop. This is who he is, and he makes no bones about it.

–25 May 2012

Almost Everything’s Bigger in Texas

Photo Information

Taken:	14 August 2007 11:15 Yorktown, Texas
Camera:	Olympus C200Z
Exposure:	ISO 100
	8.7mm, 0 EV
	f7.2
	1/400

Backstory

Suna stands among the sunflowers that are taller than her. This just can’t have been taken at the farm. It must be somewhere near there because Dad hates sunflowers and would never let them get this big!

Too bad there was no GPS in this old camera.

–6 May 2012

Spider Skull

Photo Information

Taken:	14 August 2007 09:45 near Yorktown, Texas
Camera:	Olympus C200Z
Exposure:	ISO 100
	8.7mm, 0 EV
	f/3.6
	1/100

Backstory

The yellow garden spider is harmless to humans even though her cephalothorax looks very much like a human skull—at least in this picture. I’ve never known anyone to be bitten by one, but I have known lots of people to get freaked out by them. They’re big, fast, and voracious.

There are a lot of bugs to eat on a farm, and I’ve seen one of these babies catch and subdue a full grown gecko that had to outweigh her several times over. She made quick work of it, too.

Garden spiders were thick when I took this picture, which I’m posting even though it’s a little blurry. They were all over the farm, hanging anywhere there was an open space between two solid objects.

–23 May 2012