A Rock with a View

Photo Information

Taken:	16 December 2007 12:29 at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Camera:	Canon PowerShot A550
Exposure:	ISO 80
	23.2mm, 0 EV
	f/5.5
	1/400

Backstory

This picture is a closer look at the rocky outcropping in the Old West Landscape. It looked so small standing behind the dead tree in that picture.

To give you a sense of scale, look for the little pinkish-red blur on top of the rock. A darker blob stands beside it just above a vertical yellow streak.

Those are people.

And this isn’t even the big rock….

–6 June 2012

The Big Rock

Photo Information

Taken:	16 December 2007 12:45 at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Camera:	Canon PowerShot A550
Exposure:	ISO 80
	5.8mm, 0 EV
	f/7.1
	1/250

Backstory

This is the big rock. At this resolution, which pixels are people?

–9 June 2007

Strange Fruit

Photo Information

Taken:	16 December 2007 12:05 Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Camera:	Canon PowerShot A550
Exposure:	ISO 80
	23.2mm, 0 EV
	f/5.5
	1/400

Backstory

I’m not really sure what this is. It looks like a cactus growing out of a mesquite branch. You never know what you’ll find when you look.

–29 May 2012

Old West Landscape

Photo Information

Taken:	16 December 2007 12:24 at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Camera:	Canon PowerShot A550
Exposure:	ISO 80
	9.8mm, 0 EV
	f/8
	1/200

Backstory

All we need is a vulture sitting on the barren tree to make this a stereotypical Old West picture. Look at the play of shadow on the left side of the tree.

I love the starkness of the landscape around Enchanted Rock. It’s so dry and karsty. It makes you understand the type of people who settled this land and made it support them. It makes you glad they did and you don’t have to.

–5 June 2012

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