TOTALLY RANDOM WEEKEND

This guy (or gal) was on the ceiling of my porch last night. I grabbed the camera. This was the best I could do since he was on a surface many feet above my head. I used the telephoto zoom lens.



Ended up driving to Oklahoma. It was so long since I'd been out of the state of Texas that tears of joy came to my eyes as I crossed the state line. I was thrilled. Not that I hate Texas; crossing into Oklahoma felt like a true getaway! Took a drive through the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge again (on the Texas side of Lake Texoma). Here are the Great Egrets which are very common and high in number.

A Great Blue Heron. We saw quite a few of these large birds. The wingspan is approximately 6 feet.

Some of the flora.

Practicing stop action as the waves crashed against rocks.

Here is yet another Gena "accident" shot. I saw the shot of the lake framed between the trees with the rocks in the foreground and thought "terrific". Just as I snapped the picture a sailboat entered the frame. How was I to know this was going to be one of my favorite shots of the entire adventure!

Rusty silos at a cotton gin (still in operation).

From the truck as we drove to Dallas Farmer's Market. Apparently something about RUST appeals to my senses because I find it of great interest in photographs.

Until the next post.....

NEW CHAPTER .....OR NEW BOOK????

I can't decide. In many ways it is some of both... chapter and book. For both of us!

I cried.

For many reasons.

I cried with worry that I'd forgotten to tell or teach so many things he'd need to know about being on his own. I cried because I'd have given anything to be the one embarking on a collegiate adventure. I cried because I will miss him. I cried because I love him.

Mostly I cried because this was not what I had on my mind in that first instant I laid eyes on ... and fell in love with .... him 18+ years ago. I wasn't ready for this day to be here. It was much too soon.

We still had more Little League practices and games. We still had more homework to do. More science projects to complete. More scraped knees to bandage. More rehearsals to get to. More miles to put on the "taxi". More tears to dry after a break-up. More confidence to bolster after a bombed test.

And then there were no more. Today was the day.... no longer a little boy living at home with his mommy.

Did I mention I am proud of him? My college freshman!!

Now I need to "un-nest"... to purge. I agree it is the opposite of nesting before a new baby arrives, as my sister pointed out.

I want to get rid of all the tattered furniture that was never replaced because the boys were too rough and tumble for new. I don't need 4 extra beds. I don't need 5 night stands. I don't need all the chests of drawers. I don't need all the plastic drinking glasses that were collected from ballgames, school events, outings at fast-food chains, and 7-11. I don't need multiple clothes baskets in the laundry room for sorting which clean clothes go to which room. I can get rid of the faded beach towels, the grease-stained rags, the cans of touch-up paint "in case one of the boys nicks the wall", etc.

Yes, it is time to de-clutter.

Until the dust settles....

IMPROMPTU ESCAPE

It had been a while since we'd hit the open road and headed to an unknown destination. Last Saturday afforded the opportunity for adding a county courthouse to the ever-growing file of Texas courthouses. This is the courthouse in Hillsboro, Texas - seat of Hill County. [Note: there are 250+ counties in Texas. At last count I had photos of 51 courthouses. That is only 20%! I don't imagine it will be any time soon that I get all 254 of them.]



Another 19th century architectural showcase.



Playing with foreground blur in a photo.

Then it was on to Lake Whitney. This is what we saw under the brush in the McGown area operated by the Corps of Engineers. Quite a few deer were visible despite the noon hour and the high temperatures.

This is the lake with the lowest water level due to drought in all of Texas at the present time. Lake Whitney is 12 feet low as of this writing. The yellow "pipes" are actually floating devices to indicate the safe swimming area when the lake level is much higher. The white things on the beach are buoys with 8 - 12 foot chains fastened to the dry beach. However, this is a beautiful lake. White rocks line the sandy shores. The water is clear and you can see the sandy bottom before the water becomes deep. Clear, blue lakes are not very prevalent in North Texas. The lake closest to Dallas is a murky green-brown at best with no underwater visibility.

This catfish was no doubt a tasty meal. Interesting how the skeleton is intact.

The beautiful sandy beach.

These stumps were not used to the drying rays of the sun. They are typically under many feet of water.

Many wild critters seem fascinated with these protrusions from the sand. Tracks of deer, raccoons, and coyotes wove in and out of the bleached wood.

Abbott, Texas.... birthplace of Willie Nelson. The small-town greeting on the prominently placed marquee conveys to the astute visitor the diminutive size of the town.

This grocery store proudly mentions Willie's name.

This is more for my boys than anything. This defunct department store in Corsicana, Texas displays their surname. (No relation to the previous owners is known).

Until the next adventure.....

NIGHT-TIME QUIRKINESS

A couple of weeks ago my side-kick and I headed to the light rail station and boarded the train northbound to Downtown Plano. We intentionally departed around sunset so I could capture photos of the area at night. I used full "M"anual and no flash. The most fun part of photography [to me] is experimenting with the settings and the various combinations.

Downtown Plano, Texas is a lively place at night. You can hear laughter coming from open air patios as patrons listen to music and share meals. The downtown area has been revitalized as a result of the rail station. A repeat visit is definitely on the agenda!

Until a little later when I post photos from my weekend travels....