25% COMPLETE

The year is one fourth of the way behind us. January didn't start on the best of paths. I'd hoped for the subsequent months to be an improvement. That has not been the case.

2010 is quickly shaping itself as one of the worst years on record. Illness, death, legal issues, monetary shortfalls, addictions, unemployment, mechanical failures, disrupted educations, drastic declines in the health of beloved family pets, and more have all contributed in major, powerful ways. And that is just in my immediate family circle.

Perhaps it is prophetic that the remaining three-quarters of the year starts with Easter. After all, Easter signifies redemption, rebirth and renewal. Let's pray that it likewise signifies the end to all the turmoil and upheaval to which we've become so accustomed since January.

Until the next quarter...

SPRINGTIME

Business first: March 20th was the Fifth Anniversary of this blog! I am amazed it has been that many years.

Spring is here. There is no doubt it has arrived. It is visible in many ways; some subtle and some far more obvious.

Went to a Rodeo Parade today in Downtown Mesquite, Texas. Mesquite is basically a suburb of Dallas, but the hometown flavor of a much smaller town still exists. However, parade pictures are parade pictures. Instead I am showing photos taken at the Lake Tawakoni State Park and other points not too far east of Dallas.

The rain-swollen lake sends water pouring over the spillway.

Some cute miniature flowers growing against the base of a tree.

A Great Blue Heron perched atop a birdhouse. Turtles on the log are sunning themselves.

Wood ducks bobbing among the reeds.

New foliage.

Dogwoods starting to bloom!

Until a better day....

[not so] FIRED UP

To say I am disappointed is an understatement. These 2 examples are about the best of over 200 shots. And that certainly isn't saying much. I am going to have to ponder on this one. The pictures look much better in the photo browser than either here or printed on photo paper. In fact, the printed ones look the worst. However, since this was likely the last fire until next winter, I'll have plenty of time to think about how to improve. C'est la vie!

Until I get it right....

READY - AIM - FIRE

I just spent the better part of the evening taking over 200 pictures of burning logs in the fireplace. Last night I realized that I've tried to capture many things digitally, but never a roaring fire. I am really disappointed in the results. I tried countless settings and lenses. I thought I'd have a few decent shots. Or at least more than I actually accomplished. I'll share some tomorrow if I get a chance. First I have to decide if any are worth sharing!

It snowed in Dallas the first day of spring, thus the reason it was cold enough to have a fire. Normally it is far too warm by now to enjoy such a wintry luxury.

Until I make a decision....

GREENHOUSE ORCHIDS

Last Sunday I was afforded the opportunity to visit a local orchid greenhouse. I decided to use the chance to take pictures using a lens other than my usual, trusty telephoto lens. I decided to use the 50mm macro lens exclusively and was not disappointed with the results. I used manual settings, opening the shutter as wide as it would go for the shallowest depth-of-field. The bokeh was amazing, giving the images a soft, delicate background.

Here are but a few examples from my greenhouse outing. Some actually look better when zoomed in because of the detail.

Until the next post...

LARRY McMURTRY TERRITORY

Larry McMurtry, source for some of Hollywood's edgiest (is there such a word?) movies, is from Texas. The imdb lists Wichita Falls as his birthplace, but he claims Archer City as his hometown. (Archer City is but a few miles south of Wichita Falls). Lately the Peter Bogdanovich treatise of McMurtry's novel The Last Picture Show has been showing on cable. In the past few weeks I've watched it no fewer than two-point-five times (the point-five for the night we started watching it after the first half). The Last Picture Show was practically scandalous in its day, being released in 1971. It introduced us to Cybill Sheperd, both with and without her clothes. It was the debut of Randy Quaid. We also were treated to a young Jeff Bridges and equally young Timothy Bottoms. It was a classic "coming of age" film.

The town in the movie is called Anarene, and although there is such a place on the map, we were unable to find it while exploring the area this weekend. The movie itself was filmed in Archer City, Texas. Some of the buildings used in the film are still standing and Larry McMurtry now owns several of the buildings around the town square, having converted them to used book stores. We noted 4 of his stores yesterday.

But first, to get to Archer City we passed through a small town called Windthorst. It was founded by German Catholics in the 1800s and showcases a beautiful Catholic church on a hill, complete with grotto. Saint Mary's Catholic Church is truly old world styling. The sun was shining brightly through the stained glass windows and indeed shone this brightly no matter my attempts to dampen the glare.

Across the parking lot from the church I spied a horse munching grass. Then I saw these rusty cable reels. I couldn't resist.

This facade was so interesting and unique. However, the pole in front ruins the effect. The pole was only a couple feet away from the building so there was no possible way to capture a photo without it.

Archer City is the county seat of Archer County, Texas. The courthouse is made of the abundant limestone found in the area (and throughout much of Texas).

Here is the portion of the town square that was featured in The Last Picture Show. The Royal Theater is nothing but a shell now, but it reflects the local by-gone flavor all the same. In the movie the stores to the left were shown as well. I think one was the Alsup's Cleaners (in the movie).

This is Texas. A cactus variety growing at the base of the telephone pole at the street corner.

The next stop was the Clay County courthouse in Henrietta, Texas. I prefer taking courthouse photos in the winter months while the trees are dormant and leaves are absent. It allows seeing more of the structure without blockage by leaves.

Lest anyone think spring isn't here, looking closely one can see the green tint on the trees as the leaves begin to bud out.

While stopped at a state park, I started playing with the telephoto lens. This was taken on a bridge crossing the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.

I've always wanted to visit Archer City because of Larry McMurtry. Brokeback Mountain remains a captivating movie. Lonesome Dove was an excellent novel (and later a mini-series). Who didn't like Paul Newman in Hud? Now I can cross this wanna-do off the list!

Until another post...

MORE RANDOMNESS

It has been raining quite frequently as of late. As I was cooking the evening meal after a day of rain I noted the colors from the kitchen window. I grabbed the camera and snapped a few shots.


I added a Gold Angelfish to the small aquarium. He/she is beautiful and very social. When I approach the tank the fish comes near and seems to pose for me.

Some of the cichlids. The blue/black striped fish is my favorite. The photo does not do justice to the vibrancy of his colors.

Same fish. He is a pseudotropheus demasoni and I only assume it is a he because of the vivid colors. In general the males are more colorful than females.

This is the Billy Bad Butt of the group. He chases the other fish and likes to bully them. He is also the largest, but he too is very nicely colored. This is a johanni.

I realize these posts have no importance attached, but I enjoy playing with the pictures and sharing them with friends and family members who regularly visit this blog.

Until the next time...

NIGHT LIGHTS...and a few extras

This weekend is the North Texas Irish Festival at Fair Park here in Dallas, Texas. I didn't go last year because of a prior commitment, so this year it was again on the agenda.

H goes every year as he is 50% Irish (I can claim a smaller fraction via my ancestors with surnames such as Kelly, Coleman, Payne, and more.... Belfast, Ireland was their roots). H and I are on a tight budget so it seemed ideal to go to the festival on Friday night when admission was FREE between the hours of 6pm and 7pm. (We won't do that again. The majority of the vendors were not set up, most of the beer tents were not operational, and the booth that serves corned beef and cabbage was not open!) To further save money we chose to ride the DART Light Rail to Fair Park.

I love taking pictures but I hate carrying tons of gear plus a purse plus a jacket. I traveled light! I wore jeans and a top with pockets for carrying my phone, my identification, my keys, and my cash. The only thing I carried was the camera around my neck with the kit lens (18mm-55mm); no tripod, no filters, no flash.

As soon as we arrived at Fair Park I started snapping pictures. The one below is one of my favorites only because it is so quirky! There was glass around the station platform and the reflections that played in the glass were captivating. I can see the entrance gate and the Women's Museum inside the fairgrounds although we are still at the train station and looking in the opposite direction. (It wasn't yet 6pm so we had to sit outside the gate until it opened).



Then it happened. H made the comment that he didn't know why I bothered bringing the camera because it was going to be dark most of the time. Anyone who knows me well knows that was all I needed to hear to perceive a challenge to prove otherwise. I started snapping photos of everything! All images are full manual, ISO800 (maximum; some less), no flash, no tripod. I wished I'd had at least the monopod but there is always next year.

When the fair is in session late September, this building is the Automotive Building. This reflecting pool is newly renovated within the past 6 months and is delightful. The benches around the pool house speakers from which the sounds of Aaron Copland's Hoedown can be heard on a cyclic basis. As the music plays the fountains are choreographed to the sounds.

You can see the fountains below.

I took many shots of this building, I was intrigued with the way the shadows were captured without the use of a flash device. I am on the sidewalk along the opposite side of the fountains.

This photo below is one of those learning experiences we don't recognize until after the fact. I should have captured the statue from the other side of his face. However, if I'd done that the smoky light and the flags might not have been in the frame. So I should have tried it both ways so I could have made a determination after being uploaded to the computer.

I like this one, too. A simple fountain with lights shining upward and parallel to the column of water.

Yet another building with excellent period art deco. Most of these buildings date to the 1930s if I am not mistaken. Every so many years they are renovated to maintain their period quality. In the foreground you can see one of the benches from which the symphonic sounds erupt.

This image encapsulated several of the architectural elements. I also note the skies that were clear upon entrance to the event have now gone overcast.

This is yet another favorite photo from the adventure. We are leaving the festival and wait on the train platform for the return ride home. Recently, I was reading about the designer and designs of the various train stations and was interested to read that all the stations with the exception of Fair Park Station featured rounded, tubular, arching canopies. In an effort to maintain the flavor of the 1930s entrance gate to the fairgrounds, the designer opted for the squared columnar look so prevalent throughout the venue. It was an excellent design decision in my opinion!

And now for the extras....

My middle son celebrated his 19th birthday a few days ago. At the end of the day he thanked me for putting up with him for the past 19 years. I was touched. He's never been a problem... just normal kid stuff and maturity issues. I should have thanked him for not making it as difficult as it could have been. So, Happy Birthday, Ross.....

The other morning on the way to work I snapped this photo of a flowering quince bush. I had a snowy picture on my computer as wallpaper and decided I needed something indicative of spring's impending arrival. This seemed just the thing!

There you have it.

Until I have more to share....