I know I’m behind but boy can life get busy sometimes. Of course I was struggling with what I could possibly write about and then I remembered an impulse I had.

I was in Starbucks (rarely but I treat myself once in awhile) and I saw this coffee cup.

I had to have this coffee cup. I literally saw myself relaxing with my photographs drinking coffee out of this coffee cup.

It was large enough – it said “Austin Starbucks Coffee” on it and had a guitar player on it.

All things I love. Coffee, music, and Austin.

I didn’t NEED this coffee cup. But I had to HAVE this coffee cup.

Does it make the coffee taste better? Maybe not, but makes it feel better somehow I guess. I wonder if anyone else has this ‘impulse’ or a favorite thing that they absolutely have to have around that somehow makes us feel better?

Surround yourself with good things and good people and life will be good.

Peace, Love, and Folgers,

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V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

I realized that in alot of my “drive by shooting” I take alot of photographs of highways. I guess that’s because I’m ‘driving’ at the time I take the picture but something about overpasses and the open road draws me.

I have no idea if it has to do with their architecture or design. Or the way they seem to be getting higher in the sky these days.

The patterns and lines they form – the traffic that moves along them (sometimes agonizingly slowly).

Not to mention the backdrop they form for sunsets sometimes.

Ahhh yes. The highway. Traffic. The hustle and bustle of daily life. Moving along like ants in a line. Hoping I’m paying attention to traffic and not my camera settings…

But I can’t help it. I guess I always use to think that travel and the open road was romantic. Not just the daily, get in line, go from home to work and back again kind of thing.

Of course the roads aren’t always crowded and sometimes the ride to work is peaceful. Like when I work on a holiday…

And alot of the time you get the spectacular view of downtown Austin. Always different somehow. I guess it’s the light but it never looks the same but always beautiful.

And then the familiar road home in the evening. Off the highway. Away from the millions of cars all heading home. The familiar arch of trees over the road. Family time.

Peace, Love, and White Lines,

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V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

I can’t help but feel overwhelmed at times with all I’m in to. I mean with work, blahgging (as I call it), photography, and trying to keep up with things.

Something went wonky with the blog yesterday. I was receiving this error whenever I tried to upload an image to the ‘blahg’. So I googled the error message- found several ideas on how to fix it. I also found that an error had occurred on the last WordPress update so I re-ran that – and it appears to be fixed now. But I have no idea what fixed it.

I think it’s about time to take a day off and gather myself together and take a load off. I need to read some blogs and learn a few things. I’m going to start putting a bunch in to that there blog roll for ya’ll to go visit.

Thank ya’ll for stopping by – I need to figure out what happened and clean up the media library after several attempts at fixing the problem.

Peace, Love, and Crash and Learn,

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V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

The sun came out today (yay!) and I finally was out and about (meetings and things) and got to play around with the camera a little and I wasn’t sure what I would blog about today until I stumbled upon a curious sight.

Seems someone forgot to turn the sprinkler off. But then again, it was under 40 degrees outside and wasn’t sure why the folks were waterin’? With the wind blowin’ and all it froze in the tree making for an interesting sight.

I also found an interesting crossing to photograph for the fun of it. It was pretty cold out and though I didn’t get out as much as I would have liked with the meetings and appointments at least I managed to get an interesting shot or two.

The day has wound down . Now time to relax and look over some photographs and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Peace, Love, and Pictures,

V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

I know the title sounds serious…but it’s not really. It’s sort of what I call the photographs I get by not taking the time to stop and really TAKE the picture. I just hang the camera out the window and *click* away.

Sometimes I get an interesting sort of something I want to keep kind of a photograph. And yet other times, I”m not sure why I kept it…a pattern? The color? A memoriy? I’m not sure. Just something kept me from deleting it.

I guess this must be what a hound sees while hanging his head out the window with the breeze flapping his ears around. I don’t know. It reminded me of how fast things seem to be going by faster than I can seem to manage to catch up.

For now as I drive the 42 miles home I’m thinking I can’t wait till it warms up a bit so I can go walking through the woods or somewhere and just make pictures. I love taking pictures. Even while I’m hurtling down the road and too lazy to get out of my truck.

Enjoy my friends!

Peace, Love, and White Lines,

V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

Alas, another rainy day on my day off so I cleaned up and tried to organize some things. I was a little bummed because I was hoping to maybe get out and photograph some things out in the country.

So, I’m cleaning off my shelf and there are some things there I like to look at but take for granted. I decided to play around and photograph them.

Some day I hope to be able to afford a motorcycle to ride around (and photograph) the beautiful Hill Country around the Austin area. It really doesn’t rain much around here and I would love to ride around with the wind in my hair (I’d wear a helmet though) and just enjoy the view.

Remember these? Those were simplar times. Everything is electric now – no muscle use required. I guess with the exception of bicycles but they even have electric motors for those now.

I’ve always wanted to fly. Ever since I first rode on a plane and later peddled one of these. Someday I will do that to.

Well, I surprised myself today thinking I wasn’t going to have anything to ‘blahg’ about with the chilly, rainy thing going on all day. But I managed to day dream a little while cleaning up the shelves and managed to jot this down to give me something to remember. Enjoy!

Peace, Love, and Toy Models,

V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

I have to say that I’m addicted to photography. (Kinda, sorta, right?). Well. I’m so addicted that everywhere I look I see a picture that I would like to take. These horses for instance.

I pass these guys every day on my way to work and I keep telling myself “one of these days I’m going to stop and get that picture”.

Well, I stopped. Finally. But it’s not quite the picture I intended. I saw the field, the horses and railroad cars – I did NOT see the telephone wires.

So now I plan to go back (one of these days) when the horses are positioned just right – and the day is clear – and I’m not in a hurry – and I will get this picture one of these days. I Plan on it. And without the wires in the way (unless of course I feel like spending a little while in photoshop editing them out.

This must be the skyline of the future. Everywhere you go it seems you cannot take in a pretty sight without the ever-present telephone/cable/electricity lines appearing somewhere overhead. There’s a wire for everything it seems.

I think I’ll take a trip to the country and see what I can see without wires.

Peace, Love, and Wired,

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V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

Thanks to the Blogging Challenge I got a chance to learn some amazing things. Also how important the little things are.

Nature is a wonderful thing and alot of us take it for granted. And if you have animals it’s your responsibility to take care of them.

Which brings me to an insect that fascinates, yet scares me to death sometimes (allergies, you know).

Yes. BEES! They are so important to keeping things going and actually fun to watch (as long as you have a long lens and stand perfectly still).

They make honey and keep everything growing and I have to tell you about a wonderful place with wonderful stuff here in a minute.

I didn’t take these photographs today, necessarily but they are a couple of favorites that illustrate how these wonderful bugs work – going from flower to flower pollenating everything. Also I wanted to tell you about Queen Bee Gardens and some thing I learned yesterday regarding the Bee Biz.

Queen Bee Gardens makes candy in Wyoming and I found they use honey from bees. It’s facinating and I learned that when it’s cold in Wyoming, the Bees get an all expense paid vacation to California during the Winter months. That is what I call taking care of your animals!

You simply have to visit their site and read this post about bees being trucked to California. Fascinating stuff!

Follow this link to the story about the Snowbees at Queen Bee Gardens.!

Peace, Love, and Honey,

V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

Have you ever imagined animals talking to you or is it just me? Alright, I’m going out on a limb here. I’ve been thinking all day “what am I going to blog about for this challenge?” I have all this work to do and then I have to get gas and have all these things to do after work.

So I’m sitting there in my truck this morning – and then I look out my window and there is this bird sitting on the curb staring up at me.

So I eased my camera over to my eye and snapped his picture. He didn’t blink – just sat there. And I could swear he said “So. You think you can just come along and park on my food and expect me to be all happy about it? I’m just sitting here with my stale McDonald’s french fry and YOU decided you had to have THIS parking space and darn near killed me mid bite”.

That must have been what he was trying to tell me. Because at lunch I come out and…

Well, I found his friends expressing themselves on top of my truck.

So there you have it. All because I didn’t listen or was too busy worrying about MY life to apologize to the little fella I got my truck pooped on. I guess that’ll show me, eh?

I plan to donate my fries to him and all his friends tomorrow. Sort of throw an “I apologize” party and learn to pay closer attention to what’s going on around me.

Well. I’m off to bed now. Big party tomorrow, you know.

Peace, Love, and Feed the Birds,

V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

I have to admit that the remake of True Grit was alright. Jeff Bridges is no John Wayne, however, he was a very believable Rooster Cogburn.

I’m fortunate enough to live near where part of the movie was filmed in Granger, Texas.

I just wanted to share a photograph of the building where “Mattie Ross” had the discussion about horse trading. I think it’s fun to see the place where a movie was filmed and then see how it looks on the big screen.

Of course on the way out to Granger there’s plenty more fields of that grass I love so much, ha-ha.

Enjoy a good movie for me!

Peace, Love, and Quiet on the Set,

V7 Network 30 Day Bloggers Challenge

Cloudy days just seems to drag for some reason. I don’t know but I’m a sunny day guy. I didn’t really get any good shots today. Of course I was pretty tied up with chores. But I did manage to hang the camera out the window and watch a grain truck get filled.

Well, I’m trying to keep up with the 30 day challenge – where you try to write in your blog every day for 30 days. I’m sure I’ll get better tomorrow – Rainy day or not I plan to actively hunt something down to photograph.

Peace, Love, and Raindrops,

Well. Maybe not what you were thinking. I love this time of year and I guess it’s because I’ve just sort of noticed it.

I’ve noticed how the grain or grass looks like hair blowing in the wind. It also reminds me of the song “America” or “Oh Beautiful…” for the line about the ‘amber waves of grain’.

I believe it’s the same stuff they roll up and sell for the animals to eat. It just makes me think “American”. I love taking drives out in the country and looking at the old barns and fields and I love old cars as well, but that’s another post.

I’m currently participating in a thing called a Blogging Challenge where ya post something every day for thirty days. It’s a challenge – I like photographs so that means a photo a day as well. So wish me luck and enjoy!

The challenge is brought to by my friends at V7 Network.

Peace, Love, and Happy Blogging,

As I stated in my first post of 2011 I decided to take time to look around. To look deeper. To Appreciate. And today as I was begrudgingly cleaning up my back yard and cussing the weeds I noticed how perfect dandelions were.

They start out as seemingly beautiful yellow flowers then turn in to a sphere of trouble. By that I mean they have the potential to fill your yard in a rather short amount of time. Though I like the color yellow sometimes I do not wish my yard to be all dandelions – though dandelions are the only flower I seem to be able to grow at this point.

Well, I guess I’ll put the camera down and go back to cleaning up. Just thought I’d share a little something with ya’ll. Have a wonderful day!!

Peace, Love and Weeds,

I was walking back in to my office after lunch and just happened to look up at the sky. Right about then a breeze came up and whispered “slow down”.

I then began to try and remember the last time I went walking or just sat in the grass and just wondered. I remember being young and looking up at the clouds, just watching, for hours. Not really thinking of anything. I miss those carefree days. I also miss just walking around away from all of the noise.

It’s good to relax and just ‘take it all in’. I feel as though I’ve let that get away from me or that somehow I’ve forgotten how important it is to notice the little things.
Like that grasshopper on the fence post that is watching me ever so closely to make sure I don’t give him a bad day.

That was a restfull day. Going down this country road admiring the fall colors. Then looking down to find that grasshopper staring at me. I guess that’s what I mean by really looking around at what’s going on around you.

I can’t remember the last time I just looked around, or stopped and looked at the sky and just emptied my head – or looked up at the stars and took the time to admire the beauty of it all.

Life has gotten so busy. I think that for this new year, 2011, I’ve made a resolution to take the time to Learn to be STILL. Actually there is an Eagles song by that title I haven’t heard in awhile…I think I’ll dig it out. I’ve heard that “Rushing” can kill you anyway so I figure it will be good for me.

I’m going to stop, and rest, and take the time to admire the world around me and the people I love and not be so ‘worked’ and ‘rushed’.

Well I’m hoping that I post more often to my ‘Blahg” here as that can be relaxing as well. I thank everyone who stops by to take a peek and hope you enjoy your time here and most of all have a Blessed and Prosperous New Year!.

Peace, Love, and Stillness,

I remember passing this house a couple of years ago and loved the old style of it. My thoughts at the time were that it would make a great haunted house.

I just loved the old style of it. Actually I wished I had lived there.

Well, I was driving around and passed by the house yesterday and low-and-behold it had been totally remodeled and WOW what a beautiful house it is now!

Georgetown Texas is such a beautiful town. The people are great and I love how it’s growing. My hat is off to the folks that purchased and remodeled this home. It looks fantastic! Just shows what you can do.

Peace, Love, and Carpentry,

I love photography and the memories that images bring back. Looking at my computer today I realized I’ve passed 29,000 images.

Of course alot are family snapshots and events, but most are photographs of things that make me feel something.

I hate to say it but I’m a lazy photographer. I cannot imagine having to wait 2 days for my ‘prints’ to come back from the developer. I’m so glad I have the instant gratification that digital photography brings, as well the artistic capabilities of graphics editing programs such as Paint Shop Pro or everyone’s favorite Adobe Photoshop.

So get yourself a digital camera and get out and make some memories. I get such a good feeling browsing through my ‘collection’ of sorts. They Bring back feelings of nothing but good.

Peace, Love, and Memory Cards,

I’ve noticed that most of the aircraft around our municipal airport are squeeky clean. I’ve thought about how a 1959 Beechcraft K35 could look as good as it did in the showroom over 50 years ago.

And yet, when I see a slightly newer, (1980ish), Canadair CL-600 tucked away in a corner between two buildings – seemingly neglected, it saddens me.

I wonder if it’s down for repairs. Or maybe just being stored. Even worse maybe a toy that’s been cast aside for something better. (My kids do that – Get them the latest and greatest Christmas gift and 3 weeks later it’s forgotten.)

Planes are extremely expensive to purchase and maintain. Hard to believe this work of art is just sitting here. Just making me think, I guess.

Peace, Love, and Plane Spotting,

It’s been over 20 years? August 27, 1990 Guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn passed away in a helicopter crash. He was only 35. His legend lives on in downtown Austin, Texas with a statue in his honor located at Auditorium Shores.

When in Austin take a stroll around Auditorium Shores. It’s a beautiful park with lots to see near beautiful downtown Austin.

 Stevie Ray Vaughn keeps a watchful eye over downtown Austin.

Peace, Love, and Rhythm and Blues,

I love summer time. Biking in the park. Camping and swimming holes. It’s a little too hot for Golf though. But I can still take a photograph or two.

Peace, Love, and Blue Skies,

I’m just now learning how to expose photographs for night lights. The intrenet is a wonderful resource for looking up settings to start with. So, I took my camera down to Town Lake in downtown Austin Texas and played with the settings that I had found on the internet. The settings I ended up using: ISO 100, f.8, and exposed for approximately 10 seconds (on a tripod of course). You can generally get good results with these settings if you’re shooting for the lights.

Nice to sit and watch the city lights in Austin. From where this was taken there are still joggers out running around and there are dinner cruise boats on the lake as well. I love Austin.

Peace, Love, and City Lights,

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