Ramblings Around Texas

LBJ Grasslands Update

2009-10-15T13:23:00.005-05:00

Abandoned Building

Click on the photos

Leave a comment.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

Ft. Worth - Where the West Begins

2009-10-08T12:20:00.003-05:00

Ft. Worth, Texas
Courthouse Tower
Driving down Main Street
Looking North

Have you been here?
Have you visited,
Friendly Texas Skies?

Ft. Worth's Motto - "Where the West Begins"

Leave a comment.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

The Drought is Over

2009-10-01T13:16:00.008-05:00

SWF

The drought is over but Mother Nature has played a harsh trick on the best-laid plans of men. The boardwalk area of the Ft. Worth Nature Center and Refuge is now surrounded by fast-growing Sesbane (about 10' tall).

Click on the photo for a better look.

Compare this photo to an earlier photo and post(click here) during the drought.

Leave a comment.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

LBJ National Grasslands

2009-09-24T11:56:00.006-05:00

SWF

Todays post is to clear up a popular misconception about the National Grasslands in Texas. The Grasslands are not great expanses of grass as far as the eye can see. At least not today. The early settlers moved in with homesteading, farming and ranching. The establishment of national grasslands has saved old remnants and added to these by purchasing adjacent farms and ranches as they became available.

However, even in early history, the grasslands were/and are cut with rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, and wooded valleys(see photo below). White-tailed deer, small mammals, coyotes, bobcats, red fox, waterfowl, bobwhite quail, turkey, and songbirds thrive in the diverse habitats provided by the Grasslands. Largemouth bass, blue and channel catfish, and various sunfish species are common catches at the many lakes that dot the Grasslands' landscape.

A Wooded Valley Cutting Across the Grasslands
Photo from a small hill on the LBJ National Grasslands
You can see for miles under the clear sky!

Be sure to click on the photo and scroll to its bottom
to see some of the native grass.

As of 30 September 2007, the total area of all 20 National Grasslands(click here) was 3,843,037 acres (15,552 km2).
Click on the link and read the short article. It's really interesting.

Do you live near a native grassland or have you visited one?
Leave a comment.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

Big Alligator

2009-09-19T01:21:00.006-05:00

Question: What does a 12' Texas Alligator eat ?

Answer: Anything that he wants to !

We saw this big fella at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge near the town of Anahuac.

The nearby town of Anahuac has a Gatorfest. 13 footers have been recorded there. This one may have been that long, but I couldn't get a good estimate because the end of the tail was hidden. this photo was taken before Hurricane Ike. Unfortunately the Alligator population was decimated by the ocean surge of salt water that overran the Reserve.

Here's a link. Click here.

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Last Days of Summer

2009-09-16T19:17:00.004-05:00

SWF

Where Sky meets Sand and Surf
Bolivar Peninsula

East of Galveston Texas
Pre-Hurricane Ike

I am posting this on the anniversary of Ike
and to honor the recovery efforts.

Comments appreciated.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

LBJ National Grasslands

2009-09-09T20:51:00.008-05:00

SWF

I'm posting a bit early as Martha and I have been busy lately working on our certification for 'Texas Master Naturalists'.

I have also been spending a fair bit of time working on our new nature blog "I C U Nature"(click here). It's a 'nature photography only blog' with lots of information included. Visit and leave a comment. Tell us what you think.

Now, for today's memories "lost under the sky"!
This old house is located on the National Grasslands of North Central Texas. It's a favorite spot for a day trip and only about an hour away. It's a great place for birding and seeing everything from Painted Buntings to Road Runners, not to mention Hawks soaring lazily overhead and Quail calling in the distance. Just the idea makes me want to go this weekend.

Lost under the Sky
With only Memories

(Click on the photo for a closer look)

Idea by Martha
Photo by Troy: Nikon D70

The Caddo and Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) National Grasslands are located in two areas northeast and northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. They not only provide grazing land for cattle and habitat for wildlife, but offer a variety of recreation. The most popular activities are hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, and photography.

White-tailed deer, small mammals, coyotes, bobcats, red fox, waterfowl, bobwhite quail, turkey, and songbirds thrive in the diverse habitats provided by the Grasslands. Largemouth bass, blue and channel catfish, and various sunfish species are common catches at the many lakes that dot the Grasslands' landscape.

The LBJ is comprised of more than 20,250 acres with one developed recreation area located at Black Creek Lake. The recreation area consists of seven picnic units, seven walk-in camp units, one improved boat ramp and an accessible fishing bridge. No drinking water is available. The lake is approximately 30 acres in size. The discharge of firearms and hunting is prohibited on and around the lake.

Cottonwood Lake, located 5 miles north of Black Creek Lake, is approximately 40 acres in size and has one improved boat ramp. No recreation facilities are provided. The discharge of firearms is prohibited in the vicinity of Cottonwood Lake. However, from November 1 through February 28, the use of shotguns, excluding slugs and buckshot, for legally hunting game birds and game animals during state designated seasons is permitted.

The Cottonwood-Black Creek Hiking Trail is 4 miles long and connects the two lakes. It is rated moderately difficult. There are nearly 75 miles of multipurpose trails which run in the Cottonwood Lake vicinity.

TADRA Point is a designated trailhead camping facility that is a primary access point for the 75 mile LBJ Multi-use Trail system. Only a few restrooms and parking facilities are provided.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

Harris Hawk

2009-09-03T13:21:00.004-05:00

SWF

King of the Sky Taking a Rest

Harris Hawk
Rio Grande Valley, South Texas

Please, leave a comment here and
Be sure to visit our new 'Nature Only' blog, named 'I C U Nature'.
Your opinion is important !!!
Tell us what you think about the format and appearance
of the new site at WordPress.

Click here to see I C U Nature.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

Going to the Sun Road Glacier National Park

2009-08-27T13:45:00.007-05:00

SWF

A really Favorite Drive.
One of the top 10 in the United States.
As listed by many magazines, and myself.

Click on the photos for a really magnificent vista !!

Lower section climbing out of the valley.
No travel trailers allowed on this road.

Middle section, well above the valley
Enlarge, and look at the pickup on the right,
for a sense of perspective.

These photos don't do justice to the scope of the view.

Near the summit

They have a magnificent Visitors Center
at the summit and some great trails.

Have you been there?
Leave a comment.

Note: all of these photos are "as photographed".

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

Eryngo

2009-08-20T09:08:00.009-05:00

SWF

The sky makes a great background sometimes to see the detail of plants.

Eryngium leavenworthii

Be sure to click on the photo to see the detail.

There are a lot of different species of Eryngo, which may be found in nearly every state.

Distribution for leavenworthii

Range Map:
USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database . National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

Hot Texas Sun

2009-08-13T13:19:00.006-05:00

SWF

It was hot this day, 100+ °F. in the shade.

I was on a Nature Hike at the Ft. Worth nature Center & Refuge with Michelle Villafranca. We were in the "Prairie Barrens" area and I was interested in studying the plant communities on the 'barrens' a little more closely. This photo is near the edge of a barrens area approaching some glades.

click on the photo for a better view

This photo is an example of a statement that I have said in previous posts. When you take a photo, try to remember not only what it looked like, but the weather, what birds you were hearing (titmice, or other sounds), time of day, what smells were in the air (dry hot grass in this instance), any breezes stirring the air, anything unusual about the geology, etc.. It will enhance the pleasure of viewing the photo later.

Note the characteristic color of 'Little Bluestem' on the left.

Google 'prairie barrens' for more information.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy

Wild foxglove

2009-08-11T11:11:00.009-05:00

Digitalis is found in some
.
We were out looking for Celestial to photograph when we found this lone Wild Foxglove. Alas, the Celestials were long gone, but there were some interesting wildflowers and insects to photograph. More of these to come over the next few weeks. Click here to see last year's Celestial.

Click on the photo for a better view.
Leave a comment if you like the photo.

Penstemon cobaea Nutt.
Wild foxglove, Prairie penstemon, Foxglove penstemon, False foxglove, Large-flowered beardtongue, Large-flowered penstemon, Prairie beardtongue, Cobaea penstemon
Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)
USDA Symbol: PECO4
USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

When in bloom, large, tubular flowers line at least half of cobaea beardtongue’s 1-2½ ft. stems. It is typically found on rocky, calcareous soils in the Hill country of Texas. The flowers are white with dark purple lines inside the floral tube. One to three stout stems rise from a woody rhizome and bear thick, 2-3½ in. paired leaves which become smaller up the stem. The leaves have a waxy, shiny luster and are coursely toothed. The lower leaves have often withered by the time of flowering.

Perennial

This penstemon attracts a variety of moths.

Ft. Worth Nature Center & Refuge, May 2, 2009.
Canon G10, f/4, 1/125 sec., ISO 100, 11:30 AM

REFERENCES:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Native Plant Database.

Marshall Enquist. 1987. Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country. Lone Star Botannical, Austin, TX, 275 pp.

PS: There is an interesting internet reference on digitalis obtained from two other species of Common Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, found here.

Troy and Martha

My World Tuesday

2009-08-10T12:56:00.008-05:00

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My World Texas,

Based in Ft. Worth, Texas

Today in Texas
Cowboy Boots

What do you do with your old Cowboy Boots here in Texas,
when they are all worn out?

Why you hang them out on the fence of course.....

Photograph taken in a light rain, cloudy day, from the inside of the car.

Click on the photo for a better look.

If you like the photo, leave a comment,
and scroll down and see some of the other Texas posts lately.

Please visit "That's my World" for other great places of the Earth.Troy & Martha

Harlequin Bug nymphs

2009-08-09T15:16:00.004-05:00

There is always one to take charge and be the leader.
Just out of the egg cases.

Murgantia histrionica

You have to click on the photo to see the story.

I believe he is saying, "Hey guys, come on, I see some small leaves up there that we can hide in".

Troy

Ft. Worth Nature Center Marsh

2009-08-06T13:13:00.005-05:00

Sky Watch
Looking for the Rain

120° Panorama

Boardwalk at the Marsh

Click on the photo and scroll back and forth
to see the receding water and drying marsh.

A skywatch for a serious reason. Looking for needed rain.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy
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The Sad Story of a Weevil

2009-08-04T21:06:00.011-05:00

or "A Good Photography Refresher Tip"

First, The Good News......
I made a nice photograph of a cool weevil while on an insect walk with Laura Veloz,
at the Ft. Worth Nature Center & Refuge. A broad-nosed weevil at that.
At first glance, I tentatively ID'd this as an Ophryastes sp., maybe varius.

Click on the photo for a really close view

Now, The Bad News......
After posting on one of my favorite sites, 'Bug Guide', the ID is now in doubt.
v.belov, a contributing editor of 'Bug Guide', tends to think it may be Epicaerus texanus.

Poor weevil. Now he/she will never be a famous star in an Entomological journal.
Without a proven bloodline or lineage, no acceptance.
You know how picky these Editors are.

The moral to the story, or lesson learned, is.....
Always take several photographs from various angles.
According to v. belov, a plain dorsal photo may have decided the confirmed idenity.

It doesn't cost any more to make twenty shots than one. I was just lazy.
I took 3 shots (all from the same angle) and all looked in focus.

Have you ever done this?
Leave a comment

Troy

Cryptic Camouflage

2009-08-02T16:10:00.006-05:00

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One of the examples of camouflage is cryptic camouflage or 'blending into the background'.

Cryptic camouflage is an attempt to blend into the environment and become effectively imperceptible. To do this, the camouflaged object must minimize observable differences between itself and the background with respect to the senses of the target observer.

The definitive example of camouflage is a cryptic camouflage designed to match the visual appearance of the expected background, generally using a mottled pattern of greens and browns to match ground and foliage color and break up the outline of the camouflaged object.

This Catocola Moth is Catocala maestosa. The pattern is very well adapted to dim lighting. This photo is a much clearer image than seen by the eye in the subdued light along the forest trail. My flash seems to bring out the colors and separate her(?) from the bark.

Click on the photos for a closer look,

Discovered while on a trip to explore the Prairie Barrens at
Ft. Worth Nature Center & Refuge with Michelle Villafranca
The moth is the piece of bark in the center of the tree trunk between the vines.

The overall pattern simulates bark texture and grain.
Notice how the dark semicircles break up the overall wing shape,

An older name found in many books is Catocala viduata.

Troy
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August Whale Calendar

2009-08-01T09:36:00.006-05:00

It's August......

Have you made and printed your August Calendar yet?

Click on the photo and scroll to see all of the calendar

This was a fun photograph to make.

Rocking boat, moving pretty fast
Choppy waves...lots of vibration
Heavy overcast, shooting ISO 400
Anticipating the breach location

Nikon D200
18-200 mm Vibration Reduction Lens
1/640 sec, f/13, 200 mm focal length

After all the heat here in Texas, Alaska would be nice again.

Leave a comment and have a great August.

Troy

SWF

2009-07-30T12:45:00.003-05:00

Montana Buffalo Country

East of Glacier National Park

Click on the photo for a better look.
Have you been there?
Leave a comment.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha
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Three-banded Grasshopper

2009-07-29T17:29:00.007-05:00

Hadrotettix trifasciatusBe sure to click on the photo for a better view
of the network pattern in the wings and the colors

According to the 'Wyoming Agricultrial Experiment Station Bulletin 912,

"The Three-banded Grasshopper ranges widely in the grasslands of the West in the middle third of the continent. It is a common species of the shortgrass, desert, and mixedgrass prairies. It is less abundant in other prairies and is rare in grass-shrub communities of the intermountain basins. In the tallgrass prairie it occupies areas of sparse vegetation on gravelly hilltops and slopes. This particular species is not considered a serious agricultural pest.

Its feeding on good forage grasses would tend to give it pest status, but research has shown that it feeds more heavily on poor forage plants and plants poisonous to livestock (death camus, milkweeds, some milkvetches, and others). It feeds on grasses, forbs, sedges, dead and weakened insects, plant litter, and dry cattle dung. It feeds chiefly on forbs, with as many as 40 species recorded from analyses of crop contents and direct observations in nature. Examination of 152 specimens collected from several habitats near North Platte, Nebraska revealed that 75 percent of crop contents consisted of forbs, 21 percent grasses and sedge, and 4 percent arthropod parts."

This one was photographed at the Ft. Worth Nature Center and Refuge.
Lower prairie setting close to the West fork of the Trinity River.

I have been seeing a lot of band-winged grasshoppers and tons of slant-faced grasshoppers there, but this is the first of this species that I have seen this year. Maybe I haven't been looking closely enough.

Leave a comment (if you like hoppers) and tell me what you think.
Photo with my Canon G10 'point and shoot'

Troy
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Sky Watch Friday

2009-03-12T11:34:00.006-05:00

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We have been doing a lot of yard work and and home projects lately,
so no blogging for a couple of months.

I hope everyone is doing well.
I'll try to catch up on visiting everyone over the next couple of weeks.
It's raining here, so no outside work.

I thought I would share out March calendar (with a sky),
and a March moon (made with a point and shoot through the eyepiece of one of our telescopes).

Click on the photos and scroll for better full page views

Calendar of a Photo made on the Haul Road
Dalton Highway
414 mile gravel road
This is one of the really good sections

March Moon

Happy Sky Watch and have a good weekend.

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha
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Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-01T09:32:00.007-06:00

Happy New Year
and wishing you health and happiness

Click on the photo for a larger view

Arizona Desert © 2006 Martha Mullens

Troy and Martha

For other SWF posts,
see the SkyWatch site here.

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2009 Calendars

2008-12-18T11:18:00.006-06:00

Sky Watch Friday

It's time to make your 2009 Calendars...
Sky Watch Photos would be a good theme...

Click on the photo and scroll up and down
to view the photo & calendar better

January

Size 13" x 19"
Printer - Epson 2200
Paper - Red River 68lb Ultrapro Satin 2.0
Camera - Photo Nikon D200

Are you going to make your own calendar?
What theme are you going to use?
Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

For other SWF posts,
see The SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

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My World Tuesday, Part 7

2008-12-15T12:10:00.009-06:00

My World Texas,

Based in Ft. Worth, Texas

Today in Texas
A Sunday Drive to Hagerman

Yesterday was a nice day for a drive in the country and we decided to go up to Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. The temperature was about 75 degrees and the birding, from inside the car, was pretty good despite a 30 - 40 mph wind.

Hagerman is located on the Texas side of Lake Texoma, which is the The Texas - Oklahoma border. We had not been up there since the Geese returned. There were several thousand geese, mostly Snow Geese (including the Blue goose), some Ross's Geese, a few Greater White-fronted Geese, and a very few Canadian Geese. We saw 33 species of birds in all. Most of the sparrows and small grass birds were down out of the wind (can't say I blame them).

Click on the photos for full page views.

We Started Early
(photo by Martha at the What-a-Burger), while I ordered Breakfast.

Thousands of Geese
(photo by Martha)

Coots Surprised
When I walked up to the edge of a cliff, and grabbed this snapshot,
they started walking on water,

Leave a comment for your favorite photo.

Troy and Martha

Location of Hagerman and Lake Texoma
Hagerman NWR is located on the Big Mineral Arm of Lake Texoma.

Please visit "That's my World" for other great places of the Earth.

Clouds Resting

2008-12-11T11:34:00.008-06:00

Sky Watch Friday

The clouds were resting on the mountaintops...

Alternate title:
'Exploring', But Not Over This Bridge!

We were 4-wheeling and exploring some old Alaskan mining roads high in the mountains when we encountered this old bridge missing most of its timbers. We were able to drive through the woods, ford the stream, and regain the road, hence bypassing the bridge. The stream was composed of glacier and snow melt and runoff from rain. It had been a steady drizzle all morning, and we weren't expecting nor concerned about flash floods. Also at this point, the valley walls were pretty steep, and it looked like the stream depth had never been more than a few feet deep.

Click on the photo to enlarge to full page width. You will have to scroll up and down to see the full photo. Most of the sky in this photo is resting on the ground and rushing down this icy cold stream. I was so anxious to get on up the road, I forgot to shoot to the left and right so that I could stitch together a panorama. Well, this was not the first time, nor would it be the last during this trip.

Clouds Resting

Where we forded the stream, it was about 40-50 feet wide and 18 inches deep. I put on my high top rubber boots and waded across checking for firmness of the stream bed and for holes. Then Martha drove across.

There were thousands of photos that we missed because we were so stunned by the view or the experience. We are explorers at heart, naturalists by choice, and photographers when we remember to capture the moment.

Leave a comment and let us know if you like the view.

For other SWF posts,
see The SkyWatch site here.

PS: Martha is a lot better at capturing the moment, and reminding me to get the photo, than I am.

Troy and Martha

Venus Jupiter Moon Conjunction

2008-12-04T09:39:00.005-06:00

Sky Watch Friday

Everyone was Watching
(Except where it was cloudy. 'bummer')

It was a great sight on December 1. The Moon, Venus and Jupiter were at conjunction (pretty close together). Venus is the lower planet. I had to shoot quite a few shots to get the Earthshine to show on the dark side of the Moon. Photo shot at dusk using a Nikon D200, 18-200 mm lens, at 200mm, with tripod.

Be sure to click on the photos for full page views.

Conjunction 1
(Notice the jagged edge of the terminator, where
sunlight meets the night side of the Moon. This
is caused by the craters on the Moon)

I am including a great scenic photo of the event by my photo buddy photographer, brother, J.S. Mullens. His photo is using the same camera lens combination zoomed to 35mm focal length to capture the scenic shot. It was shot in Ft. Worth after dark, hence the city light glow. I really like the silhouette and event combination. If you like his photo, leave a comment and I will pass it on. I have been trying to get him to set up a blog to show his photography and great photos of New York and Chicago as well as Ft. Worth.

Conjunction 2 by Jimmy
©2008 J.S. Mullens

Another terrific blog of the event is over at Bob Johnson's
Blackholes and astrostuff. Click here.

For other SWF posts,
see The SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

My World Tuesday, Part 6

2008-12-01T12:24:00.007-06:00

My World Texas,

Based in Ft. Worth, Texas

Today in Texas
Waiting for the Return
Of the winter birds

We are impatiently waiting for the return of the wintering birds here in North Texas.

Here are the last views back at the first of the year in Early Spring.

Where are those Geese and Goldfinches??????

Click on the photos for full page views.

American Goldfinch
Our Back Yard

Snow Geese (with some blue forms)
and a few Ross's Geese
Hagarman Wildlife Refuge

Leave a comment if you have seen these wayward birds.

Troy and Martha

Please visit "That's my World" for other great places of the Earth.

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Lost Maples State Park

2008-11-27T08:30:00.004-06:00

Sky Watch Friday

Happy Thanksgiving

Perfect Big Tooth Maple
Photo shot in the rain. D200

The photo speaks for itself.

Click on the photo for a full page view.

Lost Maples State Park is here. Click here.

For other SWF posts,
see The SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

My World Tuesday, Part 6

2008-11-24T10:52:00.011-06:00

My World Texas,
Based in Ft. Worth, Texas

Today in Texas
Dreaming of Warmer Weather
and one of Texas Beaches on the Gulf of Mexico

One of our favorite parts of Texas.
The Bolivar Beach on the Gulf of Mexico.
It's 300 miles from Ft. Worth as the Crow flies.
It's a lot further if you take the back roads like we do.
The photos were taken while we were on a trip to the coast,
during the Spring Migration looking for migrating Warblers, 3/22/08.

(Click on the photos for full page views)

Early Morning Beach
Bolivar Peninsula

I am sure it will be sad to return to this area next Spring.
Huge amounts of the beach were lost to Hurricane Ike.
It was sad that so many people lost their homes to this devasting hurricane.

Beach Evening Primrose
Back lighting by early morning Sun

Galveston Bay and Bolivar Peninsula

Photo locations: 29 deg 32' North, 94 deg 25' West

There were no shorebirds coming by,
so Martha was looking for shells and other treasures,
and I was photographing early wildflowers.

To see Texas' 624 mile coastline map (tidewater), (click here),
from the Sabine River Pass entrance in the NE to the Rio Grande mouth in the SW.

Everyone has different perceptions of color.
How would you describe the shade of yellow of the Primrose?

Leave a comment. I'll try to return the favor.

Scroll down one post for a view of the beach 6 weeks later.

Troy and Martha

Please visit "That's my World" for other great places of the Earth.

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The Storm Rolls Away

2008-11-20T07:27:00.008-06:00

Sky Watch Friday.

The Sky Clears

It had been raining for most of the morning while we were bird watching (birding). It was lunch time, so we drove to the beach and sat in the rain, watching the waves crash in, and ate our lunch in the 4Runner. By the time we had finished dessert, the sky was clearing. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves. I guess the rain scared everyone off. The tide had been steadily going out and revealing the treasures of the sea left behind on the beach.

Texas Beach - Gulf of Mexico

Treasures left behind by High Tide and the Storm
Near High Island, Texas

There is always beauty and sometimes....
Something valuable....
Something interesting....
Something collectible....
And for some, maybe something disgusting....

Leave a comment and let us know what interesting things you have found on the beach.

What is your favorite beach?
We never saw a beach that we didn't like.

For other SWF posts,
see The SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

R is for Raccoon

2008-11-19T08:53:00.006-06:00

R is also for:

Rascal,
Robber (Masked Bandit)
Relocated (read the story)

Resourceful

Big Raccoon
That's a big trap he's in. (Caught last night)

Don't worry.

He's OK

After I took his mug shot, I took him for a car ride and released him on probation. We live about 10 minutes from Fossil Creek which is a tributary of the Trinity River. Miles and miles of timber, creeks, and bottomlands for him to practice his trade.

I have been trying to trap him for about a week. They wander in and discover the cat food, chicken food, recycle compost, and water. "Looks like a good place to set up housekeeping", they say.

I think there may be another one. Martha and I heard a Raccoon Party on top of the house night-before-last. They really make a lot of noise screeching and chittering.

I guess I'll set the trap again tonight.
Leave a comment.

Have you ever had Raccoon troubles?

Troy and Martha

ABC Wednesday Round 3 is here.

My World Tuesday, Part 5

2008-11-17T17:16:00.008-06:00

My World Texas,
Based in Ft. Worth, Texas

Today in Texas
End of the Season for Color

(Click on the photo for a full page view)

Caddo Lake in the Fall

Cypress Trees (Scanned slide)

The hardest part for photographing this shot, was waiting for the bass to quit jumping. It was probably a good day for fishermen but it was sure hard for still reflections. There was no sunlight, as the Sun was still hidden in the mist over the lake.

Caddo Lake (French: Lac Caddo) is a 25,400 acre (103 km²) lake and wetland located on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Southeastern culture of Native Americans called Caddo or Caddoans, who lived in the area from the 16th century until their expulsion in the 19th century. It is an Internationally protected wetland under the RAMSAR treaty and is the largest natural fresh water lake in the South, and the largest Cypress forest in the world. It used to be Texas' only natural lake until it was artificially dammed in the 1900s.

According to Caddo legend, the lake was formed by the 1811 New Madrid Earthquake. There may be some truth to the legend, as Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee was formed by that earthquake, but most geologists now feel that Caddo Lake was formed gradually rather than catastrophically. The lake was formed, either gradually or catastrophically, by the "Great Raft," a 100 mile (160 km) log jam on the Red River in Louisiana.

Since 1965 Texas' Caddo Lake has had hundreds of Bigfoot 'sightings' according to the Texas Big Foot Research Center (TBRC) as told on the Travel Channel 2006 Documentary "Bigfoot."

Leave a comment.
Thanks.

Troy and Martha

Please visit "That's my World" for other great places of the Earth.

Oh, for Peace and Quiet

2008-11-13T12:42:00.005-06:00

Sky Watch Friday

In Richland Hills, Texas, where we live, one of the water towers is less that 100 yards from our house. The good news is that we always have good water pressure in the summer, when everyone is watering the yard. One of the necessary evils is repainting it every 5-10 years. Now is the time. They are in the process of sand-blasting. Noisy and dirty. They start early and go late. It is LOUD! The wind is blowing toward us today and everything is coated with fine sand and paint dust. This photo was taken this morning.

It will look great when finished.

The blue had faded to light blue.

Photo - Martha's S51 Nikon

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

Texas (Our Part of the world) #3

2008-11-10T13:13:00.019-06:00

My World Tuesday Part#3
Texas, Based in Ft. Worth, Texas

Today's Topic:
End of the Season for Insects
Butterflies, Skippers, Dragonflies, Damselflies

(Click on the photos for full page views)

It's just about the end of the season for insects here in Ft. Worth, Texas, USA. We will be having a hard freeze soon. Outside of town there have already been a couple of light frosts. The good news is that we can hook up the camper and go down to the Rio Grand Valley in extreme southern Texas during the winter. It almost never freezes down there and there are always a few hardy butterflies flying on warm days. It's also good birding in the Valley in the winter.

For your viewing pleasure
Here are some Fall insects from both here and the Valley.
I hope you enjoy them.
Photographs by Troy and Martha

Guava Skipper

American Rubyspot

Blue-ringed Dancer

Crimson Patch

Eastern Amberwing

Eastern Ringtail

Gulf Fritillary

Long-tailed Skipper

Lyside Sulphur

Phaon Crescent

Neon Skimmer

Sleepy Orange

Red-bordered Pixie

White-striped Longtail

We hope you have enjoyed a few of the insects from our small part of the world, and we look forward to your return. We sincerely hope you will bookmark us and return often.

What is your favorite Insect photo?
Leave a comment. Thanks.

Photography by
Troy and Martha

Please visit "That's my World" for other great places of the Earth.

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Akaska sunday XXX

2008-11-09T08:10:00.007-06:00

Hiking Central Alaska
in July

You can see some beautiful sights in Alaska by Cruise Ship, Train, Air, or Car. But the real Alaska is best explored by foot. You don't have to take a 5 day back pack to experience this. Find a safe parking spot, get out your little day pack or fanny pack, take some water and a power bar, and find a trail (or not) and go. You don't have to walk far to experience the quiet and what it must have been like for the first explorers. If you are a birder, don't forget the binoculars and a lightweight field guide. You are going to see something new (guaranteed). Tree lines for 'song birds', scrub for sparrows, open hillsides for ptarmigan, lakes and pot holes for waterbirds.

Oh! Don't forget the camera with lots of film or big digital cards and the Alaska butterfly guide. You probably won't get close enough to the butterflies to photograph them.

The most obvious reason for hiking is that photo opportunities abound everywhere.
Today's post is three scenic photos taking while hiking Central Alaska.

Typical Central Alaska
South Central

Open Hillsides
North Central,
Higher Altitude

After 1AM
Don't get caught out too late!
Even though the sky may be bright after midnight,
the trails are hard to see.

Don't forget to click on the Photos for full page views.
Leave a comment.
Have you been there and how did you travel?
Are you planning to go? Plan ahead!

Photos by Troy and Martha

Going Out to Sea

2008-11-06T10:24:00.009-06:00

Sky Watch Friday

Gray Clouds looking down on their Mother, the Ocean

We were at Texas Point, only a few hundred yards from the Gulf of Mexico, looking for Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Seaside Sparrows, and Rails (you know ,the small thin bird, skinny as a rail). Texas Point is the most extreme point in SE Texas and composed mainly of salt marshes. We had left the 4-Runner and were walking quietly down the small gravel road which goes down to the radar station. We didn't have any cameras except for the little point and shoot that Martha always carries in her pocket.

The photo taken by Martha is of a tug, pulling a small drilling platform, which is going out to the off-shore waters. The channel is Sabine Pass which goes up to the shipyards and Port Arthur just beyond.

As always, Click on the Photos for full page views.

Going Out to Sea
Through the Salt Marshes
The high tide was going out, thereby helping the transport.
The water was still deep in the pass.
April 22, 2005, 6:22 PM (exif data)

PS: I looked up the Tide data on my Palm Smartphone,
Using "Tide Tool" (Good for anywhere in the world, any date).

Topographic Map of Sabine Pass Area
(Centered on the small towns of Sabine and Sabine Pass)

Yes, we did see some Seaside Sparrows and Several Rails.
Leave us a comment if you liked the photo.

Do you like the inclusion of Topo Maps to show the location?

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

Bridges Between

2008-11-03T11:43:00.008-06:00

the North and South Rim
of the Grand Canyon

Navajo Bridge

Photo by Martha

(Click on the Photos for full page views)

Boats as seen from the Bridge

Photo by Troy

Completed in 1964, Glen Canyon Dam bridge is 1,560 ft (475.5 m)long and about 583 feet (178 m) above the Colorado River. Before it and the downstream Navajo Bridge (pictured here) were built, it was a 192-mile (309 km) drive to the other side of the canyon.

Troy and Martha

Be sure to leave a comment. Have you been there?
Have you been to the North or South Rim of the Grand Canyon?

Note: There had just been a slight shower, which had brought out the red in the rocks and soil. Good luck for me. Timing is everything. The only post processing was to adjust levels and a slight increase in saturation to compensate for the overcast sky.

A project by RuneE
Click here to participate.

Cook's Inlet

2008-10-30T10:45:00.009-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

Beautiful Summer Day over Cook's Inlet

Anchorage, Alaska, USA
(Click the photo for a full page view)

The famous Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet is to the left in the photo.

Turnagain Arm is one of only about 60 bodies of water worldwide to exhibit a tidal bore. The bore may be more than six feet high and travel at 15 miles per hour on high spring tides. Turnagain Arm sees the largest tidal range in United States, with a mean of 30 feet (9.2 m), and the fourth highest in the world, behind Bay of Fundy (11.7m), Ungava Bay (9.75m), and Bristol Channel (9.6m). The ocean's natural 12-hour 25-minute tidal cycle is close to Turnagain Arm's natural resonance frequency, which then reinforces the tide similar to water sloshing in a bathtub. Tidal fluctuations in the main body of Cook Inlet, while not as extreme as the shallow and narrow Turnagain Arm, regularly reach 25 feet (7.6 m) and exhibit currents in excess of 5 knots (9.3 km/h) at full tidal flow. The inlet and its arms have been proposed as a potentially attractive site for the generation of tidal power.

We traveled back and forth along the arm over a dozen times and watched the tidal bore. sometimes the surfers come out and ride the one-time wave as it advances.

For more information on Cook's Inlet (click here).

If you like great 'wide-open spaces' Skies,
Scroll down one post to see some great sky photos from Big Bend National Park.
It will be worth your time.

Leave us a comment here and there.

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

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Texas (Our Part of the world) #2

2008-10-27T18:01:00.014-05:00

My World Tuesday Part#2
Based in Ft. Worth, Texas

Today's Topic:
Big Bend National Park
(Click on the photos for full page views)

Big Bend National Park encompasses more than 800,000 acres in southwest Texas. For more than 1,000 miles, the Rio Grande forms the international boundary between Mexico and the United States; Big Bend National Park administers approximately one-quarter of that boundary. Within the 118 twisting miles that also define the park’s southern boundary, the river’s southeasterly flow changes abruptly to the northeast and forms the “big bend” of the Rio Grande.

Looking toward Big Bend

Shot from nearby Big Bend Ranch State Park

Big Bend Ranch State Park, the largest state park in Texas, covers 300,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness in a remarkably rugged, remote and unpopulated setting. The park extends along the Rio Grande from southeast of Presidio to near Lajitas in both Brewster and Presidio Counties. Embracing some of the most remote and rugged terrain in the Southwest, it encompasses two mountain ranges containing ancient extinct volcanoes, precipitous canyons, and waterfalls. The area has been a crossroads of human activities for over 11,000 years, as diverse people and cultures have been drawn by the abundant resources of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo corridor.

Rare Early Morning Mist
photo 30 min after Sunrise

Click to enlarge Panorama

Camelback hills
Landscape 1

There is a lot of green here
Landscape 2
toward Marathon

Prairie Verbena
Growing out of a rock face

Ocotillo
near Panther Junction

One of our Favorite areas in the Summer is the Basin. It is a bowl in the Chisos Mtns. The temperature mid-day will be 85 ^oF. up in the basin and 115 ^oF. down on the alkali flats. There is a great lodge and some individual cabins in the Basin as well as lots of campsites. The Restaurant at the Lodge is outstanding.

Here are a couple of photos taken after sundown in the Basin. If you look at the topographical map (scroll down), you will see Casa Grande mountain rising above the basin to the south-southeast. The first photo is a time-exposure taken of Casa Grande. The second time-exposure photo is taken much later after dusk, with only a faint glow in the sky. If you look at the map, you will see a notch (named the Window) in the Basin to the west for the water drainage. The Window is perfectly positioned for the sun to set in this notch. It is a popular pastime to take a short hike to a high point in the Basin and watch the sun set. It is a fantastic view and you can see the flats through the Window. It is possible to drive around and down and then hike to the base of the cliffs at the notch. There is almost always water falling from above into small pools here. If you are lucky you can hear Canyon Wrens calling. Big Bend is a great place to find some rare birds.

Casa Grande
Illuminated by twilight

West Texas Silhouette
The "Star" is Venus

After Sunset
Through the Window.
About 30 min after sunset

Topographic Map of the Basin Area of
Big Bend National Park

The National Park System in Texas is here.

Did You Know?
According to legend, a lost Spanish mine is located in the Chisos Mountains. The Conquistadors used the Presidio de San Vicente as a prison and from there worked a mine in the area. The guards blindfolded the captive Indians and marched them from the Presidio to the mine, supposedly in the Chisos.

We hope you have enjoyed our small start of explaining and showing our small part of the world, and we look forward to your return. We sincerely hope you will bookmark us and return often.

Update: I forgot to ask, what is your favorite photo?
Leave a comment. Thanks.

Photography by
Troy and Martha

Please visit "That's my World" for other great places of the Earth.

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Alaska Sunday XXIX

2008-10-26T15:24:00.014-05:00

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Uses for HDR Photography
All photos are from Alaska

(Remember to click on the photo for a full page view)

Many times when making a photograph, we shoot a photo +/- one stop (or more) to be sure we get a reasonably close approximation for the correct exposure. We then select the one that more closely approximates what the mind remembers, that which the eye saw. In a way, this is a type of manipulation of the photograph. A secondary software manipulation could be (a) sharpening a slightly out-of-focus photo, (b) adjusting the endpoints of white and black to produce purer whites and blacks (levels), (c) increasing the saturation on a cloudy day to increase the level of color intensity to a remembered level, (d) etc., etc.

Occasionally we make a photo of something that has a dynamic range of light to dark that the camera is not capable of capturing in one photo. The eye may be perfectly satisfied with what it saw and a picture is burned into the mind. We view the produced photo and say, "this is not what I saw or remember". Enter the fairly new software, HDR (high dynamic range) manipulation.

There are a lot pf web sites which discuss the use of HDR which was initially developed for the purpose of taking 3 or more exposures and combining them to produce one photo. i.e. expose for the sky, expose for the mid-tones, expose for the shadows.

For the intent of this demonstration, I am only concerned with taking a single frame photo (which may be unusable or just not what I expected or remember) and turning it into a photo which more closely approximates what I remember. It may not be perfect, but is acceptable for a photo album, a trip reminder, a special scene or occasion.

Please leave a comment and your thoughts. I am really interested.

Following are 4 examples of such photos.
What would you have done to the original?
Remember, the final or manipulated photo can't be compared to a photograph taken in good lighting conditions with a normal dynamic range and in most cases won't resemble one.

Fog

Original

Corrected in order to
increase sky contrast and see detail in the foreground,

Misting Rain

Original

Corrected in order to increase contrast.
I did lose some of the effect of impending rain,
but gained color and detail in the fence row.
(I will probably go back and work on a compromise for this).

Finger Mountain Area
North of the Arctic circle

Original

Corrected in order to
decrease the dynamic range and
bring out the color and texture of these beautiful rocks

Clouds Rising

Original
(An acceptable photo to emphasize the sky)

Corrected in order to
bring out detail and color in the foreground and cliffs.
It also shows the side lighting.

All of the photos are of scenes which had some special interest to us,
rather than just capturing a nice photograph

Photos by Troy and Martha
HDR Processing by Troy
Final exposure negotiated between Troy and Martha

Backpacking in the Rain

2008-10-23T17:17:00.007-05:00

Sky Watching for Sure

Backpacking in the Rain
Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA

Get out the Rain Gear !
Lightning ?
Let's get over at the base of those cliffs !
I love the sound of thunder rolling down the canyons !

(Click on the photo for a full page view of the coming rain).

Be prepared for the unexpected.
A flat meadow with a nearby stream,
It will make a great campsite !

Have you ever been caught by unexpected weather while backpacking or just a day hike?

Leave us a comment.

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

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Texas (Our Part of the world)

2008-10-20T12:41:00.012-05:00

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My World Tuesday #1
Based in Ft. Worth, Texas

Today's Topic:
Where the Buffalo Roam and the Antelope Play
(Click on the photos for a full page view)

Plains Bison on the Prairie
5000 acre refuge of restored grasslands
Near Ft. Worth, "Where the West Begins"
Photo by Troy

Antelope Not at Play
Early Summer Morning Snack, Before the Heat of the Day
High Plains of West Texas
Photo by Martha

Over the coming months we will try to inform you of the many facets of our state,
from geography and geology to natural history,
with a special emphasis on photography of our state.

Please leave comments and tell us if you enjoy the post today,
and tell us if there is anything special you would like to see in the future.

Today: A few facts about Texas

Capital: Austin
Government: Bicameral Legislature
28th State to enter the Union:
Dec. 29, 1845
Present Constitution adopted: 1876

State motto: Friendship

Origin of name: Texas, or Tejas, was the Spanish pronunciation of a Caddo Indian word meaning "friends" or "allies."

Nickname: Texas is called the Lone Star State because of the design of the state flag: a broad vertical blue stripe at left centered by a single white star, and at right, horizontal bars of white (top) and red.

Population (Jan. 2006, State Data Center estimate) 23,507,783
Number of counties: 254
Number of incorporated cities: 1,208

The Natural Environment

Area (total): 268,581 sq. miles
Land area: 261,797 sq. miles
Water area: 6,784 sq. miles
Geographic center: About 15 miles northeast of Brady in northern McCulloch County.
Highest point: Guadalupe Peak (8,749 ft.) in Culberson County in far West Texas.
Lowest point: Gulf of Mexico (sea level).

For more information about the Natural Environment of Texas, Click here.

We hope you have enjoyed our small start of explaining and showing our small part of the world, and we look forward to your return. We sincerely hope you will bookmark us and return often.

Troy and Martha

Please visit "That's my World" for other great places of the Earth.

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Alaska Sunday XXVIII

2008-10-19T12:09:00.010-05:00

Four-wheel Drive Day

Hope, Alaska
July 17

While we were using Anchorage as a base camp, we decided one day to drive around to Hope, AK for a day of birding and photography. Hope is situated on the southern side of Turnagain Arm off of the Cook Inlet. It is about a 2-3 hour drive to Hope from Anchorage. It is a beautiful drive through the Chugach National Forest on the West side of the Chugach Mountains. Lots of wildlife, from Squirrels to Moose to Thin-horn Sheep.

We had read of a great 4-wheel drive road South out of Hope up Palmer Creek Road and Resurrection Creek Road. We spent a couple of hours on the Palmer Creek road and then returned to Hope for lunch at a little Mom and Pop Diner. Great food.

We then returned to the Resurrection Creek Road and started up the valley. Up near the treeline we hoped to find some Golden-crowned Sparrows. We found beautiful meadows lush with wildflowers, grasses, and amazing vegetation. Eventually we encountered a sign "4-Wheel Drive Only." Of course, we proceeded on around the sign. The next sign said something like "Turn Around Here, Road Impassable". Of course we drove around it and proceeded. Much of the road was overgrown with small brush, and we did get some scratches in the Clear coat and Paint (about 8 hours work with the buffer, scratch remover, and polish when we got back to Texas). We saw some beautiful scenery and best of all, we found the summer breeding ground of the Golden-crowned Sparrow. In all of our years, we had only seen one other Golden-crowned Sparrow migrating through West Texas.

Following are a few photos along the way.

Be sure to click on the photos for a full page view.

Lower altitude Meadow

Higher altitude

Cold (really cold) Mountain Stream

It felt colder than the Arctic Ocean that we waded in

Mountain Valley

Still lots of snow up here

Getting near Resurrection Pass

Most of the photos have been adjusted with Photomatrix Pro 3.1 beta 9. The dynamic range of the photos at the high altitudes is beyond the ability of the camera to capture and show detail in the blacks and shadows without completely washing out the sky and bright areas. This is especially true when shooting into the sun.

Important to us!
Please leave a comment and let us know which is your favorite.

Photos by Troy and Martha. I don't remember who made which Photo.
We were both shooting the D70 and D200 interchangeably.

Troy and Martha

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Horizontal light

2008-10-16T11:06:00.009-05:00

Late afternoon sky

One of my favorite times of the day for photography.

I really like the golden glow and the effect of horizontal light on this landscape. This photograph was taken just before we reached the town of Scottsbluff and the National Monument nearby. It had been overcast with heavy cloud cover and intermittent rain most of the afternoon. The sun bathed the landscape with golden glow as it appeared under the cloud cover and rested on the horizon. I was really lucky to get this brief glimpse of the Sun for almost perfect horizontal light.

Click on the links for more information and
be sure to click on the photo for a full page view.

Near Scotts Bluff National Monument,
Nebraska

Technical details:

I used ISO 640 which was chosen to get a larger depth of field (f/14), while still using a moderately fast shutter speed of 1/750 sec. Post processing, I then used Neat Image to remove the small amount of grain and noise induced by the higher ISO.

Notice that the eroded bluff is highlighted by the setting sun from the right, and the left side is in shadow. What is interesting is that there are no long shadows in all of the foreground. That is because the foreground is shadowed by the slope of the land blocking direct sunlight. The diffuse lighting is produced by the bright clouds just above. Serendipity and lighting is everything.

To see a photo of Saddle Rock in the Monument, go here.
It rained during the night and was still cloudy the next morning when I photographed Saddle Rock.

Don't forget to leave a comment.
Have you been there? What time of year? Did you get some good photographs?
Have you been to places with similar topography and geology?
Again........ leave a comment for other inquiring minds.

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

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Alaska Sunday XXVII

2008-10-12T09:08:00.014-05:00

It's Photo Day Today

Today's photos are from the trip to Alaska. They are from Yellowstone (my favorite National Park). These were taken on the way back from Alaska. We stopped to spend one day, but instead it took us 5 days to see a small part of the Park. We will go back in a couple of years and spend a week and see some of the remaining parts of the Park that we missed.

I will do a more complete post on Yellowstone in the future (complete with Elk, Bison, Antelope, waterfalls, etc.). This post was inspired by an HD cable TV program by National Geographic last night. I woke up at 3:30 AM and could not sleep.

It's a photographers paradise and the colors are phenomenal.

Be sure to click on the photos for a full screen view.

Beryl Springs

A Natural Hot Tub w/ Steps?

Too Hot!!!

Old Faithful Showtime

Everyone's Favorite

A hardy shrub Aster growing on salt terraces

One of my favorites that Martha photographed.
I love the composition.
PS: I also photographed this, but it was not as good.

Terraces near Mammoth

These have been building for about 8000 years

A small creek with lush growth

Yes ! These are actual and accurate colors !

Clear, Clear Hot pool.

Pool edge showing bacteria

Yellowstone River before the Northern Plain

The end of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

A beautiful small Geyser.

Yellowstone has 60% of the World's Geysers.

Leave a comment and,
tell us your favorite photo.
Have you visited Yellowstone?

PS: While you are waiting to visit Alaska, go to Yellowstone.
It's almost as good.

Photos by Troy and Martha

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Fall Approaches

2008-10-08T20:54:00.012-05:00

SkyWatch Friday
Day and Night

Fall approaches

Red and Orange rises,
From the depths of Verdant masses,
Drawn by a Blue sky

. poem by Troy

Virginia Creeper
scene found by Martha
Saturday Oct. 4, 2008

Ft. Worth Nature Center and Refuge
A 5000 acre oasis of Prairie, Mixed Hardwoods, and Bottomland
Where the West Begins

Be sure to click on the photo for a better view

Bonus update:
I was out tonight looking at some of the craters along the terminator of the Moon
and grabbed this hand-held shot (poor quality) through the eyepiece.
Photo about 10PM Central time zone.

The large crater along the central portion of the terminator is Copernicus.

66.6% Illuminated
Note: The terminator is where the shadow begins
Updated photo

At the suggestion of Michael Palmer,
I went back and applied single frame, .jpg, HDR compensation
using Bibble Pro and Photomatrix HDR
Thanks Michael!

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha
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Alaska Sunday XXV

2008-10-05T09:30:00.010-05:00

Homer Alaska

A short break from the trip log. I have not had time to post lately due to prior commitments, and have not had time to compile milages and locations.

Here are a few photos from the stay at Homer, AK. They have a great RV Park on the spit which juts out into the bay. Before we drove down here to stay a few days, I had checked the tide tables to make sure we would have some exposed tidal flats for exploration. It worked out great. The only problem was the wind while we were there. It was fierce. The trailer jumped up and down all night. As typical, on the day that we left, the wind calmed and the sun came out. Oh well, we had a great time anyway.

Be sure to click on the photos for a better look, especially the Starfish

Entering Homer

Great,great,great food here.

The Spit

That's a town at the end and several RV Parks (expensive)

We are in the second row
The first row was $20.00 more per night. I used the extra $60 I saved,
to help with the purchase of a nice Inuit Basket

Tidal Flat exposed
The bottom was firm gravel and rocks,
so we could walk all the way to the drop-off.

Martha found a nice Starfish
Zillions of Mussels, Crabs, Starfish, etc.
Our backs were really tired from the bending over.

Notice Martha's red hands from fishing around in that really frigid water.

Comments appreciated.
Have you been here before? Are you planning to go?

Troy and Martha
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Alaska Sunday XXIV

2008-09-28T08:59:00.003-05:00

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Last Sunday on the trip log we had arrived back in Anchorage.
Instead of the Trip Log today, I have a photo which I just ran across while still sorting the 18,000 photos that we saved on DVD's. I am archiving and sorting them on 2 separate external Hard Drives.

I did not realize that I had this photo until this morning. In last Sundays post I concluded with a sunset shot to the East showing the red glow on the mountains. I turned around and shot a photo of the RV Park towards the West. This photo is the result of "just a snapshot". It was after 1 AM, had been a long day on the road, and I was too tired to pay attention to what I was seeing.

Sundog in Anchorage
As photographed
(Click to view larger)

Have you ever photographed a sundog or halo?
Leave a comment.

Troy and Martha

Boca Chica Beach

2008-09-25T08:19:00.012-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

A day at the beach
Blue sky, sand, and a Spring surf
Onshore wind rising

Lined up for the Parade
(Click on the photo for a better look)

Even 4 Cattle Egrets joined the Gulls and Terns for a day cooling their toes in the wet sand of this fine beach.
Photographed about a half mile from where the Rio Grande river empties into the Gulf of Mexico at the Southern tip of Texas.

Photo by Martha as we drove by
Poor verse by Troy.

What's your favorite beach?
Comments Appreciated

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

"Many visitors know about the desolate stretches of beach available along the Padre Island National Seashore near Corpus Christi. And, thousands of tourists flock to the sandy shores of South Padre Island each year. However, few people realize there is a beach which combines the qualities of these two popular Texas beaches.

Boca Chica Beach is located just east of Brownsville, Boca Chica is a sandy peninsula separated from Mexico by the Rio Grande River and detached from South Padre Island by the Brazos Santiago Pass. Aside from a few stilt homes near the pass, which can be viewed from South Padre Island, and a jetty protruding into the Gulf of Mexico, Boca Chica Beach has no development whatsoever. The State of Texas does own land on Boca Chica which, technically speaking, is a state park. However, there are no park facilities on this land.

Although Boca Chica has little in the way of modern amenities, it does offer a variety of outdoor recreational activities, including fishing, swimming, surfing, snorkeling, kiteboarding and birdwatching. It is also the ideal place to get away from everything.

Getting to Boca Chica is a snap. From Brownsville, take Highway 4 east until it runs out. Once you hit the beach, you can either go right to the mouth of the Rio Grande or hang a left and cruise up to the north end, which is directly across from South Padre Island. "

From "About.com"

Alaska Sunday XXIII

2008-09-21T08:39:00.009-05:00

Trip Log - Part VI

July 3 - July 6

The sixth installment of the actual trip log and mileage of 'The Drive from Texas to Alaska and Back'.

As mentioned previously, this log does not contain too much commentary. It is mainly sequential locations, dates, mileage traveled, photographs showing the trip progress, and how the landscape changed. The Alaska Trip Log is divided into short intervals (parts) and I am posting it on consecutive Sundays. Past and future posts of Alaska Sunday (apart from the trip log) will have more detailed information, and more photos of each specific area.

Click on the links for more photographs and detailed descriptions of this part of the trip.

Last week was a temp post. Today we will continue with mileage from Fairbanks to Denali and on to Anchorage.

Be sure to click on the photographs for full screen views.

And so, on with the trip.

7/3 Fairbanks, Alaska to Denali, AK 156 mi

7/4 Denali and Healy area 65 miles

Red Squirrel - Western type

Snowshoe Hare
Summer coat (He still has white feet)

Winter food for the Animals
Lots of mosses and lichens in the shelter of the trees

7/5 Denali Highway and back to camp 220 miles

We did not drive all of the Denali Highway. Too many stops.
It was mostly cloudy all day. We did get one break in the clouds to photograph the following panorama even though most of the landscape was in shadows.

Alaska Range Panorama
From the Denali highway looking NW

7/5 Denali RV Park to Anchorage 210 miles

Sunset after camp was set up
about 1 AM

Next week we will be around the Anchorage area.

Mileage for this section of the log ...........651 mi
Mileage before 7/3 ................................8944 mi

Total miles for the trip to date ...............9595 mi

We are closing in on 10,000 miles

Comments are appreciated.
Let me know if you are keeping up with the trip,
or are just a onetime visitor.

Troy and Martha

Above Valdez

2008-09-18T09:12:00.005-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

Valdez is the southern terminus of the oil pipeline crossing Alaska from the North Slope Oilfields.

There is a small hard-to-find slate/gravel road on the Northwest side of town. It goes for miles and miles, climbing higher and higher towards the glaciers. You have to ford a river on the way since the bridges are long gone.

Looking back and down towards Valdez

Click on the photo for a better feel

It was a great day to climb through the clouds. I wish I could describe the fresh air and all of the smells associated with this drive to the sky.

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

Alaska Sunday XXII

2008-09-14T08:19:00.006-05:00

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For the new visitor, check out the early posts on the Small Boat Cruise out of Seward.

Part I

Part II

For those that have been following the Alaska adventure and for your temporary Alaska fix, here is one unpublished photo.

Denali

Troy and Martha

Purple Eryngo

2008-09-11T11:31:00.004-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

Sharp Eryngo, don't touch.
Standing on the dry prairie,
Under Heavens vault.

Eryngo (Eryngium leavenworthii)
Click on the photo

Eryngium is a genus of about 230 species of annuals and perennials with hairless and usually spiny leaves, and dome-shaped umbels of flowers resembling those of thistles. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the centre of diversity in South America. Some species are native to rocky and coastal areas, but the majority are grassland plants. Common names include Sea-holly and Eryngo, the former typically being applied to coastal species, and the latter to grassland species.

The flowers are clustered in tight umbels, with a whorl of spiny basal bracts.

Eryngium maritimum is a perennial plant native to Europe and often found on sea shores. It produces a basal rosette, from which grow flowering spikes with stiffly spiny foliage and stems. These can reach around 50 cm in height. It is often grown in gardens for its metallic bluish flowers and upper foliage. The basal foliage is a very conspicuous pale grey or silvery green, from which the stiff, lightly-branching flowering stems rise up.

Related species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens, and these may also be called "sea holly", though the majority are not associated with littoral (sea-shore) habitats. Among the best known of these is Eryngium bourgatii, a perennial with stunning green, prickly foliage marbled with silver. The flowers, which appear in summer, are cobalt blue, and appear very attractive to bees. The plant is 30 to 60 cm in height. Other commonly grown ornamental species include Eryngium alpinum, E. variifolium, E. tripartitum, E. bromeliifolium, and the biennial E. giganteum.

Many species of Eryngium have a history of use. The roots have been used as vegetables or for sweetmeats. Young shoots and leaves are sometimes used as an asparagus substitute. The roots, such as of Eryngium yuccifolium and Eryngium maritimum, are potent inflammation modulators and may have other properties.

Photo by Troy
Idea by Martha
Poor attempt at verse by Troy

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

Scroll down for the Tiger Beetle today.

Punctured Tiger Beetle

2008-09-11T08:54:00.006-05:00

A Summer/Fall Tiger Beetle

Punctured Tiger Beetle
Cicindela (Cicindelidia) punctulata

Additional photo

We were enjoying a walk at the Ft. Worth Nature Refuge when Martha spotted this Tiger Beetle on a walkway. This was our first find of this species at the Nature Center. We have seen the Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle there occasionally. I know two things about this new (for us) Tiger Beetle. One, they have good vision. Two, they are wary, as the information below states. I never could get closer than about five feet and I could never get to the front or side of this bug. I shot a lot of poor quality photos, all from the rear. Every time I tried to get closer, he would fly about two to three feet. The flight distance was always about the same. I took my eye off of him for one instant, and you know the rest. I estimated his size at about 5/8 inch.

Some information about this Genus and species.......

Common Tiger Beetles, Genus Cicindela

This genus includes almost 900 of the 2600 known species of tiger beetles worldwide. Adults range tremendously in size (5-25 mm) and color and live in habitats from forest and alpine to desert grassland and ocean beaches. They occur on every continent except Antarctica and all but the most isolated oceanic islands. A great variety of soil-surface types are used as foraging habitat by adults and larvae. Adults of most species in this genus forage for food and mate in open areas with little vegetation, but some live on the floor of tropical rain forest. Others are so specialized that they occur only on cliff edges, large boulder tops, or on fallen logs in moist forest. They quickly respond to predators and danger by flying short distances, although a few are flightless.

American Tiger Beetles, Subgenus (Cicindelidia)

Confined to the Western Hemisphere, this subgenus contains perhaps 80 or more species, most of which occur in Mexico and Central America. Twenty-one of these species occur in the United States and Canada, and an additional species is hypothetical for its occurrence here. The characters of the subgenus include eyes less protruding and legs shorter than most other groups within the genus Cicindela. Many of the species expose contrasting red-brown to bright orange abdomens when their elytra are spread in flight. Most species of Cicindelidia are active as adults only during the summer.

Punctured Tiger Beetle, Cicindela (Cicindelidia) punctulata

Description: Length 11-13 mm; a highly variable species, it can be black, brown, olive, or metallic green to blue-green above with maculations absent, reduced to small spots and short lines, or rarely complete. The tips of the closed elytra come to a broad point. The body is narrow, espe¬cially the thorax. Below it is metallic green, blue, and copper. Two rows of shallow but distinct pits run parallel along either side of the inner elytral edges.

Distribution and habitats: One of the most widely ranging species in North America, the Punctured Tiger Beetle in the east is found mainly in upland habitats with dry, hard-packed soils and sparse grasses present. These habitats include dusty roads, old trails, pastures, roadside ditches, strip mines, eroded gullies, city lawns, gardens, crop fields, sidewalks, parking lots, rock hillsides, sand pits, and dunes. In the west it occurs most regularly in the vicinity of water, such as the edge of rivers, lakes, marshes, irrigation ditches, temporary ponds, and alkali mud flats from lowland prairies to mountain tops.

Behavior: A solitary species in dry upland habitats of the east, it tends to be more gregarious around limited wet areas in the west. It is wary but is a weak flier with short escape flights. It is commonly attracted to lights at night. Because it so regularly occurs in agricultural areas, there is some evidence that some populations may have developed resistance to pesticides.

Seasonality: A summer active species, adults can be found from April to November, but are most active from July to august. In the southwest, summer rains limit activity to July-September. It over winters as larvae and has a one to two year life cycle.

Information taken from:

A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada
By Pearson, Knisley, and Kazilek
For information and pricing on this book at Amazon.com, Click here.

For a great article on Missouri Tigers in the Missouri Conservationist Online, Click here.
It’s a great article about Tiger Beetles in general.

Two of my favorite blog sites for Tiger Beetles are:

Beetles in the Bush and
Gossamer Tapestry

Click on the links

If you read this far down the post, and found it interesting and informative,
Please leave a comment. Did you follow the links? Did you enjoy them?

Troy and Martha

High Island

2008-09-09T11:12:00.004-05:00

One of our favorite places in Texas.

We go here several times each spring for:
Wildflowers,
Beachcombing,
Bird migration.

This is one of the premier spots in the Nation for migrating Warblers, It is not uncommon to see 20 to 25 species of warblers in a day during April. We also like to run the 50 mile beach with our Toyota 4Runner. 4WD in most places. We like to park there facing the Ocean and watch the shore birds go by and occassionaly see a migrant bird come in across the Gulf from Central America.

High Island
Be sure to click on the photos for a better look

Below are a couple of other "H" photos taken at High Island

Honeybee on a berry blossom

Nature's Gift after High Tide

Leave a comment and let us know which is your favorite photograph.

Troy and Martha

ABC Anthology is here.
ABC Wednesday is here.

Alaska Sunday XXI

2008-09-07T08:29:00.015-05:00

Trip Log - Part V

June 26 - July 3

The fifth installment of the actual trip log of 'The Drive from Texas to Alaska and Back'.

As mentioned previously, this log does not contain too much commentary. It is mainly sequential locations, dates, mileage traveled, photographs showing the trip progress, and how the landscape changed. The Alaska Trip Log is divided into one to two week intervals (parts) and I am posting it on consecutive Sundays. Past and future posts of Alaska Sunday (apart from the trip log) will have more detailed information, and more photos of each specific area. Most of the photographs in this log section were previously posted when describing specific locations.

Click on the links for more photographs and detailed descriptions of this part of the trip.

Last week we arrived in Fairbanks. Today we will continue with mileage to Coldfoot, Deadhorse, and back to Fairbanks.

Be sure to click on the photographs for full screen views.

And so, on with the trip.

6/26 Fairbanks, Alaska to Coldfoot, AK 261 mi

Martha under the Pipeline

A lot of gravel road to go

Standing on the Arctic Circle looking NW
Just after the Summer Soltice

See AK Sunday V, click here.

Slate Creek Inn at Deadhorse
$149.oo per night for a box room

See AK Sunday VI, click here.

Martha caught me resting

Koyukuk River at Midnight
Photography after a little rest

See AK Sunday VII, click here.

6/27 Coldfoot, AK to Deadhorse, Ak 247 mi

Cirque in Atigun Pass
Brooks Range

Looking Back at the Brooks Range
Alaska Pipeline

See AK Sunday VIII, click here.

6/28 and 6/29 Around Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay, AK 120 mi

Chasing butterflies (one in the net)
Near the Arctic Ocean

6/30 Deadhorse back to Coldfoot 240 mi

Racing ahead of a flash flood
Koyukuk River
In 1994 floods on the river swept away three villages,
forcing the wholesale relocation of the population.

See AK Sunday XI, click here, for more of this exciting part of the trip.

7/1 Coldfoot back to Fairbanks 245 mi

7/2 Fairbanks area 22 mi

Next week we will travel to Denali National Park with lots of Photos in that area.

Mileage for this section of the log ...........1135 mi
Mileage before 6/26 ................................7809 mi

Total miles for the trip to date ...............8944 mi

Comments are appreciated.
Let me know if you are keeping up with the trip,
or are just a onetime visitor.

Troy and Martha

Denali N.P. - Big Sky

2008-09-04T11:09:00.004-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

Have you ever been in a place where the sky just looked 'bigger' than normal. This was one such place. A glaciated valley in Denali National Park in Alaska, USA. This looks better enlarged, but still doesn't feel like being there.

Big Sky - Denali N.P.

Sky larger than life
Leaves a lasting impression
Smell the fresh clean air

For the Geologist - Notice the directional side valleys and rounded shape of the main valley. It's a couple of miles over to the far side.

For the Naturalist - Notice the Golden Grizzly on the far slopes (a mile or more away). We saw the bear in the spotting scope, but now I can't find him in the photo. You will just have to use your imagination.

I have only been a few places where I remember the sky looking larger than life. Montana and West Texas to name a couple.

It's curious, but out on the Ocean, the sky doesn't seem large. I guess it's because the Ocean seems so large.

Where have you experienced the sky seeming larger than life?

Leave a comment, inquiring minds want to know.

Photo by either Troy or Martha

Troy and Martha

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

Alaska Sunday XX

2008-08-31T08:58:00.022-05:00

Trip Log - Part IV

June 15 - 25

The fourth installment of the actual trip log of 'The Drive from Texas to Alaska and Back'.

As mentioned previously, this log does not contain too much commentary. It is mainly sequential locations, dates, mileage traveled, photographs showing the trip progress, and how the landscape changed. The Alaska Trip Log is divided into two week intervals (parts) and I am posting it on consecutive Sundays. Past and future posts of Alaska Sunday (apart from the trip log) will have more detailed information, and more photos of each specific area. A small number of the photographs were previously posted when describing specific locations.

Most are new photos not previously seen.

We are resuming our posting of the trip log after time out out for the Olympics.
Last week I only posted one photo of a Large Moose crossing the road.

Be sure to click on the photographs for full screen views.

And so, on with the trip.

6/15 Bellingham, Washington, U.S. to Clinton, B.C., Canada 255 mi

One of 7 tunnels
Shot through a clean windshield.
Martha is a hard taskmaster.
I have to keep it clean for her photos.

Riding the tram down

Martha did not want to go down but relented since she needed to be stocking up on supplies for the journey across the wilderness. They had a store down there where she could buy dried beans, flour, rice, salt, sugar, extra rope, duct tape, extra spokes for the wagon wheels, leather for harness repair for the oxen, canvas patches for the wagon, etc. Instead I found her here at the following location giving in to modern advertising. We bought supplies at the following location.

Supplies here

6/16 Clinton, BC to Cache Creek (Prince George), BC 270 mi

6/17 Prince George, BC to Dawson Creek, BC to Ft. St. John 326 mi

Mile Post Zero
Dawson Creek on the AlCan Highway

6/18 Ft. St. John to Toad River, BC 360 mi

6/19 Toad River, BC to Watson Lake to Nugget City, Yukon 222 mi

If you come in with your hat on, they tack it to the ceiling

6/20 Nugget City to Johnson's Crossing 177 mi

Wild Horses (not mustangs)

6/21 Johnson's Crossing to Whitehorse to Haines Junction (Kluane Campground) 176 mi

Teslin - Johnson's Crossing

Kluane Campground

It was really cold here. There is a mile-thick ice sheet behind those mountains. The brochure for our TrailManor says it can be erected, leveled, and locked in 2 minutes. We did it quicker than that. The wind coming off of that ice was bitterly cold. This may have been one of the coldest places that we stayed during the entire trip. We turned on the propane and Martha went in and turned on the furnace. While she was organizing inside, I connected the water, electricity, and sewer. No cable TV here. After the trailer is warmed, which only takes a few minutes, we keep it toasty with two 1' cube, 1500 watt space heaters.

Destruction Bay
Notice the white sand blowing

6/22 Haines Junction, Yukon to Tok, Alaska 298 mi

Made it to Alaska

Martha cleaning the seals, on the bed rails

We ran through a heavy rain and it cleaned a lot of the road grime off.
We'll give the vehicles a good cleaning and wash tomorrow.

6/23 Rest Day (Tok area) - 3 mi

Go to the grocery store, wash vehicles, check e-mails, read a book, call home (cell service at last), organize maps. Put up the "Milepost Guidebook". The AlCan Hwy ends tomorrow at Delta Junction, AK. Tok is at Milepost 1313 on the AlCan Hwy. We will go towards Fairbanks tomorrow. Going South was out of the question anyway. The bridge was out going South. Big storm and flash flood. As it turns out, the bridge was out for about 2-3 weeks. We came back up that Hwy in about 5 weeks. The bridge was open, but they were still repairing the road and putting the finishing touches on the bridge.

6/24 Tok, Alaska to Fairbanks, AK 206 mi

The Alcan Hwy is really tough on vehicles. I think they were out getting repair parts for this one.

In need of repair

6/25 Fairbanks, Ak (River's Edge RV Park) Around the town 35 mi

Fairbanks at 1 AM

We left our Travel Trailer here for 8 nights as we traveled North to Prudhoe Bay(Deadhorse) and the Arctic Ocean. 1016 miles round trip, of which about 800+ miles were gravel, dirt, potholes, mud, rocks, construction, and repair work on the dangerous parts.

Next week will be the log of the trip North to the Arctic Ocean and back, then down South to Denali and on to Anchorage. Links will be provided to photos and previous post for that section of the trip with mileages.

Mileage for this section of the log ...........2328 mi
Mileage before 6/13 .................................5481 mi

Total miles to get to Fairbanks ..............7809 mi

(Mileage assumes we didn't miss some logs). It's easy to get caught up in the moment. In addition to the odometer, I have 2 separate trip meters on the console. One was for total trip and the other was for the day trips. A helpful service tech in Portland (where I had the 4Runner serviced and the oil changed), reset my trip meters. Grrrrrrrr.

Do you have a favorite photograph?
Comments are appreciated.
Let me know if you are keeping up with the trip, or are just a one-time visitor.

Troy and Martha

Fire Storm

2008-08-28T07:31:00.007-05:00

Forest Fire in Yellowstone - 2006
An angry sky in the late afternoon.

(Click on the Photo for the full effect)

Much of the light was obscured by smoke and clouds from a storm rolling in. We were lucky enough (depending on your point of view) to find a side road and get close enough and high enough to see the glow of the fire above the tree line.

In addition to the amazing colors, the photo is further enhanced by the stark silhouettes of the skeletons of trees from a previous fire, cutting across the sky.

The trees are a bit out of focus, but as I remember, I was trying to focus on the cloud edges.

Another Sky Watch Friday Adventure Photo.
Taken on our drive back to Texas from Alaska.
Leave a comment if you liked the photograph.

Troy and Martha

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.
.

Flies, Frogs, and Flowers

2008-08-26T13:03:00.012-05:00

A collection of "F's" for your enjoyment.
Click on the photographs for details.

Fruit Fly (Delphina picta)
Picture-winged Fly

Closely resembles the Picture-winged Fly (Tritoxa sp.) posted by Marvin(click here) a while back.
The Delphina is recognized by the 2 white triangles on the leading edge of the mostly black wing as opposed to the white stripes for Tritoxa.

These is a great group of flies - the Fruit Fly family (Tephritidae)

.........................................

Tachnid Fly
Trichopoda sp.

The larvae of the Tachnid are parasitic on other insects and caterpillars.

.........................................

Mallophora sp. (probably orcina)
Robber fly (Southern Bee Killer)

This robber fly feeds almost exclusively on bees and wasps.

..........................................

Frog
Come on in, the slime is fine.
Free beauty treatment mud pack.

.............................................

Flowers make a fine "F"

Partridge Pea ( Cassia fasciculata)
Notice the very cool stigma

This is an interesting 5 petal flower. The upper 3 petals are red-spotted at the base. the lower 2 petals are cupped. The flowers are borne on a short cluster, but only one opens at the time. Notice yesterday's flower above is closed. The leaves are divided into 8-15 opposite pair leaflets. The foliage is partially sensitive and partially closes when stroked.

Notice the small orange gland at the base of the leaf. This produces nectar which the ants use as a food source. Notice the small ant on the way up to collect dinner (or a snack).

..............................................

Fireweed
Near the Arctic circle

..............................................

Foxglove
Photographed on the side of a cliff,
overlooking the Pacific Ocean

..............................................

Click on the photographs for details.

I hope you enjoyed the "F" post today.
Leave a comment.
Vote for your favorite so that we will know what you like to see.

Troy and Martha

ABC Wednesday Round 3 is here.
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Alaska Sunday XIX

2008-08-23T23:29:00.004-05:00

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As last week, I spent most of my spare time this week watching the Olympics.
I will be back on my regular posting schedule for the travel log next week.
We will be continuing into British Columbia ( a most beautiful place filled with wildlife).

Speaking of wildlife, I will leave you with one photo from B.C.

While traveling, Martha always kept the D200 w/ VR lens in active mode for snapshots.
(BTW, the front windshield was always (most always) clean.

Moose on the Loose
200 mm focal length ....... at 70 mph
(Click on the photo for an up-close and personal look)

The Moose crashed out of the trees and trotted across the road.
Way to go Martha! Good eyes. Great action photo.
Do you think the Moose had crossed here before?
Look at those skid marks.

Photo by Martha
Good driving by Troy

Comments appreciated.
Scroll down one post and see if you can help with an ID.

.

Peacock Fly

2008-08-23T18:15:00.005-05:00

.

I assume this is one of the large Fruit flies (maybe Tephritidae ?).
The Tephritidae are also known as Peacock Flies due to the wing pattern.
I haven't had any luck in my field guides, so I need a little help with the identification.

Update: May be Ulidiidae or a 'picture-winged fly'.
Update to the Update: Probably Rivellia - a Signal Fly

. Class Insecta (Insects)

. Order Diptera (Flies)

. No Taxon (Acalyptratae)

. Superfamily Tephritoidea

. Family Platystomatidae (Signal Flies)

. Genus Rivellia

Probably Rivellia

It was maybe 1/4" inch in length.
Some of these are known as ~~Peacock or even~~ Picture-winged flies due to the wing pattern.

I wish I had paid more attention to the size.
(Note to self: Buy a small digital Pocket Recorder.)

It was photographed at the Ft. Worth Nature Refuge, Ft. Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA.
I just posted it on Bug Guide here. For comments on ID, go to the link.

Troy

Choices

2008-08-21T07:14:00.006-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

Life's Choices

Life's choices are like clouds.
Sometimes the way is clear,
to decide between black and white.

Occasionally the choice is grey,
and we call on experience,
prayer, and common sense.

We may be tempted by.....
beautiful oranges and yellows.
Make your choices wisely.

Photograph by Martha on the way home from work.
Nikon S51 - As photographed 08/21/2008

Photograph by Martha
Poor free verse by Troy

How do you make your choices?
Prayer, Experience, flip a coin?
Leave a comment.
Inquiring minds want to know!

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

.

Elfins and Egrets

2008-08-19T11:03:00.012-05:00

w/ some Pink Evening Primroses

Henry's Elfin

One of my favorite butterflies. Not bright and showy, but dark and fast flying. Why do I like them? Because they are one of the earliest hatching butterflies in the Ft. Worth area. We always start looking for them when the redbud trees start to bloom.

Egrets
A very cool and calm bird.

Snowy Egret
Notice the yellow shoes

Great Egret
Notice all of the snails on the grass stems.

And finally some flowers

Evening Primroses (Pink)
Growing wild in my front yard. Photo taken at sunset.

Be sure to click on the photos for full page views (only ~75KB).

Troy and Martha

ABC Wednesday Round 3 is here.

Alaska Sunday XVIII

2008-08-17T07:44:00.007-05:00

Trip Log - Part III

June 13-14

The third installment of the trip log of 'The Drive from Texas to Alaska and Back' .

Notice of Timeout: They Olympics is on and I am a huge fan. I haven't had a chance to organize any text and photos. Way too much TV.

As mentioned previously, this log does not contain too much commentary. It is mainly sequential locations, dates, mileage traveled, photographs showing the trip progress, and how the landscape changed. The Alaska Trip Log is divided into two week intervals (parts) and I am posting it on consecutive Sundays. Past and future posts of Alaska Sunday (apart from the trip log) will have more detailed information, and more photos of each specific area. A small number of the photographs were previously posted when describing specific locations. Most are new photos not previously seen.

So, just a quick post today to get back to the US, and to let you know that I am still alive.

6/13 Victoria, B.C. to Sidney, B.C. to Anacortes, WA (by Ferry) to Bellingham, WA 102 mi

Beautiful Ferry Ride through the San Juan Islands (in the rain) and then on to our camp site in Bellingham, WA.

Through the San Juan Islands by Ferry
(Click on the images for a better view)

6/14 Bellingham, WA to North Cascades Nat'l Park and back. 206 miles

It was my birthday today. We were back in the US to celebrate Flag Day and my birthday.

Small Waterfall and Polished Rocks
North Cascades

I'll try to steal some time this week from the Olympics and make the log a little longer next Sunday. If this is your first time here, go back and look at the photos of Parts I and II.

5481 miles to date.

Part I of the Trip Log is here.
Part II of the Trip Log is here.

It was a small post today, so leave a small comment if you liked one or both photos.

Troy and Martha

Flea Beetle

2008-08-15T12:49:00.005-05:00

A very cool beetle for your consideration.

Photographed at Santa Anna National Wildlife Refuge on the Rio Grande River, Texas

Eight-spotted Flea Beetle
Omophoita cyanipennis octomaculata

The adults are very small to moderately sized Chrysomelidae (i.e. among beetles in general they are on the smallish side).

They are similar to other leaf beetles, but characteristically have the hindleg femora greatly enlarged. These enlarged femora allow for the springing action of these insects when disturbed. Flea beetles can also walk normally and fly. Many flea beetles are attractively colored; dark, shiny and often metallic colors predominate.

Adult flea beetles feed externally on plants, eating the surface of the leaves, stems and petals. Under heavy feeding these holes may coalesce into larger areas of damage. Some flea beetle larvae (e.g. of Phyllotreta species) are root feeders.

In adverse weather conditions (rain, for example) some flea beetles seek shelter in the soil. At least a few species(Phyllotreta cruciferae and P. striolata) prefer warm, dry weather. The German name Erdflöhe (literally "earth fleas") refers to their jumping ability and this behavior of hiding in the soil.

Troy and Martha

For those that want a little more information:

From: Texas Entomology - Texas Beetle information

Range: Arizona, Kansas, Texas, Florida, West Indies, Mexico, Central America (Riley et al. 2003)

Hosts: Polyphagous (Mignot 1970; Clark et al. 2004)

Similar Species:

This genus includes about 50 species found throughout the Neotropics (Arnett et al. 2002), but only Omophoitacyanipennis octomaculata occurs in the United States (Riley et al. 2003)

Type Specimen:

Original combination: Oedionychis octamaculata Crotch, 1873
Current name Omophoita cyanipennis octomaculata

Etymology: Omophoita cyanipennis octomaculata (Crotch)

omo (G). The shoulder; unripe, raw
phoita ?
cyan, -e, -i, -o (G). Dark blue
penn, =a, -ati, -i (L). A feather; a wing; feathered
oct, -i, -o (L). Eight
=macula, -t (L). Spot; spotted

Biology: George Robert Crotch (1842 - 1874) was a British entomologist.

Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Long-horned and Leaf Beetles (Chrysomeloidea) » Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae) » Skeletonizing leaf beetles (Galerucinae) » Flea Beetles (Alticini) » Omophoita » Eight-spotted Flea Beetle (Omophoita cyanipennis)

Posted for your viewing enjoyment and
for those visiting from Camera Critters.

Double Rainbow

2008-08-14T14:03:00.007-05:00

Skywatch Friday

Double Rainbow
(Click on the photo to see the colors better)

Camped in British Columbia. Canada.
We had just pulled into our campsite after a rain shower.
The air was crisp and clean and the pines and firs smelled great.

Notice how strong and separated the colors are.
Starting from the bottom, the primary colors are:
violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red

This photo is a poor reproduction of the scene.
We just stood there and drank in the scene for a long time.

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

Troy and Martha

An ode to "D"

2008-08-12T08:59:00.008-05:00

Driving in the Dirt,
Deadhorse bound,
on the Dalton Haul Road, while
Displaying a license tag containing a D.

a perfect Day
24 hours of Daylight,
North of the Arctic Circle

Stopped in order for Martha to view wildlife in the
Distance.

Another D photographed in the Alpine regions of the mountains......

Dwarf fireweed
(Be sure to click on the photos for a Dazzling view)

a Different type of landscape,
a few thousand miles to the South
Desolate - Death Valley

Update: I had better add a Dragonfly.

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplas longipennis)

Troy and Martha

ABC Wednesday Round 3 is here.

Odd Shot Monday

2008-08-11T08:40:00.004-05:00

It's real......
but it's enhanced by Photoshop.

We were going birding early one morning while down in the Rio Grande Valley, just before Sunrise.
There was a fog forming and it was densest in the trees. The moonlight was shining through the trees and I thought I might be able to do something with the photo. It was shot with a telephoto lens to give some foreshortening to the Moon.

Click on the Photo for full effect.

Moon Glow in the Trees

It's been enhanced, but I thought it was interesting for a change.

Leave a comment, pro or con.

For other interesting photography visit Katney's.

Troy

Alaska Sunday XVII

2008-08-10T06:39:00.023-05:00

Trip Log - Part II

May 31 - June 12

The second installment of the trip log of 'The Drive from Texas to Alaska and Back'.

As mentioned previously, this log does not contain too much commentary. It is mainly sequential locations, dates, mileage traveled, photographs showing the trip progress, and how the landscape changed. The Alaska Trip Log is divided into two week intervals (parts) and I am posting it on consecutive Sundays. Past and future posts of Alaska Sunday (apart from the trip log) will have more detailed information, and more photos of each specific area. A small number of the photographs were previously posted when describing specific locations. Most are new photos not previously seen.

We resume our trip after staying 4 nights camped at the mouth of the beautiful Klamath River. We had originally planned to stay here just 1 night, but plans change. Our only goal for this trip was 'to wade in the Arctic Ocean' and tentatively 'to return home by Sept 1st'. As you can see from the Part I trip log last Sunday, this was a magical area with the color of the Pacific and the beautiful drives through the giant Coastal Redwoods and drives along the cliffs on one lane dirt "roads?" overlooking the Pacific with it's wildlife, ocean views, and a profusion of wild flowers.

So, we'll finish May and on to the month of June.........

Be sure to click on the photographs for full screen views.

One last photo before we leave California. After we returned home, I was lamenting the fact that I did not have a photo of a Douglas Iris from the trip. Martha informed me that she had found one on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean and photographed it. Sure enough, buried in the 18,000 photos was this beauty. Thank you Martha.

Douglas Iris
Also known as:
'Thompson's Iris' on the CA-OR Border

Click here for more information on this rare and interesting plant.

5/31 Klamath, CA to Union Creek, OR 219 mi

Crater Lake - Early Summer
Not your typical photo of Crater Lake

The road to the visitor's center had just been opened by snowplows through snow 10 feet deep in places. As you can see from the photo, some of the lake's surface was frozen. The lake has only been frozen over completely twice. Click here to see an article on its history of freezing. Most of the campgrounds and RV parks in the Cascade Range were not open for camping this 'early' in the year due to the deep snow. WOW, all that snow and to think it was 105^oF when we crossed the desert just a week ago.

6/1 Union Creek, OR to Fairview (Portland), OR 272 mi

Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon
Abstract Beauty in a Stark, Harsh Environment

Click here for info on Newberry NM.

6/2 through 6/4 Day Trips out of Fairview, OR 488 mi

Columbia River Gorge
Martha held the umbrella while I made the shot. Team Photo.

Mount Rainier, Washington

Just in time for the Portland Rose Festival
Washington Park, Portland, Oregon

6/5 Fairview (Portland),Oregon to Hammond (Astoria),Oregon 75 mi

Ft. Clatsop National Monument, Oregon
Where Lewis & Clark spent the winter of 1805-1806

Near the mouth of the Columbia River at the Pacific Ocean
Martha is pointing to the Pacific
Click here for information on the site.
I know it's not a beautiful scenic photo, but it had always been a dream of mine since I was a child to see where they found their goal and where they camped during this hard winter.

6/6 Day Trips 60 mi
Columbia River, Pacific Beach, Lewis and Clark sites.

Cape Disappointment, WA
Lighthouse

The lighthouse is visible on a small headland, just inside the mouth of the Columbia River which makes a sharp right hand turn, after entering the mouth of the river. This small spit of land juts out into the Columbia from McKenzie Head. It is part of Ft. Canby State Park. There is a lighthouse (North Head Lighthouse) across McKenzie Head on the Pacific side (no photo).

Looking back across the Columbia River toward Clatsop Spit in Oregon.
Click here for information.

Map of the Entrance to the Columbia River

6/7 Hammond, OR to Port Angeles, WA 550 mi (long day)

Oyster Shells

Now I know where those sacks of oyster shells, at the Farm Store, come from.
This was one of many 25' high mountains of shells near Aberdeen, WA.

6/8 Day Trip to Hoh Rain Forest 160 mi round trip

This is where Martha found her big tree.

Sitka Spruce
Rain Forest Monarch

6/9 Port Angeles, Washington by Ferry to Victoria, Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada
25 car miles, 30 miles by Ferry (MV Coho) to 'Ft. Victoria RV Park'

Looking back to Washington in the Rain
Ferry Crossing - On the Strait of Juan de Fuca

6/9 Day trip to the beautiful Butchart Gardens 25 mi

6/10 Day trip to Witty's Lagoon Regional Park, Vancouver Island 25 mi

We had a great day at Witty's Lagoon and walked down to the beach. We could see across the Strait, with cruise ships navigating the strait, and the majestic Olympic Range rising above the clouds. Lots more about Vancouver Island can be seen at the excellent site of Island Rambles. Click here.

View Across the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Olympic Range

6/11 Toured the beautiful city of Victoria and visited Sidney to pick up Ferry tickets. 50 mi.

6/12 Rest Day. Martha did laundry, cooked a nice lunch at the camper, and took a nap.
I organized photos, burned DVD's, answered e-mails, and also took a nap.
It was a beautiful RV Park and nice to have a rest day. For dinner, there was a five star restaurant just down the road.

That's all for Part II of the log.
5173 miles to date.

Part I of the Trip Log is here.

If you are enjoying the log and/or the photographs, leave a comment.

Also, please let me know your favorite photo.

Next Sunday, back to the Mainland.

Thanks to Martha for keeping such good records.

Photography by Troy and Martha

Snow Geese

2008-08-09T07:05:00.010-05:00

The Line-Up.
Will the Guilty Goose Step Forward?

Farmer Brown says that eating in the cut grain fields is OK, but stay out of his wife's garden. If the guilt party doesn't step forward, he will start checking footprints and DNA from the feathers left behind at the scene of the crime in the garden.

Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens)

Photographed between Dallas and Marshall, Texas.
It was a cold, foggy February morning.
(Click on the line-up and scroll back and forth to view the guilty)

We watched them for a while, and they always stayed in a long tight line as they grazed along. They were lined up perfectly parallel to the wind direction. You know how a cold, damp East wind in early Spring will cut through you to the bone. Obviously, they put the toughest birds on the end to break the wind.

Notice the dark morphs which were once considered a separate species, the "Blue Goose".

Troy and Martha

Editors note to the Guilty Goose: "Don't do it, Farmer Brown's wife has something in mind concerning foie gras." Click here to see what it is and read some history of foie gras.

Posted for your viewing enjoyment and
for those visiting from Camera Critters.

Where's Waldo

2008-08-07T08:22:00.008-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

Wally's in a solid red shirt today.
Where's his red/white striped shirt?

A photograph of an old shipwreck near the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon.

There is a beautiful sky and sunshine on the way!

Skeleton of a Once Majestic Ship
Typical cloudy skies but beautiful day
Click on the photo to look for Wally. ;o)

I certainly hope the adults got the youngsters all rounded up after the field trip was over. It looks like they were having a good time and probably didn't want to leave.

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.

Note: For all of the adults with no children,
Click here to learn more about Wally (or Waldo if you are in the US or parts of Canada).
No, this is not an official 'Wally' print. It just reminded me of that with all of the blue shirts looking alike and one lone red shirt standing off by himself.

Troy and Martha
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Caterpillars

2008-08-05T13:57:00.004-05:00

Monarch Butterfly Reproduction

Monarch Caterpillars

The mating period for the overwinter population occurs in the spring, just prior to migration from the overwintering sites. The courtship is fairly simple and less dependent on chemical pheromones in comparison with other species in its genus. Courtship is composed of two distinct stages, the aerial phase and the ground phase. During the aerial phase, the male pursues, nudges, and eventually takes down the female. Copulation occurs during the ground phase and involves the transfer of a spermatophore from the male to the female. Along with sperm, the spermatophore is thought to provide the female with energy resources that aid her in carrying out reproduction and remigration. The overwinter population returns only as far north as they need to go to find the early milkweed growth; in the case of the eastern butterflies that is commonly southern Texas. The life cycle of a monarch includes a change of form called complete metamorphosis. The monarch goes through four radically different stages:

1. The eggs are laid by the females during spring and summer breeding months.

2. The eggs hatch (after 4 days), revealing worm-like larvae, the caterpillars. The caterpillars consume their egg cases, then feed on milkweed, and sequester substances called cardenolides, a type of cardiac glycoside. During the caterpillar stage, monarchs store energy in the form of fat and nutrients to carry them through the non-feeding pupa stage. The caterpiller stage lasts around 2 weeks.

3. In the pupa or chrysalis stage, the caterpillar spins a silk pad on a twig, leaf, etc., and hangs from this pad by its last pair of prolegs. It hangs upside down in the shape of a 'J', and then molts, leaving itself encased in an articulated green exoskeleton. At this point, hormonal changes occur, leading to the development of a butterfly (metamorphosis). The chrysalis darkens (actually becomes transparent) a day before it emerges, and its orange and black wings can be seen.

4. The mature butterfly emerges after about two pupal weeks and hangs from the split chrysalis for several hours until its wings are dry (often in the morning). Meanwhile fluids are pumped into the crinkled wings until they become full and stiff. Some of this orangey fluid (called meconium) drips from the wings. Finally (usually in the afternoon) the monarch spreads its wings, quivers them to be sure they are stiff, and then flies away, to feed on a variety of flowers, including milkweed flowers, red clover, and goldenrod.

Monarchs can live a life of two to eight weeks in a garden having their host Asclepias plants and sufficient flowers for nectar. This is especially true if the flower garden happens to be surrounded by native forest that seems to be lacking in flowers.

ABC Wednesday Round 3 is here.

Troy and Martha

Lewis and Clark Bridge

2008-08-03T20:07:00.006-05:00

Across the Columbia River

The Lewis and Clark Bridge, which is a cantilever type, spans the Columbia River between Longview, Washington and Rainier, Oregon. It is the only bridge spanning the river between Portland and Astoria, Oregon, and is located 66 miles (106 km) from the Pacific Ocean. This photo was taken from the west along U.S. Highway 30.

Lewis and Clark Bridge

The bridge was open on March 29, 1930 as a privately owned bridge named the Longview Bridge. The $5.8 million cost was recovered by tolls, $1.00 for cars and $.10 for pedestrians. At the time it was the longest and highest cantilever bridge in the United States. The state of Washington purchased the bridge in 1947 and the tolls were removed in 1965 after the bridge was paid for. In 1980 the bridge was rededicated as the Lewis and Clark Bridge in honor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The deck was replaced in 2003–04 at a cost of $29.2 million.

View of Bridge Construction from Inside
Martha shot this through the front windshield.
Remember in an earlier post, the moral to the story was,
"Keep the Front Windshield Clean"

The bridge is 8,288 ft. (2.5 km) long with 210 ft. (64 m) of vertical clearance. The main span is 1200 ft. (366 m) long and the top of the bridge is 340 ft. (104 m) above the river. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge.

For a sense of scale and perspective, notice the large red cargo ship on the Columbia River and the herd of Black Angus cows in the pasture.

River Traffic at the Port of Longview and Bridge

Map showing the location of the Lewis and Clark Bridge, Longview, and Columbia River.

Topo Map

Have you ever crossed this bridge?
Have you ever crossed this river? Where?
Leave a comment.

For more Bridges, head over to Runes TX-Blog

Photos by Martha
Map by Troy
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Alaska Sunday XVI

2008-08-03T00:55:00.028-05:00

Trip Log - Part I

May 20 - May 31

This is the first month's log of our trip which Bilbo Baggins would have titled,
"There and Back Again - The Beginning".

Quite a few people have asked me in e-mails about our route, known as 'The Drive from Texas to Alaska and Back'. There is not much commentary included in this log, just sequential locations, dates, and mileages when available. The Alaska Trip Log will be divided into four months (parts) and posted on the next four consecutive Sundays. Past and future posts of Alaska Sunday (apart from the trip log) will have more detailed information and more photos of each specific area.

UPDATE: The log will contain 2 weeks per post. I didn't realize how time consuming it would be to look at trip records, mileages, and sorting photographs for each post. Not to mention deciding which photographs to post.

So here is a condensed version of the trip, with a few photos out of the 18,000 that we kept. A few of the photographs have been published, but are re-posted here to give a flavor and progress of the trip, and to see the landscape change.

Be sure to click on the photographs for full screen views.

5/20 Ft. Worth,TX to Santa Rosa, NM 498 mi
5/21 Santa Rosa, NM to Flagstaff, AZ 495 mi

Painted Desert - Arizona
Enriched colors due to
Perfect angle of near horizontal light and a rain shower

5/22 From our Campground in Flagstaff to Grand Canyon and back to Flagstaff, stopping at Marble Canyon and Vermillion Cliffs along the way. 445 miles

Marble Canyon - Colorado River
from the bridge over the river at Lees Ferry
Those small yellow dots on the river are the large tour rafts

Vermillion Cliffs (a Stitched Panorama)
Note Hwy 89A (bottom right) for perspective & scale

Grand Canyon in the Rain
North Rim

5/23 Flagstaff, AZ to Bakersfield, CA 480 mi

Mojave Desert
Looking Toward Death Valley

5/24 Bakersfield, CA to Oakhurst, CA 200 mi

5/25 Yosemite (Adventure in the Sierra Nevada High Country) 124 mi

Half Dome - Yosemite
Glacier Point Road
Perhaps Ansel Adams stood on this very spot
and made a Black & White Photograph

5/26 Oakhurst, CA to Redding, CA 332 mi

5/27 Redding, CA to Trinidad/Arcata to Klamath, CA 190 mi of serious winding road

The Pacific at Trinidad/Arcata
Hazy Day
Time to turn North on Hwy. 101

5/28 thru 5/31 Coastal Redwoods, Fern Canyon, Pacific Overlooks, and Area 460 mi

The Pacific at the Klamath River
A Perfect Day

Fern Canyon
A Magical Place of Five-fingered Ferns
(Enlarge and scroll up and down)

Please comment and tell us which photograph you like best and why.

3224 miles logged during the 12 days of May
Next Sunday's Trip Log will be for the Month of June....
Oregon, Washington, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska
A lot of ground to cover and sights to see in the next 30 days.

Photographs by Troy and Martha

Aberrant Oak Hairstreak

2008-08-02T07:30:00.005-05:00

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If you look closely while on your walks, you will encounter some individual critters that just don't match the norm.

This is an aberrant "Northern" Oak Hairstreak (Satyrium favonius ontario). Their range is from the New England states down to Central Texas. The 'southern' variety is confined mainly to Florida.

They are found along woodland edges. Some of the field guides list them as scarce, but the 5000 acre Ft. Worth Nature Refuge always has a good number of Oak Hairstreaks. This aberrant individual has the extra wide white bands and we occasionaly see some of these beauties (maybe 1 out of a hundred).

Oak Hairstreak (Satyrium favonius ontario)
On Milkweed

Troy and Martha

Click here for last Wednesday's post of lots of Texas' rare butterflies,
and a few common Texas beauties thrown in.

Posted for the viewing enjoyment for
those visiting from Camera Critters.

Name the Newt

2008-08-01T08:27:00.005-05:00

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Those looking for Skywatch Friday today,
Scroll down one post after reading this.

Between August 1-15 they are conducting a "Name the Newt" contest over at Transient Light Photography for their new mascot. The winner will be announced September 1 on their Web site. That lucky person will receive a matted presentation of the September Print of the Month. Click on the link above or click here.

That's a great deal. I have already entered.

J. W. Moore is what I consider one of the Master Photographers of our time and he has an understanding of light matched by very few photographers past or present. When I think of B/W, I think of Ansel Adams, and when I think of color and the use of light, I think of Elliot Porter and Jim Moore.

Here's the Mascot

Red Eft

Don't just go over there to enter the contest, stop and read a couple of articles and view some of his great work. Go back tomorrow and read a few more posts. Bookmark this site for sure.

Troy

PS: Scroll down for "A day at the Beach" and lots of "Texas Rarities Butterflies"

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Sea Oats

2008-07-31T08:53:00.005-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

We would like to share a photo that we made last fall on a trip down to the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. It is a photograph of Sea Oats which grow on the eastern coasts of the U.S, Mexico, and the Islands of the Caribbean. I have been trying to photograph them for years, but I could never find a stand of Sea Oats that really suited me. What I had been looking for was a grouping of the oats leaning in a steady quartering wind to show some dynamic motion and add interest to the scene. I finally found it! An added bonus was the beautiful, mature fall colors set against clean sand and an interesting sky.

Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata)
Nikon D200, 90mm
1/400 sec, f/10, ISO 200

The sky is a typical marine layer which has lifted and can't decide whether to rain or break. It had showered much earlier in the morning. The stiff breeze was drying out the surface of the sand and creating small ripples in the surface (seen in the enlarged photo). Not seen in the photo are the grains of sand skittering across the upper beach above the tide line, reshaping the landscape, and pelting me mercilessly. Oh, the trials a photographer must endure to get the perfect picture....

Can you smell the clean, fresh ocean air? The temperature was a perfect 75-80 degrees. We drove along the beach at the water's edge for about 10 miles in our 4wd Toyota 4Runner. This area, called Boca Chica, is south of South Padre Island, and is separated from it by the channel at Port Isabel. This photograph was taken about one mile from the Rio Grande River, which forms the Texas/Mexico Border.

We had lunch in the 4Runner, facing the Gulf of Mexico, with the front wheels just being caressed by the incoming waves. What a view!

This is the same area and trip where we photographed the Oyster-catcher shown in a previous post. Click here to see this magnificent bird with his haughty stride, strolling on the beach. Martha photographed him as we drove past.

Troy and Martha

Note: Sea oats are well suited to saline environments, and are often used in soil stabilization projects, because their long root structure firmly holds loose soil. Sea oats are a protected grass in most states along the East Coast.

For other SWF posts,
see Tom's new SkyWatch site here.
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