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(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) “Who would think there could be so much diversity out here?” Once again, Gini was absolutely correct. We humans are quick to assign stereotypes to our thoughts and ideas. When we first moved to west Texas, it looked so desolate. That impression was exacerbated by our military peers, who had also recently moved there, as they bemoaned the flat, brown landscape that, presumably,… Read More

“Look at those red eyes!” No, Gini was not referring to me. A handsome (that immediately disqualifies yours truly) brown and white bird ran, stopped, cocked its head, ran a few more steps, stopped, grabbed a grasshopper, gulped it down and – wash, rinse, repeat. The behavior, plumage and beautiful dark red eyes belonged to the Killdeer, a member of the Plover family. Although a “shorebird”, it is more often encountered inland,… Read More

(Click on image to enlarge, click again to zoom.) A splash to our right caused us to reflexively look in that direction, although we knew the source. An Osprey rose from the lake’s surface with a small catfish, shook off excess water and flew to a nearby pine tree limb to enjoy her finny snack. She and her mate have been busy with their annual home-improvement project. Soon, the branches will have… Read More

(Click images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Standing still, eyes closed, head tilted one way then another. I hear the distant call of a Red-shouldered Hawk, the guttural “caw-caw-cawwww” of American Crows, trumpeting Sandhill Cranes, a raucous Blue Jay, the hammering of a woodpecker on a dry limb. Gini’s superior hearing adds a calling White-eyed Vireo, the clear whistle of a Tufted Titmouse, a Carolina Wren, an upset squirrel and the… Read More

(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Yesterday we were sweeping up the place after our extravagant holiday reveling. There, among the bits of discarded shrimp, crumpled paper hats, Frank Sinatra album cover, underw— (oops, how’d that get there?) – we discovered some bits and bobs that escaped from the darkroom. We thought we would share. The pictures, not that other stuff. It was all the way back near the… Read More