Heat

Cattle Egret. One of thousands and thousands.

While the swather swept across the wheat grass, something must have caused a spark, perhaps a metal part of it striking a stone, to cause a fire. Fire trucks from Holliday drove through fencing to contain the fire. In the photograph, cow patties smolder in the ashes.

Old electrical poles lean all along North Central Texas grasslands.

Beautiful and intriguing seed pods on the shore of Lake Kickapoo.

Herefords, standing belly-deep in water, glimpse at me through mesquite plants.

Emil's Pat Carrigan

Below I show a photograph I took today of a painting stored carefully in the vault of the Museum of North Texas History. Flakes of paint have fallen off the canvas throughout the years. The staff of the Museum found the painting in such a bad condition and in need of restoration but due to cost, they may only store it as carefully as possible to halt the deterioration.
After post processing the image in the digital darkroom, the photograph below shows the portrait as it may have looked back in the [30s] when Carrigan's mother commissioned Hermann to paint a portrait of her son killed during WWI. Though the process of removing blemishes from this picture seemed a bit tedious and constrained by the lack of skill, I pursued my task just to take a look at the difference between the two versions. I can travel back in time in my imagination and look upon the painting as Hermann painted it, and look upon the un-blemished face of a young man struck down in that unspeakable war. (Or does "unspeakable war" sound redundant?) Dallas will remove the larger blemishes to make it look as if Hermann himself, with his own paintbrush, had restored the painting.

Flying the Jenny

Every first Saturday of the month, the Museum of North Texas History hosts a unique event: They gather at Kickapoo Airport in Wichita Falls to fly the WWI Curtiss "Jenny," flown by aviator Tom Danaher.

It was another windy day at the airport.

The WWI fire truck makes its way from the museum

through the old hangars toward the Jenny's grassy airstrip.

A volunteer assists in pushing the Jenny to the grassy airstrip.

Tom Danaher prepares for flight.

Danaher and the Jenny buzzed the crowd.

Approaching into the wind for a landing.

Tom Danaher

While I count myself fortunate to witness this unique event, and feel thrilled and teary-eyed every time I see the Jenny aloft under the experienced control of Tom, if you ask me, I'll answer that they both belong and should remain within the safety of the walls of the museum. Tom, as a mortal, will not be with us forever, as an inanimate object would, and that is one thing I'd like God to change.

In Oklahoma. El Reno Mustang Field

Images I took while waiting for Mr. Graves to change the oil in My Mr. Mallory's plane.
A Meadowlark on a taxiway marker.
A Horned Lark along the taxiway.

Walking Around Out Back

Cattle Egret in flight.
Purple Martins; male on left.A Texas Scissortail flies above and between a Red-tailed Hawk's wings.
Scissortail.

In the Field

Oilfield operation in North Central Texas.

Gnome's Resident Owl

The Great Horned Owl in the tree next to the cabin has become accustomed to our presence. She remained in the tree above us, while we sat in folding chairs in the shadows. I walked behind the cabin, found her, then raised my lens for a photograph. 

Of Antelopes and Flowers in the Texan Panhandle

Lightning!

During the early morning hours, lightning struck the oil tank batteries above.

The Hoover Hellfighters Volunteer Fire Department drove miles into the grasslands to reach the burning battery.

After allowing most of the oil to burn, the firefighters spread foam around and into one of tanks.

It is important to allow the oil to burn, rather than allow it to run into the grasslands. 

A firefighter watches from the distance, sitting among the yucca plants, native grasses and flowers of the Texan Panhandle.

Rolling the hose for storage before returning to Hoover.

Approximately one hundred and seventy-five barrels of oil burned or spilled into the draw.

The containing ditch, dug too late, contained a little amount of oil, and some of the firefighters foam.

Later, after the firefighters contained the fire and then left for home to rest, I walked around the destroyed battery, aware of my surroundings, consisting of the Texan grasslands and flowers, with the battery as an incongruent sight.

Feeding Fledgling Purple Martin

Wild Bird Rescue in the News

Chris filmed the interview between Bob, Wildlife Re-habilitator, and Sarah, from KFDX.

Attacked Hawk

A Red-tailed Hawk lands on the branch of a tree . . . 

Above, a Western Kingbird bounces off 

the hawk's shoulders after its attack.

A mockingbird bumps against the back of the hawk.

A Purple Martin flies by the attack by the mockingbird on the hawk. 

Eventually, the attacking birds flew away.

Remembering the Past to Embellish the Present