Volunteer Sunflower

       Sunflower grows without any attention from me, except to water and to photograph. 

Lushness for Cows to Lick and to Eat

      North Texas looks lush these days after an unusually moist spring. Our friend, a cattle rancher, said to his son, "Git cher camera out here 'cause you ain't gonna see anything like this again in yer lifetime." The flowers push through other plants, and the wheat grow up to the bellies of the cattle. Naturally, I had my camera. I picture below some of the cows and wheat fields we visited.

      I watched the cows as they exercised their curiosity. As we parked the truck, they ambled over to investigate. In addition to seeing and sniffing, cows "felt" the truck with their tongues: Hard, warm surface. And I imagine they tasted it too: Pollen from oak and pecan trees, dust, road dirt, diesel fumes, highway pollutants. Gasp. On the sides of the truck they left their licks. I think of it as cow art.

Canola and Oil

Through quickly blooming mesquite plants and trees, 

canola crops enhance the view that surrounds oil fields. 

Pumping units pump oil in the canola fields. 

India Mustard covers a fire hydrant.

Prickly Pear cacti and milk-vetch flowers.

I Came Upon Someone's Commentary

         If the glove pictured below, placed just so, reflects someone's commentary on power lines stomping across their backyard, I tend to agree with the message.

Portside the Pollinator

Portside, my Dachsund, along with the bees, helps pollinate the flowers, the ones low to the ground. 

It's a great collaboration in more ways than one.

Garden Surprises

      Fig leaves, a few figs, and cherry blossoms with a wisteria background exemplify to me the sensitive beauty of spring.

Fig leaves. Nikon D7000, f5.6, 1/100, 280mm and post processed for color contrast in the digital darkroom.

Blossoms in the garden, the first time I see, and that captivated me, particularly with the wisteria flowers  as a background.
Nikon D7000, f5.6, 1/125, 300mm, cropped for effect and then post processed for color contrast in the digital darkroom.

Along a Street in Patan

Street to market.

Waiting in line to fill their water  jugs.

On a corner.

Papayas, peas, and cauliflower for sale.

Beautiful People Going about their Business

In Nepal . . .

One of Five Species of Bluebonnet

We have started to see more bluebonnets now, specifically the Lupinus texensis. Read an interesting account about why Texas has five state flowers at the Aggie Horticultural Web site.

Nikon V 1, ISO 100, 30mm, f4, 1/250, post-processed in the digital darkroom for color vibrancy.

Butterflies in Fort Worth

Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Blue Morph.

Owl Butterfly.

Tiger Longwing covered in pollen.

Squirrel Antics

Cat and Dog

I awoke them from their nap just for this picture, after which, yawning, they fell back asleep. Such a life!

Ante Meridian, Post Meridian

Sow Thistle in the morning.

And Sow Thistle in the afternoon.

Counting Birds: 2 March

       Today's quick jaunt through the North Texas farmlands gave me an equally quick look at some of the birdlife. Spotted: A gadwall Aythya valisineria all by herself, Loggerhead Shrikes (2), two flocks of Cedar Waxwings consisting of approximately sixty birds each, flocks of blackbirds with the greatest estimated number of two hundred, a pair of Northern Shovelers, meadowlarks in small flocks of five or six, a Northern Harrier, three jackrabbits, and eight Prairie Dogs.

Gadwall. ISO 400, 400mm, f5.6, 1/2500. Nikon D700, 80-400mm.

OKC State Capitol

       The capitol building in Oklahoma City has grown in size, height, and culture since they began its construction in 1914. Not until 2002 did they build the dome and topped it with a figure, The Guardian, a sculpture by Enoch Kelly Haney, former State Senator. His sculpture of a Native American "guarding" the capitol and the people of Oklahoma seemed quite touching to me. "My lance pierces my legging and is planted on the ground. I will not be moved from my duty, from my love of Oklahoma and all of its people . . . I will stand my ground, and I will not be moved," wrote Haney about The Guardian.

          A replica of the sculpture stands inside the building a the top of the stairs. 

Sculpture by Enoch Kelly Haney, The Guardian.

Detail of The Guardian.

       Just to embellish the eleven acres of floor space, art work that portrays the history of Oklahoma hangs on every floor. I estimated hundreds of paintings gracing the walls and educating the visitors (and the politicians who serve there). 

       Looking up through the dome to the floor above me, I spotted a mural painted by Mike Larsen, Flight of Spirit, honoring five ballerinas from Oklahoma, Yvonne Choteau, Moscelyne Larking, Roselia Hightower, and Maria and Marjorie Tallchief.

Mike Larsen's Flight of the Moons honoring the five ballerinas.

 Sequoyah, by Charles Banks Wilson.

Oil painting of Jim Thorpe.

State Capitol dome.

People look up into the dome, and they look down
to see the seal, admiringly, mostly.

Pastel colors around the dome, one hundred and forty gallons of paint.

Detail of the ceiling in the Supreme Court. 

At the front steps of the State Capitol,
the dome looms above a sculpture by Allan Houser,
As Long as the Waters Flow.

        A big hearty thanks to the Wichita County Heritage Society for organizing and hosting our visit to the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Barrow Pit Afternoon

      Spotted: Red-headed, Buffle-headed, and Ruddy ducks; Northern Shovelers and American Coots, all in the barrow pit. The sun cast its rays beautifully upon them.
      Encouraged by Penny's weekly reports on the barrow pit, I made my way there late this afternoon. Lugging my tripod, 70-200mm and 35mm lenses, my Nikon F6, and an armful of film, I still had the experience of listening as my camera re-wound itself just as a lovely group of Northern Shovelers took off and flew a scant ten yards in front of me. Oh, well.
      Along the shores of Lake Wichita I could see through my binoculars the numerous seagulls and coots, and a Great Blue Heron.
      If my pictures look okay I will update this post next week.

Update: My pics, finally, developed, look fine. 

Red-headed, Buffle-headed, and Ruddy Ducks. 

Northern Shovelers.

Henbit, Lilly, and Pear