Pretty Grove

I envision deer strolling quietly through the grove, and bobcat bounding by it.

Ye Ol' Horse, Festus

       I came upon Festus, the rescued horse, in the afternoon. His hooves look much better after being tended to by the farrier, and he has grown his winter coat. He ambled gently up to me and I spoke to him softly as he nudged my hand. Note to self: Put carrot treats for Festus in truck.

Coyote Poison Signs

       Nailed to the walls of the old barn, these signs make better use covering holes than hanging on a fence or gate. One shudders to read the words on them and understand the implication of what occurred in the past. Now, to the shop for paint and brush.

White Longhorn Standing Near Cacti

     Driving along the countryside, I had to turn around to drive back to take this image of the unusually-colored Longhorn standing amid the cacti and the wintering mesquite. Gorgeous fellow's photo post-processed in Nik's Analog Pro Efex.

Old Airports Have Old and Interesting Signs

Jaguar Jaunts

Flowers blanket the countryside in Texas providing a lovely background for a drive.

And one musn't miss a drive along roads embellished by bluebonnets . . . 

. . . and rise early enough to see a marvelous sunrise.

Rainy Final on a King Air

I heard MyMrMallory several minutes before I saw him through the rain. 

The distinctive sound of the King Air engines carried through several miles of distance.

Here he is on final in the light rain.

Church Silhouette

The Tree

Teetering Tanks

With a couple of good rains, these batteries might slide down the ledge.

Gate Latches, Part One

Clever ways to latch gates. There is great depth to cowboy practicality.

Wild Cam in Early November

A camera sitting surreptitiously in an old tree captures all manner of critters. 

Not shown are turkey and hogs.

Rainbow.

Huge buck. 

Coyote.

Young buck on a foggy day.

Cowboy truck pulling feeder to supplement diet for the cattle.

Barn Owl in its True Environment

     

       I asked MyMrMallory if I could quote him on what he said when I showed him this image I made of a shy owl: "A Barn owl in its true environment." I found the owl in an old, old barn, perhaps 100 years old, and she allowed me enough time to focus on her, enough time to capture her beauty with my camera, before she flew out and away. What an amazing-looking creature of God!

Orchid

Sunset Through Trees

Green Wheat under Dark Clouds

With the little amount of moisture we've received, the wheat looks good, anyway.

Smiley Devil Sprayed on Tank Battery

Crescent Moon Over Hangars

To the Shop

     On a day when I decided not to fly on account of the strong winds, MyMrMallory walks in my office and declares, "Bobby wants the planes this afternoon." A studied look at the weather, followed by a quick jaunt to the airport, and off we flew to the mechanic's shop, he in his aerobat for radio repairs, and I in the Bonanza to bring him back home. I realized for the first time that I've become handy to another pilot now that I have a pilot's license, similar to having someone pick you up at the shop when you drop off your car for repairs, except that this particular shop is seventy-eight nautical miles south of town. 

       "I got lost," MyMrMallory said, after landing. No functioning radios in his plane meant flying with a map, which he confessed he'd held upside-down, east and west on the wrong sides of north and south." First there was Lake Arrowhead, then there was Archer City, then Graham, and then . . . and then . . . I got lost."

       I indulged with the iPhone app, OldPicture, to finish the images I took along the way, and what a beautiful way it was with several layers of clouds.

Bobby signals the aerobat to park.

Bonanza waits for the return flight home.

Several decks of clouds.

North Texas from 5,500 feet in the late afternoon.

Four Planes on Taxi

Shiny tops of wings of four aircraft on the taxiway.