2018 December

Bob Bullock Museum...Austin

12-31-2018....The Bullock Texas State History Museum, is a history museum in Austin, Texas. The museum is owned by the Texas State Preservation Board. Its stated mission is to tell "the Story of Texas." The history museum is named after Bob Bullock, who championed its creation. Wikipedia

Gull In Flight

12-30-2018...At White Rock Lake, Dallas. A bird I don't normally photograph but it was a slow day & this was to good of an opportunity. Thank you for comments and critiques.

Golden-Fronted Woodpecker

12-29-2018. Seen at Pedernales Falls SP near Johnson City, Texas.

Blue Heron

12-28-2018....Blue Heron somewhere in Texas. It was taken in June 2015, but I forgot where.

In Play

12-27-2018. Pro Golfer during practice round at Byron Nelson Golf Tournament in Irving, Texas (2011). Thank you for your comments.

Cavanaugh Museum

12-26-2018...The Cavanaugh Flight Museum is an aviation museum in Addison, Texas, with a non-profit 501 status for aviation educational. Wikipedia

Flute Player

12-25-2018...MERRY CHRISTMAS. Unknown flute player several years ago at a very cold Christmas Parade in Plano, Texas.

Gift Shop Window

12-24-2018....Gift shop window display at Lady Bird Wildflower Center. MERRY CHRISTMAS.

La Bergerie

12-23-2018...Found this yesterday in Fredericksburg, Texas. We are a boutique food and wine market showcasing our house-made charcuterie as well as locally baked bread, artisanal cheeses, craft beers, boutique wines ... PP done with NIK software.

Toyota Concept Car

12-22-2018...At Texas State Fair. With five world-premiere concept cars revealed today by Toyota at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, you might expect the smallest to have to fight hard for attention. But that’s not the case with the Toyota FV2 future mobility concept car on display. An embodiment of the term fun to drive, the unique driver experience and connected technology of the FV2 would look perfectly at home on the set of a futuristic Hollywood film. The first thing you notice is the driving position. With no steering wheel to grab hold of, control and operation is carried out by the lean of the driver’s body, intuitively moving the FV2 forward and back, left and right.

On Golden Pond

12-21-2018....Sunset landing for this Egret at White Rock Lake in Dallas.

DART Train - Dallas, Texas

12-20-2018....DART Train at either Akard or St Paul station in downtown Dallas. For a $4 ticket I could ride this from Plano to Ft Worth and back. Easy and inexpensive way to avoid traffic and parking. PP done with NIK software.

HAWK

12-19-2018...This hawk was hunting in a meadow near White Rock Lake, Dallas.

Backyard Critter

12-18-2018....Road Runner in my Austin backyard. I am glad he is here because I have seen him catch snakes and rodents.

Driskill Hotel Christmas Tree

12-17-2018...Driskill Hotel Austin. Jesse Driskill, a successful cattle baron, had moved to Texas from Missouri in 1849. Flush with cash from his service to the Confederate Army, to which he supplied beef throughout the Civil War, he decided to diversify by constructing a grand hotel in Austin, his adopted hometown. In 1884, Driskill purchased land at the corner of 6th and Brazos for $7,500 and announced his plans.[5] He hired the architectural firm of Jasper N. Preston & Son to design the structure.[citation needed] The hotel enjoyed a grand opening on December 20, 1886, and was featured in a special edition of the Austin Daily Statesman. On January 1, 1887, Governor Sul Ross held his inaugural ball in its ballroom, beginning a tradition for every Texas governor since.[2] Driskill unfortunately did not have the clientele to match the splendor of his four-star hotel. At a time when other hotels were 50 cents to one dollar per night, Driskill charged $2.50 to $5.00 (including meals), an exorbitant sum at what was then still relatively a Wild West town. Following the loss of a great fortune in cattle drives, Driskill was forced to close the hotel in May 1887, less than a year after it opened, when half his staff was poached by the Beach Hotel in Galveston.[citation needed] According to legend, he finally lost the hotel in a game of poker in 1888 to his brother-in-law, Jim "Doc" Day, who became its second owner. Driskill died of a stroke in 1890.[citation needed]

Gone Fishing

12-16-2018...Early morning view from Lamar Street Bridge in Austin.

Pelican Fishing Party

12-15-2018...American White Pelicans at White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas, American White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They do not plunge-dive the way Brown Pelicans do. They are superb soarers (they are among the heaviest flying birds in the world) and often travel long distances in large flocks by soaring. When flapping, their wingbeats are slow and methodical.

Dancers

12-14-2918...Several years ago at State Fair of Texas in Dallas.

Backyard Fawn

12-13-2018...This fawn was born in mid-May this year (2018)near my backyard, this picture taken in early June, and he lost his spots by early October. Mother was standing nearby but I cropped her out of photo. This was taken from my patio where I sit with camera and coffee during the warmer months.

The Rower

12-12-2018....Early morning rowing at Lady Bird Lake in Austin. Shot was taken from Lamar Street Bridge.

Baby Hummingbirds

12-11-2018...A couple of years ago I discovered a Hummingbird Nest at Lady Bird Wildflower Center in Austin. Baby Hummingbirds. ... When a mother hummingbird is laying an egg, she can be seen sitting on her nest and shaking alternated by wiggling every few seconds. Mother hummingbirds will usually have two eggs laid on different days. The little eggs will be about the size of a pea or small jellybean. Baby Hummingbirds - World of Hummingbirds .com

Church Christmas Ornament

12-10-2018....St David's Episcopal Church in Austin had its first service in 1854. It is the oldest Episcopal Church west of the Mississippi River. For the last several years the church has made and sold Christmas ornaments from a photo of their stained glass windows. There are 20 stained-glass windows in the church, dating from 1876 to 1969. Eleven are more than 100 years old. Many are simply magnificent. Be sure to visit while the sun is shining if you want to see them at their best. The Italian-marble altar dates from 1900 with many other chairs, credence, choir stalls, etc. dating from the 1880s. The pulpit dates from 1869.

Texas Capitol Tree

12-9-2018...Christmas Tree in House of Representatives at Texas State Capitol in Austin. Each year, House Members are invited to select a constituent to imagine and create a visual representation of what makes their Texas House District special. These artistic endeavors- in the form of an ornament- will decorate a majestic 23-foot, Texas-grown Christmas tree that will stand in the House Chamber of the Texas Capitol during the holiday season. Now in its ninth year, the district ornament project has proven to be a fun and educational experience for the Capitol's thousands of holiday visitors, who enjoy seeing artists' depictions of what makes communities throughout Texas unique. This year, the tree will be on display from November 29th through January 2nd

Luminations

12-8-2018...Luminations is an annual event at Lady Bird Wildflower Center in Austin. It is held rain or shine. Friday night it was raining but I was still able to work as their volunteer photographer.