Lake Travis and Oasis, Texas



Photographed this month.

We moved on to a different, much less crowded, location for drinks, so I didn't actually stick around for the sunset view.

View From Mount Bonnell On A Foggy Morning

Photographed yesterday morning.

I went up to Mount Bonnell yesterday morning, with the idea that I'd sketch/photograph some Valentine's Day couples.

But the morning was cool and foggy.   There were no other folks up there.

The Squirrel That Stole The Show

I was getting the camera, to photograph some deer this morning, when I disturbed this little squirrel, who froze in this charming pose.

Snow's: The Best Barbecue I've Tasted

Last Saturday, we were introduced to Snow's BBQ.  Snow's is open Saturday mornings, only.

This is the drill:  Saturday morning, you make your way to Lexington, Texas (about an hour or so from Austin by car), timing your arrival between 8 am and 9:30 am.

This is a friendly place, run by nice people.  The "Snow" in Snow's is Kerry Bexley, who can fill you in on the history of the place and tell about the folks behind the food you're eating.

The barbecue is the best I've ever had.  By a large margin.  (I'm not a bbq expert and have not made an exhaustive study of bbq, so it's always possible that there's something out there that would top it.)  Someone who is something of an expert, Calvin Trillin, has written about Snow's, delightfully:  "By Meat Alone," in the New Yorker.

The woman cooking the meats (pit boss) is Miss Tootsie, who is in her eighth decade.  I hope she is training an apprentice, to continue, when she finally decides she's done with bbq-ing.

Is This A Buck That Shed Its Antlers?

Photographed yesterday afternoon.

I've included this photo because I think this may be a buck after shedding his antlers.  I'm guessing this from the marks on its head.

I have read that bucks grow and then shed antlers annually, shedding the antlers after mating season.  I also read that some bucks (the more successful ones at mating) retain their antlers a bit longer than the others. So, if this is a buck, it would be one that was not too successful at mating because there is still at least one stag in the neighborhood that still has its antlers, spotted last night. 

My source for this is Lone Star Menagerie:  Adventures with Texas Wildlife, by Jim Harris, published in 2000 by Republic of Texas Press.  This book is fascinating, with funny anecdotes and charming detail, full of information about the lives and habits of local animals.

The wikipedia article on antlers is interesting. It describes antlers as "one of the most exaggerated cases of male secondary sexual traits in the animal kingdom": I love it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antler

Deer Drinking Water On A Winter Morning

Rainy Morning Bird

Photographed this morning. 

It's raining gently, and the birds are still showing up at the feeder.

This little bird posed obligingly on a rock.

Deer On A January Morning

Photographed by Matt Spitzer, two days ago.

Tree Branches With Green Tips; Tree Bark

Photographed two days ago, on my morning walk.

This tree is just starting to leaf.

This is a photo from the same walk.

Tree bark, from the same tree type.

Stag In Suburbia

Happy New Year

Photographed by Matt Spitzer, last Wednesday.

Deer Turning In Morning Light

Photographed yesterday morning, from my bedroom window.

The deer seem to be spreading themselves more widely apart from each other, these days.  I guess it's because the tasty bits of greenery are less abundant than they were in summer and fall.

Mount Bonnell View, December 25, 2010

The view this afternoon, from half-way-down Mount Bonnell.

I used my husband's i-phone.

I've been told that Mount Bonnell is the highest point in Austin, although apparently this is incorrect.

Mount Bonnell has a colorful history.  And is a very short and easy climb.  So, it is a very popular tourist spot, also a romantic one.  It has many areas for sitting and enjoying the view, at least on a somewhat warmer, less windy day.

Red Bird At Feeder In December

Even though the local Costco thinks that birds don't need to be fed in the late fall and winter (we can tell, because it stops selling bird seed),  we have found an alternate source for bird seed (the local Lowe's).

It's hard to get a good photo of the birds at the feeders, because the feeders move when the birds are on them.

So here's a somewhat blurry, but enthusiastic, bird, chowing down on oiled sunflower seed.

Merry Christmas, from the Austin suburbia.

Does In The Hollow, December

These deer were hanging out in the hollow near my house, yesterday morning.

I photographed them from my car.

Monday Morning At Ruta Maya

Ruta Maya is a wonderful place to get some coffee and settle down and work on a Monday morning.  It's quiet and a huge space, so even with many people, it's still feels roomy.

Like many places in Austin, Ruta Maya has a stage for live performances. Ruta Maya also has so much more: like yoga classes, poetry nights and art exhibits. 

I was there this Monday morning, for the first time, with the group of painters of people "from life" that I paint with. 

Earlier this fall, we were painting outdoors with a model.  We still hire a model, but, because of less reliably comfortable outdoor weather, have started painting indoors.

Doe On A December Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon, I happened on some does munching on the meadow outside our bedroom window.

I think these are all of the same doe, but there were two that allowed me to photograph them.

Landscape

This is part of the hood of one of Austin's art cars, heavily decorated cars, usually old, that function as transportation and works of art.

I photographed this in September 2009.  The decorations may have changed by now.

Sunrise In Autumn

Days are shorter, and I'm able to get up in time to see many sunrises.

This is one view from our house, photographed two mornings ago.

Deer After Sundown

These are deer I photographed last night, through my bedroom window.

This was shortly after the sun went down.

I turned on the outside light, which provides some illumination.

Turns out deer are liveliest in the hours right around sunrise and sunset.

Their vision is designed for this, which is why they freeze in headlights. They are blinded by that much light.

Doe In Autumn

Photographed this afternoon, on our street.

I played a little with this in Picasa, heightening the color saturation and sharpening it (I'm not even sure what the latter function does, but I liked the result).

She is one of a group of three, out for a meander.