tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4084954406748135752024-03-13T07:03:52.070-07:00MY PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIESMichael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-3465126159140926122016-04-02T09:33:00.001-07:002016-04-02T09:33:48.022-07:00Hummers in the back yard, Part 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5zk3WQ13fjY/Vv_zXV4ZCGI/AAAAAAAADKk/8oL3QheOiMg4DNRTuv_x9V_29J-ZNLVNA/s1600/Hummingbird-20160331-3386_765x546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5zk3WQ13fjY/Vv_zXV4ZCGI/AAAAAAAADKk/8oL3QheOiMg4DNRTuv_x9V_29J-ZNLVNA/s640/Hummingbird-20160331-3386_765x546.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">female hummingbird is interested in the feeder</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday I tried getting some photos of the hummingbirds in our backyard. My motto is "take a hundred to get one." And that's just about what this one took.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am going to be "honing" my skills in this area in the next days and weeks, because I find hummers so darn fascinating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stay tuned for Parts 2, 3, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till then,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">take more photos!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-61742292616728433132016-03-08T18:28:00.001-08:002016-03-08T18:28:13.787-08:00Mountains of Ft. Davis Texas<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last spring Jan and I went to Ft. Davis TX partially for work and partially for a vacation. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the things I most wanted to do while I was there was to get some really nice panorama photos of the mountains and mesas of the Ft. Davis area.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm-gkdIE4ic/Vt94Da2dwyI/AAAAAAAADKE/rdAjaWDkFn0/s1600/FtDavisPano1-MikeZiegler-20150316-Resize_1200x243.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm-gkdIE4ic/Vt94Da2dwyI/AAAAAAAADKE/rdAjaWDkFn0/s640/FtDavisPano1-MikeZiegler-20150316-Resize_1200x243.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photo above was my first attempt. If you look closely at the third mountain from the right, you can see a very tiny McDonald Observatory at the peak.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcStUL4YFj8/Vt9424sEwNI/AAAAAAAADKM/bD_IprZTwNo/s1600/FtDavisMtnPano2-MikeZiegler-20150316-_1200x301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcStUL4YFj8/Vt9424sEwNI/AAAAAAAADKM/bD_IprZTwNo/s640/FtDavisMtnPano2-MikeZiegler-20150316-_1200x301.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photo above was taken on the last day of our visit. We were walking along a trail, and this view just spoke to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope you like these two panorama photos. I certainly do! As always, click on the photos to see them larger. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
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Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-13428373993924300322016-03-06T11:50:00.000-08:002016-03-06T11:50:11.421-08:00Cactus Blooming<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We've had such spring-like weather lately that the plants and trees are all blooming like crazy. This little cactus caught my eye as I was walking out to get the mower to mow the lawn. </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3JpcU_QyhtI/VtyIYfh98JI/AAAAAAAADJ0/HgBYI2HzrAg/s1600/CactusFlower-MikeZiegler-20160306-3011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3JpcU_QyhtI/VtyIYfh98JI/AAAAAAAADJ0/HgBYI2HzrAg/s640/CactusFlower-MikeZiegler-20160306-3011.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I ran back in the house to get the camera, and got a couple of good shots. Minimal post processing was needed. The color of the blooms speaks for itself. As the flowers mature I'll try to post another photo or two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
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Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-86648855945163988122016-03-01T09:30:00.000-08:002016-03-01T09:30:22.958-08:00The Peach Tree is Blooming!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first signs of spring are all around us now. First it was the red maple tree, now it's the peach tree blooming. The weatherman said we are to expect another frost soon, but I'm hopeful it won't affect us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where there are blossoms you can always expect bees. There were no shortage of them around the tree, but they were shy and wouldn't get close enough or stay long enough to get a decent shot of one. I was lucky enough to get a few shots of the bee above. He found a lot of what he was after and hung around for a good while.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spring is a wonderful time for plants and wildlife around here. I hope it stays that way for a very long time to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As usual to see the photos large in a slideshow, just click on one. Also if you'd like to leave a note, please </span><span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-size: large;"><strong style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://users.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g18-08053-6a" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5px; text-decoration: none;">Click Here to See or Sign My Guestbook</a>.</strong><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till next time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-26804447776369906172016-02-29T11:33:00.000-08:002016-02-29T20:48:32.939-08:00An Afternoon at Bluff Creek Ranch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">An Afternoon at <a href="http://www.bcrwarda.com/" target="_blank">Bluff Creek Ranch</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last Saturday Jan and I drove to a friend's ranch. It's a working ranch with Longhorn Cattle and lots of pretty acreage. It also sports a very popular off-road mountain bike trail, where several bike races are held each year.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-txwm4VrqKhE/VtSShr9_kLI/AAAAAAAADIo/fPf674o_7sY/s1600/WardaRanch-3090_765x574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-txwm4VrqKhE/VtSShr9_kLI/AAAAAAAADIo/fPf674o_7sY/s640/WardaRanch-3090_765x574.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These photos are of several high-schoolers who are doing practice runs ("free-rides") in preparation for their competition tomorrow. They all looked so happy and tired at the same time! They were fun to watch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wB37wuLIAJU/VtSSi87rJ2I/AAAAAAAADI4/HaIgVOmJouk/s1600/WardaRanch-3149_765x574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wB37wuLIAJU/VtSSi87rJ2I/AAAAAAAADI4/HaIgVOmJouk/s640/WardaRanch-3149_765x574.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The photos below are my favorites of several I took of the Longhorn Cattle that populate the ranch. I always enjoy looking at these beauties, and welcoming the new-comers when I visit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U-WSX0DM4fY/VtSShtkRfII/AAAAAAAADIk/rjcZH8oAtuc/s1600/WardaRanch-3095_765x574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U-WSX0DM4fY/VtSShtkRfII/AAAAAAAADIk/rjcZH8oAtuc/s640/WardaRanch-3095_765x574.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fcM8SrojxJs/VtSSiWIiHwI/AAAAAAAADIs/y8_v2DHgEx4/s1600/WardaRanch-3099_765x574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fcM8SrojxJs/VtSSiWIiHwI/AAAAAAAADIs/y8_v2DHgEx4/s640/WardaRanch-3099_765x574.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We walked around the Turkey Tank and got to see many of the riders setting up for their free-rides, or cleaning their gear afterwards. There were quite a few campsites in the area where we walked, and I think that would be half the fun of doing the races. Parents and children together spending time in nature. </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OkT1OWfAstU/VtSSi-8dSHI/AAAAAAAADIw/Ud_RgJkjqIw/s1600/WardaRanch-3125_765x574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OkT1OWfAstU/VtSSi-8dSHI/AAAAAAAADIw/Ud_RgJkjqIw/s640/WardaRanch-3125_765x574.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The last photo below is of the <a href="http://www.bcrwarda.com/" target="_blank">Bluff Creek Ranch</a>'s owner, Dr. Paul Nolan. He struck a very thoughtful pose as he checked in the cars for the race. He is a rancher, and a long-time biking enthusiast, as well as being a top notch pediatrician. He has been a good friend for several years, and has talked to us many times about getting a bike trail on our ranch. I hope we do it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, that's all for this post. I hope you enjoy the photos. And if you're interested in mountain biking, <a href="http://www.bcrwarda.com/" target="_blank">Bluff Creek Ranch</a> is a great place to ride!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All the best,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">PS - click on a photo to see them larger in a slideshow.</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-53307574943225338072016-01-18T13:19:00.001-08:002016-01-18T13:21:04.193-08:00Sunset New Braunfels TX, January 17 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbDO8HpkaMk/Vp1T2zUal8I/AAAAAAAADIM/MG3-44OWEi8/s1600/NewBraunfels_Sunset_20160117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbDO8HpkaMk/Vp1T2zUal8I/AAAAAAAADIM/MG3-44OWEi8/s640/NewBraunfels_Sunset_20160117.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last evening Jan and I walked out the front door, and looked at the sunset and WOW! It was so fiery and bright and spectacular, I ran back in the house got the camera, and snapped a few quick photos. The results were pretty wonderful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's long been my opinion that no camera, no lens, no film, can truly capture the bright fiery beauty of a sunset or sunrise. I did some brightening of colors and contrast adjustments after taking the photo, but I didn't want to make the photo much different than what we actually saw. So no HDR, no grunge, just brightening and sharpening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think the photo came out more than ok. It could be a little brighter, but I don't want to do too much and mess it up. This is one that I want to get printed and framed sometime soon. It is my favorite sunset photo to date. Hope you like it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0New Braunfels, TX, USA29.7030024 -98.12445309999998229.4823259 -98.447176599999977 29.9236789 -97.801729599999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-51247210603207364112015-12-10T14:08:00.000-08:002015-12-10T14:08:08.367-08:00Concan TX, Day 3, Two photos and a video<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Our last day on the Frio</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We spent the morning on the last day cleaning up the cabin and packing the car. We finished before check-out time, and decided to take a last "tour" of the area around River Bluff Cabins before we handed in the keys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Above is a photo I took the day before, right at the end of the day, after we had returned from Garner State Park. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next is a photo that Jan took of me as I shot videos of the Frio River. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally one of the videos that I shot of the river. I hope you like it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till the next post!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
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Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-21575974883408337532015-12-04T15:19:00.000-08:002016-03-01T09:31:10.666-08:00Concan TX, Day 2, Garner State Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Concan TX, Day 2, Garner State Park</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We planned to tour Concan and Leakey TX in the morning and spend most of our day at <a href="http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/garner" target="_blank">Garner State Park</a>, near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvalde,_Texas" target="_blank">Uvalde, TX</a>. We got to the park a little after lunch and drove through to get the "lay of the land." Check in was easy, and we got a map of the hiking trails and bird watching blind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We got to the bird blind, and sat for a while to see which birds might pass by. We waited what seemed like a long time (20 minutes) and saw one bird -- a sparrow. We decided it was time to hit the trail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We got to the beginning of the Frio Canyon Trail, and started on the way. This trail is a hiking/biking trail, and it appeared that trucks used it too. We walked for a while and began to think we were lost.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we started the 2 1/2 mile walk along the Frio Canyon Trail</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">About an hour or so into the hike, we saw a small bridge off to the right on what seemed to be a much better trail. All we were seeing on this trail were tire tracks and telephone poles. So we skipped over to this new trail, which we later learned is the Nature Trail, and started back in the direction of the Visitors Center.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jan on the bridge of the Nature Walk Trail</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When we got back to the center, I was sure that we had hiked the full 2 1/2 miles, but we weren't even close. But we did have a great time and there will be more to explore next time. So we got in the car and drove to the Frio River and Old Baldy. Old Baldy is the centerpiece mountain at the park. There are big posters of it in the gift shop, and they have every right to be proud.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Old Baldy and the Frio River, Garner State Park</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We got to the park just as the sun was setting behind Old Baldy. I immediately got to work taking photos of the river, the cypress trees, the park itself -- pretty much anything that caught my eye. It was a feast for cameras! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Frio River looking upstream from the paddle boat docks</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Frio River was true to its name -- very cold, clear and very inviting. I'm told you can make coffee with water right from the river and it tastes like ambrosia. I don't doubt it. The sounds of the water over the dam were so relaxing, I could have stayed a long while just listening.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Frio River water is very kind to the cypress trees along the shore</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think from the photo above you can tell that the cypress trees are very tall along the banks of the Frio. Jan is standing in front of the rock just to the right of the base of the tree. It is amazing the heights these trees attain! And with the fall foliage they are truly beautiful as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While we were walking along the banks of the river, Jan noticed that one of the cypresses was hollow. So we took photos of both of us in the hollow of the tree. There was lots of "we were here" type graffiti inside the tree, but we didn't pay much attention. </span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The day got more and more clear as it went by, and by the time we left there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Very beautiful and so worth the trip to see this wonderful State Park. We highly recommend it!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our last view of the Frio River as we left the park</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photo above was our parting shot of the beautiful Frio River. We would see it again at the cabins, but it was hard not to take just one more, just one more....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hope you enjoyed the photos. And I hope you get to visit Garner State Park, if you haven't already.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All the best,</span></div>
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Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-12144631411458852602015-11-25T14:34:00.006-08:002015-12-10T12:11:38.478-08:00Our visit to the Rio Frio, and Concan TX Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our Christmas Gift to Each Other</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jan and I have loved going to Big Bend National Park, and always want to go back. But I heard from a friend in Austin about this place called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ConcanTexas" target="_blank">Concan, TX</a> and the Frio River. We decided to take a "mini-vacation" and go see for ourselves.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Frio River, From the Front Porch of our cabin</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We got to the <a href="http://riverbluffcabins.com/" target="_blank">River Bluff Cabins</a> about 4:30pm. It was very rainy and overcast, but I managed to get a shot of the Rio Frio. This is looking upstream from the porch.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our front door, Cabin 4</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We got checked in with no problem, and packed all our vacation stuff into our cabin. The room was very nice. We then struck out to see the grounds.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Rio Frio, looking downstream from our porch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The River Bluff Cabins are nestled right along the Rio Frio, and there is a large playground for the kids. There are log cabins, lodges for large parties, and "regular" cabins like the one we stayed in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We walked down the stairs to the riverside, and were enthralled with the tall cypress trees and the sounds of the rapids on the river. So relaxing!</span> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rio Frio looking downstream from the park area</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We got down close to the water and were amazed at how clear and clean it was. Jan said her dad used to make coffee out of river water when she was a kid. He said it was "ambrosia." I wanted to try it!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rio Frio looking upstream from the cypress park area</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were also captivated by the size of the cypress trees in the park and along the river bank. They must be very old. The photo below shows Jan standing in front of the tallest of the trees. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jan beside the cypress tree</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After our walk we went back to the cabin, as it was getting dark pretty fast. We were excited to begin Day 2!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll get Day 2 up shortly. Stay tuned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
<br />Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-86555149053188347092015-08-03T11:09:00.002-07:002015-08-03T11:09:51.551-07:00Writing Spiders in the Garden<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the month for spiders in the garden. Sentry found over a half dozen in one area of the garden alone. </span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We agreed they were beautiful creatures.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took photos of several different spiders, and I've posted the best of the lot here.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you like the photos. I sure enjoyed taking them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Till next time,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mike Z </span></span></div>
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<br />Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-32020614305677465502015-06-14T13:41:00.000-07:002015-06-14T13:41:58.380-07:00Ranch Windmill 2006 Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was looking at some old photos I had put in Flickr, and ran across this photo of the windmill on the ranch. I had taken it in 2006, and had not done much processing on it before I posted it up. I decided to process it again with all the newer gadgets I've acquired in the 9 years since. Nothing fancy, just enhancing some colors, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is much more like I remember the scene on the day I took the photo. Maybe the grass was a little less green, but I think it's an improvement over the shot as it came out of the camera. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With all the rain we're having recently, I took some shots of the windmill as it is today. Maybe I'll make a new photo the topic of the next post. We'll see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hoping all your shots come out beautiful,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
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Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-24653305079522510942015-06-11T21:20:00.003-07:002015-06-11T21:20:45.054-07:00Can't get enough of these sunsets!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXjmumt2QTM/VXpcKr_XKNI/AAAAAAAADBg/e55xufI891g/s1600/DSCN2459_MZ%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXjmumt2QTM/VXpcKr_XKNI/AAAAAAAADBg/e55xufI891g/s640/DSCN2459_MZ%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the truly wonderful things about this new home of ours is seeing the beautiful sunsets out in the country, away from all the "city stuff" that blocks the views of nature. I have gone to places like <a href="http://www.nationalparks.org/Big-Bend" target="_blank">Big Bend National Park</a> and <a href="http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon" target="_blank">Palo Duro Canyon State Park</a> and dozens of other places, and the sunsets seem to be what I admire most when I'm there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This photo was taken outside our house just as the sun dipped below the horizon. I had to work on it a little to bring out the grass in the foreground. Hope you like it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-72098750106416839472015-06-06T20:38:00.000-07:002015-06-06T20:40:19.338-07:00Spider Web in the Sunset Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zqQZ4RUFwuE/VXO6fbfWh2I/AAAAAAAADBA/ThpgX7H3Uzs/s1600/DSCN2444_TM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zqQZ4RUFwuE/VXO6fbfWh2I/AAAAAAAADBA/ThpgX7H3Uzs/s640/DSCN2444_TM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This afternoon I was sitting in the dining room looking out the window, and noticed the sun shining on a spider's web in the side yard. It looked so cool I wanted to see if I could take a photo that did it even a little bit of justice. I grabbed my "lesser camera," the Nikon Coolpix P90, and raced outside. By the time I got there, the sun had moved a little, and the effect was a little different. I snapped a few photos, and these two worked out.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUDwzxvz_KE/VXO6hDMhKQI/AAAAAAAADBI/vfb1QtdLmEM/s1600/DSCN2449_TM_PSE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUDwzxvz_KE/VXO6hDMhKQI/AAAAAAAADBI/vfb1QtdLmEM/s640/DSCN2449_TM_PSE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I tried very hard to enhance the fine lines of the web, without getting ridiculous with the sharpening. There was also some chromatic aberration (blue halo's around the web lines) that I had to deal with. All in all, I think the photos came out pretty well. I hope you enjoy them. As always, click on the images to see them larger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So until next time, I hope all your photos come out beautiful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-88519040759520834382015-05-25T20:37:00.000-07:002015-05-25T20:44:24.730-07:00New Braunfels Sunset After the Rainstorm<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ITE68vCtU4g/VWPoh-Kq4CI/AAAAAAAAC_0/nUOZgb7_UIk/s1600/RanchSunsetMay2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ITE68vCtU4g/VWPoh-Kq4CI/AAAAAAAAC_0/nUOZgb7_UIk/s640/RanchSunsetMay2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, seems like we have had nothin' but rain since we moved into our new house. It makes it hard to keep the grass mowed, and also to keep the boxes dry as we unpack. One good thing however, is the beautiful sunsets that grace us frequently after the monsoon rains.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have been very lucky to be spared the devastation that the rains and flooding have caused in the Hill Country. Over 250 houses were swept away in Wimberley, and dozens of lives were lost. Austin has had flooding much worse than the 1984 Memorial Day floods. Tornadoes have struck all around us, causing major damage in some places. We are truly lucky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope you are warm and dry where you are, and that you had a blessed Memorial Day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Til next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-54591356644855596662015-05-20T15:38:00.000-07:002015-05-20T15:40:45.466-07:00Well, we've moved. How 'bout that??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sz0L5_R0gHo/VV0JbKL9HLI/AAAAAAAAC94/jFiIDn1wQrg/s1600/_DSC8294_MZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sz0L5_R0gHo/VV0JbKL9HLI/AAAAAAAAC94/jFiIDn1wQrg/s640/_DSC8294_MZ.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jan and I signed the papers on our new home in New Braunfels today. After many months of packing, cleaning, staging, and fretting, our house in Austin sold in 17 days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photo above is of our new home on Jan's family ranch. I feel like a gentleman rancher, though I know virtually nothing about ranching. Jan's brother and sister-in-law really loved this place, but they moved to Nashville TN. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F6ejf2dhIU0/VV0JY7uq3uI/AAAAAAAAC9w/JRebAmrxilI/s1600/018_DxO%2B%2528Copy%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F6ejf2dhIU0/VV0JY7uq3uI/AAAAAAAAC9w/JRebAmrxilI/s640/018_DxO%2B%2528Copy%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">John and Jennifer left us a beautiful yard and garden. I am sure they hated leaving it behind. I also have no doubt that there will be a similarly beautiful yard and garden very soon in their new place in Tennessee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This morning we had a visitor, a vulture sunned itself on the corner post of our backyard. I was a bit concerned because of what vultures eat. I didn't see any evidence that its' meal was nearby. Maybe it was just enjoying the morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ok, that's it for this one. Till next time, I hope you are doing well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All the best,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-57028017339236721892015-04-12T19:43:00.001-07:002015-05-20T15:46:04.549-07:00Pace Bend State Park bluebonnets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yWkGepTZgFc/VSsrhnrrFnI/AAAAAAAAC9Q/h5cge-fVvy0/s1600/PaceBendBluebonnetsVign2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yWkGepTZgFc/VSsrhnrrFnI/AAAAAAAAC9Q/h5cge-fVvy0/s1600/PaceBendBluebonnetsVign2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More bluebonnets, this time the Central Texas variety. I was on a "mission" to Pace Bend State Park (not Big Bend State Park) near Austin to photograph my daughter Amy race a 9 mile course through the hills of West Austin. I had some time before I was to be at the designated spot to do the photo shoot, so I walked out towards the lake and saw fields of bluebonnets along the shore. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One thing to notice about this variety of bluebonnets is that the stems are much shorter than the Big Bend bluebonnets in my last post. Another thing I didn't notice until I posted this photo is the boat in the lake with the rooster tail shooting out the back. Nice touch....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll have some more Big Bend photos to share soon, as well as (I hope) some photos of the Pace Bend Race. I hope you enjoy the photo! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">PS - As always, click on the photo to see it larger.</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-33059058216476170402015-04-05T21:12:00.001-07:002015-05-25T20:40:30.123-07:00Abby and the Big Bend Bluebonnets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4g61cqNDf-4/VSIF53V4CQI/AAAAAAAAC80/X5coBCK4oC0/s1600/AbbyBluebonnets1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4g61cqNDf-4/VSIF53V4CQI/AAAAAAAAC80/X5coBCK4oC0/s1600/AbbyBluebonnets1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, it's bluebonnet blooming time in Texas, and everyone has pictures of their kids, their pets or themselves in the bluebonnets. This is the second installment of our trip to Ft. Davis/Big Bend, and I thought I would show you some photos of our granddaughter, Abby, in the bluebonnets as we entered Big Bend National Park. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You'll probably notice that the bluebonnets in Big Bend are not quite like the ones in Central Texas. They are definitely bluebonnets, but they are taller and spindlier than those we have around home. The kindly Park Ranger told me that there are five different subspecies of bluebonnets in Texas. I didn't know that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Abby seemed to enjoy the bluebonnets, and so did we. There are lots more photos to come, and I hope you enjoy them all. If you'd like to see these or any of the photos on the weblog enlarged, just click and you can see a slideshow. By the way, Happy Easter!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Til next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-39525931636121169772015-03-22T18:48:00.000-07:002015-03-22T19:16:39.704-07:00Our Vacation Trip to Big Bend National and State Parks Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to believe that it's been two years since I've posted on this weblog. No, it's not that I haven't had anything to post. I guess my only excuse is that I've been busy with other things, and have neglected the blog. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But enough with the excuses! If you've followed this weblog for any length of time, you'll know what prompted me to post again. For those that are new, Big Bend is the reason. We took a 4-day road trip to Ft. Davis TX, near MacDonald Observatory, and visited Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park also. This time we went with our daughter, son-in-law, and 3 grandchildren in a giant Chevy Suburban. What a trip!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here's a few of my favorite photos from the trip. The weather was cold and rainy, and it gave me the chance to photograph some familiar sights with a whole new look, as well as some new ones we'd never seen before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunrise Ft. Davis TX Day 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We drove to Big Bend National Park and walked the 1.9 mile Window Trail. It was cold and drizzly, but not unpleasant. I took several photos of Casa Grande, and this one of the Window. Very different from other shots I've taken but I think it has charm all its' own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Window from the Window Trail</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While hiking the trail, my grandson and I enjoyed taking photos of the wildlife we saw. Most interesting to me was the Whitetail Deer we spotted nosing around the grounds near the trail. According to the national park website, this subspecies of whitetail deer is found only in the Chisos Mountains and foothills. The race in Big Bend National Park, the Carmen Mountains whitetail, is one of the smallest subspecies of whitetail in North America.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carmen Mountain Whitetail Buck</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The crown of the Chisos Mountains area to me will always be Casa Grande. I try to photograph this rock every time I go to Big Bend. This particular trip was so rainy and overcast that I got a whole new look to the photo. I took it from my favorite photo spot for Casa Grande, right outside the gift shop door. I hope you like it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Casa Grande 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close by Casa Grande at the top of a rock formation is a dead pinion pine that caught my interest. It was pretty far away, but I chanced a shot with my long lens. I think it came out pretty good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinion Pine, Big Bend National Park</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day we went to the Big Bend State Park, which was brand new to me. Amy and Aaron biked the 18 mile West Contrabandos Trail, while Jan and I watched the grandkids, and I took photos. The day started out drizzly, but got clearer as the day went on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mountains of Big Bend State Park</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had such a fantastic time every day of our trip. We ate at the Drugstore restaurant and saw several framed photos by my friend Bob Zeller, and we got to dip our feet in the spring-fed pool at Balmorhea State Park. We drove both main highways south from Ft. Davis, the Alpine route and the Marfa route, both of which were equally beautiful but very different. All in all, I'd say we spent our time there very well. I hope to go back again and again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Til next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-21426052622634623652013-05-14T17:20:00.000-07:002015-05-20T15:50:14.746-07:00Reflections, the Wedding at Oheka Castle Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Behind the Castle is the reflecting pool and gardens. The photo above was taken from the bridal suite on the second day of our stay (note the clouds). You can see the damped grass where the aisle was at the wedding the evening before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The reflections were so wonderful, blue sky, the trees, shrubs all combine to make a beautiful scene. </span></span></div>
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The photo above is my favorite of the reflections.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The fountain is in the center of the garden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the far end of the garden is a very pretty gazebo. We were about a week away from seeing the many blooms on the vines that climb up each supporting post.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had a lot of fun taking these photos of Jan at the gazebo. She wished I had asked her to take off her sunglasses, though. Next time, for sure...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope you like the photos. Click on any of them to view enlarged in a slideshow. Next post is the interior of the Castle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-54268384742832751612013-05-08T10:01:00.001-07:002016-03-06T11:51:59.034-08:00We attended a wedding at Oheka Castle Part 1 <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Entrance to Oheka Castle</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were invited by our friends Rosie and Jim to attend the wedding of their daughter Ruth to her soulmate Matt. The wedding took place at the <a href="http://www.oheka.com/" target="_blank">Oheka Castle</a> on Long Island New York. What an amazing place! By wondrous luck the day was bright, clear and even a little chilly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: large;">The Castle was built in 1919 by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Hermann_Kahn" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Otto Kahn</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">, and the name Oheka is an acronym for <strong>O</strong>tto <strong>He</strong>rmann <strong>Ka</strong>hn. It is pronounced O-HEE'-ka.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We flew by Southwest Airlines to LaGuardia Airport, which was the closest driving distance to the Castle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our room was very large with tall ceilings and a great view of the Long Island countryside. There is a subdivision of sorts on the grounds around the castle itself, and the homes are lovely. (More about this in a later post.)</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The morning of the wedding, Jan and I made a tour around the castle itself. I was not able to pack along my Nikon camera, but using Jan's camera we managed to get some good shots of the building and the wedding. </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photo above was taken on the second day we were there. What a contrast from the day of the wedding. The bride and groom were very lucky to have such a perfect day for their celebration!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each time we rounded a corner, we were more amazed at the beauty of this place. It truly was like being in a European castle or a nobleman's home. The Castle is used for weddings a lot now, with famous people occasionally using the grounds for weddings, and is sometimes used as the backdrop for commercials and movies.</span> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-inizj-HkBaQ/UYp8NE3p_4I/AAAAAAAAC0o/6i7n1EOEbug/s1600/RearViewwithPools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mwa="true" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-inizj-HkBaQ/UYp8NE3p_4I/AAAAAAAAC0o/6i7n1EOEbug/s400/RearViewwithPools.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Reflecting Pools will be the subject of Part 2 of this "series." The wedding itself was held in the grassy space between the castle and the reflecting pools. A perfect spot! Future posts will include the walk we took around the neighborhood (so many beautiful flowers!), the interior of the castle, and the wedding itself. I hope you enjoy them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Till next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-25445367208333600202013-04-21T19:38:00.000-07:002013-04-22T17:46:30.413-07:00Our Walk Around the Neighborhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's hard to believe I haven't posted a page on this 'blog since Thanksgiving! So many things have happened, new grandchildren, stents in my heart, more pressure at work, that I have let my photography slip. So this weekend I decided to start up again and see if I could get any shots of the birds around the neighborhood on our walk.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-atNAMuoW-K8/UXSewCIJAOI/AAAAAAAACy4/6BXfXMEmIGE/s1600/TPZ5557_1200x815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-atNAMuoW-K8/UXSewCIJAOI/AAAAAAAACy4/6BXfXMEmIGE/s400/TPZ5557_1200x815.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was a little nervous about just going out and getting great artworthy shots on my first outing. Looking at these photos I can tell I have lots of practicing to do! But sometimes it's just about clicking the shutter, I suppose.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZxtHu1pYjA/UXSexHUzaBI/AAAAAAAACzA/Mk7khwFMMUs/s1600/TPZ5558_1200x861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZxtHu1pYjA/UXSexHUzaBI/AAAAAAAACzA/Mk7khwFMMUs/s400/TPZ5558_1200x861.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was hoping to see a heron or a crane, as they are starting to appear in the waterways along our walk. But such was not the case. Our neighborhood is crowded with doves, and the dove above sat still long enough for me to get a photo or two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mockingbirds are also common. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9NGV7g0UWsE/UXSeyyS_d2I/AAAAAAAACzI/SG_GCx-4ng4/s1600/TPZ5564_1199x900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9NGV7g0UWsE/UXSeyyS_d2I/AAAAAAAACzI/SG_GCx-4ng4/s400/TPZ5564_1199x900.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bluejays too.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2x444gHyAE0/UXSe2Mj7G7I/AAAAAAAACzU/n9zHKCtS54Q/s1600/TPZ5566_1200x856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2x444gHyAE0/UXSe2Mj7G7I/AAAAAAAACzU/n9zHKCtS54Q/s400/TPZ5566_1200x856.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I liked the second shot of the bluejay so much I included it here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know, you're saying "those aren't birds" right? As we walked along, one of the neighbors had spared these buttercups as they cut the grass. I liked the way the sun highlighted the flowers in the center, so I took a shot to see how it would turn out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hopefully, there will be more photos in the coming weeks. I am glad to be back. I hope you're glad I am, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All the best,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
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Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-25960452500485964692012-11-26T17:36:00.000-08:002012-11-29T20:43:15.169-08:00Thanksgiving Day 2012, at Slumber Falls again! <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, we had such a good time last Thanksgiving, we decided to do it again! Jan's family rented a space at Slumber Falls Camp in New Braunfels, TX, and we celebrated Turkey Day in fine style!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gKkqtZy1YIk/ULQQdZoOlEI/AAAAAAAACyA/T647ewHt0Sw/s1600/_DSC5290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gKkqtZy1YIk/ULQQdZoOlEI/AAAAAAAACyA/T647ewHt0Sw/s640/_DSC5290.JPG" tea="true" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Interestingly, I noticed that I got 320+ hits to last year's <a href="http://myphotomemries.blogspot.com/2011/11/guadelupe-river-new-braunfels-tx.html" target="_blank">Thanksgiving Day</a> post. So I decided to post some of this year's photos in a new post for 2012. I didn't get as many shots of the landscape as I would have liked because we were getting Christmas Card photos done, and time slipped away from me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I said last year, I hope your Thanksgiving Day was the best yet for you! If you don't have Thanksgiving where you are, please try to be thankful for all you have.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Till next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
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Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-67954263702717215122012-09-22T08:35:00.003-07:002012-09-25T11:46:23.539-07:00Butchart Gardens, Victoria Canada <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jan and I had a wonderful opportunity to go on our second cruise to Alaska this summer, and we went on a different cruise line. It was a different experience!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">One of the highlights of our trip this time was a night tour of the <a href="http://www.butchartgardens.com/" target="_blank">Butchart Gardens</a> in Victoria, British Columbia. It is an amazing old limestone quarry that was transformed into a series of beautiful gardens by Mr. Butchart's wife Jennie. The photo above is from the first garden we toured, which was the main garden area and the major part of the old quarry. We were told while touring that Mrs. Butchart had rapelled down the steep sides of the quarry, planting ivy as she went. The ivy now covers nearly every wall of the quarry and is quite spectacular.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">I hope to get back there someday, as the groundskeepers plant seasonal plants all along the walkways in the Gardens, and it would be a different experience each time you visited, depending on the season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Hope you enjoy the photo. If you'd like to see it larger, click on the photo and it will load in a new window. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">All the best,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">PS: here's a short video (about a minute and a half) showing the seasons of the Butchart Gardens:</span><br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/GPL2k_MEyac" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5 Seasons of the Butchart Gardens</span></a><br />
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Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-13243189903287322372012-09-01T17:25:00.001-07:002012-09-24T20:35:09.770-07:00Blue Moon Last Night, Austin TX <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Blue Moon, as most of you probably know by now, is the third full moon in a season with four full moons. Last night, I had to go out and try to get a decent full moon photo for the occasion! Unfortunately, there were thin clouds over the moon, so it was impossible to get a clear shot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wrote on someone's Facebook page that I can never hear the words Blue Moon without thinking about the song from the 50's/60's by the Marcels. I hear in my head most clearly "Baw buh buh Baw buh Dangy Dang Dang, buh Dangy Dawg Dig Bluuue Mooooon, You saw me standing alone...." Ah the memories...</span></div>
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Till next time!</div>
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Mike Z</div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408495440674813575.post-26274948012997263242012-08-04T11:23:00.001-07:002012-09-25T11:47:26.741-07:00New Mexico Sky, Albuquerque Aug 4, 2012 <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today I'm in Albuquerque, NM at a convention, and at lunch time I just had to get outside for a few minutes. These wispy clouds caught my eye, but alas no camera. Then I remembered my cell phone! So I took this photo. I will say that the sky is not quite as blue out there as in the photo, but it captures the clouds like I wanted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photos were taken with my Samsung 4G Touch cell phone. I didn't do any cropping/editing to the photos, they are just as they came out of the camera phone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Hope your day is going well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Mike Z</span></div>
Michael Zieglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04734645251335839406noreply@blogger.com0