Old Man's winter Beard

"Old Man's winter Beard" more at Flickr
(Clematis drummondii, aka old man's beard, aka Texas virgin's bower)
along a fence line in a field of mesquite
Midland, Texas

Today's Random Happy Bits

This quote by Texas legendary author, J. Frank Dobie, "If people are to enjoy their own lives they must be aware of the significance of their own environment. The mesquite is, objectively, as good and beautiful as the Grecian acanthus."

Links:
Texas Monthly, January 1986, "Voice of a Mythic Land" photo and one page article about J. Frank Dobie.

Nothing But Blue Skies

"Nothing But Blue Skies"
Between Midland and Odessa, Texas

Today's Random Happy Bits

Succeeding at an annual project, again.
Laughing with other women.
Friday afternoon with no one but myself to answer to.

Nature's Vignette

"Nature's Vignette"
West Odessa, Texas

This is a little scene from my outing with the dogs this weekend. I've shared photos before of the dwarf desert holly (Acourtia nana) all up close. This photo is how it appears in situ, and how it catches the light.

Previous portraits of the dwarf desert holly from this blog:

...

February Red

"Warm February Red"
Sam Houston St, Odessa, Texas

Oh, if my pomegranate tree only produced like this one.
"Cool February Red"
Sam Houston St, Odessa, Texas

It would be a real contest between the birds and me.

Milkweed, Some Moments Later

"Milkweed, Some Moments Later" 1,2
Time 5:10:42 and 5:11:24 pm, 42 seconds
January 14, 2010
Race Field, West Odessa, Texas

After opening this milkweed pod, and seeing the seeds all lined up inside it, I thought of the children's hand rhyme, "Here's the church, here's the steeple. Open it up, and here's the people." The seeds look a little like members of a church choir, don't they?

This photo was taken at my second adopted citizen science location. I'm calling it Race Field because it is a large open field behind a horse race arena. I chose to adopt and study it because it's the epitome of an untouched West Odessa.

For now, anyway.

Sun Dried Tomato

"Sun Dried Tomato"
Antigone's Tomato Garden
West Odessa, Texas

A sun dried cherry tomato to be more exact, still on the vine.

Quiet Corners

"Quiet Corner" 1, 2
West Odessa, Texas

I'm sure there was plenty of traffic noise, people talking, dogs barking, and other cacophonies going on while I was taking these photos, but when I look back on the experience I remember nothing but the sound of my own breath. And the sound of the light. Except I suppose light doesn't have sound. It just seems like it does.

Fire and Ice

"Fire and Ice" 1, 2
January 1, 2009
East Loop 338, Odessa, Texas

I'm still plugging away at backing up photos to CDs. It's sort of fun going through old photos, weeding them out ("weeding," get it?), if I didn't it would take three times as many CDs and time. Goodness gracious, I do take a lot of photos of the same exact stuff, over and over. And over. I must enjoy it or something. :P

Time to Back Up

"Time to Back Up" 1, 2
January 11 & 12 2009
Ranch Road 1601, Crane County & Master Gardener's Compost Demonstration Garden, Odessa, TX

How far behind am I in archiving my photos to CDs? I'm just now backing up January 2009 photos. Bad me. I hope you have done a better job. If not? Get crackin', misery loves company!

A Touch of Weed Frost

"A Touch of Weed Frost" 1, 2, 3, 4 (Click any to see larger)
January 4, 2010
My Home, West Odessa, Texas

And to complete the picture of Jack Frost's work today — frost on weeds, of course! One day I'll know their names for certain as well. For now, I know the first is part of the amaranth family. The third is from the morning glory family, quite a surprise to me, as it was growing wild behind my shed and I had no idea.

A banner day today. One, two, and three sets of wandering through a frosty wonderland. Heaven.

A Touch of Tree Frost

"A Touch of Tree Frost" 1, 2
January 4, 2010
My Home, West Odessa, Texas

Frost on my Afghan Pine (Pinus eldarica) and on the branches of a neighbor's Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis). Both trees are very drought tolerant and the willow is native to Texas. The Afghan pine was my little living Christmas tree in 2001, decorated with nothing but red cayenne peppers from my garden. Now it's all grown up, a real outside tree.

A Touch of Passionflower Frost

"A Touch of Passionflower Frost" 1, 2
January 4, 2010
My Home, West Odessa, Texas

A photographer's delight — a delicate touch of frost on everything this morning! Here it is on my passionflower vine (Passiflora caerulea).

A Hare's Breath

"A Hare's Breath" 1, 2, 3, 4 (Click any to see larger)
January 2, 2010
West Odessa, Texas

Yes, the expression actually is "a hair's breadth." But for these pictures — of tenacious, diminutive hanger ons — I imagine a single light breath of a hare could send any one of them far from home.

These are more alley shots, my new unlikely favorite destination. I'm still meandering West Odessa's alleys, enjoying their hidden treasures, and saving gas. For the most part it's a place I can poke my camera at all manner of subjects, at my leisure, without making anyone uneasy.

I say "for the most part" because there are some who do take quite a lot of notice of me. Dogs.

Yesterday I was told off by a grumpy unkempt lady who didn't like hearing her dog bark at me. Interestingly she began with, "Can I help you?" but didn't mean to help me at all. "Ten minutes is enough," she scolded me, the length of time she figured her dog had been at it. Perhaps she had been trying to nap?

I would have explained about the great light at that time of day, about how I was hoping to capture the way weeds were glowing, even show her a shot or two on the LCD, which in my experience usually softens even hard cases who are suspicious of my intentions. But something about the way her hair was standing on end all over her head said she wasn't the receptive type. So, I only said I'd be done in just a few more minutes. Then she cooed to her dog, "It's okay, precious," and went back inside. Her dog barked at me for another ten minutes.

And it was in that (second) ten minutes I took the first photo above.

Do you go to great lengths for the just right light? Perhaps you'd also enjoy one of these past posts ->

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Two Photographers at Dawn

Some Leaves, a Bird, Snow Falling, and a Flag

"Rust" 1, 2, 3, 4
West Odessa, Texas

Some leaves, a bird, snow falling, and a flag. Rust is inevitable. Being unhappy over it is not. (So says this creaky 50 year old.)

So long, 2009.

Like the offbeat? Abstract? Perhaps you'd also enjoy these past posts ->

Bones and Ice

My Secret Industrial Side

Gifts Opened

"Gifts Opened" 1, 2, 3, 4
December 23, 2009
West Odessa, Texas

On Christmas Eve, I spent the rainy afternoon meandering, as I frequently do, around West Odessa. My mom tells me that since I was a little girl I would point out to her little vignettes that I'd notice. I still see them, even hunting for them now, camera in hand. And I'm still pointing them out to her, even though we are miles and miles apart. She is a sweet and faithful reader of my blog. Hi Mom!

With Deepest Affection

"With Deepest Affection" 1, 2, 3 (click on any to see larger)
Multiple locations, multiple dates, multiple beauties

If I pull this off -- that is, posting these pictures of women I love, shot with things they love -- without getting deep into hot water, it will be a miracle. I am brazen!

Beauty #1 taken with the sign that hung many years on her parent's store in a small Texas farm town.
Beauty #2 taken with her very own oil field dog house -- quite the nab -- now used for horse tack storage.
Beauty #3 taken while sitting among wildflowers out in the sun, always her favorite place to be.

True colors

Cactus Wren
West Odessa, Texas

A fluffed-up cactus wren, sunning, letting his true colors shine through.

Tumbleweed Time

"Tumbleweed Time" 1, 2, 3, 4 (Click on any to see larger)
All over West Texas

These views are especially for those that grew up in West Texas, moved away, and follow my blog nostalgically. You know who you are ;)