Wildflower Center II

Killed a couple birds with one trip today. I’d promise to take my wife to the Wildflower Center today. The sky was cloudy but it was a nice day. I figure the Antarctic is likely to have overcast days, so it would be a good test for exposure. I also took the monopod along to see if I could capture a panorama.

On the exposure front, I adjusted the WB and set the camera for ISO 200. The photos came out a reasonable color. I bracketed a few and set the camera for +0.3 EV on some. Those adjustments are getting more automatic, at least in terms of knowing what to push.

I may have to practice setting the controls for manual shutter and apeture. The panorama photos didn’t all take at the same speed. One is noticeably darker. When they get stiched together they’ll look funny.

I also, by accident, found a curved tile downspout. With the supporting limestone works, it is a good possible entry for the Angles assignment. I’d already taken some quilt block photos. So, I’ve got multiple possibilities.

Zigzag Iris

The weekly photo is up.

It was taken at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I specifically slowed down the shutter speed to get a little blur in the water. It does give it some motion.

I posted the assignment to DPS as well. While at the center I found a flower pot recycling bin. Lots of colorful circles.

Haven’t had a lot of time to play with the camera. Taught an all day MindManager class on Friday, so most of the week was tied up in class prep.

Update: I may have read the wrong sign. The weekly photo is probably an Iris, as it is purple. A Spider Lily is white.

Road Trip Report

Great weather for a drive to Marble Falls. Used the trip to explore a couple of new roads. There appears to be a North South road called Ronald Reagan Blvd that connects 29 to 1431. Mostly an entension of Parmer Lane.

Only found a few places with enough Bluebonnets to warrant stopping. A lot of the road had steep shoulders, and wouldn’t have been a good place to get out.

Coming home on 29, there were more Bluebonnets than on 1431 but nothing dense.

Got the pictures I wanted. Both with the Bluebonnets on the way out, and at the Middle School after we’d gotten home. Driving back into town I noticed a large number of small blue flowers. (I believe they’re called Dotted Blue-eyed Grass.) I’ll post two photos over at DPS next Wednesday.

My photo of the week for next week will be "The famous (but rare) Texas Spring(clip)-o-piller." Constructed from a ruler, spring-clips, and a Jack In The Box Christmas antenna ball. It even had ear-muffs.

Road Trip

Looks like it is going to clear up tomorrow. It has been off and on gloomy with heavy cloud cover. Drizzle the last few days to top it off.

I signed up to take Joanne to Marble Falls. It’s a smaller town about 40 miles from here, and along the lake.

The wildflowers are everywhere now. I should get a field or two. Next week’s assignment at DPS is "Spring."

Wildflowers are an obvious choice for the assignment, so I need a twist. I’m thinking of using a wine bottle holder I got for Christmas. It is coiled metal wire, so essentially it is a "Spring." If I put it in amongst a clutch of wildflowers, it’s a 2-fer!

Spring in Texas

I was hoping to get some wild flowers by March 17th. We did but they were just the common yellow daisy like flowers. With the drought-like Jan & Feb, I was concerned that we might not get any Bluebonnets this year.

Finally spotted some on Easter Sunday. My wife and I drove down to the IBM campus, in Austin. She pointed out to me that they water their lawns. (She worked in those buildings more than 10 years.)

Sure enought, fields of them. Immature, but definitely sprouting. That where I took the picture for the week.

For me, Bluebonnets are the official start of Spring in Texas.

Trees Are Blooming

Enjoying some nice weather between cold fronts. The upcoming weekend is supposed to be crummy. Starting to see signs of Spring. Many of the trees are starting to bloom. We’ve had dandilions for the last week or two, but no wild flowers yet.

I took the camera with me when I took my walk. There is a reddish/purple tree along the was. It is probably a Redbud tree. They bloom in the Spring, and really stand out against the other mostly bare trees.

I took some pictures but they weren’t as bright as my eyes could see. The +0.3 EV was better. I should have tried +0.7 just to see what I get. Maybe tomorrow, when I take a walk in the late afternoon, the lighting will be a little more favorable.