Orange Juice Sunrise

MinuteMaid Stadium in Downtown Houston greets the sun as it spreads its first orange juice rays across the sky.

--steve buser

MinuteMaid stadium, sunrise, Houston, Texas,

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Want to race? You have to beat the sun

We wereata diathlon in west Houston a while back supporting our son, Charles. This was the scene as the racers prepared their bikes before sun-up for the grueling ride and run.

--steve buser

Diathlon, Houston, rate, sunrise

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Zig zag sunset

The steps at the Montaigne Center at Lamar University make a interesting pattern in the fading Beaumont evening light.

--steve buser

Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas, susnet

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Spider insider

This guy caught my eye because he is out of season. He used to hold and acorn which had the potential to be a big tree. Now, he is just an empty acorn shell and a spider is using him for a hiding place. Look at the inside upper left corner and you'll see our villain (or hero, depending on your outlook on life). The spider is camouflaged pretty good. What gives him away is the web he has weaved on the branch. Follow the branch down to the lower right corner and you'll see the web -- it is very thin.

--steve buser

Spider, acorn shell, insects

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Flower's pistil packs danger

There's danger lurking here.

"What?" you say incredulously. "What danger."

I know, it looks just like a bee was a little sloppy eating his nectar -- slinging pollen all over the place. Then you notice the pollen seems to be strung up like Christmas lights.

Only then do you see what I am talking about -- the spider in the center of the flower.

"I'm going to be chomping down on bee steak today," he is thinking.

If it weren't so windy and rainy outside, I'm sure he would.
--steve buser

spider, flower, bees, weather, pollen, nectar

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Those were the days my friend

This is the King of the Tree that comes around periodically to check on things. The tree is about 12 to 15 feet tall. He sits atop it for about 10 to 15 minutes just checking out the neighborhood and then he is gone. He'll come back a day or two later, or maybe as much as a week.

Maybe he used to live here and is reminiscing.
--steve buser

Bird, feathers, Beaumont, Texas

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Okay, I'm stumped.

You could help me out here. Oh, you're stumped, too?

Did that ever happen to you. Take a picture and you can't remember what it was about it that captured your fantasy at the time? I could have been thinking that nature was acting against her own best interest. I could have been thinking that nature was stepping in to see that the sign did not blow away (after all, the Orange area where this sign is located on a bayou off of the Sabine River, has been hit by three hurricanes in four years).

From the looks of that lettering, nature will be holding onto to a blank sign if one more hurricane comes around.

Hmm. Did I spark your memory or imagination any?
--steve buser

nature, hurricanes, sign, Sabine River, Orange, Texas

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Houston's heart

Downtown Houston, with its curved glass and sky-scraping buildings -- it's one of my favorite places to shoot. I don't get to do it much, but one day, I will make a trip out of it.

--steve buser

Downtown Houston, Texas, skyscraper

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Trouble here I come

My daughter and the kids were over visiting a little while back.  I snapped this shot as Vicky was laying on the couch watching TV and spunky Sophie had noticed that mommy had dozed off.   Don't you suppose that look means something like this. "Oh good, mommy's out. Nobody to tell me 'No.' Trouble, here I come."

Or,  am I just reading something into this.
---steve buser

bubbles, kids, Beaumont,Texas

Helios the artist.

Do you think the sun is sometimes just showing off? I mean, come on, could you burn a hole in the sky all day long and then paint a subtle, intriquing and delicately highlighted sundown at the end of the day.

I didn't think so.

It's like old Sol just wants to show that he has a creative side to. So with a lot of artistic showmanship, he tones down his palette with gold tones, coppers, baked-orange hues (maybe a hint of burn orange), heat-blackened clouds, and charcoal-scorched earths.

In the middle of all that, he pushes his round body down on the edge of the earth -- just to show off his size.

Then Helios will rest, till he again wakes up his steeds and comes blazing forth in the morning. "Dawn is a feeling."

-steve buser

Whirlybirds, Maplsunset, sundown, Helios, palettes

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Nature's own spin

Did you play with whirlybird seeds as a kid?

Their shape makes them spin like a helicopter when they are dropped. It's fun to go out on a windy day and watch them circle down to the ground from Maple trees, Ash trees and others.

We used to spend hours at my grandmother's house throwing them into the air to watch them spin.

Free fun.

I'm pretty sure it was Wanda over on Brush Strokes from the Heart that noted some time back that we should be more appreciative of free pleasures such as libraries, parks etc.

Whirlybirds were a free part of our world when we were young -- a world full of fascinations.

-steve buser

Whirlybirds, Maple Tree, kids, fun, helicopter seeds

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The lumber days of old

Built in 1894, when lumber was king, the Queen Anne style W.H.Stark House in Orange, Texas brings back to life those early times.

This was the house I showed a piece of a couple of days ago. (With the egrets flying overhead)

The 14,000 sf mansion, was the home of the famous lumber baron and philanthropist. Mr. Stark was involved in many other businesses from a Rice Mill, bnaking, a papermill and a land company. The restored home still whispers of those high society days in Southeast Texas. It is now a museum that gives and outstanding look back.

Unfortunately, they do not allow photos inside.

--steve buser

W.H. Stark House, Orange Texas, Museum, High Society

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Bluebonnets -- as Texas as it gets

The Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis (Fabaceae)) are starting to pop out.  

This was undoubtedly not the best day to photograph them -- overcast, dark, drizzly with a touch of mist.  Focusing was hard.  Depth of field was impossible. At least the wind cooperated for a while.

The explosion of blue along the Texas highways is a sight to see.  On the back roads, field are covered in them like a Paul Bunyon-sized flag laying across the ground.

The Texas Department of Transportation maintains a wildflower sightings site, though it is not very robust.

We were traveling along Highway 105 from Conroe toward Navasota when we started to see a lot of patches of that signature blue.  On the way back were took Hwy 149 and 1365 through the Sam Houston National Forest -- not a lot of bluebonnets in the forest but a lot on either side.

There is a tradition around Texas of taking pictures of children and loved ones in fields of Bluebonnets.   Here's a picture my daughter took of our two grandchildren  (beware, the law of unintended consequences has been invoked.)

--steve buser

bluebonnets, Texas, Conroe, Navasota, Sam Houston National Forests, wildflowers

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Stark wonder

I think this goes a little beyond serendipity -- when you are searching for something and you unexpectedly find some other valuable thing. We've talked about that before.

But this? Way beyond that.

I was shooting a picture of the famous Stark House in Orange, TX the other day. Then I thought I would get some shots of the details. That's when I shot this.

I didn't even look at the picture till just now. I saw it just a few minutes before you. - the three egrets flying past.

Now, I don't believe this is seredipity, because I was only shooting a picture. Its as if you were shooting a picture of the Mall in Washington, D.C. and the President walks up. No way you can say, you're being in Washington allowed that to happen. It did of course, but that was just the smallest cog in a bunch of cosmic gears that would allow something like that to occur.

These three cosmic actors puzzle me. I suspect there is something going on in this universe that I cannot comprehend. Somehow, that comforts me.

--steve buser

Stark House, Orange Texas, egrets, serendipity

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Debugging the neighborhood.

This bird comes around often.  He sits up on the fence post and looks around.  Then he will fly up and sit on the top of the tree nearby. Sometimes it is the other way around.  It's about a 20 minute ritual, unless something comes up. 

Today,he was standing there staring, when he suddenly pecked at the top of the post and came up with some kind of bug that you can barely see in his mouth  I guess there are some really stupid bugs out there to hop in front of a a hunger feather bundle.

--steve buser

birds, feathers, bugs, Beaumont, Texas

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Where does the sun hide?

Sundown is a mystery. How do you turn off something so bright it has burnt a hole in the sky. Perhaps, the sun still lurks out there in the darkness during the night, using its amazing power of subterfuge. Perhaps, it's all a magic trick. A slight of the clouds and the use of veils.

--steve buser

Hope you enjoy this SkyWatch Friday photo. Go to the SkyWatch Friday site to enjoy 100's more.

sunset, Beaumont, Texas, sun, clouds.

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The bridge to heaven

The Rainbow Bridge between Bridge City and Port Arthur, TX isn't quite as steep as it looks here, but once you know the history, you'll appreciate a ride to the top on it.

According to the "Handbook of Texas Online" -- the proposal of a bridge to replace a ferry along Highway 87 casued a fight between Beaumont and Port Arthur factions -- Beaumont folk were fearful a bridge would impede navigation of the river up to Beaumont's dock. Port Arthur wanted the bridge to allow more vehicle traffic along the highwat and therefore more commerce.

"Beaumont representatives offered to end the controversy if the Port Arthur faction would approve a vertical clearance of 185 feet for the bridge. The matter ended with a compromise of 176 feet. The bridge was built with a vertical clearance of 176+ feet, a main span of 680 feet between main piers, and 600 feet between fenders. The clearance was to allow the tallest ship afloat at the time (the Navy dirigible tender USS Patoka) to pass."

At the time this was the largest bridge ever built by the Texas Highway Department ( it was also built to withstand a 130 mph wind -- something it has been tested with a few times in recent years)

Check out the whole story.

--steve buser

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Hold on, this is going down to the wire.

Hold on tiger. This is going to be a wild ride.

This was our recent trip to the Aquarium in Houston. From the left is grandson Sullivan, me, granddaughter Sophie, and our son, "Uncle" Shawn.

Guess who won the race? I'll give you a hint. I was in last place.

--steve buser

Houston, Texas, Aquarium, Carousel

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Dusky duel

Before I file these photos away, I wanted to show you one more shot from the other day.  

The sun was really showing off -- looking bold as it played with different layers of clouds during its slow descent.  I'm sure it was really ticking off the darkness -- holding it at bay and taking more than it share of time.   Even as it slipped below the horizon, it was just warming up -- throwing amazing colors from its palette onto the clouds.

The clouds seemed to be indifferent to the war between the sun and darkness.  "Look this is not our fight.  We're just sailing by.  It's not our fault if one of you throws brilliant oranges on us, or the other other cloaks it in dark somber shades."

--steve busr

Fire in the sky

Across the street, the direction that the sunsets, is a row of trees that hampersust running out and shooting a sunset picture. A couple days ago, I found a break in the row, whereI can stand a shoot a pretty wide open sky. This sunset was the reason I found it.

I walked up and down because the sunset was a real blazer. I guess I probably should have ran and not walked. A few seconds before this the sun was really in an inspired mood. It has already slipped below the skyline. I guess the resulting sunset was some wild dream he was having.

Hope you enjoy this SkyWatch Friday photo. Go to the SkyWatch Friday site to enjoy 100's more.

--steve buser

Lazy, crazy days of winter

Remember those days of driving down to the water front in you shiny new Ford Fairlane convertible to watch the boats chug by? This couple was reliving those days at the Port Neches waterfront park the other day when we were there with the grandkids. In the background, a couple of fishermen (well, a fisherman and a fishing lady) try their luck.

A little further down the waterfront but out of sight, was a guy trying to see how far he could hit golf balls into the Neches river -- hoping I guess to hit them all the way across.

Hmm. To each their own.

--steve buser

Port Neches, riverfront, classic cars, fishing, Neches River

Get your flip on

You get no time to soak in the applause when you are40 feet in the air trying to do a flip to thrill the crowd. In less that 2 seconds you are going to hit dirt and it better be with your wheels. It's time to get you flip on.

It has been fun posting these picture from the Monster Truck Rally at Ford Park this weekend in Beaumont,TX.   I have to admit this wasn't on my bucket list, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the tricks and antics with all that machinery and power.

--steve buser

Monster trucks, motorcycle, flip, tricks, Beaumont, Texas, Ford Park

Bigfoot Nation 2008 World Monster Truck Tour

You know your day isn't going too well when your tail catches on fire.  

This driver at the Bigfoot Nation 2008 World Monster Truck Tour at Ford Park this weekend had to scramble out of his truck for safety.   Fortunately, the fire was put out fast. 

The show went on without the Barbarian.  It was a tough day at the monster truck races for the drivers, but exciting for the crowd.

--steve buser

Monster Trucks, fire, flame-out, Ford Park, Beaumont, Texas

Look up in the air. It's....what?"

We took our grandson, Sullivan, and his dad, Aaron, to the Monster Truck rally at Ford Park in Beaumont, today.  The even was filled with flying trucks, aerial acrobatics on motorcycles and lots of noise. 

At the end of the day, it was Hot Tamale that stole the show and the audience's hearts with this stunt.  He cut his 2-minute free style to about 10 seconds,when he shot off of the big ramp (the one only the motocycles had used) and flew through the air for dozens of feet.  When he landed he snap something in his front wheel and sat there totally disabled. Still,the crowd roared and awarded him the champion's crown

--steve buser. 

Beaumont, Texas, Ford Park, Monster Trucks. Hot Tamale