My Favorite Place–The Heart of Austin; Colorado River at Barton Creek, Austin, Tx 2-15-08

Austin, TX has a wonderful series of Hike & Bike trails, the crown jewel being the running trail around the Colorado River, which runs right through town. The river is dammed into a series of lakes–when it runs through town it’s called Lady Bird Lake. I run around Lady Bird Lake every morning, usually at sunrise, with my runnin’ pug, Sluggo. We always stop and jump onto this rock and center our spirits for the day. I’ve seen the most amazing sunrises from this rock–but I never have a camera when I’m running. One of my photo projects in the coming years will be a series of shots taken of the many facets of this scene.

Lonely Rock House. Texas Hill Country April 2007

A local hotel, The Wyndham, has been purchasing Texas images from me for display in their rooms. I’ve been surprised by some of their choices, but none so much as by this one. Everybody who sees it seems to really like it; I think it’s because of the way it draws you into some story…setting the imagination free. Whoever lived in it has been gone so long the screen door has literally rotted off. The stone work is extremely detailed and painstaking, the symmetry so perfect, the colors harmonizing….someone of artistic sensibilities lived here and left behind this lonely little monument. The little house has the feel of someone’s penance for doing something they wanted to atone for. The house looks vaguely like a sad face. I wonder who built it. I wonder where they went. Now you can wonder, too.