A path less traveled...
Not often do I make it off the island, though this past week Donata and I spent some time on the road seeing a little bit of what Texas has to offer. The trip combined photography, seeing family, and friends, and a bit of playing tourist. Thinking back over the 14 years we have lived in Texas, it's only one of a few real vacations that we spent in Texas, usually opting for a beach vacation in another country or state. The crazy goings on with COVID-19 have convinced us that we will avoid airline travel for a while, so this was what the start of what we hope to be more adventures in our own state and country.
A Path Less Traveled - The last few days in Hill Country has represented a change in pace, as we slowed down and saw and photographed a little bit of what Texas has to offer. Hopefully this represents an opening of a new chapter in our lives as we get out and explore a path less traveled. This trip was not planned as a photographic journey, though future trips will definitely have a bit more focus...
Canyon Lake, Texas
June 9, 2020
"If the path be beautiful, let us not ask where it leads."
~ Anatole France
The "Sentinel" stands guard just below the spillway at Canyon Lake, watching over all those that visit...maybe, just maybe serving as a reminder of the beauty of this spot, that we as visitors should protect and care for.
"Trees have from time immemorial been closely associated with magic. These stout members of the vegetable kingdom may stand for as long as a thousand years, and tower far above our mortal heads. As such they are symbols and keepers of unlimited power, longevity, and timelessness. An untouched forest, studded with trees of all ages, sizes and types, is more than a mysterious, magical place - it is one of the energy reservoirs of nature. Within its boundaries stand ancient and new sentinels, guardians of the universal force which has manifested on the Earth. . . ." ~ Scott Cunningham
Canyon Lake, Texas
June 8, 2020
Cool Waters - The cool waters flowing down stream were a beautiful and tranquil change from my traditional coastal stomping grounds of waves, wind and salt spray. I can vouch for the coolness, as several of this morning's photos were captured while standing in the chilly waters flowing down from the Canyon Lake Dam.
"We can never untangle all the woes in other people's lives. We can't produce miracles overnight. But we can bring a cup of cool water to a thirsty soul, or a scoop of laughter to a lonely heart." ~ Barbara Johnson
Canyon Lake, Texas
June 9, 2020
The Test of Time - This ancient cypress drew me back again our last morning at Canyon Lake for another attempt to capture the beauty, strength, and timelessness of it's existence. One can only guess at the onslaughts it has endured both natural and manmade. If you arrive there early, you can easily imagine you are the first person to see it, to hear the sound of the water, to smell the clean air, and to experience the stillness...
"Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing. Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness, And knows that 'yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream." ~ Khalil Gibran
Canyon Lake, Texas
June 10, 2020
The Natural Bridge - Playing tourist we ventured into the abyss to the Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio, as part of our long-overdue Texas Travels adventure. So we will call the Natural Bridge a bridge to these wider travels that we will embark on over time, exploring, and discovering new and exciting photographic opportunity right here in our home state of Texas.
"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote, To travel is to live."
~ Hans Christian Andersen
Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio, Texas
June 9, 2020
The Station - In our travels this past week we stopped in Llano, Texas, and admired the old Llano Train Station that now serves as a visitor center with a beautiful garden, before crossing the street to get an amazing pizza at Tommy's. Definitely want to visit Llano again in the spring, when this garden would be exploding with color, though the various pieces of yard art added interest despite the early summer heat that has begun to parch the garden...and to get another pizza!
"Life is a train ride, and at the many stations along the route, people important to us debark, never to get aboard again, until by the end of the journey, we sit in a passenger car where most of the seats are empty." ~ Dean Koontz
The Veterans - an amazing tribute to our Veterans in Liberty Hill, Texas. Though I did not serve in the military, I worked for DoD for 30 years and have the deepest respect for those that have and continue to serve.
"Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause." ~ Abraham Lincoln
Liberty Hill, Texas
June 13, 2020
We made it home this evening after a long day on the road, and I have a lot of images to go through over the next few days. These new shots will become part of a new gallery on my WEBSITE that will be titled "Texas Travels", so please check back! I look forward to broadening our horizons, both in Texas, and throughout the US. The path we followed this past week has led us back home to the coast, and I feel blessed to have gotten this glimpse of what Texas has to offer...
Looking for something a little different, my new website gallery offers a unique perspective that many are loving!
