Toot Toot! Honk Honk!

CAMERA SHY

So what's all the excitement with the tooting and honking?  My photo which I entitled Camera Shy took third runner-up as the People's Choice for the best photograph at the Nacogdoches Public Library today!  Twice each year, the Nacogdoches Photography Association members are invited to show two pictures at the library during a designated month.  This year the library provided for the first time ballots for voting for a People's Choice award and I was just informed that I and another member tied for third runner-up.  Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?  For those of you who follow my Ramblin' Kathy blog, don't bother visiting today.  This post is reproduced there as well.

Farmall Tractor

When do camellias bloom?

Right now - late fall, winter, early spring!

This one is one of 18 camellia bushes tended by one of my cousins.

An American Memory

Railroad Truss Bridge

This iron railroad truss bridge is still in use today over the Sabine River 

at Logansport, Louisiana, on the Texas/Louisiana border.

More Autumn Leaves

Fall debuts on the grounds of the Sterne-Hoya House in Nacogdoches, the second oldest house in Texas' oldest city (built in 1830).  The small building on the left houses an 1800s buggy, while the taller building with a chimney, now a storage building, once was a servants' quarters.  Sam Houston was baptized into the Catholic faith in the main house in order to be able to receive a Spanish land grant.  Adolphus Sterne, his host and owner of the home, was asked to be godfather, but Stern, a Jew, refused because it was Yom Kippur.

This is Where I Live - Part 3

The country road pictured in the post just previous to this one is located behind the trees on the right side of the photo.  Ours pastures are finally showing a bit of green since some recent rainfalls but they won't remain green after the freezing temperatures arrive any day now.  Much of the East Texas landscape remains beautiful throughout the winter season because of the large number of pine trees which can be found here.

Country Roads ...

... take me home.

This is another "This Is Where I Live Photo" (see post of a few days ago).  We live on the land on the left side of the photo.  My grandparents' old farm house, which no longer exists except for an old carhouse (what they used to call a garage) is around the curve to the left and down a lane about a quarter of a mile. It was a beautiful spot for a home, way up on a hill overlooking meadows and the bottom land.

Hardware - 2

Drawer pull on an antique chest

Photographed at Canton, Texas

Rain?

Yes!

Drought-stricken Texas 

(at least parts of it because Texas is a big state) 

has soaked up some good rain this week.
(Photographed between Kilgore and Henderson, Texas)

This Is Where I Live

On the banks of the Attoyac (a-toe-ee-ak) Bayou

Nacogdoches County, Texas

(Region - Deep East Texas)

Gnarly

Almost every day I pass by this old dead tree which sits on the banks of a branch (creek) on our road.  She's probably older than me but as time goes on we start looking more like each other, a few more lines and cracks, hopefully a little more character.

OD'ing on Autumn Leaves

The other day I read on a blog I follow something about pictures of autumn leaves being cliche but I had to disagree.  After all, our leaves here in Deep East Texas really only started turning about 10 days ago and are just now becoming somewhat dramatic.  Plus, I lived in the deserts of Arizona the past 30 years so I'm a bit taken with all this fall color, so if I inundate you with it or you get tired of it, just skip me and come back another day!

Yesterday I went out for a walk along our country road.  How many pictures of autumn leaves can you take in one-hour?  A bejillion!

 

Gerbera Daisy

I had never seen a gerbera

in this pale a hue,

but I think it's quite lovely.

Don't you?

Home Is Where the Heart Is, Even If It's a Gas Station

Up until a few months ago this gas station stood forlorn and vacant just one block from the square in San Augustine, Texas.  Today it appears it has found a family to love.  A car in the driveway, no parking signs, a friendly dog hanging out near the front door, and a few potted plants on the corner all say someone is now making a home of this old building.  Wouldn't you love to see the inside!

Windows ~ No. 4

Framed by Autumn

Photographed at San Augustine, Texas

Weathered Wood and Tin

Photographed near Chireno, Texas (pronounced sha-REE-na)

Cedar Waxwing

Vines in Autumn

Delicate