Cricket Walker

Within minutes, you realize that you are in another world . . .

A place where color finds its way in, regardless of the drought.

False advertising! I looked in every nook and cranny of The Cowboy Store and I did not see a single cowboy for sale. (grin)

Ummm… Cowboy? Ya realize you are going the wrong way, right?
Come back here, dang it! (grin)

If this aint heaven, I don’t know what is . . .

A place where even the weeds are stunning . . .

And everything is bigger than life . . .
(Is his tongue in his nose?)

A feeling of peace overtakes your very soul . . .

And you feel as if you have somehow gone back in time.

Life makes perfect sense here.

Ready to ride off into the sunset . . .

Or just kick back with a cold beer at the local saloon.

But don’t mess with this guy in Bandera, Texas.

Lord have mercy, this ought to be illegal . . .

 
Some days I am blessed to find beauty hiding in the shadows right off my balcony. Other days I choose to search it out, which usually includes a drive out to the country.

Today was no exception. My plan was to focus on the beauty of the cacti in bloom up in the Hill Country.

 
And I certainly wasn’t disappointed. The colors were so incredibly vivid that it seemed as if every bloom had been painted by hand.

And then I got distracted . . .

 
Oh goodness, what a beautiful distraction. This little guy was a bit camera shy, but the moment was absolutely priceless. Do you notice his mama back there making sure he is staying out of trouble?

 
Now back to my cactus blooming! A bee decided to join in on the fun and do a little pollinating . I didn’t want to get too much closer.

And then I got distracted . . .

 
“Yeah, I am a weirdo! And, your point is?”

 
Now back to my bloom dang it! Wow! He is a bit of a messy pollinator isn’t he? At least I have found the source of Haley’s sneezing all afternoon! Pollen is everywhere you look!

And then I got distracted . . .

 
Ruh roh . . .  I think the kid is about to get soaked!

And, yup I am still distracted . . .

Ooops! The rocks get a bit slippery when they are wet!

Hmmmm . . .

Maybe sometimes distractions aren’t such a bad thing!

There is something so incredibly refreshing about spring. It is almost as if the world around us  is waking up again after a very long winter. 

I have a thing about the natural beauty of wildflowers. Even with all their little imperfections, they never fail to take my breath away.

I was so caught up watching this hawk, that I almost forgot to take his picture. He seemed a bit mad at me for interrupting his hunting.

Squirrels have a way of capturing my attention for long periods of time. They are so dang cute that you can’t help but smile at their antics.

Oh! I almost forgot! He mentioned that if I intended to talk about him on my blog today, that I should make it clear that he is a boy squirrel. 

But, you knew that already, didn’t you?

Sometimes you can escape the city, or at least feel as though you have, by taking time out to visit your local zoo. Our zoo here in San Antonio, Texas is surrounded by a peaceful park, and is one of my favorite afternoon getaways.

My favorite animal of all, is the tiger. Such a purdy kitty.

I have no clue what kind of duck this is, but the colors are stunning.

This adorable grizzly bear definitely needs a pedicure after his bath!

I have been trying to capture a picture of a male cardinal for nearly 2 years. I can always get a shot of a female, but this is the first male.

Now this kangaroo has life figured out. Lay back, enjoy the sun, relax, and just take life as it comes, one moment at a time.

Either this parrot is mute, or he just didn’t like me, because he sure never bothered uttering so much as a peep. He just glared at me.

Many years ago I read a book called “Rhinoceros Success” by Scott Alexander, and I have been fascinated by rhinos every since. If you haven’t read this book yet, I highly recommend it.

This poor guy looks like he would rather be anywhere else but here.

Of course no trip to the zoo is complete without visiting the monkeys. Oh wait, this is Haley climbing around, huh? (grin)