Flower Sniffin

[aharbi]

One of the most enjoyable things I do on my bike is a leisurely ride through the Texas country side. I'm the guy that actually reads those historical markers along the roadside. My perfect ride is 50-55mph, no traffic, no one "pushing you down the road", taking all the time in the world. I always have two cameras and a tripod with me. The camera I use when I ride is a 10MP Olympus Stylus (f3.5-5.1) waterproof autofocus point and shoot. I wear it around my neck with a camera strap so I won't drop it and always have it with me and have gotten quite good at shooting from the saddle. I got a new lens (Leica 50mm/1.4) very fast lens enabling me to shoot with very small apertures reducing the depth of field blurring the back ground (boken effect) for the Lumix camera I carry in the topcase. I'm not a professional photographer by any means nor would I consider myself a good armature. I just like taking pictures on my motorcycle rides. Here goes.

 

I see the Texas "Hill Country" off in the distance ahead of me. One of my Favorite rest stops to get off the bike and get a drink of water. This is a panorama picture.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/P1010911_stitch_r.jpg~original

 

Texas (Dakota) vervain

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin001-20140422-134806.jpg~original

 

Prickly pear cactus budding

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin002-20140422-134855.jpg~original

 

The whole prickly pear cactus

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin003-20140422-134925.jpg~original

 

Indian blanket

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin004-20140422-140748.jpg~original

 

and another

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin005-20140422-140844.jpg~original

 

some more

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin010.jpg~original

 

The Bluebonnets are fading from the landscape they are going to seed. Bluebonnet seed pods.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin006-20140422-141140.jpg~original

 

Indian paint brush. You saw lots of these from my last post.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=829748#post829748

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin007-20140422-141359.jpg~original

 

Pink Primrose (note the tiny little red mites)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/P1010899r.jpg~original

 

I park the bike. I start hunting for my favorite flower, a cactus flower. They grow in rocky terrain, among the rocks. Found one! They don't grow very big, only six inches tall and two inches across. Because of the size and the spines they are often called the hedgehog cactus. Because of the pattern of the spines they are also known as the Lace cactus too.

(Echinocereus reichenbachii)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin046-20140422-142530.jpg~original

 

Just beautiful. The petals look like shining silk.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin014-20140422-142933.jpg~original

 

A closer look.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin012-20140422-142843.jpg~original

 

and another not far away

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin021-20140422-143107.jpg~original

 

and one that appears to be growing out of the rock. Well I must say this made my day. I never expected to find half a dozen so close together, on this rocky hillside.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin023-20140422-143135.jpg~original

 

I continue my ride. We have had a wet spring, not as much rain as a few years ago but enough to bring out the wildflowers. Yellow Poppies.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin028-20140422-163929.jpg~original

 

Pink (with white edges) Poppy

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin032-20140422-164212.jpg~original

 

Orange (California) Poppies (note the Bluebonnet in the back ground)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin037-20140422-164323.jpg~original

 

Red Corn Poppy

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin039-20140422-164457.jpg~original

 

It's getting warm (94°f) I've traveled 185 miles so far today. It's time to turn around and head home. Although the cactus are budding north of Austin I hear they are in bloom further south.

 

The next morning I head in that direction. Fifty miles south of Austin I take some promising backroads and find fields of flowers. Often times I can't get the pictures I want because there is no place to safely pull off the road or I'm afraid of getting the bike stuck in the dirt.

 

It doesn't take long - I notice this prickly pear straddling a barbed wire fence.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin002.jpg~original

 

Some close-ups with my new lens, love this lens!

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin003.jpg~original

 

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin004.jpg~original

 

When focusing for my next shot I notice another cactus - Desert Christmas cactus (Opuntia leptocaulis). What a nice surprise.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin008.jpg~original

 

As I walk back to the bike, I shoot a picture of a purple Texas Thistle

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin009.jpg~original

 

I take a few more backroads I've never been on. And drive by this huge prickly pear. I make a u-turn and park in a farmers driveway and hike up to it. This cactus is probably 8 feet tall and 20 feet around with two other good sized ones behind it. No longer flower sniffin - now cactus sniffin :-)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin011.jpg~original

 

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin012.jpg~original

 

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin014.jpg~original

 

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin015.jpg~original

 

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin016.jpg~original

 

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin017.jpg~original

 

Back on the bike. It's mid afternoon and I'm getting hungry and I'm not far from Lockhart TX the BBQ capitol of the state. I order my brisket and sausage, sliced to order.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin019.jpg~original

 

iPhone selfie, not the best picture.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin018.jpg~original

 

Unsweetened tea, "wet" brisket (has some fat), sausage link, German potato salad, sauerkraut, dill pickles. A Texas tradition in serving the meat, they slice it, put it on butcher paper, weigh it, you pay for it, hand it to you to eat - no plates.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin021.jpg~original

 

and this place doesn't ever offer forks. But they do have a sink in the dinning room to wash your hands when done eating.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/2014%20FlowerSniffin/FlowerSniffin020.jpg~original

 

Thanks for ridin along - later.

Edited May 12, 2014 by aharbi

[djh3]

WE went to College Station years ago for a race down there at the race track when it was operating. WE found a BBQ joint just up the street from the hotel we stayed at. First time we were ever served BBQ without a plate or utensils. My son was maybe 8 or so, he thought it was great. Oh and the BBQ was pretty dang good too. I like a slice of raw onion to go with mine.

Nice pics. Looks like you enjoyed your time.

[hushpuppy]

Very Nice!

[Gray Ghost]

Great pics. Made me homesick and hungry at the same time.

[bill in mn]

I like everything in your pictures. Cool cactus pictures , I would be carful lying down anywhere with the little cactuses . Thanks

[crazygaucho]

great pics!! and the BBQ just makes me homesick

[leo3wheel]

Enjoyed seeing your pictures Art! Thanks!