-
Chiang Mai Shows Its Colors At 49th Annual Flower Festival
/?query-18-page=1
The beauty of Chiang Mai’s annual Flower Festival in Buak Hard Park each February is beyond spectacular. The beauty starts with a million blooms on display, but it extends to the crowd which seemed to be universally filled with wonder and joy, and then also to the city around it. It made me fall in…
-
Mỹ Khê at Dawn
/?query-18-page=1
DA NANG, VIETNAM, July 14, 2022 — The day begins at sunrise on Da Nang’s Mỹ Khê Beach. The midday sun is too brutal for any significant outdoor activity — running, biking, even laying on a beach seems out of the question on a typical afternoon. Instead, the residents of the city get their exercise in at…
-
The Miracle of An Unbranded Cap
/?query-18-page=1
This humble, little hat embodies nearly everything I love about living in Chiang Mai. For one thing, it is unbranded, which isn’t a small achievement. Go to any mall and try to buy a hat that doesn’t display a Nike swoosh or Gucci’s name or some other corporate emblem. It’s nearly impossible. And yet this…
-
You Might Call It Paradise — The Kuala Lumpur Bird Park
/?query-18-page=1
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, September 25, 2024 — The Kuala Lumpur Bird Park is one of the largest covered bird parks in the world, spanning approximately 20.9 acres in Malaysia’s capital city. Most of the birds are allowed to roam and fly freely within large aviaries that simulate their natural habitats. The park houses over 3,000…
-
Moonlit Wanderings in Split
/?query-18-page=1
Experience the haunting beauty of Split, Croatia through a solitary nighttime walk through Diocletian’s Palace. This evocative travel narrative captures the essence of this ancient coastal city during a quiet moment when tourism was just beginning to recover. Discover the timeless magic of Split’s 1,700-year-old streets, historical monuments, and Mediterranean atmosphere in this atmospheric personal…
-
Austin Skies at Dusk
/?query-18-page=1
It must be that Big Sky that Texans like to boast about, or the 300 days of drought that they don’t talk about as much, but one way or the other, Austin skies are a sight to see at dusk almost every day.
-
Grackles Casually Winning Over Austin
/?query-18-page=1
A long-time Austin, TX, resident once noted that humans and grackles are at war in Central Texas, and that the grackles are winning. Personally, I’m happy to be on the losing side in this conflict, because Austin’s grackles rank high among the city’s treasures. Nobody can observe these handsome birds for long without becoming aware…
-
First Results With The Pixel 9 Pro Camera? Wow, Wow, Wow!
/?query-18-page=1
My first day with the Pixel 9 Pro camera left me with a big smile on my face.The zoom enhance feature alone is worth the price of entry.
-
Charmed by Hvar, and A Fine Sunset
/?query-18-page=1
HVAR, CROATIA, March 19, 2022 — I boarded the Hvar-bound ferry on a sunny but crisp morning in Split, Croatia. The were only a few passengers in the indoor lounge, and even fewer on the open-air top deck. But the skies were clear, and the Adriatic sea was, as ever, gorgeous. The island of Hvar,…
-
Backyard Visitors on Christmas
/?query-18-page=1
AUSTIN, TX, DECEMBER 26, 2024 – I returned to Austin just in time for the holidays, and so did some of Holly’s and my favorite migratory friends. Gallery
-
Best Laid Plans, part 1
/?query-18-page=1
I set out on an 8-week pilgrimage to Thailand to rediscover my writers soul after not doing any serious creative work for 40 years. I was inspired by an account of John le Carré’s adventure in the Golden Triangle and naively thought I could recreate it. But three bad disks in my back betrayed me.,
-
Downy Woodpeckers
/?query-18-page=1
These cuties are about a third the size of a Red-bellied Woodpecker, but just as beautiful. They’re always very happy to enjoy seeds and suet at our little snack bar.
-
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
/?query-18-page=1
BANGKOK, THAILAND, July 18, 2023 —As I checked into probably my favorite hotel in Asia, the Stable Lodge on Sukhumvit Soi 8 in Bangkok, it occurred to me that nobody in the world knew where I was at that moment. I’m not oblivious to the ways in which that might sound ominous. Perhaps even portending…
-
Red-bellied Woodpecker
/?query-18-page=1
That’s what this guy is. A Red-bellied Woodpecker. Which is an odd name, considering that he and his mates are all red-headed and white-bellied. Perhaps someone goofed. Anyway, this guy, along with a couple of much smaller Downy Woodpeckers, showed up a day or two after we installed the feeders and just refuses to go…
-
Great Blue Herons
/?query-18-page=1
I first ran into one of these stately birds at Blanco State Park, and have since seen his cousins wherever there’s fresh water to be found around Austin. They’re quite aloof, with no interest in striking up a conversation or otherwise being pals with humans.
Photography
