Miscellanea

An immature ringtail "cat" stares out from the shadows at the back of its crate. This female, and a younger male, became separated from their families and subsequently found their way into rehabilitation, where I met them. The remarkable thing to me about ringtails (Bassariscus astutus) is that they are, in effect, the phantom mammals of Texas. Most of the people who live here have no idea this beautiful species even exists, let alone that they may be sharing space with it.

Elvis’ head on ice, an artifact of Austin’s famous 37th Street lights.

Weather from the U.T. Tower. Two 30-second exposures shot during a major lightning storm, with low-level clouds reflecting the lights of downtown Austin. Then, an afternoon rainbow over the east side of campus.

Tom Miller Dam on a winter's night, and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) on a summer's day. The heron was fishing on the shore of the rocky island at the foot of the dam. In the first photo, the heron has a large crayfish in its mouth. In the second photo, the crayfish is the large lump in its throat.