— Clocks and calendars are two of many ways of keeping track of time. Similarly, photography can also capture time, even if just a moment in time. It may not be a continuous depiction of time, but nevertheless, a photo can tell a story at a certain point in time.
This week, the Lens-Artists Challenge was presented by Donna’s Wind Kisses website. In her presentation, she asked us “to think about what time looks like through the eye of” our lenses. I thought I would share with you what the passage of time can be like in Austin, Texas. It is true that we have mild winters — until the “Snomarggedon” of 2021. The entire state of Texas was covered by more snow than anyone had ever seen in a lifetime. Here in Austin, we had an average of 7 inches (18 cm) of snow for a period of a week. Chaos does not come close to defining that period. When Mother Nature is on our side, though, the four seasons can be gorgeous. Well, except for summer, which is often super hot. Just this year alone, we had a record of 45 continuous days with high temperatures over 100ºF (38ºC). At the time of this writing, we have had a total of 64 days with high temperatures on or above that mark. However, with the right amount of rain, the passage of time in our area can exhibit a glorious display by Mother Nature.
Seasons are a natural cycle of the passage of time. Besides being markers of time, they can also be seen as a metaphor for the different stages of life. To see all images in full size and as a slideshow, just click on the first image and proceed.
To Winter
(by Claude McKay)
Stay, season of calm love and soulful snows!
There is a subtle sweetness in the sun,
The ripples on the stream’s breast gaily run,
The wind more boisterously by me blows,
And each succeeding day now longer grows.
The birds a gladder music have begun,
The squirrel, full of mischief and of fun,
From maple’s topmost branch the brown twig throws.
The first photo was our driveway in February 2021. The other winter photo was at Mills Pond, a park near our home.
Spring (Again)
(by Michael Ryan)
The birds were louder this morning,
raucous, oblivious, tweeting their teensy bird-brains out.
It scared me, until I remembered it’s Spring.
How do they know it? A stupid question.
Thank you, birdies. I had forgotten how promise feels.
One of the most brilliant wildflower displays was at Inks Lake State Park, just 45 minutes from Austin.
A Summer Night
(by Elizabeth Drew Stoddard)
I feel the breath of the summer night,
Aromatic fire:
The trees, the vines, the flowers are astir
With tender desire.
The white moths flutter about the lamp,
Enamoured with light;
And a thousand creates softly sing
A song to the night!
But I am alone, and how can I sing
Praises to thee?
Come, Night! unveil the beautiful soul
That waiteth for me.
In this extremely hot summer, we can still find things blooming and wildlife going on with their usual business on wildflowers. These two images were just made on the last week of August at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. In the first you see a Queen butterfly feasting on Greggs Mistflower. The second photo is of a bee, one of the several pollinators in the garden, busy at work on a Leavenworth’s Eryngo flower.
Fall, Leaves, Fall
(by Emily Brontë)
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.
Finally, this past fall was an unforgettable season. Fall foliage colors exploded all over Austin. Both of the photos here were captured at Red Bud Isle.
I hope you will join me this coming Saturday when I am a guest host for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. The theme will be Recharge.
JohnRH
Great collage, love it.
Egídio Leitão
Thanks, John. I appreciate the feedback.
Yanti
Amazing photos, Egídio! The seasons change captured are really a good take for the theme. I love the colors of the autumn ones~
Egídio Leitão
Yanti, thank you for the compliment and feedback. We were really lucky last year with fall colors. I’m keeping my fingers crossed this year might be a repeat.
Wind Kisses
I love every word, every photo and the poetry you incorporated into the post. Seasons certainly are a natural passage of time. I love the large roots framing the lake at Red Bud Isle. And I don’t think I knew you had such a colorful autumn.
Oh how I would have loved a walk on the path in the blue bonnets. A wonderful time to reflect on simple things, wasn’t it? You have a gift, Egidio, for photography…yes, but also allowing us to come away from your blog posts with a deep breath. Thank you. I look forward to your challenge next week.
Egídio Leitão
Donna, you and the others in the LAC team are wonderful. You have inspired and elevated my photography to a new height. Thanks for the compliment and kind words. Our autumns are hit and miss. It all depends on the right combination of rain and temperature drops. We’ll see what happens this year. The spring photo you alluded to was a last-minute trip to that park. Since I follow the park on Instagram, I saw they were having a great wildflower display late in the season. Since it was only 45 minutes from our house, we did a day trip to experience it. It was magical to have the narrow path and wildflowers all around us. Thank you, thank you for kind words you expressed.
Ingrid
Your photos are beautiful. I never expected to see such lovely fall color in Austin. We used to visit the Corpus Christi area every January. During one of our visits there was a light dusting of snow, snow that barely accumulated, and it shut the place down. Having lived in the Midwest and Colorado, it was quite humorous to us. Hope our cities cool off soon. I’m so done with summer … 55 days of over 110 here in Phoenix.
Egídio Leitão
Ingrid, thank you for your kind words and compliment. When we get just enough rain and temperature drops as we did in 2022, fall foliage in Austin is truly beautiful as you saw. I fear that this year we may not get enough of that. Like you, I’m also done with summer. I have seen the weather reports in national news about Phoenix. I truly feel your pain.
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Che splendide immagini! Grazie per la condivisione.
Egídio Leitão
Grazie per il complimento.
margaret21
Gorgeous images of nature’s (we hope) unending cycle.
Egídio Leitão
Margaret, thank you. Let’s hope so and continue doing our share to keep that cycle going.