South Texas Shooters (Photography That Is!)

I am going to attempt to explain the title of this entry best as I can. So here goes! “Riding to the end of the line” a term that means’s something to folks that work in the business that I do for a living. I work in a city transit (bus) company, I have wanted to do this since I was a youngster, riding the bus or subway was a treat for me, I would ride in the front of the bus or car and pretend it was me doing all the work, it was fun and it was an escape from the projects were I lived, it made the world larger and full of color and excitement. After leaving the army I came to this place to pursue a life and happiness and for some time it was working that way, I was being happy and doing what I thought was right and fun!

But in recent times I have become a very quiet and solemn man who thinks of nothing good anymore, just the negatives in life seem to creep their way into my thoughts and worse than that into my heart. I thought by this time I would be with a family, you know two kids, a wife, dog and cat, a ton of bills but life would be good I could come home to a home with people and animals. I have gotten some of it, I have animals, a ton of bills but find very little happiness. If someone asks me how I’m doing I respond with “got no complaints, I’m above the ground”! I am thankful for most of the time that I am here and above the ground, but I am very tired of being angry, sad, disappointed and ashamed of how my life has turned out. I know that I have more than I should have and should be overjoyed at this. But today I am feeling sad for myself and can not forgive myself for it!

I want to find what is missing in life, whether it si the company of another or to just see all be content, and pleased with what they have. This I understand is a dream that shall never come true, wish it would, sometimes I pray it will happen, but know it is still a dream. I am trying so hard to make all around me happy and find that this is not good for me, sometimes I hope for a simple thank you and a hug, but it does not come.

I am on my own bus right now, I sit behind the wheel and check the destination sign every few moments to see where it is I am going and when I will arrive at the end of the line, so far nothing shows up in the destination sign and I am worried that I will run out of fuel before I get there and piss everyone off because I did not make it to the end of the line, on time or late, I just don’t get there, sitting on the side of the road, out of fuel and no trouble truck in sight! I am scared and don’t like the feeling, don’t like complaining about it, just plain old scared, not the best feeling in the world, but it is a feeling.

As was the purpose was to share life and photography with you (thank you for coming by), this is part of my life and hope you can forgive me for being sad and tired! I am blessed for I have what I have and should not sweat the rest but I do, my fault, my bad!

I have shared a darker side of life today and hope that this not become a trend that continues! SO now I share the photography which I do still enjoy, wish I could have someone share the passion with me at my side or me by her side or just plain old side by side, no one in front, no one behind just side by side. Hope you again enjoy the photography, no special theme, nothing special, just some photos to look at. Take care and again thank you for stopping by as you do. Take care and may there be a million smiles and equal number of hugs out there for you!
Peter

My favorite photo of me! (taken by someone else)

The cat

What to do?

How my mind and heart feel, all over the place and going nowhere! Flying away!

Hi Again,

Hope you all are doing well since the last entry? I have been doing well ups and downs just like us all go thru! Was a busy week last and had no desire to write about anything, so sorry for being such a lazy old fart. This past weekend was beautiful, had to work on Saturday but it was pleasant day overall. Sunday I took Red over to the neighbors, she just took in a basset puppy and introduced them, I think it was love at first sight, they played, ran (he can outrun her by a mile) play fought and just had a good time. Miss Sophie kept Red on his toes, it was a good afternoon for all of us.

This morning I was woke up by the chewing sound again, I maintained my cool and scolded Red for doing wrong, can not find what he was chewing on yet. But took him outside and got some fresh air and run time. It was just as the sun rose and was able to get a couple of photos. SO I own a bit to Red if not for waking me up I would not have got the photos that I did. Good Red, Bad Red all in one sentence! I just wish he would grow out of the chewing stage of life and go on to something more cool. But it is the way it is!

I hope that you week is good, filled with smiles, love and hugs from the ones that mean the most. May trouble go down the wrong street and get lost never to find you this week. Take care and have good week. Enjoy the photo’s and see you later.

Love,
Peter

Another Texas Sunrise

Sunrise Cat

The morning walk!

Red Dog

What’s Up! It is the second day back from a week’s vacation and for some unknown reason I am angry, I don’t think it’s work and am not sure why I feel this way, but I do. This morning I awoke and went to let the fur people out and found yet another thing that Red has chewed and destroyed beyond repair. I want this guy to have a safe home and all that good stuff but I am very frustrated to find more and more being destroyed bu him. I have gotten him objects that are meant to be chewed on and destroyed but it seems that he must pick out and item that has value to him alone and is of value to me. I find that today I wanted to belt him across the yard for doing this, he waits until I am asleep to go on this search and destroy mission. I guess he will not be allowed back into the house anymore! I am very frustrated by his actions and find that only help I seem to hear or get is that it is a puppy thing, put all you stuff away so that he can not get into it. I thought that this was my house and now I find that I am the guest and he runs the house. I think not, he may be a puppy but he will learn that he is the guest.

I have never before written anything like this, but I am at the end of the rope and do not want to put this dog at the end of his rope, so I think if I write about this maybe it will help (sure hope so!). I open the door and tried to provide a safe home to this guy and find that I am now afraid of the things I will find when and if I wake up, I guess that I am not an animal person that I thought I was or I have just lost the ability to keep cool.

I do apologize for ranting on like this, this blog was meant to share photography and life, maybe I should remember that life is not alway the bowl of cherries and cream sometimes there are bitter nuts and sour cream along the way. Well I have cried enough out here and it is about time I got ready for the regular days job. I shall close with a BIG THANK YOU for all who come by and read and check out the images I present on these e-pages! Thank you for your support. As always I leave you with a few more of my photos and hope you enjoy them, these have been posted on the web site (www.vwimages.com) if you care to visit please do and let me know what you think.

Have a great day and I promise to be in better spirits on the next entry.

Thank You,
Peter

My favorite big cat "Snow Leopard"

A table for two

Juust another favorite of mine, I like her look.

Good day,

It is Monday morning and I am headed back to the mean streets of SA today after a week vacation. Again did not do much as far as vacation stuff goes but the time away from work was good. Wish I could pass along some wonderful tales of exotic places visited and dazzle you with images of far away places but not this time.

The week off was spent close to the house with the fur people, getting my truck tended to by a friend, taking Mister Red for his first check up (clean bill of health, YA!) and some assorted minor things. It was not the best nor was it the worst, just somewhere in the middle.

I am hoping that this week will be good and we will be able to learn something new and have a bit of fun, that the folks I encounter at work do the right things and behave to a greater degree like adults, but only time will tell what will occur, I will do my best to deal with all that comes my way and keep moving forward.

Well some black & white photography to share with you on this day. The images are from the fur people around here and hope that you get a smile from these!

May your week be a good one, with few troubles and many warm smiles. Untill the next time be safe, stay warm and keep a smile in your heart.

Peter

Have you ever seen Supermans Cat? You have now!

Flying low & slow with the air brake on (tail up)

Red the dog

Ms Selma

A cat burgler leaves!

See YA! (my lost friend, Brooklyn)

Hello Again,

It’s Friday night and I do not have a hot date set up, don’t even have a luke warm date set up, so I spent the day going thru my digital negatives and have posted a new gallery to my web site http://www.vwimages.com , if you get a chance stop on by and check it out and let me know what you think.

The work week is over and the weekend begins, I hope that your week was without trouble and if there was that the trouble was small and easily take care of. May the weekend be good to you and may you get a chance to rest and enjoy. As for me I go back to work on Monday and wish I did not, but got to pay the rent and all the other stuff, so this weekend I will spend the best part of it getting ready to head back into the streets.

The vacation week was nothing special and during the week I went to help out a friend who was struck by tragedy. I got a call in the morning early in the week by my friend who was concerned that her son’s dog had not come in during the night, which is not the norm for Johnnie. As we talked I told her that I would drive by and see if I could spot him out on the road roaming around. A short while later she called and was in tears and told me not to bother she had found Johnnie, from the pain in her voice I knew it was the worst, my response to her was I would be over right away. As I drove up to her place I spotted her husband and a friend with shovels and just grabbed one and off we went to bury our friend. When I got out to the field where he lay I knew that coyotes had taken our friend. We hurried to bury him before her son got home from work, for this was his friend and companion and none of us wanted him to see him in this way (the sight was not good). The grave was dug and we put Johnnie to rest, her son did not see his friend and this was a good thing. Not the way one should spend a vacation, but it is the way friends help each other out so I have no regrets about doing what was needed.

I live in the country, there is ranch land and farm land around this area and coyotes are part of life as are many other wild animals. I have lost a cat to them (Cibolo) and have nothing good to say about them (coyote). My friend and her family will miss this fur person for sometime to come, he has been with them for 12 years, their son got him when he was 8 so he grew up with this friend and he is missing him something special. We all do for that matter, I have known Johnnie from the time he entered their home and he has always greeted me as part of the family. I miss him also and am sorry that he had to be taken in such a horrible manner.

I am going to share some photos of fur friends lost with you, this is not to make you sad or angry, but in hopes that the photos will make you smile as they do me. I miss them (especially Bronx, Brooklyn and Cibolo) but all the fur people I share with you on this page, but when I look back at these photos I do remember the joy of capturing that moment and the joy of each one deeply. So please do not be sad when you view these, but enjoy and celebrate with me what they have done!!!

Until the next time, keep in a smile in your heart!

Love,
Pete

Johnnie

Friends Lost

Miss Brooklyn

Mister Bronx & a young Miss Cibolo

Howdy All,

It is early morning (for me) and I felt it would be right to say hey and share some photos with you from the past few days, nothing fancy just sharing life with you. Since the last entry I have not done much of anything special. Wish I could tell you something like I went on a cruise no not yet. But when it happens you can be sure to read about it here. On Saturday night and early Sunday morning we got some heavy rainfall, about 5 inches fell overnight. It was very much needed rain, the past couple of years have been so dry, the ground crunches under your feet when you walk around. When I went out Sunday morning to take a look, the front yard was swamp like and the creek just down the road had swelled and was over the road, something that has not happened out here in a few years. All in all I thank God for sending the rain, with a little bit of luck there will be more.

The animals have been doing what they do, Mister Red is working towards an agreement with the cats, he seems to be doing well and he is going to the vet this afternoon for his first visit. Hope all goes well? The cats are not as shook about him as they had been, Miss Connie seems to somewhat enjoy him, she does run from him but I think she sees it as a game and he enjoys it, he needs to have some four legged friends.

Well I hope the week goes well and that you have a grand time. I will be back soon with more photos to share. For now take care and keep a smile in your heart.

Love, Pete

Run off from the yard towards the creek.

Women Hollaring Creek over the road, been some time since it has done this.

I am still "Top Cat" around these parts Mister!

Just a Happy Dog!

Can you ask for anything more!

South Texas sunrise (this morning)

Hello All,

I hope that this past week has been good to you and your family. The week was not bad for me, took Friday off in hopes to take a trip to Houston area for a softball tournament but as you can tell I am at the keyboard instead. It is raining as I type and this is a good thing. As this has been a very dry year in South Texas any and all rain is great by me even if I have to work in it or whatever. Just glad to see and feel the rain.

It has been a nice week, the dog Red and the cats are attempting to get along and more on Red’s part play. (check out the photos). I have started my last week of vacation for 2009 and am not sure what I will do, it was my hope to go back to New York and see family and be a tourist again, most of all I wanted to ride the subway and have a slice of pizza! O yes I wanted to have some Puerto Rican food which I miss very much. But as things go was not able to swing the trip this time. Try and stash some funds away for the next time.

Well today is the day I made my entrance into this world some 54 years ago in New York City and the city and I have not been the same since. I was surprised by some of the folks I work with at the bus company by a little party at our downtown information center, they were so sweet and really touched my heart. I hope to never forget their wonderful act of kindness towards me on Thursday. I still smile as I think back about it and it feels good. As for today I am not sure what I shall do, as most of the folks I call friends are busy with their lives and family I will more than likely take myself out to dinner and not sure after that. But I am thankful for making another year, hoping that I can do and be better than I was and improve.

I do plan on taking my camera out and about and so with a little bit of luck you can share my photos and story.

I hope that this day and weekend is good to you and yours and that you get and keep a smile!

Love,
Peter

Come let's play, please!

Come on we can be friends!

Tag your it!

"Happy Birthday Pete!"

Hello!
As the weekend comes to a slow and quiet close and I attempt to get my butt in gear for the week ahead I think back about this weekend and again I did very little of substance. Although I took a test for a part-time job that I applied for months ago and got a notice to test and took it, surprise I passed it so now I must see what the next step is. I will keep you posted on these events.

I hope your weekend is going well and quiet for the most part. I took Red out for a ride yesterday over to my friends house down the road and he did very well and I think he enjoyed the visit, although at first he was spooked by their dogs he got over it and had some fun. I think he is here to stay because he has stolen my heart and maybe I have stolen his also. The cats are still making out what to do with him, but they seem to tolerate him for the most part, I think he respects them but sure would like them to play with him some. I can only hope that they will bond and become friends and hassle each other in only a way animals can. This morning I could hear Red barking and carrying on in the back yard and went to see what the fuss was about, after looking around I noticed what was causing all the fuss, an owl had taken perch in a dead tree near the house and he did not like it, I also think he was sounding an alarm to the cats letting them know that something was up. I have heard that owls will take cats and was sure glad that he was making a fuss, after a minute or two the owl flew off and all three cats were fine. And Red was given a lot of love for doing his thing and got a few treats, I know I may be reading more into this than I should but it makes for a nice tale!
While over at my friends yesterday we saw another fine sunset and took some photos of it and she got some photos of Red and I. (see photo) I am not big on my photo being taken but I do like this one. That is the reason I stay on the other side of the camera.
Not much else has gone on over this weekend and I should be glad of that and I am! I post a few random images for you to check out as always, I hope you like them, they might not be the best quality but I thought to share them with you.
I hope that the coming week is good to you and you days are filled with fun, love and peace!
Love,
Peter

Texas Sunset

Texas Sunset version II

The Owl

The hero of the morning Mister Red

The Photographers Assistant

Miss Selma waves bye to the owl and so long untill next time!

Howdy, it is Thursday morning I am getting ready for the close of the week. It has been raining here for the past few days, glorious rain, nice cool temps. As walk along the streets of downtown I hear comments like man it rains too much, it’s too cold, a few short days ago these same people were saying it’s too hot, it’s so dry we need rain, these are the people if you gave them a million dollars they would still gripe about it! As I see it the more rain the merrier, as for the cool temps it reminds me of fall time back in New York, would be a bonus to have the colors of fall. That is something that I miss is the colors of fall, also miss the way it looks when it’s just began to snow, all white and clean. But I will take what we get and am loving the cool rain with overcast skies. Thank You God for sending this to us!

Today and tomorrow and the weekend is here, look forward to time away from the job and some of the crazy folks that make up the job, most of the people I meet on the job are great hard working folks who just do the right thing each and every day, then there is that small percentage who are just crazy, some mean, some just plain stupid and some just plain old lazy. For the most part I am glad I have the job that I do and like to serve and help the people that I do.

Well the new addition to this household is coming along well and starting to take over (see below photo). Mister Red is adapting better than I, the cats are adapting better than I, but I am glad he found our door to hang with. The other day I stepped out back and found that he likes my chair in the backyard, he was all cozy, comfy! I was able to get a photo of him yesterday before heading to downtown. He can look at you with those eyes and boy it’s over! Well I hope you enjoy the photo and hope that the remainder of the week is good to you with few troubles.

Love,
Peter

Just Chillin!

Hello,
It has been some 2 weeks since I made an entry and will be honest enough to tell you I could not come up with something I felt was good enough to say or that would make sense. Well I have got over the road block for right now. Many things have occurred and I feel bad for not filling you in on all that has gone on since the last entry.

On Friday Sep 4th I was asked to photograph a golf tournament for a organization with the company I work and that was a very long day, trying to get some good photos for them and all. SO far they seem pleased with the results. Here is the one photo that I like the most out of them.

Checking out the scores.

Well when I got home from this shoot I let the cats go outside for a little while as I downloaded the photos and let my feet rest. After a short while two of the cats came into the office with a distressed look, just had a feeling a racoon got into the house or something. I go and check out the kitchen, dining room and then the living room and I find a dog behind the sofa, he is young and really scared, not wanting to get hurt or hurt him I get him outside and now try and figure how to get the third cat in the house with the dog in the backyard. Alas I call a friend who has got the know how about animals and she gives me some ideas. I finally get the 3rd cat in the house and now I am taking pity on this dog who is about 5 months old and so far has had a rough start, ears full of ticks with fleas and just not a good way to begin life. Well he found the right smuck when he found this door. Well it has been two weeks since he has become a member of the house and group. The cats still are Leary and he is still doing things that test my patience but he is still here. May I introduce Mister Red and Heinz 57 breed of dog who wants to be loved.

Mister Red

Well he and the cats are still working out their introductions and this will go on for sometime. I am the one who has to make the biggest adjustment, I expect too much from Red and don’t use enough patience when working with him, part of the problems is that I have never had a dog before, second I don’t have and don’t provide enough time for Red. (The second I can fix) When he looks at me with those big browns I am dumb founded. I guess we will be a good team and he and I with my other kids will make each other happy and content.

Happy Dog!

Do you think he will let him stay? Boy I hope not he'll eat everything!

Yesterday I went to a softball game up in San Marcos and it was fun to see the team play, it was just a scrimmage game and got a look at some of the new players (freshman) and I am hopeful for the coming season. Was greeted by the coach and was offered a chance to come out on the field and take photos, but this old body does not move as fast as it once did and these ladies can hit some shots. Don’t think I would look good with a softball hicky :-). So I stayed behind the wall and got the following photos. Hope you enjoy them. It was nice to get out and see a game.

Ready to take 3rd

Small package, POWERFUL ARM!

Eye's on the ball!

The past two weeks have been busy at work, many different things to deal with and still keeping the people on the move, it’s been rough but not as bad as others have it. So I won’t complain and will just ne glad that I am doing what I do, for the most part I am pleased with how things go with my life, there are times that I wish for more and then most of the time I am just happy I have what I have. The only thing I do wish for is a solid nights sleep, can not seem to sleep thru an entire night, don’t know why this is going on but it will work its way out. I hope that you are doing well and your troubles are few and far! I also hope that you have enjoyed the photos that went with this entry, I will work hard to keep them up and as always thank you for stopping by and seeing what I have to offer. Be good and stay safe!

Love, Pete