South Texas Shooters (Photography That Is!)

Hello again, I have returned from the battle with weekend weakness. Or better known as just plain old lazy. I have not posted since Wednesday and can offer my most respectful apology for the lengthy silence. It is hot and just stays hot, and again I am afraid of what the middle of July will bring not to think of Aug will bring. The main concern is that it is very dry, tinder box dry around here and a good solid week of steady rain would be a blessing for all. Thursday and Friday were here and gone before I knew it and glad they are gone. Saturday was a very good day. I had invitied some people I work with over, a very select few, the folks that came over have in some way enriched my life away from work and I wanted to thank them for doing so. It was a great time, some snacks, drinks and fun talk. A wonderful time! No photos of this for I was having such a good time I forgot the camera. Sunday was a day of lazy rest, I took lessons from the fur people of the house and layed about until late afternoon and then began to stir and get somethings done. It was nice, but now I must pay the price and get my act together for the week ahead.
On to photos, I hope that I can share a couple with you this day. Some softball photos from this past seasons and year prior. I have come to enjoy going up the road to San Marcos and seeing the Texas State Lady Bobcats play the game. An afternoon in their yard is so much fun! Their coaching staff is the key to the success of these very talented ladies and my hat is off to the coach’s they are so heady with this team. Well on to the photos and may your week be a grand one with nice cool breeze to your back. Pete

Texas State Softball

Texas State Softball

Hello again, I did not make an entry for Tuesday and there is no good excuse. So I shall move on. Today was a repeat of the past few days, it was hot again today and again this is the start, I fear it will be hotter as times goes on. For the first time in a long time I drink more water than anything else which is good. As for downtown it is full of folks checking out what the city has to offer, busy day answering questions and giving directions which helps make the day go by faster. Not much on the home front other than my ever present fur person Mr Seguin is to my right making sure I get this done. He as all the fur people are a comfort to me when I return they provide companionship without asking for much, just food water and a little love. For sure they get that without question! As for today’s photo it is from downtown and features the Tower Life building or as some prefer to call it the Transit Tower. Taken as the sun was setting I thought it looked nice and wanted to share with you this image. As always I hope you enjoy it and come back again to see other images of mine. Have a great day and take it easy and stay cool. Pete

The Transit Tower

Hello again, another Monday has passed and as has been the trend it was hot and muggy. This is the start and I just hope that I can get use to it? It was a busy day in the city, but not a hectic day. Went without any major delays or problems. At the house, the fur people have learned to escape the heat by conserving energy by resting until my arrival at night, At this point they go into there circus routine and show off there skills for me as I attempt to wind down. They make me smile and I am grateful for those few moments of fun. Today I wish to share with you another image taken while downtown. The image for today is of the San Fernado Church in the heart of downtown. A very nice setting, with Main Plaza Park in front of it. A gathering place for many folks during the day and evening hours it can provide some moments to just chill out. To ease your mind I was not chilling, I was going from location to another when I stopped for the moment to capture this image. I hope that you enjoy it and I hope to share more with you in the coming weeks. Take care and have a grand Tuesday. Until the next time, Pete

San Fernado Church

Hi all, as Sunday slips away and the weekend comes to a close I find that I did nothing special or groundbreaking over this weekend. Mainly I stayed close to the house. This morning I awoke early (530am) and was unable to get back to sleep. As I saw the sun rise I figured this might be a good time to take a trip to the zoo and see what moment I might capture with the camera. The zoo has always been a place for me to escpae the routine of my days and from the stress put upon me from many places. And the trip was just that a stress break. Have you ever been in the zoo early before all the crowds come in? It is a diffrent place, very relaxed, the staff are working hard to get the animals feed and cared for, some folks are getting the zoo cleaned up for the public. The folks that I have always been inpressed with are the keepers. A lot of the time there hard work is not seen by vistors unless something is a miss. These folks work 365 for in most cases very little money. Over the years I have taken many photos in a zoo and until today I do not recall ever saying thank you to one of these backstage hero’s. While I was taking photos of a clouded leopard a young lady came out of the back area of the exhibit I stopped her, she was young and looked so exhausted already, it was not 9am yet. When I stopped her she had the look in her eyes of what now!, as I spoke to her to express my thanks for the hard work that she and the others do, I noticed her shoulders relax and a warm smile come across her face. I did not wish to keep her from getting as much done before the heat of the day became an oven. I wanted to take her photo but in the same instant did not. For in my minds lens I shall have that image of that smile. Over the years I have made some good friends from the zoo here where I live and have been blessed to call them friend. So to make up for all those times I never said or forgot to say Thank You for all your efforts while you worked at the zoo, for being there on hoilidays, cold, hot, wet weather. Without you those images that I captured could not have come true. I am one lucky man for knowing these folks. The photo for today comes from the zoo visit and is of one of my favorite big cats, the Clouded Leopard, it is not the best image but it was taken a moment before I spoke to that young lady. So here goes and hope you enjoy the photo. Back to the mean streets of SA tomorrow. May your Monday be a good one and may the week treat you well. See you with my next entry. Pete

I'm a wild and crazy guy!

Hello all, as Saturday comes to a close, I share an image of Miss Selma another one of my fur people that share life with me. She is the sister of Mr Seguin and Miss Connie. She is the shy one of the three and very leary of most everything, although she has moments of absolute lunacy in her. She can from time to time make me wonder why she does things. There are times when it is just her and me and she will share love and hang out for the longest time to love you. She kneads so gently that I think she is afriad to hurt one. She can play with such gusto that you have to smile no matter what the day has sent your way. I am very pleased to share life with the three fur people, for somedays they can and do take away all the rudness, and goofiness that the world brings my way. As for today it was spent doing very little, I had no get up and go today, just wanted to lay about and escape the heat of the day. Well I close for now and share a photograph of Miss Selma. May your day be quite and peaceful. Pete

Miss Selma

Hello all Friday has passed and with it another week on the job. Although from time to time I complain about work, way down deep I am glad I have the job. Those that know me the best know that I am the type of person that wants to help others. On Friday I can say I did that, no life saving, no resuce of a cat in a tree, just simple stuff, like where is this and how do I get to that! Many people downtown Friday, but it’s Friday and the start of the weekend, schools out so this explains it. The day was hot but if you are here in Texas you already know that, if you are not here in Texas I’ll send you a box of hot from here. I spoke of helping others before and wish to touch upon it again. I want to help but at times do not know what is the right road to take, most days I take the right road and am able to help someone out. Then there are the times that I choose the wrong road and, and boy does that hurt! I guess that is part of the human thing. I have travelled down many a road, not as many as some, but have made a few trips and with grace and help I will travel down a few more. For you who have graced my heart with your friendship and companionship all these years. I am yours for life and shall remain that way. I am changing as wisdom leaks into my head, and it is great, Tony The Tiger GREATTTT! I hope that you will share your wisdom along side mine. Well I have rambled down the rocky road enough for this entry and it is time for the real deal, a photograph that is what this blog is really about, my photographs and you being able to share them. On to a photograph! The photograph for today is a Flamingo (it’s the title) the image was taken at the San Antonio Zoo not long ago, one of thousands that I have taken over the years. Just one to share with you. May this weekend be a good one for you and If you are a father, then Happy Fathers Day from me and the fur people. Pete

Flamingo

Hi all, it is still hot here although for a few moments the rains came. It would have been great if they stayed for a week but they did not. For a few moments it was nice. On the job it was a thrashing day. All of the folks on the road were kept moving, for some reason it felt like a full moon had decended upon us all. My guess is we were due such a day. Best part of it no one was serioulsy injuried. Was unable to capture any new images during the day, the camera was in use but it was company business. I shall include a photo with this entry as this is the main reason for me maintaining this blog is to share with you my images. Today I share another image of one of the fur people who share this house with me. I introduce you to Miss Converse aka Connie. One the three remaining kittens from a litter of five, she is so soft and sends so much love that I wonder if God knew she left heaven. Sometimes if it were not for the love and crazy antics of these critters I think life would really s**k. So for now I leave you with her image and hope that your day is filled with love, friendly folks and a hug or two. Pete

Miss Converse (aka Connie)

Bexar County Courthouse

Howdy all, I hope that your day was good. it was another hot day in ole San Antonio last night. As the dog days of summer are here and here to stay for sometime, I fear that I may have to get all new cloths by summers end. Will have lost so much body fat that I may become a new person or a earlier verson of me from the past. As the day went along and I did my thing of watching the buses criss-cross thru town and the many peoples who get on and off, I said inside me “People are CRAZY”! Then in the same thought I added myself to the list because I AM CRAZY TOO! As I watch all the kodak moments flash by and hope that I get to freeze the right one, it hit me that there is not a roll of film or sensor that could capture all this! As I moved from one stop to another I took notice of the county courthouse in the evening light and attempted to make a kodak moment to share with you. I hope that I was partly able to freeze the moment and share it with you. There are so many sights, so many images, some so good they warm the heart and some that are so weird that they make ones heart chill. Even with the heat of summer I prefer the heartwarming images that cross my best lens (eyes). As I took note of the people waiting for thier bus to reach the stop I was struck by the crazziness of one man who was attempting to amuse his family while they waited an eastside bus to make the stop. The man had picked up and cradled a pigeon in his hands and was rocking the pigeon in cupped hands, he then gently laid the bird down on the hot sidewalk and stepped back, the bird lay silent, after a few seconds the bird awoke and with some serious wing flaps took to the sky, I thought to me, “PEOPLE ARE CRAZY”! As the family got on the bus another thought came to mind and it made me smile, “you just cant beat seeing life unravel right in front of you, don’t need a TV show I have it 24/7, 365! I hope that your day is good and cool! Pete

Hello all, hope that you are doing well on this day. The title for this entry is due because I made it thru the heat of yesterday which means I am stronger for the next day. For all South Texans this is the beginning of the hot season as opposed to the not so hot season. The day went along well very few problems and helped a bunch of folks get to thier destination. No more stranded young women to get home. I hope the three from the entry before are well. As I get home I am always met by my three fur people (cats). I think that they know when to become the clowns of the house and break up the tension built up in me. As like a champ would do they came thru again last night. Upon meeting me they greeted me with head butts and rubs against my legs. But Seguinwent into an routine of flips and mad dashs that only videos would do justice. But be assured that it would make you all smile to see the things he did. I am glad that I have these fur people here for this would be one very lonely place and I would have a big hole in my heart. I would like for you to meet Juan Seguin the “nut of the night”! This image was taken a few days ago when we all spent the afternoon in the back yard. Until the next time, stay safe, keep cool and have a nutty moment just for fun. Pete

Mr Juan Seguin

Hello all, back to work on Monday after being away for a week of medical tests and doctors exams. No need to fear as I am around for a few more days to bug you and enlighten you with my trips. Monday was a very warm day in San Antonio, some folks tell me it was 102, dont know what the temp was but I do know it was a touch warm. Later in the evening I was asked by three vistors from Russia, all young women here how to get to Stockdale from downtown. Thinking they were driving I started to map out a route for them, when one girl said they were going to try and find a ride with someone. Something did not feel right with this way down deep in my gut. And despite what some folks think is a bad thing to do, I offered them a ride to there campsite in Stockdale. So after I finished my duties I went back to downtown where I got all three into my truck and took them to there site. I do not remember there names and could not pronouce them to save my life. Some of you might think that I am crazy for doing this type of thing and maybe I am, ut at least I know the type of nut that I am and felt they were in safer hands with me then someone who might take a dangarous advantage of these three women. When we got to there site they offered me money which I did not accept, I just wished them well and gave them some father type advice about travel and such. I asked if I could take a photo and they agreed, so here are my passengers from Monday. I wish them well and hope their visit to the USA is a good one with many wonderful memories. Pete

The Three Amigos