Mueller Lake Park

The old Robert Mueller Municipal Airport air traffic control tower, built in 1961.

One of the places that I visit many times a week here in Austin, to walk and be in more of a natural setting is Mueller Lake Park. The park is a small part of the whole Mueller development which started after the old airport closed and moved out to the former location of Bergstrom Air Force Base, which closed in 1993. It seems like so long ago now, but I definitely remember taking flights out Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, and also visiting the airbase while in High School Air Force Jr ROTC. So much has changed in Austin since I first moved here in 1983 with my parents. It’s mostly unrecognizable compared to what it was back then.

Now at Mueller, where there used to be huge runways, a terminal, and parking lots, is a massive housing development, stores, parks, a children’s hospital, and various other venues. The plan for it has slowly been carried out and built over the last 20 years and seems to be getting near completion.

There are only a few artifacts left from the old airport opened in 1930, and rebuilt in 1961, which before that was farmland. There is a large bow-trussed hangar where they have the farmer’s market and a food court. And then there is the original air traffic control tower, which I think is an aesthetically interesting Jet Age structure. Back in 2012, the Austin Film Society hired me to photograph the tower to create an image for their Christmas card that year. I do hope the city does something cool with the tower eventually. So far it’s just been sitting alone in an empty field. We will see!

“The 700-acre Mueller site, vacated when Austin’s airport relocated in 1999, is well on its way to becoming home to approximately 14,300 people, 14,500 employees, 10,500 construction jobs, 4 million square feet of office and retail, more than 6,200 homes and 140 acres of public open space. Mueller is an award-winning master planned and designed community, and in accordance with new urbanist principles.”
— muelleraustin.com/about/

Back In Texas

This is the only photo I have to document my 1300 mile drive back to Texas from Florida. It was taken at the first rest stop once you enter the state from Louisiana. Might have been the stop with a gang of sweet feral cats, can’t remember.

I’m glad to be home. And I’m glad I went, even though traveling right now might not seem like a good idea. Flying wasn’t an option at this time. The trip for me was worth the distance and effort, to get to see my family for Thanksgiving. We were as safe as we could be. I don’t want to live in a bubble. And I don’t want to put others at risk. It’s a stressful balance to maintain. Let’s hope it all works out for the best.

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Out To Okeechobee

How I wish that I had better photos to share all that I saw today. I went on a half-day road trip out west from Palm Beach to Lake Okeechobee. The most interesting moment was driving by a sugar cane field with 15 foot high flames, a monstrous plume of smoke you could see for miles, and an almost alarming amount of heat that wafted into my open window as I drove by. After doing some research I discovered how controversial it is. If you are curious there are two recent articles that I found at the Claims Journal and the Miami Herald websites. According to one article, there are 400,000 acres of sugar cane in Florida. Wow!

DuPuis Management Area, Canal Point, FL.

My first stop was the DuPuis Management Area where I went on a short hike. When I got there the parking lot was empty but upon leaving there was a gentleman resting against the map and information stand. Was not expecting to meet a retired motorcycle enthusiast taking a rest on his daily ride out in the country. We had a nice conversation and he recommended that I check out “the lock” just down the road. The lock helps maintain the water level for Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s 730 square mile Inland Sea, as boats leave or enter the canal to and from the lake. There’s a canal cut across the entire state to allow small boats passage. Turns out the Port Mayaca Lock & Dam is one of the few places you can get a good look at the lake since it is mostly hidden by a 40 ft. dike of earth and rock all along its perimeter. A historical sign next to a cemetery on the road to the lake gave a clue as to why such a large dike is necessary. In 1928 a storm surge broke through the then 6.6-foot dike and as many as 2500 people were killed.

Lake Okeechobee as seen from just south of the Port Mayaca Lock & Dam.

Being a farm photographer for so many years I now have a decent fascination for agriculture and get interested when I see farms and crops outside of my bubble. My route driving back toward the coast was somewhat random and it showed me two new types of farming I had not seen before. The sugar cane I mentioned already being the first. Found myself following a few semi-trucks with big caged trailers full of just harvested, and probably burned, sugar cane. The full ones heading towards a large industrial looking plant in the distance, and the empty ones heading back out for another load. No doubt a monolithic business.

The second type of farm I saw and was surprised by was turf. So many times I have seen a new housing development getting a delivery of pallets of grass to create someone’s new yard. Can’t say that I ever really thought about where it came from. As you can see from the picture below, there are literally 100’s of acres of mowed grass right next to the sugar cane fields. I watched as a specialized tractor cut up the strips of lawn and a few workers stacked it on pallets. One company’s website states they “offer muck-grown St. Augustine sod farmed on our fields throughout Western Palm Beach County.” Who knew!

Turf Farm along Old Conner’s Hwy heading southeast from Canal Point, FL., with a burning sugar cane field far in the distance.

Photos below: Top left- My trusty Mazda 3. Top right- Sugar cane field. Bottom right- The soil in this area is so very dark! Bottom left- If you’ve been to FL. you’ve seen the canals literally everywhere. They might be the reason this place is not all swampland.

The Banyan Tree

Florida is lush with all kinds of plants and trees. Reminds me of California, where everything seems to be feeding on Miracle Grow and is so prolific and colorful compared with Texas and the rest of the country. The fact that it does not often get very cold here makes a big difference. Most of the state has either a tropical or humid subtropical climate. Maybe it’s not fair to say more lush but just different in a tropical kind of way. Different than what I’m used to for sure.

While visiting, one tree that I see every day while walking around my Aunt’s complex is what I believe to be the Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis), a member of the fig family. The reason I’m not confident of the exact species is that there is also a native Florida Strangler Fig (Ficus aurea) that looks similar. After quite a lot of research, I’m just not sure.

Banyans are mostly found on the other side of the world where they are native to the Indian subcontinent and are often considered sacred or magical, worshiped and venerated by many specific countries and religions.

Banyans are rated the largest trees on the planet according to the area covered, and they live for hundreds of years. I love noticing what is around me and then doing some research. There’s so much to learn and explore when you are naturally curious!

Golfing in Florida

The last time I went golfing was probably 3-4 years ago. And It was with the same cousin here in Florida. The only reason I know how to golf is from taking some lessons as a teenager at the YMCA in Pennsylvania while visiting my grandparents for the summer. Somehow those few lessons have stuck with me enough to be able to have a good time on the fairway and not totally fail every shot. Actually, there are a lot of experiences and lessons learned while visiting PA. from ages 11-17, starting when my parent got a divorce in 85’. How grateful I am to have been able to get to know and spend so much time with my grandparents on both sides. They are all gone now.

Saw some interesting wildlife on the course, and the weather was perfect. As far as birds go, there was the standard fare that you see almost anywhere in this part of Florida. Ducks, geese, coots, gallinules, and Ibis. The most prominent, raising big a ruckus at the 12th hole putting green, was around 20-30 Egyptian Geese. They’re really beautiful birds with a distinctive dark eye patch and overall attractive coloring. They originated in Africa and when brought over to the US for zoos and the like, got loose and established feral populations. According to Wikipedia, the Ancient Egyptians considered them sacred. It’s doubtful the golfers pay them much mind other than when the birds are honking loudly on the sidelines or a nearby roof, as the player tries to sink their final putt.

There were also some huge invasive green iguanas in trees and on the ground. They look like dinosaurs and are fairly docile but I know many people in this state do not like them and they can do a lot of damage. Not one of them ran out to grab any of my golf balls so I was happy. Overall a beautiful morning! I didn’t play too horribly and got some quality time with my cousin.

Native American Heritage Month

There is a heavy subject that I often think about but don’t voice or address. If you are not in the mood for it you might consider skipping the first part of this post.

When I think or read about how Native Americans have been treated, and I try to imagine how different this country would be if their lives had been honored and respected, I just shake my head and feel a lot of shame. It’s not an exaggeration to say, the fact that many Americans are here living the lives they are is on the back of a mass elimination of human beings that were here long before any Europeans landed in the Americas. Not a fun history to think about but it’s the reality. Then you add slavery on top of that and it’s quite a dark period in our story.

How many Americans do I wonder have read the history and accounts of how Native Americans were treated by settlers and the US government? I’m sad to say I have only read one, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. As the author, Dee Brown states, “This is not a cheerful book, but history has a way of intruding upon the present, and perhaps those who read it will have a clearer understanding of what the American Indian is, by knowing what he was.“ It’s painful to hear of the heartless campaign to destroy the Native American culture and “replace it with the white man’s civilization.” The following quote and assessment still sounds relevant and likely set a precedent for how much of the land and resources of the US and world have been consumed and destroyed by greed and ignorance in the name of progress.

“To the Indians it seemed that these Europeans hated everything in nature - the living forests and their birds and beasts, the grassy grades, the water, the soil, the air itself.”
— Dee Brown - Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee

On a more positive note, here are a few other books that I found incredibly valuable that are authored by Native Americans. The first is The Lakota Way by Joseph M. Marshall III, which was a delight to listen to. These old stories and wisdom ring true to me and touch on something that is missing or that never was in the culture I was raised by. Where are the truly wise elders in our celebrities and politicians? Who do you look up to and why? What stories have these people shared that have helped you to learn about the world and how to navigate its perils and challenges?

Each chapter in the book shares an ancient story, with lessons about humility, perseverance, respect, honor, love, sacrifice, compassion, truth, bravery, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom. Talk about a self-help book that gets at what’s important.

“Humility was a virtue that the Lakota of old expected their leaders to possess. A quiet, humble person, we believed, was aware of other people and other things. An arrogant, boastful man was only aware of himself. Interestingly, our methods of selecting leaders today seem to favor the arrogant and boastful.”
— Joseph M. Marshall III - The Lakota Way

Lastly is a book by Don Miguel Ruiz Jr., son of the well-known author of The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz. At some point, I will write more about each agreement and what they mean to me. This truly is an amazing book full of wisdom. One of the big questions that keep coming up in the book is this. Are you using knowledge, or is knowledge using you? Give it a listen or a read. There is a lot to learn.

“The primary tool one uses to domesticate oneself is self judgement. Using my archetypal model of what “I am Miguel” is supposed to mean, I see upon looking at my reflection all the perceived flaws or inadequacies, and my domestication springs into action. I am not smart enough, I’m not attractive enough, I don’t have enough, I’m lacking this or that, and so on. Self judgement resides where self acceptance wishes to be. Our attachments to these self judgements can become so normal that we don’t even recognize them as condemnations anymore. We accept them as a part of who we are. But at a very basic level our self judgements are all consequences of what we believe about ourselves at our core. Wether we accept or reject ourselves. Of all the beliefs to detach from this is the most important one. Let go of the attachment that you must obtain some image of perfection in order to be happy.”
— Don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

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Day of Thanksgiving

I’m very thankful to be with my family on this day after a long stressful year. I’m thankful for all of the delicious food we consumed, and to every person that made having access to that food possible. From the farmer all the way to the grocery store employees, I hope they all are having a joyful day. Not everyone has food security and I don’t take it for granted.

If you haven’t read about the history of this holiday I recommend checking out the Wikipedia page. It seems like a given now, but the path it took to become a standard in the US is quite complicated. It definitely has grown out of many different religious traditions, but what I found most interesting was the time when it was more of a random or irregular event, based on the external circumstances of the world.

Me, my aunt, cousin, and his girlfriend.

Me, my aunt, cousin, and his girlfriend.

“A day of thanksgiving was a day set aside for public worship in thanksgiving for events believed to signal God's mercy and favor. Such a day might be proclaimed by the civil authority or the church.” The counter or complement to that was something called a day of humiliation or fasting, which was more of a punishment connected to the judgment of God. “A day of humiliation or thanksgiving might be proclaimed in response to a drought, flood, fire, military defeat, or plague. They might also be held before the undertaking of a difficult endeavor.” Seems related to what’s happening now in many ways!

Fasting is something I’ve been researching and I think that’s why this part of history caught my eye. After stuffing myself to the brim with food today, the idea of less or limits appeals to me. I’m considering occasional fasts, to rest my system, and to work on a healthier relationship with food. Too often I eat without being hungry and for emotional comfort.

This train of thought also reminds me of a Stoic practice promoted by Tim Ferriss, from the Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 18, On Festivals and Fasting. “Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: ‘Is this the condition that I feared?” This is how my mind works.

David Allen Sibley

There must be 100’s of different bird guides available, but my favorite by far are the ones written and illustrated by master birder David Allen Sibley. Being an artist and having a love for painting of all types myself, probably has something to do with it. It’s hard to believe, but David hand-illustrated and painted every image in his guides, and I just love looking at them. According to the Audubon website he “painstakingly draws what he sees in the field—900 species for his most recent field guide—first in pencil and then in gouache paints. Sibley has been hailed as the heir to the great birder and artist Roger Tory Peterson, placing him in a long line of artist-naturalist hybrids that leads straight back to John James Audubon himself.”

Don’t get me wrong, photos of birds can be jaw-dropping. There is just artistry and uniformity to his paintings that I find very visually appealing. And the way all of the information is laid out works well and I find myself looking through the guide I have, cover to cover, over and over again. There is just so much to contemplate!

Found this splendid painting of a Carolina Chickadee by David on Pinterest.

Found this splendid painting of a Carolina Chickadee by David on Pinterest.

 

So if you have a bird feeder and are curious about what you are seeing, or if you want to get serious about birding, I highly recommend David’s books. When you get your hands on one I suspect you’ll appreciate the years of research and practice drawing and painting that obviously went into them. Birds are amazing and I’m grateful to have a guide to understand them better.

“I wanted a book that would show every plumage and every subspecies, at rest and in flight. A book that would give details on the plumages and habits of each species, describe songs and calls, and show the complete distribution of each species, all on the same page and all in a format that would allow easy comparisons between species.”
— David Allen Sibley from the preface of his 2000 edition guide.

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Loxahatchee

This morning I put in almost 10,000 steps, slowly exploring the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. According to their website, “the refuge consists of 145,188 acres, or 226 square miles, of Everglades ecosystems including a mosaic of wet prairies, sawgrass ridges, sloughs, tree islands, cattail communities, and a 400-acre cypress swamp. These lands provide habitat — food, water, shelter, and space — for more than 250 species of birds, 60 species of reptiles and amphibians, 40 species of butterflies, and 20 types of mammals.” My main goal was bird watching, but I did happen to spot two alligators sunning on mud.

If you are interested, I will talk about the birds that I saw and anything notable while encountering them. The most prevalent and numerous were the Common Gallinule, American Coot, and Purple Gallinule. More than once I was startled by their alarming calls from the water line very near my path. When not reacting to me they were swimming around like ducks and eating vegetation from underwater. The Purple Gallinule reminded me of a very large pigeon in shape and the iridescent coloring of their feathers.

The largest birds descending in size were the Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Anhinga, and Little Blue Heron. They were mostly out in the open and easy to observe. The Anhinga in particular really surprised me. I heard a splash and turned around to see 10 inches of its head above water, with a small fish skewered on the end of his upper bill. He then submerged for 10-15 seconds, came back up, and then seemed to disappear underwater, not to be seen again. It was hard to believe I was seeing a bird that stays underwater that much. Makes sense someone nicknamed it “Snakebird,” because that is how it looked.

There were a few birds that I was not able to identify. The more I get into birding the more I realize there is to learn. But when you love something and it is exciting the motivation is there. The last bird I will mention from this part of the refuge is the Loggerhead Shrike. What a handsome predatory songbird, mostly gray coloring, with black and white, and a precise mechanical song.

The Cypress Swamp at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

The last area I visited was the 400-acre cypress swamp, a small vestige of its historical range before Florida was transformed into what it is today. It’s an area covered in shallow water, with Cypress Trees, ferns, Spanish moss hanging everywhere, lichens, and all other sorts of swamp plants. It was eerily quiet while I navigated the constructed boardwalk, and I imagined how it might be much more active and noisy at night. Just when I had about given up seeing any birds, I was surprised by the appearance of three different types of woodpecker in a matter of minutes. A Pileated Woodpecker, which always seems surprisingly large, a male and female Red-bellied Woodpecker pair, and what I think was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. What a great way to spend half my day!

The Box Photo

One of the images that I create for Johnson’s Backyard Garden every week is called the box photo. It is intended to illustrate to the CSA members what they might be getting in their share. Here is a description from the JBG website that describes what the CSA is if you are not familiar.

“What is Community Supported Agriculture?

Community Supported Agriculture is much different than going to the local grocery and buying your vegetables. It is a direct partnership between you the consumer and our farm. CSA members pay in advance for a share of the upcoming harvest and are ensured high-quality local produce, and we the farm are ensured a consistent market. Produce is harvested directly from our fertile and certified organic vegetable fields located along the Colorado River just East of Austin. Immediately after harvest, we deliver "CSA shares" to our members' homes, offices, and over 30 community pick-up locations all on the same day.”

On Tuesday’s you can often find me arranging veggies near the ground and then perched high atop of a 6ft ladder hovering my camera over that week’s gorgeous harvest. After many years of feedback from customers, this seems to be one of their favorite images of mine to see on the JBG website. It has definitely evolved over the years. Here are a few recent ones that I think turned out pretty good.

Photo of me in the cabbage patch by Brenton Johnson, owner of the farm.

Photo of me in the cabbage patch by Brenton Johnson, owner of the farm.

It's Really About You

“Discomfort shows us where we are holding back, where we are stuck. This moment is the perfect teacher. People that trigger us are good news.”
— When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron

One month into this year-long writing/blog challenge, I want to share one truth or lesson that I figured out a long time ago. It’s been the most consistent behavior of mine that I have observed and it seems to be true for others as well.

Maybe you’ve experienced this? Something about someone bothers or triggers you. It could be anyone, from the closest to you to a complete stranger. It happened today. There is a woman I encounter often that rarely smiles and seems kind of rigid and keeps to herself. I might think, what is her deal. Her guard is up, she doesn’t smile, and she is generally closed off.

If I stop to observe and question these feelings I find something and have to be totally honest with myself. It’s likely many acquaintances in my life at times see me the exact same way. And a big surprise, I don’t like that about myself. So when I see it in someone else I react negatively. As they say, everything is really just about us. Then I can ask, what is this here to teach me. These triggers point to where I need to take a hard look at my behavior or way of being in the world. Is it serving me or is it likely just a way to avoid being vulnerable and to avoid letting anyone see who I am?

An image made 10 years ago on film with something called a Quad Cam.

An image made 10 years ago on film with something called a Quad Cam.

Living More Directly

This lesson yesterday from The Book of Awakening has to be the one that many years ago jarred my world the most. And it continues to stick in my mind and cause me to observe carefully my interactions with others. It made me look much more closely at how I do or don’t communicate my needs, and how I might be manipulating others instead of having good boundaries and taking the risk of as Mark says, being hurt.

Give it a read and see how it lands. Maybe some people might not think it is a big deal or much of an issue. I’ve discovered in my quest to have better boundaries, and by seeing my friends to the same, that if yours have been weak, you might overcompensate and can come off as seeming harsh or overprotective of your time and energy. I think it takes time and practice to balance it out. What’s your experience? How directly do you live?

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Try This Compassion Exercise

A few years ago I drove for Lyft and Uber for a short time. One of my passengers, a young optimistic college student, handed me a card on one ride. He told me I could keep it and encouraged me to try the exercise. The text on this accompanying graphic shares exactly what it showed. By sharing this I am not promoting the source, but am simply appreciating the content. The steps remind me of a general rule I try to follow. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Or maybe don’t judge someone until you have walked in their shoes. It’s very powerful and I highly recommend trying it.

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“To develop understanding you have to practice looking at all beings with the eyes of compassion.”
— Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh

Love U!?

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“It’s hard to sustain love for others until we have a sense of inner abundance and sufficiency. When we experience inner impoverishment, love for another too early becomes hunger, for reassurance, for acclaim, and affirmation of our worth. Feeling incomplete inside of ourselves, we search for others to complete us. We can’t claim from others what we cannot give ourselves.”
— Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection by Sharon Salzberg

Saw this graffiti along the Barton Creek Greenbelt under Loop 360 yesterday, and at first viewed it as a compliment from the creator, but then realized it could also be a prescription. And not an easy one in my experience. It sure seems like there are a lot of messages that come from our culture and society that do not prioritize, encourage, or model self-love.