The Veranda

Blue Mountain

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:50:53 +0000

West of Fort Davis is a large county park with a winding path for joggers. The park looks west toward Blue Mountain, and if you care to walk your dog or take a stroll at the end of the day, you might see
scenes like this.

Star Mountain Scenic Drive

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:37:08 +0000

Leaving Fort Davis on north Highway 17 is this view of Star Mountain, marking the long descent from the Davis Mountains to Balmorhea.

Cottonwood Bower

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:33:46 +0000

Leaving Fort Davis on Highway 17 North, this is my favorite cottonwood bower. The shapely trunks are handsome even in leafless winter. During walks in the area, one can distinguish the different timbres of the wind through various leaf shapes. Cottonwood leaves sound like hundreds of rustling round tympanums, very unlike the baritone wind through the long-needle ponderosa pine.

Winter Frost in Alpine and Fort Davis

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:59:07 +0000

Few people think of winter when they think of the Trans Pecos. But winter brings snow, heavy frosts, and ice storms in all their hoary glory. The first scene is of Alpine. The second shows the rhythmic shapes of the cacti outside Fort Davis.

Mitre Peak Girl Scout Camp

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:44:37 +0000

Twenty minutes south of Fort Davis is the Mitre Peak Girl Scout Camp. Access is gained by calling the Permian Basin Girl Scouts in Odessa. These scenes were taken along the Fern Canyon trail, a mix of moonscape rocks and thick damp tree scape that ends in this reflective pool.

Big Bend Dark Skies

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:31:12 +0000

Many visitors enjoy the Davis Mountains’ dark skies during the Dark skies need to be preserved for the McDonald Observatory McDonald Observatory star parties. But these photos show what a mellow setting the Observatory visitor center is during its daytime programs. After our rainy season when the grasses are high, the sun glints the seedheads like daytime stars.

Masonic lodge

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:38:13 +0000

Fort Davis has many historic buildings. These two pictures are of the west side of the old Masonic Lodge. Notice the trowel marks left by the stucco masons and how the swaths show in the different light: the first photo was taken during an evening storm; the second 45 minutes later at sundown.