Thanks, UPS, for Your Timely Delivery

I decided the other night to order a new lens for my Canon and was pleased when it showed up yesterday. It was a nice day so I thought I'd do a reconnaissance of lower Llano County and make sure I could find the ranch I'm going to on Saturday to observe a Longhorn sale and meet a couple friends from San Angelo. Since I got the new lens, I took my camera with me to make sure it worked as advertised.

I didn't see a single flower on the roadside - you can never tell when the bluebonnets are going to start blooming - not even any green grass, and TX 71 was under repair. There wasn't a thing to get excited about as a photographer. So, on my way home I went via TX 29. And, lo and behold, bluebonnets! None you'd want to take pictures of; they were small and pale (as well as early), but they promise much more in a few weeks.

While I was out and about I figured I might as well check Park Road 4 along Inks Lake State Park. No bluebonnets to speak of but a lightly traveled road is good place to test fire a new lens. With no flowers and no green grass it was fortuitous that there was some blue in the sky and the water.

But, as I said, in a few weeks I'll be making my annual bluebonnet tour to see what I can find. And I'll have a fine new lens that I'll be trying to take advantage of.

The lens I have been using for years now is a 28-135mm zoom, which is a marvelous range. The wide angle focal lengths let me use it inside without being cramped, and the telephoto end lets me reach across a room to catch whatever looks interesting.

My new lens, a 70-300mm telephoto zoom, will come in handy on my photo expeditions but, if yesterday is any indication, it'll take me a while to get used to it. I found I was choosing my distances for the old lens and, consequently, the new lens was definitely making me feel cramped. I was having to back up regularly. . . where I could. But I'll get over it with a bit of practice.

This shot from the south end of Inks Lake of that local icon (hill, butte, whatever) never looked so close at hand. I'm going to love reaching out with my new lens.