Heron

 

This little guy, as far as I can tell, is a Green Heron. He threw me of his heron-trail by not having a long neck, but then I realized his neck was just scrunched down like some of these guys here: http://www.google.com/images?q=green+heron&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=leGeTJzFBoGBlAf62KnwAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CDcQsAQwAA&biw=1920&bih=1016. The internets win again! I photographed him at the Sunken Gardens in San Antnio, TX.

Aiden and Harley

My nephew Aiden and his dog Harley in their home in San Antonio, TX.

Happy Dogs

A couple of really cute, happy dogs trying not to get too hot at the Austin Farmers Market in Austin, TX.

Dragonfly

Our sunflower forest attracted quite a menagerie this year, this little dude among them.

Mockingbird

I saw this little guy when I went on a walk with my camera (can't remember why).

Donkey

Chillin' on the hillside north of Soufriere, St Lucia.

A Hermit Crab

A little hermit crab puttering around Anse Cochon beach on St Lucia.

Island Cat

Check out the little buddy we made at Villas Des Pitons in Soufriere. He begged outside our door every night.

Black Bird

Villa des Pitons Hotel in St Lucia.

InSync Exotics

This very sweet tiger face is sleeping in the midday heat at InSync Exotics, A big cat rescue a few towns over from my house.
Gigantic lion muzzle-pouches!
And tiger paw pads!
This white lioness had a very sweet look on her face. Like my cats when they are being nice.
This is a baby lynx who just got rescued. He had to be segregated due to severe mange. But he will be ok soon.
Cougar grooming.
The floofiest cat in the world lives here too!

Fond Doux Estate

Here are some photos from Fond Doux Estate. It's a hotel and cocoa plantation with a nature trail near Soufriere. The photo above is a cocoa pod growing on a cocoa tree.
Bananas hanging in the cocoa-drying shed.
This is the shed where the cocoa is dried. Giant trays of cocoa roll out along the metal tracks on sunny days. When it's rainy, the trays are protected in the shed.
We ate some delicious vegetable roti at the plantation restaurant.
New ginger plants sprouting on a ginger flower on the nature trail.
Huge metal pot used for separating out the cocoa beans.
Chicken who also lives in the cocoa shed.

Villa Des Pitons At Night

My Joby Gorillapod and long exposures while waiting for dinner at the hotel. We ate next to the pool.
Overlooking Soufriere.
Sleepy kitty on the balcony.
Soufriere.

Villa Des Pitons

We arrived in Soufriere, St Lucia the evening after our beautiful wedding. After staying up until 4 am, dancing in a (gay) bar with my Mom and sister, Aunts, Uncle and Cousin. After missing our 9 am flight to Miami and frantically rearranging our flight plans in the car on the way to the airport. The roads on St Lucia are narrow and steep. Island driving takes... some getting used to. We wanted an adventure, and we got it.
Ah, St Lucia, a beautiful and frustrating place. Our first home here was the Villa Des Pitons, a charming and run-down lodge on the hillside overlooking the town of Soufriere. I think I would have loved this place if the bed had been a little more comfortable and the room a little less dim. I won't ask for great service (although the owner, Dora, was great)--it didn't take long to figure out that's not the norm on this island. Above, our little kitty friends at the Villa.
The door to our room.
View of Soufriere and the Pitons from the patio.
Not for the stair-averse. Everything on St Lucia is steep; it's a younger, mountainous Caribbean island.
Ubiquitous little-bird buddy.
Escher-esque and colorful. It's a large place; we felt like we had it to ourselves.
The entrance.
Toward the interior.
The jungle.

The steep driveway, and our white rental 4WD.
Up the valley.
The room.