Tui Snider - author & speaker

reflections

R is for Reflections

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Oak tree reflections in my front porch puddle (photo by Tui Snider)
Oak tree reflections in my front porch puddle (photo by Tui Snider)

Relaxing with Reflections

I find photographing reflections enjoyable and meditative. It helps me reflect on things – such as why I enjoy cheesy puns so much… Seriously, though, there’s a drought here in north Texas, so anytime it rains, it’s cause for celebration.

That first picture was taken after a heavy rain last month, when our oak trees were still bare. Now, they are leafing out. The second photo is one I took while spacing out, staring at the bubbles in our aquarium. I like to call it my “think tank.” The third photos was taken while visiting the Fort Worth Water Gardens, a really innovative public park where scenes from sci-fi movies such as “Logan’s Run” and “The Lathe of Heaven” were filmed. The last photo is one I snapped at my husband’s boat shop. I love that rusty barrel! I’ve taken dozens of photos of it.

How’s everyone doing with the A to Z blog challenge? I’ve fallen behind on commenting these last few days. I’ll be making the rounds today, though, starting with the blogs of anyone who leaves a comment here. *hint* *hint*

Reflections in my aquarium (photo by Tui Snider)
Reflections in my aquarium (photo by Tui Snider)

Follow me on Instagram & I’ll follow you back!

I’ve gone from turning up my nose at the idea of cell phone pictures, to being an avid iPhone photographer, which is why my theme for the 2014 A to Z blog challenge is Instagram Travel Photos. If you are on Instagram, I’d be delighted to follow you. Simply follow my photo feed (@TuiSnider) on Instagram and I’ll follow you back!

For more, check out my collaboration with Morgan Dragonwillow. Morgan used my iPhone photos to accompany her poems in a book called Wild Woman Waking. Check it out!

Tree reflections at the Fort Worth Water Gardens (photo by Tui Snider)
Tree reflections at the Fort Worth Water Gardens (photo by Tui Snider)

What is the April A to Z Blog Challenge?

Each April, people from all over the world participate in the April A to Z blog challenge, and you can too. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to meet other bloggers. To play along, all you do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during April, then use the blog hop linky to visit as many other bloggers as you can.

My A to Z Inspired Book: Unexpected Texas

I’d like to thank everyone who commented on my blog during the A to Z Challenge last year, because it convinced me to take the self-publishing plunge. On March 2, 2014, I released Unexpected Texas as a paperback and eBook and it quickly became an Amazon Best Seller!

Rust barrel reflections (photo by Tui Snider)
Rust barrel reflections (photo by Tui Snider)

Check out other A to Z blogs below:

Check out the other participants of the A to Z Challenge 

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Turning Basin Riverboat Tour in Jefferson, Texas

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Turning Basin Riverboat Tour in Jefferson, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Reflections on the Jefferson Texas bayou tour (photo by Tui Snider)

Beautiful Reflections along the Bayou

Today’s photo essay features shots I took with my iPhone while floating down the Big Cypress Bayou in Jefferson, Texas. It was hard to restrain myself to only sharing six pictures with you because I could not stop taking photos. It was that beautiful! If, like me, you enjoy dreamy reflections, then a cruise with Turning Basin Riverboat Tours is made for you.

Turning Basin Riverboat Tour in Jefferson, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Reflections on the Jefferson Texas bayou tour (photo by Tui Snider)

East Texas History & Lore

Our boat was captained by John Nance, who kept us entertained with a mixture of historical information, local lore and facts about nature. After showing us a photo of a huge snapping turtle, John told us how a high school buddy of his earned the name “Stumpy” after having several fingers bitten off by just such a creature while noodling for catfish. (In case you don’t know, “noodling” is the term for catching fish by hand. Pretty crazy activity to do in snapping turtle country!)

Turning Basin Riverboat Tour in Jefferson, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Reflections along the Jefferson Texas bayou tour (Tui Snider)

Informative, but Spontaneous

One thing I love about the bayou tour by Mr. Nance is how spontaneous he is. You know how some tour guides read a script, and you get the feeling that their mind is off planning their grocery list as they drive their route? With John Nance, you can tell that no two tours are alike. He just starts talking, and sure, he probably shows the same photos each time, but the information he relayed was in direct response to our reactions. You could just tell that he is full of stories.

Turning Basin Riverboat Tour in Jefferson, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Reflections along the Jefferson Texas bayou tour (Tui Snider)

Cypress Knees

In some places along the bayou, the gnarly tree roots stick upright, in rows. These are called “cypress knees,” but to me they look more like curious prairie dogs watching from the shoreline. Oddly enough, scientists don’t really know what function these unusual root structures serve. There’s an interesting blog post all about cypress knees at this link: Cypress Knees, What Are They Good For? (absolutely nothin’?)

Turning Basin Riverboat Tour in Jefferson, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Reflections along the Jefferson Texas bayou tour (Tui Snider)

Snakes on the Water

One thing that freaked me out as we cruised down the Big Cypress Bayou was seeing my first water moccasin. I don’t have a snake phobia, but what made me shudder in this case is that the snake swam across the bayou! I’m from Washington State, and while we do have rattlesnakes up there, they don’t make a habit of swimming. On fishing trips as a kid, I always took comfort in knowing that I wasn’t likely to encounter a venomous creature while wading or swimming.

Turning Basin Riverboat Tour in Jefferson, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Jefferson, Texas bayou reflections with a turtle (photo by Tui Snider)

Turning Basin Riverboat Tours = Money Well Spent

At $8 a piece, I thought the hour-long riverboat cruise down Big Cypress Bayou in Jefferson, Texas was well worth it. The boat captain is entertaining, the setting is beautiful, and shutterbugs will be in photo-heaven. (Speaking of, there is a gorgeous photo essay about this same bayou tour over at Debbi Robertson’s blog entitled The REAL La Salle’s Riverboat Expedition. Check it out!) If you ever take a jaunt to east Texas, I highly recommend checking out the Turning Basin Riverboat Tours website and booking a trip for yourself.