This is why….just beautiful….happy winter solstice!
Ever wonder why they’re named “red” oaks?
This is why….just beautiful….happy winter solstice!
Trail of Lights.
We made it to the Trail of Lights tonight in Austin’s jewel, Zilker Park, for the first time in probably 5 years or more. We used to go more frequently, but it has either not been easy to get down there in recent times, or it has been postponed for financial reasons. I remember, in the good old days, being able to decide at the last minute to go, and just zip down to the park and park for free on the grassy field and walk over. No more. We had to plan ahead. I got a parking pass online which made it a little easier, but the traffic was really crazy, and the crowds were enormous.
In any event, the lights were simply lovely.
This is the tunnel at the entrance…
This is a view of a bunch of different lights, with the Zilker tree in the background.
I love the tree lights.
So pretty…
And one last look back towards downtown. It’s a little blurry, but you can see some of the Trail lights, some of the city lights, and the waning Cold Moon.
The ginormous grapefruit are here!
We ordered another load of giant ruby red grapefruit – finally using up the generous gift certificate mom gave us last year from Pittman-Davis. They arrived today. They are so delicious. I wish we could get them year-round.
Teri and Jim are on their way home. It was so great to see them.
Upriver.
It was another beautiful day. Clear blue sky, temps in the 60s. We went back out to the lake for a sail with Teri and Jim. The lake is at 628.23′. Up about 10 feet from our low this year. Not nearly enough, but I can tell the difference.
Keep it coming!
This is a shot of the breakwater in front of Lakeway Marina as we sailed past.
Ace & Deuce.
Our friends Teri and Jim are visiting us this weekend – some of our good sailing buddies who moved out of state a couple years ago. We had a fun reunion party last night. Today we went to the lake and anchored out for a few fun hours. We made it back to the marina in time for a pretty sunset sky. The moon is the nearly full Cold Moon.
Last workday of the year!
….well, sort of…. I will be on call for work client emergencies during Christmas. Come to think of it, i got stuck with oncall last christmas as well. Crikey. Oh well. Nothing could go wrong, right?!
Anyhow, that will not dim my unbridled anticipation of turning on my out-of-office email message in a few short hours.
That makes today a VERY special TGIF for me.
I hope you have a great Friday, too.
Reflection.
And the winner is…
Joe! First christmas card of the season received. I wonder if I’ll get my cards out this year? 50:50 odds at this point, I fear.
Decked.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year….. Tree up, stockings hung, halls decked, cold outside, rum in the nog, Christmas tunes on pandora….
A delicious way to heat the house.
Julie came over to watch the game with us this afternoon. Sadly, my Seahawks lost today (sniffle). No time to wallow in it, though. After the game we got busy making pizza. Nice, too, since its still frosty outside.
This is a new one we tried. Monte took some chicken left over from grilling it the other night. We used a mild BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce. Onions and mozzarella on top and…. Yum!
Twinkly.
Tree in the house!
Christmas at Zilker.
I was in south Austin today, and just had to drive through zilker park on the way home. They lit the Christmas tree on Sunday and this weekend the trail of lights opens, after which it will be nearly impossible to make it through the park.
I got a shot from underneath and another from about 100 yards away. Christmas is in the air….
Seeing Stars.
We went to a Texas Stars hockey game tonight with John. The Cedar Park Center is a nice facility; this is my first time seeing it. The Stars won tonight 2 – 1. Happy Thanksgiving Eve !
Bowl me over.
Today Laura and I went to the Austin Empty Bowl Project event. It is a fundraiser for organizations that feed hungry children in the area. Potters donate bowls, food vendors donate soup, musicians take turns entertaining the crowd, and tons of Austinites show up to make it all work. $20 gets you a bowl of your choice and a delicious hot bowl of soup. It was great! This is the one I brought home.
Sheila365 