Tag: Austin

Hot air.

I’m still going through photos from our recent road trip.   In the mean time, I’ll share a moment from today…..

A month or two ago, I bought tickets in advance for the 2018 Best of Texas Hot Air Balloon Festival (and wine & food festival, AND polo match).   I really just wanted to get some pictures of the hot air balloons.   The festival is today, so this morning, before the sun came up, I headed to the polo grounds for the photo opp.   It was a tad underwhelming, as the balloons didn’t actually launch.  They simply inflated six of them, left them up for about an hour, and then deflated them again.  Nevertheless, it was a beautiful sight, even if a fleeting one.

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Oysters!

We attended the annual Austin Oyster Festival today. This was our third time to enjoy it. It was held on the grounds of the old Seaholm power plant on the north shore of Austin’s Ladybird Lake. And we had a great time.

The venue:

Gulf oysters:

Celis!

I’m fond of the Grand Cru tripel.

Colorful.

We popped over to free Thursday at the Blanton museum today. Ellsworth Kelly is an American artist who designed “Austin,” a stand alone art gallery, and artwork in its own right, for the Blanton art museum. He died a few years ago, but his building was recently finished. We visited the museum today to see this exhibit, and the other rotating collections on display.

Afterwards we celebrated National Margarita Day at Chuy’s. Cheers!

I spy.

American Kestrel.  Commons Ford Park in Austin.  Sometimes this is the best shot you can get.

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Pretty boy.

I got a few up close shots of a wood duck yesterday.   What a colorful creature.

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First lifer of 2018.

I went for a hike today around our neighborhood greenbelt and pond.  I came across this white-throated sparrow, who posed just long enough for me to raise the camera, focus and press the shutter.   It’s a rare thing for me to have the sun at my back when I try to get an unexpected shot off.

It’s a pretty bird, with an even prettier song.

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By the way, “lifer” just means it is a first in my lifetime sighting of the species.

Some Christmas Eve eve lights.

After dinner last night we cruised by some Austin neighborhoods that light it up during the holidays…37th street, Clarksville, and a few in between.

Enjoy a bit of Austin weirdness:

An homage to a scene from the movie Stranger Things:

Now, THIS is weird:

R2D2 lights:

Sock-monkey nativity scene:

Just a mess-o-lights:

Not weird:

Merry Christmas!

#7.

We headed downtown today to watch the Seahawks game at a bar. We grabbed a burger at Hut’s before the game; the number 7 “Hut’s Favorite.” Yum-my!

Sadly, my Hawks were decimated by halftime. Sniffle.

Snow!

Snow flurries began at sunset tonight all across Austin. I know it won’t stick but just seeing these little flakes falling turns me into a middle-aged kid. It’s not enough snow for snowballs but it is enough for hot cocoa!

It’s a thing!

We watched the Seahawks game at a bar downtown today. Our Hawks won! On the way home we stopped in at Mozart’s coffee house to check out their Christmas light display. I’ve never been. But it definitely is a thing to see this holiday season. 🙂

A beaker of wine.

Last night we stopped at a new place, for me, Parkside, right on 6th street.  They have a nice happy hour Monday-Friday from 5-6:30pm, which we missed by 2 minutes.   😦

But we didn’t let that stop us.  Their appies and burger were great.   Check them out.

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Humble.

I joined Laura and Ann downtown tonight to help serve an early Thanksgiving dinner tonight for homeless Austinites and others in need of some extra care.  We dished up over 400 plates of food before our shift was over.  There were many more that were served before the night was through.

The event was lovingly orchestrated by Mobile Loaves & Fishes.

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It’s not much.  Just a tiny drop in the sea of need to help our brothers and sisters.  But I hope it brought a bit of cheer and fellowship.

Peace to you and yours.

 

Veni. Vidi. Vino. 

Girls night out!   It’s been months since all of us were able to make it.   It was…. lovely!