Austin Sunrise

I took this dawning of the sun as I was pulling out of the driveway last Tuesday morning on my way to Bible Study at 7am. It became a glorious coral and peach sunrise as I drove along. I couldn't snap it so I just feasted my eyes... and savored it the rest of the day.

Incredible Bluebonnets!

After visiting my mom in Fredericksburg today, Tom and I grabbed lunch at McDonalds and headed out Highway 16 to hopefully catch a few glimpses of bluebonnets in the hill country. A few years ago Tom had  ridden his bike in one of the widflower rides, and wanted to show me the big, long hill that was so tough he had to get off and walk. We decided it must have been on the Willow City Loop, so we looked for the sign and found it easily enough.

First we stopped and ate our lunch, then we saw a house that had a huge field of tiny light bluish purple flowers. It looked so peaceful. Then there was just a scattering of various flowers here and there.

When we reached Willow City we turned right on the Willow City Loop and I was surprised at how narrow the road was and also how many vehicles we met coming our way. Next we saw a lookout point where several cars were parked and found a spot to park. There was a beautiful valley and some hills in the distance but no wildflowers, just lots of cedars and varying shades of green leaves budding on the trees. We got back in the car to continue on our way and before we knew it there were thickets of bluebonnets along both sides of the road, in the pastures, growing out of rocks, everywhere! There was a gigantic hill in the distance with a steep, rock wall cliff!

I tried to capture it from inside the car since there were no lookouts to stop at. Soon we came to this beautiful valley with rambling meadows filled with bluebonnets and other wildflowers.

The bluebonnets solidly lined the sides of the roads and the view of the valley was so picturesque.

We were able to park alongside the road and I had a heyday snapping bluebonnets and other beautiful flora.

We enjoyed the flowers and view so much that we turned around and drove it again the opposite direction.

Then we headed toward Cave Creek and continued on towards Sandy so I could show Tom the route my school bus took for a few years when I was in high school.

We also saw lots of "white prickly poppies" otherwise known as thistles. They looked so pretty in the bright sunlight, and I told Tom how deceitful they are to have such a pretty flower, but be so prickly.

Our Sunday afternoon excursion was a wonderful diversion from the everyday hustle and bustle of Austin!

Rain!

Thank you, God, for the indescribable, awesome, replenishing rain! May we all be ever so thankful for this wonderful gift you have granted us in the middle of a season of drought.

Great strides for Lottie

This week has been a good one for Lottie and her humans. I was away for two days visiting my mother in the hospital. When I got back from Fredericksburg on Sunday, I heard that Lottie had a greenbelt adventure chasing our neighbor Sally's cat, and meandering the bamboo forest. Tom had the joy of chasing after her. On Monday and Tuesday, she was begging to me to play ball with her. She stood on all fours and even jumped with her front legs off the ground to catch the green ball in the air! Her wobbly back legs stood firm! On Wednesday she wagged her tail big time for Sally. And today she showed off her skills for her surgeon. And oh yeah, she made lots of racket in the vet hospital reception area as the big dogs came and went while we waited for Dr. Gower.

"Beach Boys" Trip

 

"The Beach" by Keaton Lind

At this point, only a figment of Keaton's imagination!

Last July we took our little nephews and their mother, Jennifer, and Grandma, Marilyn to the beach on Padre Island just outside of Corpus Christi. We stayed at the wonderful Surfside Courtyard Condos just across the street from the beach. The place has a swimming pool and bbq pits inside a courtyard surrounded by the condos.

This was the first time the boys had been to the beach, but something they had been looking forward to for a very long time. Or so it seemed for little boys at 6 and 3 1/2! So it was a lot of fun to be a part of fulfilling this "longtime" dream of theirs.  Jim and Debbie came down to join the adventure!

"Beach Boys" Dalton and Keaton
"We are lucky boys!"

Keaton

Dalton

our beautiful girls

Jennifer and Keaton

 

my sweet Tom

Below: Rachel and Dalton on left; Joan (me) and Keaton on right

 



"Beach Boys" with Jill and Jennifer

Grandma Marilyn

 

 

Tom and I

Dusk

It was a very good day.

Thank you, God, for good days!

 

Lottie Stands!

This evening when I fed Lottie, she took it upon herself to stand on her back legs for the first time while she was eating her dinner! I ran for the camera and hurriedly snapped a not so good shot before she sank down to a squatting position. Never the less, progress! I'm beginning to love that word.

Tom built a ramp for the back door. Both Lottie and Mocha seem to like it.

Exploring the greenbelt using her sling.

At first Lottie had trouble holding a chewstick because her balance was off.

But she's got it down pat now!

New Windows!

So excited about this latest improvement to our house. Like Jill says, "It makes if feel like a new house!"

The very next morning when I took Lottie out in the back yard, we had a beautiful sunrise.

Just Because

Lottie enjoying the outdoors

fresh rain on hens and chicks

pretty succulents

Leap Day evening --
on the way to Philips, Craig & Dean concert!

wild turkey visits Abiding Love

Congratulations, Tom!

Today marks the 30th anniversary for Tom and hal Systems Corporation!!! Yes, I said thirty years. His start date was March 2, 1982. The year we moved to Austin. Only, Tom commuted from San Antonio until our house sold, and then stayed with my Mom and Dad for several weeks while our house here in Austin was being built. I kept my job in San Antonio with Datapoint Corporation and lived with my friend Agnes Roca until we could move into our new house. We moved into the house the early part of May. I think I started my job with the City of Austin on May 18th or so... Can you believe we also went down to Corpus Christi to run the Beach to Bay Marathon Relay with some friends? I think that was a week later. Tom got to run the "killer bridge" leg of the relay. He hadn't had much time to run, so it was a little grueling for him.

 
Anyway, tonight we celebrated by going out to dinner. Tom chose Hula Hut! We hadn't been there for a long time because the wait has always been around an hour, so we would choose to go somewhere else. Tonight the wait was only 30 minutes, and it was a beautiful night to wait outside. While waiting we walked over to the dock and sat at a picnic table. The evening stars were just coming out and the clouds were moving away. It was nice to have a night to sit and reminisce, not only about Tom's time with hal Systems, but also about our trip to Hawaii because Hula Hut has an Hawaiian flare. The food was delicious. We had their tubular tacos with a margarita for me and a beer for Tom. I snapped a couple of pieces of artwork just for fun. Then we headed over to Mozart's for dessert. We shared a mini pecan pie a la mode. Yummm!

Tell Us How You Feel, Lottie!

 

Lottie ripped up her bed this afternoon. This week she's been confined to my bathroom, since she's not supposed to have the run of the house yet, and she was too lively for me to take her to work any more. Last week I took her to work in the mornings, and home for the afternoons. That worked fine as she was asleep when I got home, but she must have more energy now!


We thought she would like having her own space without having Mocha around to get on her nerves. Well, I guess she told us! So Tom and I had some sweeping up to do when we got home from work. Good job, Tom!

Tom and I weren't sure what to do when we went out to dinner tonight. We left Lottie in her old bed in the living room. Mocha was there, too--they were both just fine when we got home.  

Every night I tuck Lottie in - back into the laundry basket. I think it's her security, a place where she feels safe while she still has the insecurity of not being able to walk on all fours.

Progress!

Lottie made great strides today!

Two in one day!

This morning she was eating her breakfast when I walked in the room. Her back legs were up on her knees!!!

Then, this evening when I arrived home she was in the front yard with Tom. She was walking with her sling that keeps her back end from dragging. When I got out of the van, she walked over to see me and Tom said to look at her tail. She was wagging it very slowly from side to side! What thrill to see a happy sign from my little friend.

Today it has been three weeks since Lottie ruptured a disc in her back.