Day 1 at Yellowstone (September 3, 2025)

We stayed at a VRBO in Gardiner, at the North Gate to the park. Our first stop was the travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs. Interactions of hot bubbling water and limestone create the travertine.
 

We saw our first bison on the road to the Petrified Tree. I think Tom blew this up at least 10 times. We weren't any where near this close. The safety rule is to stay at least 100 yards from bison, known to toss selfie seekers in the air. 

When you see humans with phones out, you can guess there's a black bear in the woods. We modern people are so removed from Nature that seeing a bear napping behind brush at the base of tree is mesmerizing.

Above the 132-foot Tower Fall on Tower Creek are rock columns that formed when lava flow cooled and cracked. You've heard about the Yellowstone super volcano yet to come, right?  Cue disaster movies 2012 and Super Eruption. The creek merges with the Yellowstone River 1,000 yards away.

Hey, the sign only said you can't go over the wall. It said nothing about STANDING on the wall. The park ranger still honked his horn to make Tom get down. I usually ask for the car keys before he does these things. You know. So I don't have to scramble down 1000 feet of rocks to retrieve them from his pocket.

An elk grazes on the lawn at the Mammoth Springs Ranger station. 

Ready for Roy to house sit (September 2, 2025)

The cats love it when Uncle Roy takes care of them, as he did while we traveled to Yellowstone on September 2-9, 2025.

Cats also cannot resist boxes. Collette squeezed herself into the box we set out for mail.
 

Happy 25th birthday eve to Danny! (Saturday, August 23, 2025)

 After pizza at Via 313 on Guadalupe, Danny's favorite Austin eatery, we celebrated with strawberry champagne birthday cake.

We caught an improv show at the Hideout on Congress Avenue after dinner.

But we couldn't get across Congress Avenue to our parking garage due to the Austin Pride Parade that rolled while we were inside the Hideout. Unless we walked down to Riverside or up to 15th Street to cross. We decided to enjoy the parade.

I was trying to get closer for a different photo in front of the Capitol, when I tripped off a high curb and fell, smashing the two cute bear jars of honey for the Horns. Learned not to keep walking with my phone in front of my face!

TMNT 35th anniversary showing (Sunday, August 17, 2025)

Amon, Fox, and I returned to 1990 long enough to see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles save a city from the evil Shredder and his Dickensian gang of teenage pickpockets and thieves. Turtles' supporter and newscaster April O'Neil (Judith Hoag) rocked the '80s big hair look. Sam Rockwell was outstanding as one of the juvenile delinquents.
 

Tom and Toms at Cornerstone (August 9, 2025)

Happy 74, Tom! We spent the morning at the beehives, where we encountered this posse of "Tom" turkeys, perhaps in salute to Papa on his special day? We don't usually see them there.
 

Au revoir, NOLA! (August 7, 2025)

Fox and Kiely will miss each other.

 

We looked for alligators at Lake Pontchartrain. No luck! But we did see crabs.

Bye!

Colton, Fox, and me (August 6, 2025)

 We didn't get to attend Colton's comedy performance because Fox at age 14 was too young to get in. We'll try again in four years, Colton!

NOLA's cities of the dead (August 6, 2025)

Fox at St. Roch Cemetery. She was disappointed that the cemeteries aren't overgrown and scary. They're well kept because they're still in use.

 

Toe of Anjanette's pink kitten heel and Fox.

Not all graves are in crypts. But those that aren't must be on raised ground due to the high water table.

OK, I weirdly thought the Death Valley T-shirt would be appropriate for our cemetery visits. I believe this was the Masonic cemetery.

Beignets and the river (August 5, 2025)

 No trip to NOLA is complete without beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde. For a different experience, go to Cafe du Monde in City Park instead of in the Quarter.

On the Mighty Mississippi with one of the steamboats

Life is good, Fox!

Masks and New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum (August 5, 2025)

 Do you recognize Fox?

Madam M. is the manager. She was re-stuffing the giant voodoo doll that greets customers. She explained that pushing pins in voodoo dolls is a television thing, not real. Instead, young girls learn to sew by collecting a button from each family member to place on the doll. She can point to a button and tell a story, such as, "This is from Uncle Lamont's World War II uniform. He served in the Pacific, etc."

Voodoo mirror reflecting how we all look alike inside (my interpretation)

Brass band on Royal Street (August 5, 2025)

What do you do when you run into a brass band outside Rouse's grocery store on Royal Street?  You dance!

Fox and Anjanette are in deep conversation about something.  The band broke into "Jambalaya, crawfish pie, filet gumbo."

Fox left the players a tip.

Muffalletas at Napoleon House (August 5, 2025)

Anjanette and Fox in the Napoleon House courtyard.

When Napoleon was emperor of France, he was invited to use Napoleon House in New Orleans. He never did. The house in the French Quarter has been a restaurant since 1914. For dessert, we split cannoli and chocolate doberge cake.
 

Per tradition, we signed the wall. Fox points to her artist's mark.

Can you find my signature?

Donna and Kiely (August 5, 2025)

Donna and Kiely at their new place on Chateau Lafitte in Kenner
 

The Tree of Life at Audubon Park (August 4, 2025)

Fox at the Tree of Life, planted in the 1700s. Giraffes in the Audubon Zoo next to the Tree peered over their wall at us. The giraffe is Fox's spirit animal.
 

Anjanette peering up into the Tree of Life.

Mardi Gras World (August 4, 2025)

Anjanette, Fox, and I traveled to NOLA for a girl trip. Thanks, Donna, for being the hostess with the mostest as you always are!
 

Fox and Anjanette at Mardi Gras World. They not only build Mardi Gras floats, they also build things for events like this Transformer for the Super Bowl. 

I of course had to be photographed with the giant bee.

Fox

Michelangelo's "David" repurposed as Clint Eastwood.

Birthday bundt cakes (August 1, 2025)

Yum! Papa chose the strawberry cheesecake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. I went with the chocolate chip chocolate flavor. Thanks, Martha and Craig!
 

Where's my spot? (July 27, 2025)

Papa, Big Boy, and Colette leave me no place to sleep. Sigh.