Celebrating birthdays: September 4, 2016

The Horns visited from Waco on Sunday.  After dinner at Mandola's, Papa Tom and Al watched the U.T.-Notre Dame game while Joyce, Emma, and I went to Half-Price Books in South Austin and drove past the Horns's former home in Shady Hollow.   Met back at the house for Italian cream cake.  Here are Papa Tom, Joyce, Emma, and . . . Al's arm! 

Happy birthday, Papa Tom, from the Horns.  Guns & Oil is an Austin brewery with a very Texas name!

Emma, taking close-ups of Chase.

Joyce is spoiling that kitty cat!  She's letting him lick cake icing off her finger.

Chase bats the flowers

I'm not a crazy cat lady, but I am crazy about Chase.

Jim's 4th birthday party: Saturday, September 3, 2015

After we shopped for Jim's birthday present, Fox and Chase hung out until party time.

The party was at Dart Bowl, where Skyler used to work.  Tiny bowling shoes, tiny bowling balls. So cute!

Papa Tom and our grand-niece Lucy.

Papa Tom and Lucy, and Kirk and Jake.

Birthday boy Jim.  He and Emma have the same birthday, August 24.  Busy Daddy Kirk wrangles Jake and photographs Jim.

Landlords no more! September 2, 2016

1601 Faro, Unit 1004: sold!  After the closing, we celebrated at ZTejas with Condo Joe, our real estate agent.

Hatch chile season brings hatch chile nachos.  These were Amon's.  I suspect they were mighty delicious!

Condo Joe's license plate.  On the way home, Papa Tom said we should have a license plate that says "Oz-tin."  I like it.

Summer rain: August 20, 2016

We started out on the porch swing, with Chase, enjoying the summer rain, distant thunder, cars splashing past in the puddles.  Then Fox wanted to catch a bottle of rainwater.  And catch raindrops on her tongue.

Waiting for the bottle to fill up.

Mission accomplished (with a little help from me: I leaned over the railing to where water was pouring off the roof and caught a lot for her).

"The Wizard of Dogz" on Saturday, August 20, 2016

We took Fox to see "The Wizard of Dogz" at the Daugherty Art Center on Saturday, August 21, 2016.  The wizard and his brother have trained six rescue dogs to do all sorts of tricks and have a talking macaw.  The wizard also played the accordion, juggled, and rode a unicycle!

After the dog and parrot show, Fox wanted to see the art on display.

Fox, Chase, Fuzzy, and Zulu: Saturday, August 20, 2016

Chase can't decide whether to hang out with Fuzzy the mouse or Zulu the Beta fish.  Chase has already been up to his elbow in Zulu's water and he routinely drank water from Zulu's bowl.  We've since moved Fuzzy and Zulu to another room, behind a closed door.  Unless Chase learns how to open doors, Fuzzy and Zulu are safe!

Fox and Chase.  Chase weighs in at 5.6 pounds, Fox at 55.0 pounds.  The vet says Chase could get up to 12 pounds.  Because Chase still has his baby teeth, the vet estimated him to be less than 4 months old.  Amon and Fox started fostering Chase and his siblings when the kittens were about 3 weeks old.  Hence, Chase's "relaxed" look in Fox's arms.

Holy guacamole!

Fox spent the night with us Friday, August 19.  On Saturday, she was hungry for guacamole and chips.  Her favorite part of making guacamole is using the lime squeezer.  She squeezed every last drop of juice out of that lime!

So yummy!

Chase's second tree climbing lesson

One day, he'll scramble up faster than the squirrels do!

Now what?

Gaining the confidence to walk down frontwards . . .

before stopping to hang in there!

Teaching Chase to climb and jump from the peach tree

We want Chase to know how to run up a tree and also how to get down.  Papa Tom put him a few feet up in the peach tree next to the porch for his first lesson.

Papa Tom explained to Chase how to jump to the front porch to get away from a barking dog, for instance.

Chase sprang to action!

On his first attempt, he made it to the porch but had to scramble through the railing.  The training will continue!

Wildlife on the front porch

I've seen plenty of empty locust shells but never a newly-emerged locust next to the shell.  Beautiful insect!  Would be interesting to someday see the locust emerging.

A second birthday celebration for Papa Tom: August 11, 2016

Fox and Lucy celebrate Papa Tom's 65th with pizza at Central Market.  Heat index of 112 degrees.  Argh!

Sadie celebrated too

Jake and Jim.  The grackle awaits in the background!  We had to guard our food lest grackles swoop down and fly away with pepperoni!

Jan and Jim Roberts were there too

August 9, 2016: Happy Birthday, Papa Tom!

The Second Bar and Kitchen's Congress burger was ranked #2 in the state by Texas Monthly in August 2016.  Papa Tom is on a lifetime quest for the perfect burger.  He said Texas Monthly is right about this one.  And yes, that's a fried egg on top.

Passion fruit truffles for birthday dessert.

Meet Chase, our newest family member!

Chase was one of the kittens fostered by Amon and Fox.  He's been in the family since he was just 3 weeks old.  We officially adopted him from Austin Pets Alive! on August 1, as an in-between birthday present for Papa Tom and me.

We've already moved Fuzzy the mouse's cage out of Chase range (behind the closed bathroom door).  Also moved Zulu the beta fish to the bathroom after Chase had one leg in the water, trying to catch Zulu, before I pulled him back.  Yikes!

Einar and Chase meet each other.  Einar says, "Really? Another cat?"

Celebrating the big 63: July 26, 2016

Celebrated at Central Market with Papa Tom, Amon, and Fox.  Fox talked me into a footrace to a nearby tree.  Hard to keep up with her in flip flops!  Will wear running shoes next time, Fox!

Mmm!  Spaghetti and meatballs.

Amon pulled out the condo key for Papa Tom and me to take home.  Closing is on September 2 if all goes well.  Cross your fingers for us!

Last day in Seattle: July 18, 2016

Tom enjoying the Sound (I think) at what I call Totem Pole Park, near Pike Place Public Market.

Construction has begun on the long-anticipated three giant biosphere that Amazon is building in downtown Seattle. The three intersecting domes are described as “gigantic spheres resembling melted-together Milk Duds in the shadow of Amazon's new 500-foot-tall office tower.” Each one will be 100 feet tall, and together they’ll host plants from around the world — more than 300 different species, many of them endangered — and even trees. “[A] plant-rich environment has many positive qualities that are not often found in a typical office setting,” says an Amazon planning document, promising a three-block area where employees can “socialize in a more natural, park-like setting” — at mild temperatures between 68 and 72 degrees.

Here's one of the totem poles at the park.  The other is of a Mario-style lumberjack perched atop a pole.

Still haven't ridden the ferris wheel.  On the list for next year.  At night.  Or maybe at sunset.

Mt. Ranier National Park: July 18, 2016

Papa Tom at Frying Pan Creek, Mt. Ranier National Park

Mushrooms on the Summerland Trail: this picture is for you, Mya.

At Frying Pan Creek, near the Summerland Trail trailhead, Mt. Ranier National Park

It was too rainy for us to do the entire hike.  Next year.