Sugar Bowl Parade (December 31, 2017)

Papa Tom and I accidentally came upon the Sugar Bowl Parade on our way to Cafe du Monde.

Clemson's trombonists.  The Clemson Tiger band marched ahead of the Alabama Red Tide band, obviously not in alphabetical order.  Was there a coin toss?

Alabama's drumline.  I still want to see Drumline, the movie.

Clemson fans up high for a better view

We left the parade to walk around the Quarter.  Uh-oh.  The parade was still on when we were ready to leave.  Our car was parked in the parking lot behind the float.  Took more than 30 minutes just to get out of the lot.

New Year's Eve lunch (December 31, 2017)

Papa Tom and I were happy to be part of a tradition that sisters Martha and Donna and families observe every New Year's Eve day:  brunch/lunch at Martin Wine Cellar, a wine store and deli known for its great burgers.

Part of the tradition is the outdoor photo after lunch.  

Road trip to NOLA (Saturday, December 30, 2017)

After dropping suitcases off at Donna's (thanks, Donna!), we headed straight for Katie's for Atchafalaya pizza (shrimp, crawfish, oysters, crabcake, Tobasco marinara sauce, and Provel cheese).  

Couldn't resist the chocolate blackberry dauberge.

Caught some local music at Chickie Wah Wah at 2828 Canal Street after deciding Frenchman Street at the edge of the Quarter would be too crowded due to Clemson and Alabama fans being in town for the Sugar Bowl to be played on New Year's Day.

Merry Christmas!

Fox and Papa, decorating the Norfolk pine.  We've had it since it was about a foot high.  It lives outside most of the year, in its pot.

Amon made banana-blueberry pancakes, bacon pancakes, and one other kind for our brunch.

We played the Clue Jr. game.  The winner figures out who ate the cake, when, and where.

My boys (December 19, 2017)

The Viking heritage is showing for Ryder, Amon, and Micah

On safari at Jungle Island (Tuesday, December 19, 2017)

Explorers Fox and Mya

Otis and River, with Otis behind the wheel, of course

Driver Piper has a third hand and an invisible sidekick!

Short stop at the House of Light and Joy (December 19, 2017)

Piper on the ivories

River and Ryder.  River was fascinated with the talking Halloween Claus: "Hey, I see you!"

Hanging out (Tuesday, December 19, 2017)

Playing Asphalt 8 Airborne on Mia's ever-popular KindleFire

Fox, Mya, and Piper in the dark closet with Piper's night light, until Mia opened the door.  Surprise!

Taggers (Monday, December 18, 2017)

Guess who? (after the guys loaned us a can of paint)

River, forever memorialized

Mya reminded us that "Rats rule," complete with a drawing of her favorite pet

Hope Outdoor Gallery, before guys loaned us a paint can (Monday, December 18, 2017)

River and Ryder

Papa Tom

LaWanda

Hula Hut (Monday, December 18, 2017)

Lunch at the Hula Hut on a cold and misty afternoon

Ryder, Piper, and me.  How can you tell I'm a naturalized Austinite?  I'm wearing flip flops with my jacket!

Papa Tom hoists Mya up to feed a tortilla chip to a grackle.

LaWanda approves of the tubular taco, oh yeah!

Funny faces (Sunday, December 17, 2017)

River, Fox, Dad, Otis, Mya, Emma, and Piper

Us (Sunday, December 17, 2017)

Left to right, front row: Martha, Otis, me, Mya, Piper, Brandy.  Second row: River, Fox, Dad, Emma, LaWanda.  Back row: Martin, Ramzi, Amon, Ryder, Micah, Joyce, Al.

Funny faces.  Note that Fox and Emma are mirror images.

Otis and Mya are in the front.  River, Fox, Dad, Emma, and Piper are in the back.

Hanging out at the House on the Creek (Sunday, December 17, 2017)

Balancing animals in a sort of Jumanji Jenga game started by Micah.

Emma, River, Fox, Mya, and Otis playing the Headbanz guessing game as Brandy watches.

Target practice by Micah, River, Mya, Ramzi, and Otis

Girls night out (December 16, 2017)

Brandy, Brandy's friend Sarah, LaWanda, Sarah, and me for a girls night out on Sixth Street, starting with appetizers at the Iron Cactus followed by the Esther's Follies late show.  Thank gooness for the Uber driver who picked us up at Westlake in the pouring rain and dropped us next to Iron Cactus!  The guys, including Ryder's friends Joseph and Seth, had a guys night in at the House on the Creek with the kids.  Thanks, guys!

Peter Pan Putt-putt golf (December 13, 2017)

After school fun with Fox and the Texas fox with a saddle

Tinkerbell and the teapot

Let it snow! (December 7-8, 2017)

We enjoyed a rare snow event in Austin on December 7-8.  The December 7 average temperatures in Austin range from a low of 44 degrees to a high of 65 degrees.  The record low on this date was 17 degrees in 1950 and the record high was 81 degrees in 1966.

The deck was lightly dusted with snow.

By the time the snow melted, the zenias and rocket plants (I don't know what they're really called) registered their protest by being brown and droopy.  They've been replaced with pansies.

The Zoomer, before the snow melted

Snow day!

Last night in Iceland: December 2, 2017

We met one of Santa's very friendly elves (taking a little time off from working at the nearby North Pole) to celebrate the coming Yule season.  Actually, this guy is a snowmobile tour guide.

Light show at Hallgrimskirkja.  So weird!  Made the church look all wavy.

Before heading back to the airport to spend the night, as there was no way we were going to miss the 6:10 a.m. (!) check in time for our 9:10 a.m. flight, we drove to the end of the peninsula on which the airport is located to see the Reykjavesniti lighthouse (1878), the oldest in Iceland.  It was easy to find.  A modern lighthouse next to it was sweeping the sea with its light.  The wind was so strong I could barely hold my phone still enough to take the photo.

Back to Reykjavik: December 2, 2017

So we missed our Saturday morning flight because we didn't realize Delta stops issuing boarding passes ONE HOUR before take-off.  Non-negotiable.  Luckily, we were able to get seats on the Sunday flight.  In the meantime, we headed back into Reykjavik for lunch.  Could have had sheep-head jelly, fermented shark, and rye bread ice cream.  Kept looking.

Opted for mushroom soup and veggies at Glo, down the street.

View from our table at Glo.

We hung out in a nook at Glo so Papa Tom could nap a bit and I could sip coffee.