Three little pigs at Cornerstone (December 4, 2020)

We just had to stop and say "hello" to our neighbor's pigs at Cornerstone.

 They were so friendly!  I really hope they didn't end up as Christmas hams.  Is the one on the left a feral hog?  I can't tell.

R.I.P. Threadgill's (November 29, 2020)

Threadgill's closed forever this year.  No historical marker is in its future.  Instead, the iconic restaurant and music venue is to be torn down to make way for apartments.

Threadgill's was way more than a beer joint and music venue.  Their homestyle Southern cooking with free seconds on veggies like cheesy San Antonio squash kept the place crowded.  I'll miss the fried okra. 

Quoting from Threadgill's website:

When bootlegger and country music lover Kenneth Threadgill opened his Gulf filling station just north of Austin's city limits in 1933, he had more on his mind than just pumping gas.  After all, just months before he had stood in line all night to become the first person to be granted a beer license in Travis County. Soon after that, his joint would become a favorite for traveling musicians to grab a beer after gigs.

The quintessential beer joint continued to flourish in the '60s, and changed with the social climate of the era by inviting folkies, hippies, and beatniks to Wednesday night singing sessions with open arms. Threadgill's love for people and music smoothed out the conflicts that usually occurred when longhairs and rednecks crossed paths.  A new culture tolerance emanated from the tavern which had a profound effect on its patrons and the music that came from it. Not to mention that Threadgill's is where Janis Joplin developed the brassy style that would propel her to become rock's first female superstar.

Thanksgiving (November 26, 2020)

We Zoomed with Micah...

...and the Asheville Lewises.

Fox's grandma Lala stopped by to say "hi" to us and to drop off Fox's dog Brownie.

Brownie is a sweetie, just like her name.

After dinner nap time.

Another house gone on our street (November 22, 2020)

The house at the corner is history.  Will the new one be a large single family home?  A duplex?  Two houses?  
 

Meet Big Red, our neighborhood chicken (November 22, 2020)

Big Red wanders up and down Alguno, and yes, he does cross the road.  He showed up in our back yard the other day. (I'm writing this on December 23.) I gently tossed him over the fence into the front yard so he could find his way home.

 Fox thought she wanted to pet Big Red until he headed her way.  Amon says this is a photo of "two chickens." Another neighbor has a pig (Kevin Bacon), who occasionally escapes and wanders down Alguno.

Thanksgiving garden (November 22, 2020)

The cherry tomato plants were thriving at the end of November.  I'm writing this on December 23, and we're still enjoying vine-ripened tomatoes.  During cold snaps, Papa covers the front garden with a tarp and runs a portable heater on low.  The back yard tomatoes are producing in our greenhouse.  We've had so much success this year that Papa has gotten more pots for us to expand our winter garden next year.
 

Otis is homeward bound for the Thanksgiving holidays (November 19, 2020)

Otis was a Junior Jetsetter on Alaska Airlines to spend Thanksgiving week with Micah and Renee.
 

Papa's bee boots (November 16, 2020)

 Because Papa's beekeeper suit is too short, about five bees were able to sting his ankle earlier in November.  The solution?  Food preparer boots.  I got some too because they're thick enough to protect from cacti needles which I've brushed up against out at Cornerstone.  They're also water proof for muddy days.  

Sunday afternoon with Amon, Fox, and Otis (November 15, 2020)

Racing the remote controlled car. That's not an extra arm on Amon's back.

Otis

Fox picked a bouquet of some of the last flowers from the garden
 

Thanks, Mya, for memorializing Zephyr, Einar, and the Zoomer (November 13, 2020)

 Zephyr and Einar have never looked so relaxed and happy.  Thanks, Mya, for a heartwarming portrait of them.

Visitor in the catnip patch (November 10, 2020)

 Neighborhood cats love our catnip patch.  Zephyr with the glowing eyes is happy to share.

No IKEA ever again (November 9, 2020)

Really? I'd never been to IKEA before and thought I'd look for a picture frame while I waited to drive Papa home from his eye appointment down the street.  After following this ant trail for about 40 minutes, I finally found the picture frame section but not one that I wanted.  I left empty handed and was relieved to escape. IKEA could teach Las Vegas casinos how to trap gamblers.
 

Otis, Fox, and Minecraft dynamite (November 8, 2020)

Amon and Fox spend a few hours with us every Sunday.  Otis and Fox blew up their Minecraft creation. 
 

Happy Halloween! (October 31, 2020)

 Halloween was on a beautiful Saturday night, but we had not one trick-or-treater.  Our neighbor's didn't let COVID 19 deter them from putting up their annual Halloween decorations.  Thanks, neighbors!

Some people, like our neighbors across the street, left Halloween treats out on tables for social distancing.  At the end of the night, all the candy was still there.  Otis didn't go trick-or-treating.

Early voting (October 27, 2020)

Being over 65, Papa and I qualified to submit mail-in ballots.  But we wanted to make sure our ballots were securely dropped off and counted. This poll worker held my ballot up for a photo.

The poll worker checked our driver's licenses against our signatures before accepting our ballots. 

Resting (October 20, 2020)

Zombie Otis on the neighbor's lawn.

Zephyr's cat nap

 Cocooned tomato worms

Otis phoning home (Sunday, October 20, 2020)

Otis calls his Mom and Dad every Sunday. Since coming to Austin in April for COVID online schooling, he's been home for the month of August.  He'll go home for Thanksgiving week and for the winter break too, returning to Austin on January 4th. So far, Portland public schools will remain online only through January 2021.  
 

Papa the wood chopper (October 12, 2020)

 We're so sad that our elms are slowly dropping limbs.  Elms typically live only 75 years.  We're guessing ours were planted in 1948, when our house was built.  That puts them at 72 years.  We have them trimmed annually in hopes of extending their life.  They are so beautiful and provide wonderful shade.  Papa used an axe, rope, and to bring the limb the rest of the way down. All I did was hold the rope while Papa eased the limb to the ground.

Last set of post cards to voters (October 3, 2020)

 Brandy left me with one last list of voters to send post cards to.  She and Mya worked so hard to encourage people to vote.  I mailed these on October 3, waiting to exhale.

Busy bees! (October 2, 2020)

 The bees attached honeycomb to the lid.  The honeycomb fit between frames in the top box.