Portent of things to come? (February 7, 2021)

Amon and Fox sing along with David Bowie. "Back at ground control there is a problem."  Not yet, but soon.

 Fox's serial killer snowman with his pet snail and horse cape and horse stew.

Home grown tomatoes for Roy--in January! (January 26, 2021)

We've never had home grown tomatoes in January before.  Papa babies his tomato plants, some of them seen here behind Roy.  We're happy to share!

Papa and Roy have been friends for 50 years.  They met when they both worked construction for the same company. Roy usually has short hair.  He's sporting his COVID look these days.  Aren't we all???

Inauguration Day (January 20, 2021)

Welcome President Biden and Vice-President Harris. Einar approves. 

COVID closes my bank ( January 19, 2021)

I stopped by my bank only to find it closed for COVID disinfecting.  Luckily another branch was open.

Meet our neighborhood pig, Kevin Bacon (January 17, 2021)

 

When Otis and I got home from Austin Park and Pizza, our neighborhood pig Kevin Bacon was hanging out near Papa Tom's tomato garden.  Instead of posing for a photo like Miss Piggy would have, Kevin trotted down the block.  Otis caught him on Woodrow.  We were concerned he might get hit by a car.  We later found out someone had taken him to the Austin Animal Center, where he was later claimed by his owners.

Austin Park and PIzza (January 17, 2021)

Amon, Fox, Otis, and I met at Austin's Park and Pizza on a beautiful Sunday afternoon for some rare time out of the house. I hadn't been here since Danny's birthday party about 10 years ago. Fun then, fun now.  Remember Danny? Here, Amon's watches Fox scale the climbing wall.

Otis kept accidentally knocking our balls away from the hole.

We chased and squirted each other in the bumper boats.

There was no escape!

Wringing out the clothes.  Brrr!

Otis won the Werewolves 3-D theater experience game.

Otis was born to drive--fast!

On the roller coaster with Fox.

The main purpose of the visit--driving go-carts.  Amon and Otis waited in line for more than an hour for their big chance, while Fox and I rode the roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and merry-go-round.
 

Urban Air (January 13, 2021)

Sometimes you just have to get out of the house.  After school on a Wednesday, Urban Air wasn't crowded. Otis, Fox, and Amon on the Ninja course.  Crowded or not, we still wore masks and stayed oh, about 100 feet from anyone else.

Fearless Amon.

Flying Fox.

Soft landing for me!

 When Otis wasn't jumping, he was taking care of my glasses.

Diary of a giant snowball (January 11-17, 2021)

January 11, the day after the snowfall: We knew the giant snowball wouldn't last long since daytime temperatures were well above freezing.

January 12:  all those fall leaves! No more snow on the ground.  The giant snowball was protected by the shade of the front porch for most of the day.

January 13:  still there!

January 14: missing a chunk.

January 15:  pretty much fallen apart.  I put half in the freezer to save for Fox.

Still January 15:  Zephyr pauses to peruse the snowball.  Our tomato plants from March are still producing!

January 16: no longer a foot high.

January 17: one week out.  What a survivor!  Snow from all the neighbor's yards was long gone, days before this.  Bye-bye snowball, until next time!

Snow angels Amon and Fox (January 10, 2021)

Otis and I stayed in the warm but Amon and Fox didn't.  I should have ducked!  As soon as I snapped the photo, snowballs whizzed past me through the front door.

I'm glad this snowball was too big to lob at me!

Snowball track.  One way to pick up autumn leaves.

Ice cold tingling cheeks and wet hair.

 

Let it snow! (Sunday, January 10, 2021)

Papa Tom was already at work when it started to snow.  Otis bounded into the room to tell me there was a cougar outside and I needed to look.  Cougar?  No, but snow dimpled with raindrops. Usually this is about the most we get in Austin.  I was surprised when it snowed for several more hours.

Einar ventured out of his cozy retreat but not for long.

So fluffy!

Snow collected on the elm branches too.

More snow than the Zoomer's seen in its 11 years of life.

Northeast Austin got 4.5" of snow.  Not sure what Central Austin got.  The most I remember before this was 3.5" on January 2, 1985, when Ryder was in London with Martha and Craig to visit my parents for the holidays.  The record of 11" fell in 1937.  
 

Bees and Zephyr (January 7, 2021)

Our bees need little care in the winter.  We left enough honey in the hive to see the into the spring.  But just in case it isn't enough, we spread dry sugar on cardboard placed under the hive lid as a honey backup.  In the summer, we supplement with sugar water.  No water added in the winter as it could freeze, even in Texas.

 Sweet dreams, Zephyr!

Happy 34, Amon! (January 5, 2021)

Amon with Fox and her scary face and, on the wall, the mask he made in welding class at ACC.

 Amon and Fox with a happier face.

Otis returned with Portland mud (January 2, 2021)

Otis took his remote controlled car to Portland. He and Micah and Amon ran it through the mud. Great performance, great drift!

The top was soaked in a bucket of soapy water.  Dried mud was poked and rubbed off the chassis for now.
 

Otis's big reveal (January 2, 2021)

Not all of Otis returned from Portland on January 2nd.  Renee gave him a haircut to start 2021.  He kept his hoodie up until he, Fox, and I got home from the airport, then ...the reveal!

 Otis's new look

Here's to a happy 2021! (New Year's Eve/New Year's Day)

Amon and Fox came over at 7 p.m.  Tom and Amon played Black Jack, then all of us played Spades. We talked about Greenwich Mean Time, spun Tom's old globe to find the International Date Line, then finally used Google to find out the New Year started in the Line Islands, far out in the Pacific.

Counting down!  May 2020 disappear forever!  The very last thing I learned in 2020:  how to set the photo timer on my phone.  Thanks, Fox!

Starting 2021 right, with half and half. Amon and Fox are observing carnivore month in January: meat and dairy only.

Mmm!  Half and half!