Sherwood Forest Faire (April 22, 2023)

Fox and I had planned to go to the Faire during her Spring Break but it was too cold for me! Rainy and in the 50s. Instead, Anjanette, Fox, and I visited the Faire on a beautiful Saturday. No cloaks required!

We were surprised that a person was inside the costume! Anjanette made him laugh when she complimented his long sword.

Scary Viking types were everywhere. 

Whether 1023 or 2023, grandmothers and granddaughters share a special bond.

Sand art. How do they do it? They use tiny tools and a mister to keep the sand damp while they work.

In Ye Olde Candle shoppe, because there's no electricity in whatever year this is.

Fox and Anjanette

 

1304 Alguno Road (April 21, 2023)

Who will our new neighbors be? No sold sign yet.

 

Brunch with Beka, Miles, and Sadie (April 14, 2023)

 Niece Beka, grand-nephew Miles, and grand-niece Sadie were in town from Seattle for the kids' Spring Break. We had brunch at Central Market. Their big news? Scott can work from home with Microsoft so they're moving to San Diego, California, this summer. Beka's looking forward to sunnier weather.

Evening primroses in the front garden (April 13, 2023)

Thank you for the wildflower seeds, LaWanda!

 

Wildflowers at Cornerstone (April 12, 2023)

Two hives in April, four hives in May. We need to have seven hives in 2024 to qualify for the agricultural exemption in 2025. You must establish a beekeeping history for 5 of the preceding 7 years to qualify. Besides keeping bees because we love them, we keep them because our property taxes will be mightily reduced by the ag exemption.

 The white bluebonnet is the result of a mutation in one of the genes responsible for producing the blue pigment of the flower.

 Plenty of nectar and pollen for the bees.

TC in the elm tree! (April 11, 2023)

The squirrel got away!

 

Scary Dungeon and Dragons Easter Bunny! (April 9, 2023)

The giant evil bunny hopped through Star Point, laying eggs that contained either gold or demons.

Do not let his soft cuddly appearance fool you! The bunny, not Amon. 

 

The 1,000 piece honey bee puzzle is finished! (April 5, 2023)

Thank you Al, Joyce, and Danny! You know we love our honeybee gals. The puzzle got us through our COVID quarantine!

 Such a beautiful puzzle!

The House committee heard the original birth certificate bill (April 3, 2023)

Danny, Joyce, and I were at the Capitol early on April 3 for the committee hearing on the adoptee rights bill that would give Texas-born adult adoptees unrestricted access to their original birth certificate. Joyce and I are on the board of Support Texas Adoptee Rights. 

 Representative Cody Harris sponsored the bill. The committee approved it so it went to the House for a vote where it passed at the end of April without opposition. Not such a good outcome in the Senate, unfortunately. Onward to the 2025 legislative session!

Olivia and Oliver Owl (March 2023)

An owl couple has moved into our elm tree. Will there be owlets? Will we run out of names that start with "O"? Will Otis mind if we name one of the fledglings "Otis"? Stay tuned!
 

Danny, Otis, and Fox at work and play (March 2023)

OMG!  Who's more adorable? I choose Danny. Sent the photo to Mya, who wants to work at a doggy daycare like Danny does. Mya said seeing the photo made her more determined than ever to get that job.

Otis celebrated his friend Jack's birthday at a Portland Trailblazers game on Friday, March 24.

Fox is ready for the Murchison middle school dance on Friday, March 24.
 

Colton the comic (March 24, 2023)

Colton is a regular on the New Orleans' comedy circuit. His specialty is improvisation but he also does stand-up. He and Danny should get together. She's also into improv.
 

Adoptee rights advocacy (Tuesday, March 21, 2023)

You could barely see the Capitol dome in the mist when we arrived around 7 a.m. to advocate for adoptee rights. We urged Legislators to support HB2006, which would restore the right of Texas-born adult adoptees to obtain their original birth certificate without restriction. Currently, adult adoptees must either know the name(s) of their birth parent(s) as shown on the original birth certificate or obtain a court order to require Vital Statistics to give them their first medical record, the record of their birth. Joyce and I are both on the Support Texas Adoptee Rights board. So good to serve with you, Joyce!
 

Threadgill's on North Lamar (March 17, 2023)

Austin's history indeed. Threadgill's didn't make it through COVID. Miss that fried okra! Not surprising that condos are schedule to be built on the site. Supposedly the original Threadgill's building, where Janis Joplin performed, will be saved and the condos built in a horseshoe shape around it. We'll see.

 Miss that Southern style dinner and supper. San Antonio squash, chicken fried steak. The new restaurant scene is very...hmm. Not sure how to describe it. High priced, fancy? Small bites from creative chefs?

Post-COVID good times (March 12-15)

We started the really cool 1,000-piece honeybee puzzle on our last official day of COVID isolation. Hence Papa Tom's mask. Thank you for the puzzle, Al, Joyce, and Danny.

Had to be photographed with the giant guitar art at Guero's and at the graffiti wall on South Congress. Photo by Fox. Thanks, Fox!

This is for Brandy. Her dream ride! "Karmadillo"? So Austin!

 

Spring Break with Fox (March 12-17, 2023)

We started Spring Break Sunday, March 12, at Cafe Monet, painting pottery. Fox drew the mushrooms herself on the cup she painted for Anjanette.

She painted a pipe for Amon.

We chose outfits on Amazon to wear to the Sherwood Forest Renaissance Faire. Turned out to be too cold and rainy to go during Spring Break. We ended up going in April on a girls' day out with Anjanette too.

My Ren Faire dress arrived March 14.

 I used safety pins to lift the hem.

We caught some SXSW music on South Congress after lunch at Guero's on Wednesday, March 15.

Papa Tom and Fox at Guero's.

We ended the week on Friday by celebrating St. Patrick's Day at an Irish pub.

 Fox and I wore our green Ren Faire dresses.

Colette (March 5, 2023)

 Sweet Colette likes to help me work. Not so helpful when she wants to step on the keyboard or attack the mouse. Wrong kind of mouse, Colette!

COVID! (February 28-March 8 or so)

Blah! After dodging COVID for three years, Tom tested positive on February 28. I tested positive on March 3. Neither of us had serious symptoms. The hardest part was having to isolate until at least March 8, then wear masks in public until March 13.

I slept a lot and partly used the down time to read up on how to train for the half marathon that Donna and I plan to run in 2024.
 

1304 Alguno (March 2023)

Big house across the street. Construction is within 3 feet of the property line on either side. 

The backyard swimming pool was built first. Wondering how pool maintenance people will get back to it. Through the garage?

Neighbors to the west will no longer have morning light in their yard. Neighbors to the east told us the upstairs windows look into their living room. 
 

TC v paper rolls (March 2023)

TC is obsessed with paper rolls. He snagged this one from the bathroom and pulled it into the living room to tear it apart.

Mr. Innocent

Jackpot!  TC jumped on top of the washing machine to drag the paper towels off a shelf.