Making sense mostly to me, images from a transitional year, a little longer, moving along.
Flights between Chicago and Austin and Austin and Chicago, two of my favorite places. Early COVID, such quiet, empty ports and planes. (Calm, nice, except for the unwarranted TSA pat down, I wish that experience on no one, but smile for the TSA agent who screened my dogs’ cremains with understanding.) Then here. Back in Austin for good. Fired up and ready to go.
Bridge in Travis Heights neighborhood, named for Austin music/radio legend Larry Monroe, biked often by me. The light that afternoon.
On my running trail, and outside the office window where I got together my work/writing. And then best…who doesn’t love finding a gecko in the car?
COVID summer garden, fresh meals. Thought of raising chickens, but final analysis, nah.
Birthday road trips, Wimberley and Brenham, Texas. Royers in Round Top staying open after hours. Teeny cups of Blue Bell ice cream on the side of the road. Swimming in creeks after dark.
Pedernales Falls road trip. Love, love, love that place. I’ve asked my son to find a way to have my ashes left there.
Autumn 2020. Halloween, acquired what I thought a hilarious toy skeleton on clearance from the CVS. The door entrance to an (I guess) about 1920-ish set of buildings in West Campus, I thought uniquely beautiful.
From Cesar Chavez, crazy busy downtown street, turtles and some white birds basking in a sunny warm day (and ignoring human traffic).
Irreverent winter holidays (it’s Austin). But Thanksgiving cranberry chutney (with orange zest obviously) and New Year blackeye peas are sacred.
The little snow before the big one. Tiny ancient Eeyore alarmed but little travel buddies (who have seen Chicago winters) totally complacent.
First morning of the big winter storm here, February 2021. Pretty cool for a few hours, then not so much. I was lucky, just a little dark and cold for about a week, one fall on the ridiculous ice. A friend who walked across town to bring me some bread and cheese, a sleeping bag and phone charger. Other people actually died from hypothermia. Some still are dealing with the home repairs and evictions. Surprise, Austin has no snowplows, and no ice stuff either.
View from my desk.
Spring. Crepe myrtle, purple shamrock, and from my childhood, my favorite pussy willows plus some thistles. Good luck.
My Zilker neighborhood.
My Oliver. Part purr box, part brat, laser pointer addict, totally spoiled with tuna and ham. He can be antic…making hard to write much less read a single sentence without distraction…but sometimes streamed music calms him down. Then he goes to the cat tree and naps. How funny. Cats like music.
Willow City Loop, Easter 2021. Bluebonnets.
Life at Lady Bird Lake. Any day, any time. And some wisdom, if it helps, from my ginger tea bags.
Oliver again.
More my Zilker neighborhood. Evening walks to Lady Bird Lake.
Community garden at Town Lake YMCA.
Austin sidewalks. (That round yellow sticker isn’t mine, but Oliver (John Oliver that is..my oh so favorite late night who opens up issues that matter, really, and plus is wake-my-neighbors laughing-out-loud-funny, is the namesake of my rascally little kitten Oliver.)
One more reason to love Austin. Dogs, dogs, dogs. And water. This summer 2021, will be back at Deep Eddy pool, place of happy memories.
You know they’re good neighbors when their yard art includes a stuffed bear (trying to hide in the trees) and a stuffed pony with beads (or shells, doesn’t matter). Evening walks are starting to feel a little bit autumnal, breezy. And surprising. What will the neighbors put out next? It’ll be delightful, that is sure. And yup, now ceramic bunnies and evening lights and then again now a little toy flower truck next to some beady Baggins house.
A few seasons outlooking my desk in blue state Lincoln Land, for a long writing retreat, now 2022 and now 2023. December, I think, first. Very good day to be inside with laptop and cat peering at something so simply gorgeous as snow on branches. February, I think, next, the occasional sun, hint of spring. All day long kids in strollers and on roller blades, walkers, runners, cyclists, so many adorable dogs, voices excited for outside, and then perfect evening sunset. March, for sure, finally, first daylight savings after a few bone chilling days inside sorting about forty boxes of books. Beside myself happy for the longer light, and the bird noise. Only a little more while, suddenly those trees will bud. Love it, love it, love it. Summer on the way.
My favorite house, on my street here. According to my Mother, my parents just missed buying it because a bid came in so just a little bit sooner. Might could be ghosts there, but a gorgeous house. Anyway, family ended up in a place where my Father could build a very very very large garden, fish, row boats, ice skate and sled in winter, with his grand kids. And he made a koi pond on a hill.
Just a little of the violets and pink trees which will last not long enough.
Gorgeous skies, doggie play groups just all day outside that desk window (Oliver The Cat so wants to mix it up with those canines, has, sadly, to just stare and wish). Too cold last few days but getting better, can’t wait for sandals time. And one of my favorite little bowered doors, tucked behind one of the big houses.
These neighbors’ gardens are all in bloom now. Sculpture at the old library, love horses.
More gardens. And weathervane, love deer.
Dayna Finet 