Mueller

Today we had to take Toby's motorcycle in for an oil change and a new tire.

We had some time to kill before it was ready, so we ate lunch at Baby A's and had a Purple "Rita for dessert.

After we ate - and drank - we browsed Best Buy, then headed for a short walk around nearby Mueller Community.

The day was warm and humid and nothing like what one day into fall should feel like, but it was a pleasant walk anyway....

To the top right corner of this photo below, you can see Austin's original airport hanger. Hard to believe as populated as the city is now, there was ever such a small airport, but here it is....

This community also has a large farmers market every Sunday, that I would like to work into my schedule one weekend.

Painful Endings, New Beginnings

Today as I sat at the shop and helped Toby dismantle all of our tattoo flash from the frames that held them on the wall for the past three years, I couldn't help but let my thoughts take me back to that night just a little over 3 years ago that we had excitedly been doing the exact opposite of inserting the flash into those same frames to await being affixed to the wall of what we would call Gridlock Tattoo.

We had big plans and hopes for the shop. I can remember every step of our business venture..... our morning walk when we decided upon a name, all the hard work, money and time it took to scrub old carpet and glue off the floor so we could install the flooring, all those who were there for us and helped us along the way, and mostly our loyal customers who helped keep Gridlock open.

But the time has come for The End. The shop was not going in the direction we anticipated it would. We weren't in bad shape, but for all the work we were putting into it, the outcome was not enough to make it worth all the effort and time we were putting into it.

It was no secret, I was skeptical (and very, very, afraid) when Toby came up with idea of opening our own shop, and the closing of Gridlock was a bittersweet affair, but mostly I was sad for Toby. I know how hard he worked to make things work. How much of his thoughts were consumed with making it work. He gave it a good fight and I give him full credit for that.

But, from my life experiences I believe.....

             "New Beginnings Are Often Disguised As Painful Endings" - Lao Tzu

Lake Georgetown

We met up with Angela and her crew for a hike this week. Even at mid-September, the weather has not cooled off at all, I figured a hike along Lake Geeorgetown would at least give us a chance to stick our feet in the water and cool off.

Unfortunately, on the trail we were on, there weren't any spots that were easy access to the water. The older girls were able to climb down the hill and get to one spot...

This little guy was curious and not as skittish as the other lizards we encountered....

Lake Georgetown is huge with several access points around the lake. I'd like to explore more of this lake at a different access point soon.

Chisholm Trail

Today we headed to Round Rock for our weekly Sam's trip. I was itching to do a little hiking, so Toby pulled up google maps and scrounged us up a nearby park, Chisholm Trail Crossing Park.

There were some interesting statues.....

We came upon a creek......

There was a short, shady trail that ran alongside the creek....

We crossed the street to other side which led to a paved trail......

And here is the famous "round rock" which Round Rock was named after. If you're a history buff, here's a link to the history of how it got its name...

The path led into a park area along the creek....

It was a nice, relaxing walk considering I wasn't really expecting anything more than a trip to Sam's.