Birthday in Fredericksburg

Skye's been antsy lately so we offered to take her downtown for the day...

We showed her the new library. She's never been impressed by libraries and this one was no different to her, other than I believe she did enjoy the views....

Doing the same thing she does at home

Skye is so different from us, and even most of her peers, that it's hard to really gauge what she likes or wants to do. Maybe it's just the teen in her struggling to find her place in the world. Maybe she just hasn't found her tribe yet. Even scarier, is that she'll end up like Toby and I, tribe-less. Only time will tell.

Yesterday was Toby's 44th birthday. I surprised him with a day trip to Fredericksburg. He's been wanting to go there for awhile, even though I'm not sure why since I tried to tell him that it's mostly a shopping destination.

Our first stop was the Arc. We enjoyed a glass of wine on the rooftop. Johnson City is really beautiful. I have to say the wine was the best I have ever drank, much better than the cheap HEB stuff we buy.

Next, we checked out the LBJ Ranch. Ironically, it was also LBJ's birthday too, so he and Toby share the same birthday. It was really cool, and we probably would have checked out more of the trails and farm if we had not been pressed for time and it was not 100 degrees....

Next stop was Fredericksburg. I had picked out a restaurant I wanted us to lunch at, but it was closed. Matter of fact, of few of them were closed. I suppose Monday was not a peak tourist day. We chose a nice Mexican Restaurant on Main Street, and it did not disappoint.

Next, we walked along Main Street. Mostly shopping, but it was still fun to look in some of the stores...

Next, we stopped in a local bar called Buc's. The waiter at the restaurant told us they give out a free drink on birthdays....

I think he enjoyed his day, I know I did anyway.

Non-Eventful Week

Last week was non-eventful. Toby and Skye wanted to go back to Six Flags to ride some of the rides they didn't get to the last time we were there. Our pass will expire soon, and they want to make full use of it before it does.

I vowed I would never go with them again. because (a) I hate long car rides to places I don't even want to be (b) I hate crowded places and am not a fan of thrill rides.

I admit the morning I woke up and knew they would be headed to for Six Flags to leave me alone for the day was like winning the lottery. I made a trip to the Blue Hanger and came home to roost on the sofa and watch some Netflix uninterrupted. That is my idea of an exciting day.

The next day Toby and I ran some errands and came home to lounge in the pool.

Me and Skye have been sitting out in the evenings. I like to spend as much time outdoors in the summer as possible, because I hibernate in the winter. I'm a full blooded southern gal.

This year has not really been a year for nice sunsets, but the other night the sky showed off for us...

 

The animals like to hang out near us when we're outside. I think about my pets a lot. How it's weird how they consider us a family even though they are very different from us, but yet know how to mold to human expectations....

I especially think about Bo. He's so muscular and strong. He could attack and kill me if he wanted to with his mass strength, but yet he cowers and hides when I raise my voice or if he senses I'm mad...

Recently, my friend Robin suggested we enter some of our work into the county fair. She does a lot of canning. Gardening and canning is her thing, like crochet is mine. I had thought about the idea of entering some of my crochet into a fair before, but never delved any deeper into the idea until she suggested  it.

I have a few ideas on what I want to enter, and even have come up with some other ideas that have not yet been created. I call these three blankets my masterpieces. I donate most of my crochet to local charities, but there are certain things I make that I keep because of the time and money I put into them....

Anyway, that's all I can think of to ramble on about for now. I need to start my day.

Bone Dry

During the months of July and August Toby and I struggle for things to entertain us on our weekends. It's way too hot to enjoy a good hike so this is the time of year we usually spend more time in our pool, but certain people (me) start getting antsy and need to immerse in nature.

We decided to go hike Bull Creek. It's one of our favorite hiking spots and it has a nice uncrowded swimming area we love to cool off in.....or so we thought. This was the first year I could ever remember our swimming spot being dried up. That's how non-existent the rain has been this summer.....

There's usually a nice waterfall leading into a big pool area.....

At least we could check out the big cave area underneath where the falls are usually flowing....

Even the big waterfall area was barely a trickle....

I tell ya, Austin is either feast or famine.

The next day we decided to go to Barton Springs, but this time we actually went into the paid pool area. I wouldn't ordinarily pay to swim at Barton, but it's only $3 for residents.  Toby got to swim on the deep end and jump off the diving board while I lounged on my floaty in the shallow area....

I'm pretty sure we'll utilize the pool a couple more times before summer ends.

Me and Skye have been sitting on out the pool deck in the evenings watching the sunset while she chats my ear off. I guess I should be glad that she talks to me, because I never felt comfortable enough with my mother to casually chat nor would my mother had feigned interest in the conversation like I do with Skye....

Lucas and Emily are on vacation in Vancouver and Lucas sent me a picture of him and the view. He's such a sweet, handsome (30 year old) boy. I miss having him around, he has such a pleasant nature compared to someone else I live with, I won't mention their name...

It's been so hot, and I really hate walking in the heat so I've been walking a couple of miles in the early morning by myself before Toby gets up. I'm an early morning person so I've really been enjoying my peaceful morning walks without the sun blazing down on me....

I love this old house on the highway outside my neighborhood. It sits out there all alone and there's a good view of downtown Austin right behind it. Skye's been to it before when she did camp at Crowe's Nest Farm, she said there's a big fishing pond behind it too...

I dressed up Bo the other day, he's such a good sport, or either he's just too old to resist any more...

Toby was playing his video game one night and shhhhsd  me when I was tried to talk to him, so I just text him this message. I'm one of those people who find myself hilarious, Toby says I'm not funny, just legit crazy. If I am crazy, it's because I'm living with two people who've run me that way...

Here's me, taking a selfie on the way to Barton. No makeup, no filters just natural old lady Laura. I want to look back at myself when I'm 80 (if I make it that long) and remember that I didn't look as bad as I thought I did...