Wordless Wednesday: first trip to LB*!

*Los Barrios, a family favorite since before her Dad was born!

Christmas in A-town

On a visit up I-35 last week we braved the crowds to see Austin's famous Christmas tree in Zilker Park (there's even a song about it! but then everything in Austin is of course super-cool).

After a yummy dinner at a nearby food-truck lot (it was our granddaughter's first food-truck experience, but she slept through it), we walked over to the tree. It's next to the Trail of Lights, which looked pretty impressive, 

But we weren't up to that long a stroll, and experienced plenty of Christmas awe just standing under the tree. The way the lights are strung to create the tree is quite clever, making a spiral effect when you stand directly under the center...

There are smaller-scale, and quite lovely, Christmas cheer elsewhere in town, too. Like on Sally's front door...

But of course, the main Austin attraction these days isn't directly related to Christmas, although her appearance in the world is the best present we could ever have...

little Nix and her two happy grandmothers..she's #1 for both of us!

Wordless Wednesday: natural Christmas red

New England in south Texas

Thanks to an early cold (for us) snap, we are enjoying one of our best color autumns in years! Here's a sample from around the area, for your enjoyment...

at the end of my street

I swear I don't remember some of the trees that are spectacular this year ever being colorful at all before! A good example is the guy above. I'm not even sure what kind of tree this is...never having noticed it before.

one of our front yard trees

The cedar elms in our front yard are always nice, but seem to have a little extra punch this year...

...as do these beauties at St. Mary's...

next to St. Louis Hall

at the front parking lot

Not just San Antonio, but the whole area, is experiencing a peak color season...

looking up in an Austin back yard (note the half-moon)

reflections in the San Marcos River

These may not seem like much to our friends and family in the far northeast, but for us they're pretty special!

Wordless Wednesday: Professor Aunt Sally