Peace of Crestview

...God Laughs

2010-03-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

I moved to Crestview from Driftwood, Texas in '04, and immediately fell in love with this sweet, weirdly Austintacious neighborhood.
I hoped I'd be able to stay in Crestview for good, but when we make plans, God allegedly laughs.

Through no fault of his own, my dear landlord found it necessary to put the house on the market, so all of a sudden, I've moved out...out of the house and, sadly, out of Crestview altogether, literally to the other side of the tracks.

The whole thing was very sudden and heart-wrenching at first, because I knew I'd never find an affordable rent house in the hood that welcomes pets and could accommodate me. But I can't complain, since we had an agreement from the beginning that I might have to leave in as little as two or three years. Happily, I got to stay in my little rent house on Piedmont for over 5-1/2 years, and I've never enjoyed living anywhere so much in all my life. I loved everything about Crestview; the people, the houses, the yards, the yard art, the gardens, the park, the little shopping center, everything.
Since my house was just 4 houses away from Woodrow, I was able to watch the beautiful, inspiring Wall of Welcome being created from my own front porch (view from my former front porch, below), and could "walk" my dog Claude to Brentwood Park in less than 10 minutes on my little mobility scooter;
Claude learned to play nicely with other dogs at Brentwood Park, and I met a lot of very cool dog owners there.

The thing I miss most about Crestview is the overall laid-back, friendly vibe. Everybody smiles and waves; people don't do that everywhere, you know. (They sure don't do it here on the other side of Research Blvd.)

The convenience of being only 4 houses away from Woodrow, a bus stop, and the Crestview Shopping Center is something I'll always remember fondly. I especially love the wonderful little IGA grocery store...I still buy my Lotto tickets there, because if I ever won, they'd get a lot of money too, and that could insure their future. And I'd buy myself a house in Crestview, preferably the same one my landlord is readying for sale...

But for now, I'm in exile. Still, sometimes when life buries you under what feels like a crushing load of , a bit of luck comes along and all of a sudden, you're swimming in . Even though I'd rather be in Crestview, at least I'm now in a significantly cheaper, roomier, more accessible house. In fact, this house is so large that my son is going to move in with me, which I hope will be a plus for all three of us. Anyway, wish us luck; lets hope we don't wind up on Jerry Springer...

The new neighborhood is a letdown after basking in Crestview's peaceful mellowness for over 5 years, but there are perks here as well; Target is only a 5-minute scooter ride away, as is my bank with its drive-up ATM, and Taco Cabana. It's all good.

Meanwhile, if you know someone who's looking for a house to buy in Crestview, 1312 Piedmont Avenue is now sporting a "For Sale" sign out front, and I can't imagine a better location....

Well, that's it. Happy Trails, everybody!

Halloween in the Hood

2009-10-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

BOO!

The Dog Fair

2009-10-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

(Next time, I'm guessing it WON'T be scheduled for the same day as the Texas-OU game!)

Kelly the Corgi

Sami!

Keeping Austin Weird

Little Porter (above) and Desmo (below), looking

very dapper, ready for the Dog Fair and Halloween

Labor Day Parade

2009-09-07T10:32:00.001-07:00

The signs said "Labor Day Parade, Brentwood Park, Monday 9:30am". A nice crowd gradually gathered; lots of kids and lots of dogs, with plenty of parents and other "grownups" sharing part of their day off. Three of our most popular veteran public servants were there, each displaying a much-appreciated gift of brevity as they quietly blended in, Austin style:)

Once again, a palpable spirit of community pervaded everything. So thank you to all of the volunteers who put this together, and to everybody who participated. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I LOVE my neighborhood.

Lots of folks (and pups) chilling, waiting for the Labor Day Parade to start...
above Brand new rescue pup "Murdoch". adopted yesterday, enjoys the scene with his new family. Welcome to the 'hood, Murdoch!

above Baby Georgia waits patiently for the festivities to start, comfy with Dad...

This intrepid bouncer managed to pogo-stick all the way around the block...

...and this kid caught some air!

County Commisioner Sarah Eckhardt

Rep Elliot Naishtat

Shining happy people in the park

The great ones play hurt

The Beginning of the Parade: Our very laid-back, do-your-own-thing Labor Day Parade started in front of the park on Arroyo Seco, ambled north to the edge of the park and turned west along the trail all the way back to Yates Avenue, around the school and back. Trooping along happily, we had lots of people walking, riding bicycles, pushing or being pushed in strollers, babies being carried, at least one unicycle, a pogo stick, and a mobility scooter. (Diversity seems to just happen around here, naturally and effortlessly.)

Free watermelon, lemonade, and mercifully brief, very upbeat "speechlets" from 3 of our favorite local politicos followed.

Scully (the dog), celebrating Labor Day in Brentwood

above Sorry this picture is so blurry but it's the only one I got of this very cool, yogurt-carrying, recycling canine. Good dog!

above Travis County Constable Bruce Elfant (left) parades with fellow veteran politico Rep. Elliott Naishtat (right)

Parading can be serious business...

Sherlock the Beagle and Friend

Finally!

2009-09-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

..RAIN! Just a hair under 3-3/4 inches here on Piedmont just east of Woodrow and man it was impressive, falling incredibly hard and rising unbelievably fast.

above The rain had barely started at this point

below Morning after photos

We pretty much figured it'd take a hurricane to bring any real rain, and for awhile yesterday evening it felt like one might be on the way...

There were reports that the Arroyo overflowed its banks briefly, which must have been a sight to see. This morning (the morning after the storm) there are frogs everywhere and great slabs of mud covering the sidewalks in front of Brentwood School and Park. The air is noticeably cooler and humming with chainsaws working to tidy up the storm damage; several large trees were toppled along Woodrow, as was a utility pole near Lamar and Airport which crashed onto a building before settling on a parked car. Ouch!

Personally, I love dramatic weather, as long as nobody gets hurt and property isn't destroyed, but for awhile yesterday when the storm first blew in, I was actually worried that my windows might blow in...

Officially a 54-mph wind gust was recorded at a weather station at Redeemer Lutheran School on Anderson Lane.

We LOVE our Dogs

2009-08-16T09:25:00.001-07:00

Ah ha! Clear eidence that "Gracie" and "Jasmine" are NOT the same dog. Now if we could only spot Clark Kent and Superman together...

"Muy" checks out "Houdini".

above "Desmo" (as in "Ducati") enjoys his very first day at the park.

Welcome "Desmo"!

above "Claude" investigating "Yehudi", who's busy conducting his own investigation...

Yo, "Yehudi"...play something for us

above, "Sugar" can FLY

"Luna" (foreground) do-sa-does* with "Daisy"(*Yeah, that's how it's spelled)

"Vladimir" ("Vlad") kisses palms!

Little "Vader" (almost 7 months old) watches the BIG dogs

"Luna" plays with "Sami" as "Harper" makes a bee-line to the lady with the dog treats

Hello down there, "Gracie"

above, "Gracie" (another Gracie) enjoys a rest in the early morning sun

above, "Claude" and "Gracie" paying attention to...something...

What's up, "Charlie" Blue-eyes?

above, "Obie" watches the pack

above, "Frigo" says "Hi."

above Good dog, "Dudley"!

above The veddy British "Cyril" stands behind "Archie"

Blind old "Archie" gets by just fine

above Finally got a picture of super-energetic "Coco" that's not a total blur...

Here in the Crestview/Brentwood neighborhhood, we have a LOT of dogs, nice dogs, but exactly zero dog parks. So a lot of dog owners including myself take our pets to an area at the back of Brentwood Park to exercise and play off-leash early in the mornings. All of our dogs are friendly, well-behaved, and well-socialized, and clearly enjoy their time off-leash.

Unfortunately, once in awhile someone nearby who clearly doesn't like to see happy dogs actually calls the police, and of course they have to repond by cruising past slowly, watching for off-leash dogs and issuing citations. We quickly click the leashes back on and say for the zillionith time, "This is ridiculous! We seriously need a dog park! All these nice dogs deserve it."
Little "Oscar" poses so nicely! Thank you, Oscar.

above "Yehudi" on top of "Dexter" play nicely as "Oscar" supervises"Dexter" catches his breath after a prolonged romp

Here comes "Sugar"!Lots of neighborhood dogs, in search of a place to play off-leash legally
Gee, could "Gracie" possibly want a tummy rub?
"Gracie" carries her tennis ball "Choco" and "Claude" meet"Scout" kindly holds sorta still for a picture...

"Butternut", soft and sweet. ("Butters" for short)

Sweet "Sami"; a rescued dog, hangs out happily with neighbors and their dogs at the parkLovely, soft, fluffy "Jasmine"Happy, hyper "Rusty"'s new poodle cut; classic!
above, "Jean", another sweet dog (maybe a Saluki mix?), a native of Afghanistan, was brought here by an American soldier. Welcome, Jean!
"Baby Doll" and "Houdini" rest in my considerable shade

Eddie Wilson's new pup, "Muy Guapo*", is a digging prodigy! (*That's only the most recent name; first he was "Oliver", then "Olivier", then "Jack", then "Jack-O")
above "Muy" (left) cautiously meets "Frigo" (right) "Pepper", a super-energetic little dude, off-leash for the first time and loving it! A very, very good dog, actually named "Fido" Sweet little "Porter" enjoys some lovin' from RobertLovely "Jasmine"
above Hello, "Dolly"!

above Hola, "Pablo"!

(above) "Marshall", all set to retrieve.

above Dear "Annie" (I think; I can't tell Annie from Sugar; sorry) "Harper", a very friendly dog who does tricks and streaks around like a brown-eyed rocket, (above, ready for launch, and below, dancing with Claude)
"Harper" and "Claude" playing nicely

(above) Yet another "Daisy". This Daisy is the most vocal. ("Barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark...")
above Sweet "Jasmine" catches her breath left "Claude": "Can I play?" "Whoa! You are just playing, right?"

above Yep, just playing.

gentle "Daisy" moseys over to visit

sweet "Daisy" with the little dudes, "Houdini" and "Babydoll"

below, Sweet "Daisy" meets "Baby Doll" and "Houdini"
"Daisy" enjoys affection

above, Claude visits his old pal "Davis" the Puppy

above Another "Daisy"; also a very nice dog

above Intrepid "Claude"

above - "Holiday" ambles over to visit "Claude"
"Joey", ever loyal

Yard Art!

2009-07-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Awesome Curb Art

Talk about curb appeal!

(above), OK, it's not really YARD art but it's cool!

Totally organic yard art above...

(Click picture above to see our neighborhood grouch)

Below, simple fireplug made Crestview-esquely colorful!

Busy bird houses and squirrel feeders

(Many more pictures of birds and feeders

are found in a separate post.)

Trusty, rusty knight in armor guarding the yard

Alexanders Nursery Remembered

I love my neighborhood!

above and below, Folks around here have always been close...

(Good dog)

My folks would never have understood this, but I love it!

Above, one weird little critter...

These little dudes are dedicated to guarding this dragonfly

?

(below) "Howdy" back atcha, stranger!

(below) Possibly the only hippo this side of Hutto...

Classic 50's Houses with Awnings

2009-07-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've posted a lot of pictures of colorful houses, but I have a serious soft spot for classic '50's white (or off-white) houses too. The awnings in particular really take me back to my childhood.

(That's little me, c. 1955.)

Allegiances and Opinions Displayed - What We Care About

2009-06-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

A vertically-hung American Flag that's not backward!

above, Beautiful (but backward-hanging) flag.

Passion in the 'Hood

2009-06-28T08:54:00.001-07:00

(Passion Flowers, that is)
Until recently, there were dozens of beautifully blooming Passion Flowers hiding behind a black temporary fence at Arroyo Seco & Woodrow.

Since then, the first in a set of twin McMansions has been built there, and the vines have been mowed down. But while they were there, we had some beautiful flowers. to enjoy. Meanwhile, there are more Passion Flowers blooming at the southeast corner of Cullen and Woodrow.

But don't bug the bees!

The story of this pedantic bloom, courtesy of Wikipedia: The "Passion" in "passion flower" does not refer to sex or love, but to the passion of Jesus Christ. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish Christian missionaries adopted the unique physical structures of this plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the last days of Jesus Christ and especially the Crucifixion:
The pointed tips of the leaves were taken to represent the Holy Lance.
The tendrils represent the whips used in the Flagellation of Christ.
The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles (less St. Peter the denier and Judas Iscariot the betrayer).
The flower's radial filaments, which can number more than a hundred and vary from flower to flower, represent the Crown of Thorns.
The chalice-shaped ovary with its receptacle represents a hammer or the Holy Grail.
The 3 stigmata represent the 3 nails and the 5 anthers below them the 5 wounds (four by the nails and one by the lance).
The blue and white colors of many species' flowers represent Heaven and Purity.

Morning Walks (Summer 2009)

2009-06-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

August 2009

above, Tony, a very nice, very smart, very, VERY friendly kid. No, we're not related; I'm just a fan:)

Victory Garden on Woodrow, hanging in there through the heat..

God Bless Gardeners and Volunteers,

especially gardeners who do volunteer!

(The 8 photographs immediately above were taken on Saturday, August 22nd.)

above, Plumbago still hanging in there (as of August 19th)

above Three pairs of parrots having breakfast on Yates
These flowers on Karen Lane still manage to bloom...

...even the wild ones! above

Pride of Barbados above and below blooms happily thoughout drought and heat

above Drought-flattened cactus

The neighborhood parrots don't seem to mind the heat

Early morning clouds promise rain but never deliver anymore; why won't it ever rain?!

above, Forecast for Austin, courtesy of the National Weather Service

It's way too freaking HOT!
It's supposed to be hot in Texas in the summertime (except sometimes in the Panhandle, which everybody knows doesn't count), and it always is. But this summer is shaping up to be one of the hottest, even for Texas. Worse, it's one of the driest so far, and the combination is starting to take a toll on things. The Aquifer water level is dropping a foot a day, every day. Obviously watering is rationed, and even if it wasn't, turning on a faucet to water something ornamental feels like a very wrong thing to do! (Possibly because I had to live for over 7 years without any running water).

Have you ever seen such flat, dehydrated cactus?

Meanwhile, some people waste a LOT of water...

Impressively laden apple tree (above) Well, this is just about everything that's still blooming...

above, A still-blooming cactus flower!

I'm not sure what the sage is so happy about today because it NEVER freaking rains anymore!!

Even the crepe myrtle is cooking in the heat

above, Beautiful exceptions

Claude and I are still out there early almost every morning, but these days, spotting anything actually blooming is rare, so I'm grateful to find anything that still looks healthy and bright in this high heat.

above Season's last magnolia.

First Week of July, 2009
Woo-hoo! A vertically-hung American Flag that's NOT backward!
Hi Daisy! (As usual, Daisy is saying "Barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark")
Literal yard art!
The cool thing about decorating with rocks; regardless of how bad the drought gets, they always look just fine!(below) What blooms in July in Crestview
Gaillardia (or Mexican Blankets) grace Lynette's front yard. A little Lantana

The "Pride of Barbados", the beautiful e flowering shrub above, is very hearty. It's been 103F most days lately, but this plant still looks bright and cheerful.
(The 9 pictures above were all taken on July 7th.) Heat-loving plumbago is still blooming nicely. Bonus: deer don't like them, so you can grow them in the country. (above) Tropicals don't mind this crazy heat at all (below) What else can bloom in this heat... above, Beautiful flag hung backward as most are, but beautiful
Happy yard art above, Don't s'pose these folks are UT fans?
Yard gnome teaming up with seahorses(Check out the heart-shaped cactus above)

above, Awesome bunting for the Fourth!
Yay! They turned the backwards flag around! (Guess what day it is?)

above, Lovely flag, but it's backward.(hint: The Union belongs at the upper LEFT.)

Happy weekend:)
Tuesday morning, Sweet Daisy
American Ingenuity under the Flag Beautiful chickens on Ruth
(above) Monday morning- Daisy, Claude's new friend.

We finally got a little rain! Somebody's all ready for the 4th

End of June, 2009

It's CRAZY hot and dry in Austin, even for summer

Backward flags & the eternal parliamentarian's

dilemma - should I tell them? Leave a note?

Claude (good dog!) taking a breather in the shade....

Fourth Week of June, 2009

above, Check out the hawks in the tree!

Peace wreath, retired to the garage wall

Somebody followed somebody's heart

Blonde squirrel

(Another backwards flag...but the yellow shutters are nice)

above, (My Texas Blue Lacy is no slouch, either!)

OK, I'm kinda obsessed with these parrots

Third Week of June, 2009

It's so freaking HOT...

What can bloom in this heat?

I smelled honeysuckle and found it here...

Yay! Previously backward flag corrected!

This huge magnolia tree must pre-date the neighborhood

Magnolias are fading, but here's a nice one

I finally got a camera with a telephoto lens, so I can really see the weird little green critter above

Homegrowing Eggplant!

Birds stuffing themselves as cats plan their lunch of stuffed birds

Claude catches up with his pal Davis

Until friend John gave me his old camera

(with a telephoto lens), I never knew the

parrots had beautiful blue under the green...

We got a little rain...seriously need more

OMG so do I...just ask my son, bless his heart!

(above) This under-sidewalk lighting fascinates me.

Very neat fence

How 'bout them Cowboys?

Arroyo Seco Mermaid

Tomatoes are finally happening

Another groovy lizard

Squirrel Feeders

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

This morning Claude met Daisy, a sweet, VERY energetic dog!

One Big Flower

For the Birds...

above, Congratulations to somebody for something!((Graduation?)

above, Witchy Yard Art...

Thursday, June 4th, 2009:

I like the "Scare Python" guarding the garden...

I don't know what these flowers are, but I like them...

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009:

I finally got pictures of the train!

Here it comes!

...and here it is...

...and there it goes...

This is a GREAT time for Purple Sage...

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Monday, June 1st, 2009

Amazing Camouflage House!

(Check out the hawks in the tree above)

Somebody followed somebody's heart

Blonde squirrel

(Another backwards flag...but the yellow shutters are nice)

Hey, my Texas Blue Lacy is no slouch, either!

OK, I'm kinda obsessed with parrots

May 31st, 2009:

...another nice place to hang out...

.....an offer found on Brentwood this morning...

Saturday, May 30th, 2009:

....a Pointless Minority Opinion...

Thursday, May 28th, 2009:

Groovy art car

Something for the birds...

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009:

More comforatble places to hang out

A place to sit under the stars

More thriving Victory Gardens

....run away!

Click on the picture above for a better view of the neat little sculptures

Promising clouds and thunder didn't really deliver...

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009:

Our 2009 Ice Cream Social

2009-06-20T13:24:00.001-07:00

Claude got to hang with dog friends.

A kid-friendly event.

The invitation read "All Crestview residents are invited to gather by the Little Deli gazebo on June 20th at 11am-1pm for some FREE ICE CREAM, while supplies last. Meet your neighbors and watch your elected neighborhood association officers work for you (scooping ice cream)! There are plans to have a gardeners' seed swap, a free raffle for Austin event tickets, and a CNA membership table".

Claude and I scooted over to the shopping center and found a whole bunch of shining, happy people eating free ice cream and enjoying the day. There was live music, and seed and produce sharing. And I finally joined the Crestview Neighborhood Association, and bought yet another copy of the video history.

It was all lovely, but too hot for me so I was just there for less than a half hour. http://www.crestviewna.org/2009/05/annual-crestview-ice-cream-social-june.html

For the BIRDS

2009-06-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

(above and below) Faux birds have definite advantages

(Above), There's an OWL in that tree

Parrot-and-squirrel feeders

Yard Art Themes: Frogs and Lizards

2009-06-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Leaping lizards

Frog Department below

above, This little group meets here continually,

possibly to discuss the drought.

above, Gotcha!

above, Big frog sings, while little

bow-tied frog listens politely.

Flags Around the 'Hood

2009-05-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

These are by no means ALL of the American Flags displayed in the neighborhood; maybe not even half.

(above) Wrong. (below) Right!

above, fancy backward-hanging* flag. *(I left a polite note...:)

Above, wrong, backwards-hanging flag

Below, corrected the next day. FlagLady thanks you!

above, Like every other vertically-displayed Flag

in the 'hood, it's hanging backward. But oh well...

The pictures below were mostly taken on Memorial Day weekend, the beginning of "Flag Season" and a good time to brush up on U.S. Flag Protocol or how to display the U.S. Flag correctly.

As a one-time professional parliamentarian, part of my job involved knowing the correct protocol for displaying the U.S. Flag. As I 'scoot' around the neighborhood, I see a lot of U.S. flags, but almost all of the vertically-displayed flags are positioned incorrectly, usually backward. This isn't a big issue for me, because for me a big part of living in a free country is that nobody can force you to display a flag at all, much less according to the U.S. Flag Code, which may be outdated. This is just for those who'd like to know how our Flag is supposed to be displayed and how it's not...the Union (the blue part with the stars) should be in the upper LEFT corner as viewed by the observer.
More perky but backward flags...

While we're on the subject, the U.S. Flag Code seriously frowns on using the American Flag as a decorating theme...

...however, we are living in a free country, where self-expression is Constitutionally protected, so by all means PUT an American Flag cape on your yard-art goose if you want to, and a matching Flag bonnet on the companion duck if it pleases you. Celebrate your 1st Amendment Rights.

Memorial Day 2009 - Good Morning

2009-05-25T08:50:00.001-07:00

There be Horses!

2009-05-15T09:18:00.001-07:00

May 15th, 2009:

...and a little stagecoach, waiting to take lucky Brentwood Elementary students for rides! Is this a cool neighborhood or what?

The little white one above with the pretty blue eyes is apparently there just for petting, and is very good at it- sweet and friendly. Man I miss my horses!

The folks at Decotah's Dream Team Carriage Company were kind enough to let me get my long-overdue horse fix, and I really appreciate it. I've been seriously Jonesin' for horses since I had to re-home the last of my little herd almost 10 years ago. Happily, this morning I finally got to lay my hand on that wonderfully warm place under the horse's mane, to smell that wonderful scent of "Corral No. 5", and to stroke that soft nose...ahh

This brings up my only real complaint about this neighborhood - we have dogs and cats of all kinds, all over the place,

even parrots, which is great....but not nearly enough horses!

Anyway, if you need a horse at your house, call (512) 281-2022 or go to http://www.decotahsdreamteam.com/.

(Below, my last horse, a miniature stallion named "Fred", retired to a little ranch outside Seguin a long time ago, but is no doubt grazing in Horsey Heaven by now...)

Victory Gardens 2009

2009-05-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

Elvis is still on the job as the garden grows

Peaches, I think...

Fruit trees qualify, don't they? Apple tree above, closeup below

Orange tree above

Livestock counts too; a real live chicken in Crestview!

(The next two were taken on Mother's Day in the morning)

The next two were taken on the way back from the polls; it's Election Day in Austin...

Elvis Siting! Reincarnated as a Scarecrow

Hey, a modest victory is still a victory!

Click on the picture above to spot the green watch-bird...

About That THING in the Park...

2009-05-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful! I hope you were able to attend. Here are a few pictures of the event, courtesy of my dear friend John Reynolds...

There were beautiful things to buy...

Amazing jugglers!

Yummy things to eat...

....enjoying a cup of Amy's ice cream

Everybody had fun...

Dogs of all colors had fun...

(Kids always know how to have fun...)

(Just taking it all in ...)

That's Claude & me, heading home, tired but happy...

click the link for the 4-1-1 straight from the Crestview Newsletter.

"Make plans to join your friends and neighbors at the Violet Crown Thing in the Park, to be held in Brentwood Park on Saturday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"In the spirit of previous Violet Crown Festivals, this event is being organized by Violet Crown Community Works. Since 2003, VCCW has helped build and sustain community in Brentwood and Crestview by supporting neighborhood events and enhancement projects.

"Admission to the Thing in the Park is free, and there will be fun activities for all ages, including art and craft vendors, live music and other entertainment from neighborhood groups, kids' activities, and good old-fashioned games like sack races and pitching washers! We'll also have living history displays and activities and sales of a neighborhood history film and booklet.

"Bring your blanket and a picnic or enjoy great food and tasty treats from Hangtown Grill, Amy's Ice Creams, Hey Cupcake!, and others. Major sponsors include Grande Communications, The Pilates Center of Austin, Texas DPS Credit Union, Sweet Leaf Tea, Thunderbird Coffee, The Art Pad, Stepping Stone School, and Barnstormers Studio.

"Proceeds from the Thing in the Park will be dedicated to seating and other enhancements for the Wall of Welcome area. Additional proceeds will benefit Voices of the Violet Crown, an ongoing oral history project in the neighborhood.

"Join us for a fun day in the park! The Violet Crown Thing in the Park needs volunteers before, during and after the event, which will be held from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on May 2. The jobs aren't hard, and are fun and easy ways to meet your neighbors and do something good for your community! If you can give a couple of hours to the event, please contact Vanita Trippe (vtrippe@hotmail.com or 302-9792) or Diane Bennett (454-3259 or at Crestview Barber Shop).

violetcrownfestival.com . Posted by Don Tucker"

A Great Year for Cactus

2009-05-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

Beautiful blooming Century Plant (Agaveamericanum)
Pink cactus

Interesting shapes

heart-shaped cactus

Baby cactus with aspirations...

(I'll post new pictures as I take them...obviously a work in progress...)