this is how you keep kids occupied for nearly seven hours in the tow vehicle.  I just noticed #1 son has a nintendo ds (blue) in one hand and his itouch (red) in the other...  I'm not sure how that works but he doesn't bug me with questions so I don't bother him with any.

crossing the bay to get to the island.

set up the airstream.  she enjoys the mister hang from the zip-dee awning.

we played bean-bag toss.  #2 son decided he would lay over the target board...  it became a game of whack the baby.

kat took the older two kids on a sea safari and dolphin watch.

dropped a net and pulled up some stuff for inspection, then released it.  they did see dolphins but didn't get any pics.

meanwhile back in the 1968 airstream...

we had nice nap.

with five people living in a small space, clutter can creep up fast.  I am devising a plan for future airstream excursions.  it involves actually putting the food items in the large pantry instead of all over the counters.  I think that is a reasonable start.  and I will try to keep my shoes under control.

the beaches just north of town were less populated.  no oil there.

operations HQ, some core samples were taken by digging down into the sand.

HQ also made for a nice nap space.

we had intended to go to SPI for the daughter's birthday, but rescheduled for better weather (hurricane alex).  she had chosen her favorite restaurant for the birthday meal, the padre island brewing co.  she LOVES their beer bread and we don't complain about their wheat beer.

her beer bread smothered in real butter.

kat found a pool table upstairs and taught the kids how to play.

they had smores back at the koa.

beautiful sunset, pic taken from iphone 3gs

we did not know that one of the kids favorite parts of going to SPI was stopping at the blue marlin grocery store.  they sell betty & veronic/archie comics at the check out.  they had been looking fwd to going back to stock up.  I noticed archie comics has an iphone app so I loaded that on her iphone.  she was happy to find the app has a store locator and she now knows where to get her archie comics in austin as well.

taking water samples.  no oil.

dug more holes, still no sign of BP oil.

happy hour at pier 19.

oysters on the half shell from port aransas, did not taste of crude.

we may have spilled a bit of bratwurst oil on the beach... grilling our lunch.   we love this little grill we got for $20.  we also use it at home since it is so efficient. 

people arrive on time (all at once) when free drinks and food are involved, especially when it is a yelp elite party and everybody has the same thing on their mind, food and drinks.  or I guess the proper order would be drinks then food.  the good people from graham's texas tea helped abate the heat and line frustration by distributing drinks to those already in line and streamlining the process.

crispin hard cider also provided the means to beat the heat.  no shortage of pretty yelp girls.

phara's provided the venue and food.

janet mahalia provided the entertainment while jonathan garza snapped a few pics.

just returned from a nice snack at the box, or la boite if you like saying the box in french.  designed by austin modhouse architect mark meyer.  coffees, pastries served from a repurposed ISO shipping container. 

#1 son was extremely grumpy.  probably low blood sugar.

take note of the ones that look like ice cream sandwiches, more on those in a minute.

food and lavender lemonade did improve their dispositions.  the sandwiches were really good!  I also enjoyed an iced latte.  you can just barely make out mark's head behind the daughter.  also ran into another friend who just happened to be stopping by for a coffee, good times and good people.

using the Yelp form I'd made for them to organize their opinions and facts.

kids love fans.  went back to the counter and got a round of sweets.  I don't eat a lot of sugary items but the macaroons...  they are something special indeed!

after I had one taste, everything came to a halt.  this was one of the best things I've eaten in a good while!  and I eat some good food too.

there is something magical about the perfect combination of gooey and crunch, chocolate and pistachio or the caramel....  both are worth making a special stop any time you find yourself in the 78704 (south austin)

his bad mood was no match for a taste of that macaroon.

all the rain has resurrected our zoysia

I have been pulling my hair finishing a few upgrades on the 73 2002tii, new carpet, new front seats and installed bilstein HD rear shocks.  driving and looking better than it ever has.  took it to terry sayther to sort the last few minor mechanical issues and to get that a/c blowing cold.

I had no paying photo gigs this past week.  so I made the kids step into the light.

she was in the middle of guitar practice.

he LOVES the beauty dish light. 

we don't visit the grove enough.  this neighborhood wine bar and restaurant has really matured and honed their skills.  evolved into that comfortable neighborhood option we'd always been looking for.  great food and very affordable flights of wine.  I was enjoying the malbec flight before a trip to see The Black and White Years at One World Theatre. 

my grandmother always said "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".  so I have elected to not go into detail of the live music show up the street from us here on the westbank.  will not mention "douchebaginess" and will say that the black and white years did play well. 

somebody had told them you get more points when you whack the red mole.  not sure I buy that one.

mole whacking award.

met up with a few friends for saturday happy hour at paggi house

love the daniel johnston shirt, keeping the local flavor alive.

about an hour before our scheduled meet up at paggi house, she accidentally cut her foot.  a quick trip to the emergency room and several stitches later, she still wanted to go, the show must go on.  I had to carry her but she never complained once.  the dr had asked her to put her pain at level 1-10, she had trouble answering and after some coaching she agreed to level two or three.  we realized she is quite fortunate to have no idea what levels 5-10 would be like.

somebody was very intrigued by the list of specialty cocktails offered at half price during happy hour.  7 PM concludes happy hour, he applied his timer to his thirst and curiosity.  started at the top of the list and ordered a new one every fifteen minutes in an attempt to maximize the sampling.

pinkie out for the french 75

a small sacrifice was made.

for the fourth of july we spent some time under the bridge under red bud trail, on the island.

we carried her down.  she didn't want to miss out on the red bud island twinkies and ding-dong free for all.

cold water!

we played fetch with this friendly doggie.

keeping the foot up and dry.

"I wrote a poem on a dog biscuit, and your dog refused to look at it"

first summer kayak around red bud island and the all you can eat twinkies and ding-dongs were welcomed by the amh youth.

just floated in the shade and enjoyed some mexi-beer with lime.

we have a stack of living social/groupon certificates.  took the opportunity to try a few of the non kid friendly places from the list.  had a great time at aviary; a wine bar inside a furniture and housewares store.  we ran into a friend and enjoyed taking a new iphone 4 for a spin.  what good times.  love when we just happen upon people we know and like.  we lived in santa cruz for nearly four years and that never happened.  despite the fact that santa cruz is about 1/100th the size of austin.

we also sampled snack bar.  kat can multi-task, read the menu and pour her organic german heffe.

water comes in beakers at snack bar.  fun place with a great location.  I do appreciate small menus biut theirs is not that interesting.  kat did enjoy the fish tacos.  also, they only have beer/wine lic here, something to note if you have a taste for cocktails.

we also ate quite a bit of asian food this weekend.  the daughter is starting to have mexican food withdrawls.

I spent most of my spare time trying to install a new carpet kit into the vintage bmw 2002tii.  I had forgotten how much work it was to remove the seats, console, seat belts etc.  turned into a big job and then I find my new carpet kit is incomplete.  I was shorted one piece, scheduled to arrive later this week.  delay, delay, delay.  at least we have red bud island. 

 anybody want to go to RBI this coming wknd?

I am always looking to try something new.  I'd read about the Rio Rita lounge on yelp and it was on the way so...  it was everything we had read about, quirky and odd, intimate and a bit unpolished.  the spiciest bloody mary we ever had along with a nice tree of celery, olives and peppers!  like spicy liquid salad.

kat agreed with all that said this was the best $10 bloody mary in the world. 

the habanero infused tito's did not encourage quick consumption and perhaps delayed us just about five minutes too much...  we were on our way to the califa arts collaborative, a partnership of dancers, musicians and visual arts. 

all the seats had just filled.  our friend michelle sourced some chairs for us to stand in, behind the back row.  when seated we were looking under the other people who had gotten there just a few minutes before us.  not the best seats in the house, but we didn't complain.  the show was great and worth standing in chairs for.

Home with Yellow Fever was fun.  I loved watching Lisa Del Rosario jump, dance, sulk, hide and become frustrated with her living roof furniture.  I had to wonder if she even realized there was an audience there observing her emotional fluxuations while alone at home with the music turned up loud. 

jarrett killeen delivered a great soundtrack for movements expressing love, loss and attachment; my brief description of the dance piece, Hiding Places choreographed by our friend Michelle Thompson. 

Caroline Wright and Jason Marlow provided the visuals projected on the screen and our friend Caroline also accompanied some of the musical arrangements on her cello 

caroline and michelle take a bow,

I'll just list the people I know, Jordan Moser, Caroline Wright, Orlando Canova, Oren Porterfield and Beth Terwilleger; another santa cruz resident now living in austin (green shirt).  a big thanks to everybody who helped make that show such a success as we sure enjoyed experiencing it. 

east side to west....

a quick drive from one side of austin to the other to attend a back yard party at a friend's house.  several guys from treachery of others were also there enjoying this fine summer evening, and with a little coaxing took the stage while the first band was on break.

FATHER'S DAY SUSHI HAPPY HOUR:

quick tip: Maiko has happy hour all night on sunday.  reduced beer and sake along with an extensive food and sushi menu.  the smoked pork udon, sliders, qyoza and smoked pork sandwiches are at real bargain prices. 

#1 son found a leather briefcase that was being thrown out near his mother's office.  he now has a yelp kit ready to record the every detail. 

he selected the gyoza and had an enthusiastic approach to the consumption of those dumplings.  he also loves miso soup.

taking careful notes.  I'm hoping to see a yelp report crafted from his extensive notes.  I created a form for them to capture greater detail; similar to forms used by a secret shopper.  but let's face it, these two are easy customers.  nothing but four and five star ratings have been issued so far.

I was sharing some unagi and avacado roll with kat when #2 son reached out for some.  he then shoved the whole piece in his mouth.  he was a good eater at maiko.  maybe we need to serve more japanese at home?  #2 son also enjoyed the udon and edamame.

"HEY! STOP, taking my picture"

sunset on w. 6th with the AMH street team.

the first solar panels is up and charging the battery for the smaller room at our wimberley off-grid cabin project.  no oil was spilled to harvest this power.  this PV panel powers LED lights and the power point the kids use for gaming devices and DVD watching.

the composting toilet is all sealed and ready for a deposit.  the circular white vent is the intake and exhaust is out the side via fan that will be piped up and out.

here you can see how the urine will be diverted for seperate treatment.  that bathroom also has a waterless urinal for the guys.  the box itself has a removable plastic tub with a layer of peat moss.  the tub will be emptied regularly for composting outside of the bathroom. 

this circus themed bar is BYOB, they do sell beer and wine.  if you want cocktails, bring your own handle and just set it up on the bar or your table, most do.  they will sell you a glass of ice and a mixer for $2.  this worked well for us.  a top shelf vodka tonic at most bars would involve a deeper wallet dive, but not at the carousel.  I also appreciate the actual carousel behind the bar with a crazy chicken on it.  you can't just make this up, authentic kitsch flavor takes time to steep.

yes, this place has been here since that was modern technology.  each table had one, but they are no longer operating.  they also had TVs that must have been a foot deep, odd.  wonder what they are hiding behind the screen.

Johnny enjoying some PBR before the show.  the walls have circus themed murals on them, and a certain bouquet that has been mellowing like fine wine.

a good crowd came to support the home team.

treachery of others put on a good show for their adoring fans and made some new ones.  the joint was rockin'!

added a slide guitarist to the mix of bohemian musicians.  yes, that is a pink elephant behind them.  he is not normally part of the band, but they let him sit in for this special event.

then, a girl got up and started dancing, her partner soon joined. 

I know, you are noticing that piece of drop panel ceiling that is peeling.  you may consider to try this at home, but trust me, it takes decades to perfect this look.  you can't just make it up in 48 hours like some HGTV competition.  it will look contrived in your home.  come enjoy the authentic ambiance of the carousel.

then another couple took to the dance floor.  I know the boys in the band must have enjoyed this as these dancers were not part of their usual friends and family that come out to enjoy their music.  these were just regular neighborhood dive bar patrons enjoying good music on a muggy friday evening.

the carousel closes promptly at midnight and the band played till 11:59, the bar shut down before midnight as I saw the bartender refused to serve some guy at 11.55. 

we had decided on a solid concrete floor for the bathroom.  not very complicated but carrying 21 80lb bags of quickrete mix in through the woods, and then 21 gallons of water, and then mixing, and pouring and screeting...  WHEW!  took us over 3 hrs.  we have to work off all that food we have been eating. 

we had also agreed that we would place these eliptical black glass tiles into the concrete, in a "random" pattern.  kat took this task and I pointed out her pattern didn't look "random" to me, in fact it looked quite symetric...  she considered my statement, looked at her work and concluded her brain doesn't do random well; left brain/right brain.  she tried harder to achieve randomness and I like the result.

some friends found they had some extra unused twin beds to donate to our cause.  we shuffled some furniture around and we now have a sleeper sofa in the tall cabin.  looks great in there! 

part of his morning routine involves feeding the fish.  they are growing very large.

harvested some red onions from our garden.  they were delicious.

came home on evening to find kay-so (the cat) was beating up a dead bird.  we had a quick burial and the daughter played blackbird.

volunteer pumpkin, from the remains of our jackolantern, is taking over the front yard.  the flowers remind me of chicken feet and that reminds me of pluckers and that reminds me of giant fireman's #4 beers and that reminds me of the carousel bar...

you know this post might just represent a few calories when it starts with a plate of plucker's fried twinkies.  this one serving was enough to satisfy five kids and four adults.  it is RICH and delicious.

kids are still taking notes and making their yelp entries, even though he can't seem to properly scrape the wings and fried twinkie from his face.

had a great meal at Odd Duck Farm to Trailer.  what you see above is grilled banana nut bread with duck meat covered with cream, peaches and mint.  behind that is the glorious braised pork belly slider with kimchi.  the heirloom tomato salad and also the grits did not disappoint either.  this place is BYOB so bring your own drink of choice and any accesories needed to serve/open ( glasses/wine key).  next to Odd Duck is the famous Gourdoughs

Kat was skeptical about a "gourmet donut".  but gourdoughs did not fail to impress and all the hype was true and their prices have increased as well. 

back at the farm....  kat harvested some of her onions and I made several onion based meals this past weekend including french onion soup complete with locally sourced beef soup bone from grass fed organic cattle.

this would represent a typical austin modhouse kid's plate, seared salmon over vermicelli in a cream of onion sauce, onion vinaigrette baby green salad and asparagus.  older two kids have always enjoyed this type of food.  so far #3 is still not cooperating. 

tradition dictates they have a squirt gun party at zilker park.  I was here about four years ago with the daughter's class, #1 son was a toddler and came along with me. 

the party is unstructured squirt gun chaos, balls bubbles, pizza and cookies.

#2 son came along this year, and I expect I will be back here doing the same thing for him in another four years, tradition.

refill station.

there ya go, squirt the camera.

the tubs also served as his personal soak stations

and a final levitation pic, unrelated to the eanes end of year party in zilker park

one thing that I always love to find are people in the background, smiling at the camera.  I don't realize they are there when I take the pics, but find them when I am later editing the pics, grinning over the subject's shoulder.

THE SUMMER JOB:

the two older kids had their hearts set on a particular pokemon nintendo game that came with a pokewalker (a pedometer that will charge a pokemon with pokewatts).  they were discouraged at the expense and needed a way to raise some funds.  the first solution was to help me clean up the wimberley lot.

 I made a deal to give them each $10 for two hours of dragging sticks.  I promised to provide cold water, plenty of breaks and no expectations of them to move sticks beyond their ability.  an agreement was made and they would soon have their pokefunds.  the daughter went down first, she worked hard and didn't complain once!  we really made a difference.

but then came time for #1 son to do his two hrs of work.  he had started complaining a week in advance.  he was worried it would be "too hard" (with a nasal sort of whine).  then he did the math and figured out he didn't NEED $10, he only needed $7.  he tried to renegotiate our agreement, he now wanted $7 for ONE hours work.  I told him we had a deal, two hrs work for $10.  take it or leave it.  he could't leave it alone, he then tried to strike a deal to work for 1 hour and a half for $7.  I explained that a deal was a deal and my patience grew thin on his renegotiation strategy.  he eventually did drag sticks for two hours and had to suffer the extra $3 his work provided.

she got her pokewalker funds first and we chose an ebay seller from roundrock, about 20 miles north of us.  she anxiously checked the mail box every day, and each day we grew more skeptical.  #1 son also selected his pokewalker game from an ebay seller, from ohio, purchased a few days after his sister's.  his arrived in two days!  her's was still not here.  this was not the lesson I had hoped she would learn.

I eventually filed a paypal claim against the ebay seller in roundrock and we purchased her pokewalker-game at sam's at a similar price offered by the ebay fraudster. 

SUMMER PROJECT #2: YELPING

for additional summer fun I have stockpiled dining deals using groupon/living social.  the two seen above have been challenged to write a yelp review of each restaurant we redeem a deal/certificate.  the nintendo DS at the table have been replaced with notepad and pen.  they make notes on service, food taste and ambiance.  both of them took careful notes and did not share info.  the opinions in the reports are purely their own, he is an easy five stars, she is a slightly tougher customer.  FINO did put in a big effort to get their five stars from both, Ryan (server) did a magic trick and the manager also came out to introduce himself to the both of them. 

the brunch at FINO was a big hit.  the daughter LOVED her "made to order donuts with vanilla crema" and kat's braised short ribs hash with black truffle and runny egg was delicious as well.  #1 son has been on a salad eating streak, he chose the mixed greens with moscatel vinagrette and manchego cheese.  the bottle of cava and carafe of pomegranate for $20 was also an adult brunch pleaser.

for the evening summer project entry we travelled to austin's east side.  it was well worth crossing the tracks to eat at Rio's Brazillian restaurant.  we had a living social deal to get $40 worth of food and four drink "set-ups".  they don't have a liquour/beer/wine lic so you bring your own.  they brought out mason jars with pre-muddled limes, mint and sugar.  megan (server) poured our rum in and she shook with great skill and enthusiasm.  the food was quite good and we enjoyed many items we've never eaten before.  for $40 (paid $20 via living social) we got MUCH more food than we could eat at any one sitting. 

loaded up the airstream and hauled it 35 miles to pedernales falls state park

arrived in plenty of time for a quick hike to see the twin falls.

he is really into this "terrible two's" role.  without any notice he will throw himself down on the ground, he will squeal and scream if we try to pick him up, squeal and scream if we don't pick him up and then suddenly he jumps up in a good mood and runs away...

I had done a google image search before our visit to pedernales falls.  none of the images do it justice.  it always seems so small in the pics compared to the actual size, too much to fit into one pic.  it was beautiful.

sandball toss

he loved playing on the sandy beach at the bottom of the falls.

I think those cactus are desert spoon, used to make sotol

no swimming allowed at the falls as the currents are strong.

he never missed an oportunity to make a sandball and throw it in the water.

there are several levels of falls and it requires a good bit of climbing and hiking.  each dose of effort was rewarded with new pools, falls and vistas.

after lunch we made our way to the section of river where swimming is allowed.

the banks of the river area were blanketed with wild flowers.

we spent the entire afternoon soaking in the river and napping in the shade on soft sandy beaches.

nearly ten years ago we purchased that hammock while visiting one of my favorite cities, merida.  glad to see it getting some good use.

the first two kids were not picky eaters.  they always loved to try new foods and ate whatever we ate.  #3 IS a picky eater, but he sure LOVES V8.

less than an hr to get home.  I think we'll soon return.

I have been putting a good effort towards the off-grid bathroom.  we have three walls and roof in progress as well as a foundation for the actual toilet.

eanes elementary technology open house:

each classroom now has a smartboard

the daughter was in a lego robotics competition.  they had to program the robotic dog through a series of commands.  what fun!

who doesn't love ballerinas?  our friend who recently danced in coppelia obliged us with some fun photos here at the house.  see how she can levitate and spin.