Austin ModHouse

our electrician has power to the koi equipment, no more extension cord!.  I have a timer that cycles the filtration and water fall pump on/off a couple times a day.

I really like the reflecting pool quality when it's off.  I often catch a good view of the clouds and blue sky from the living room area.  

one of the solar install guys had commented, "your house is very new age".  the new-age comment was a new one and I wasn't sure about that.  then again, maybe he saw my power crystal collection (see above).  in reality they are just chunks of raw glass,.... or are they lost crystals belonging to the sleestack? 

 while we are on the subject of glass...  our trash service in West Lake Hills does not recycle glass.  and I've heard that there is now a waiting list to get recycled glass from the city of austin.  we been using the stuff in landscaping in place of gravel.  so we started saving our glass bottles in an attempt to recycle it ourselves.

we set up a processing center down in the lower carport.

the bottles were tougher than we'd anticipated.  it resembled a sadistic thrill ride for wine bottles and as they went around and around, making an awful loud clanking sound.  we'd already added rocks and large pieces of metal.  we had to pound it down with leftover structural steel pieces.

we added sand and gravel to wear down the rough edges.  my daughter is hoping for a beach glass effect.

at the end it looked like mud and glass.  I need to get the 15 lb. sledge hammer involved .

a favorite past time of kat's is to trim plants and then feed her electric wood chipper to make mulch.  

she continued her recent spree of kitchen attempts.  she was showing our kids how red beans are tradtionally a dessert item for chinese. 

they looked authentic.  we didn't use the correct sweet rice flour so they weren't exact.  I'm not a big fan of sesame or red beans as a dessert item but they were fun to help make. 

we found that our prize yucca was being eaten by ants from the inside out.  it was a goner  we removed it and it left an open spot in our cactus garden.

on sunday we stopped at Agave on 290w between austin and dripping springs.  I'd been trying to stop there for two years but they seem to open at random times.  but this sunday morning we found the gates open.   the amiable long haired fellow guiding us around started to ejoy an ice cold tecate.  then I  was served with a cold beverage as well.  what a magical cactus garden.  we bought two!

we found the variety of spanish dagger we had been searching for along with a lovely ocotilla  to add to our cactus garden.   

we have planted several milk weed in our back yard in hopes of attracting monarch butterfly.  our daughter was very excited to find that each plant is now host to a caterpillar.

later the same day we spotted this visitor.

erwin family,  if you want to see your baby doll in one piece again, leave three unmarked Grovers under the mopac-greenbelt bridge tonight.  do not notify the police, or our robot will be unleashed.