Austin ModHouse

spent the weekend at "the ranch" with friends.

kids enjoyed the swing.  unfortunately, the girl in the background had just fallen while running and broken her arm.  she had to be rushed to the hospital.

pass the baby

hayrides.

marvin and eichler enjoyed all the freedom, perhaps too much.

my daughter's favorite place was this lake.  "this is like a mini paradise" she said to me.

we were hiking back from the lake when I noticed the cows were running and making sounds I don't usually hear from cattle.  sort of sounded like a walrus saying "BLUUUUURGH-BRBRBRAAAHCH" through a tuba plugged up with a sick cat.  I later learned that was cow talk for "this ugly freakin' rat is biting my ankles!"

it was marvin.

eichler came back when called.  not so with marvin.

this doggie ranch hand had to carry him away.

I found the baby sleeping so soundly and warm in the airstream.  hooray for down comforters as it got down to the low 30's and we had lost a sky light on the way to the ranch, so we had a big hole where our heat escaped.  we slept pretty good.

guinness

fireants setting up.

I thought the porta potty was an odd place to find a portrait of the dude.

I found a bottle of wine in the garage, don't mind if I do.

I took a hay ride.

my son (back of his head, far right) is very interested in math.  he found a boy that share his interest so he set forth to issue a series of problems to be solved; "what is eight million plus ten million".  I love how he looks up into the air while his mental gears spin before issuing the sum.  the girls patiently observed while these two flexed their brain muscle.

marvin was back at the cattle herding.  they tried very hard to stomp him into the dirt and I saw several attempts to spear him with those long horns.  later that evening, I had to carry eichler back to the airstream.  she'd developed some sort of attraction to a male boston terrier named cooper.  unfortunately she exhibited her emotions in a very dominating sort of display.  me and my problem dogs.

another beautiful sunset

follow the illuminated trail to the fireants

the fireants rocked!  they are a bunch of local high school students that have found their way into the austin live music scene.

I found her inside the ranch house all cozy and watching tv.

impromptu cake walk.  see the numbers applied to floor tiles.  every kid walked away a winner.

kids love glow sticks

breakfast

the queen of the mobile castle

after breakfast we went off roading.  half of twin lakes above.  we fed the catfish but the cool temps have them slowed down and dampened their appetites.

at the highest point in the county.

that is enchanted rock to the left of the dude and "the bump" to the right

the road home.

bonus pics

he stands, crawls and...

loves watermelon.

sunset as seen from the austinmodhouse front door