For our first camping trip since the house flood last spring, Mike and I spent a long weekend at the South Llano River State Park, Oct 14 – 17. It is one of our favorite state parks and we usually get there once or twice a year. It has great birding and is on the Monarch Butterfly migration route. The average peak date for the Monarch migration is Oct 20, so we had plenty of butterflies (most of which were moving too fast to catch with our cameras or net) but the birding was below average. Nevertheless, we had a great time, hiked ourselves into blisters and exhaustion, and got completely away from the day to day life in the big city.

We got to sleep with the windows all open and were serenaded by insects all night long. We had an amazing full moon, with a clear sky day and night. We got to swim in the river and walk in the woods. And we saw deer, armadillo, lots of wildlife and farm stock, and a small brown wild pig whom we chased into the woods only to find a stand of hundreds of Butterflies. It was fun. 

 

 

This week, I got away for a quick trip to visit my brother David and his wife Carol in Memphis. Mike was not able to go because he still had to work. (He plans to retire next Spring. We are ready.) It had been over a year since we had been able to visit David and Carol, and this was very relaxed, with very little running around and a fair amount of just visiting.

I almost delayed the trip again because the weather forecast was so gloomy. But I had only scattered showers on the way there – and beautiful days there and for the drive back. I stayed in a motel on the way and camped on the way back.

Although we knocked around a bit and ran some errands, the big outing was a few hours walking at the Zoo.

With no more ado, some pictures:

Driving into heavy Rains.

Pink Flamingo

Hippo

Crocodile

Grizzly

Sandhill Crane

Bull Elk

Cheetah

Green Aracari

Male Lion – who looked intimidating as he marched towards me. But who just lay down before getting too close.

Primitive Mask in one of the animal houses

American Snout – in Atlanta Texas – The butterfly migration is on in East Texas

Mission Tejas State Park – Near Alto, TX

Dawn at Mission Tejas State Park

This evening, we have been back in the house for almost two weeks. Although not completely settled, it seemed like it’s time to share some photos of our rehabilitated (if not resettled) home.

The Living Room

The Kitchen

The Dining Room

The Master Bedroom

The Guest Bedroom  (Clearly the least settled space)

The Office

We are very happy with its recovery. And we feel like we are back at home even though it feels and looks substantially different.

We will probably try to have some sort of “open house” soon. But it will not be a “House Warming Party” – no gifts, no dinner, nor even cookies, nothing but a chance to drop by and look around and visit a while.

Thanks for all of the love and support through this,

Dennis and Mike


OMG ! I almost forgot -

This summer we are vacationing in Austin, at the Holiday Inn Express in Sunset Valley. Sounds lovely doesn't it? We've been here since March 21 as guests of our insurance company while we have been restoring the house from flooding. Because of the work on the house, we don't expect to be able to leave town. So, herewith, we offer photos of our house and various little sights around Austin.

Water coming out of the front door and garage after we got home from our Spring Break trip to Big Bend – March 18, 2016

 Walls ripped open, wet insulation removed, and all carpet pulled up to be thrown away – March 20, 2016

 

Mike in the garage with many of our possessions and about 20 drying fans, after the house was dried out – March 26, 2016

Weeks passed and then we finally got workmen into the project. The master bedroom and living room after furniture had been moved out and the repair work was about to begin – May 22, 2016

Ripping out the kitchen and ceramic tiles and preparing the walls and ceiling for paint - May 23 thru about June 6

 

The Kitchen in fresh paint and waiting for cabinets - June 16

But we have managed to get out for walks along the Violet Crown Trail, Gaines Creek, Town Lake in flood, and Lake Travis in flood.