How Much Does This Granite Weigh?

For Erin in Australia

I saw two very long flatbed semi trucks the other day on Highway 71, headed into Austin; each of them was carrying two of these giant blocks of pink granite. Trying to think how large this was—8 feet square? 10 feet? Larger? In any case, enormous. I wondered if they were coming in from Llano.

My Friends Will Not Believe Who Is on the Other End of These Leashes

Evening, and It's Not Even Hot

Crape Myrtles

They bloomed this year. Most of the time I forget that we have some.

Mighty Oaks Will Grow

Gorey Beetle 2010: #2

This little guy was trapped on the kitchen screen, going around and around the edge because it could not or did not want to step onto the aluminum frame (though how did he get there?). When I went out to help, my hand drawing near caused it to pull in its legs, as they do to feign death, thereby causing it to fall off and into the plants below.

Morning Sky II

Morning Sky Through My Windshield

R.I.P Louis the Crab

My mother's hermit land crab Louis died last week. Our friend Hank decorated his grave and made this beautiful shell marker for it. We buried him with an extra shell and a little bit of apple.

Tiny Spiders in the Outdoor Shower

I'll never know what little drama was played out in this interaction between these two very tiny spiders. One day there was just one of them. A few days later, there were two. A few days after that, back to one, and now they are both gone. The one on the left/at top is behind the web, which is why it is obscured in most of the photos.






Here the second one has breached the web! Not that I know which one of them was the first one there, really.

Webbyland Sparkler

Thursday Evening Dog

There was still thunder in the distance

Thursday Evening Sunset

There was thunder in the distance

Another Giant Spider

Or, Orbweaver II


Driving home tonight, I saw a long strand of this spider's web running from high in a tree down to tall grass by the side of the road and glinting in the sunset. The spider itself was large enough for me to take in as I passed by and then make me turn around.


It is an Argiope aurantia Lucas, or a yellow garden spider, or—as I know them—a zipper spider, because of the way the way they weave their webs.


These iPhone photos are not too shabby! I was only a couple of miles from home but I knew the light would be gone if I took the time to dash for the fancy camera.






The iPhone had a harder time with capturing the web (or it could have been me having a harder time, or the fact that a little wind blew threw).

Driving Home from the Tractor Supply: Part VII

While photographing the flag & roadrunner, I turned around, and there they were, watching me. I love them. I wanted to take them home with me. But I didn't.






















Very adorably scratching its little itchy head on the fence

Driving Home from the Tractor Supply: Part VI

Here in Texas, the beer grows on trees! Shown here is a hybrid variety; it's got both brown and white in bloom.