Really?

Because, Seton, I could be dead by then.

Red Wasp on Wisteria

The Fire at Night

Wednesday night, as seen over a hill or two to the east from our front patio. Possibly the scariest thing I've ever seen, but as of Thursday morning it was contained, and now it's out. About 400 acres burned. Approximately 60 homes (80 -100 persons) were evacuated and assisted by the Red Cross, who also provided meal and rehab services to the responders. A total of 30 structures were at one time threatened by the fire, but none were lost. The fire went to 4 alarms, involving 17 different agencies. The fuels involved included light brush and light through heavy timber. Fire activity included some “torching” into the tree canopies. The preliminary cause is believed to be sparks from welding or steel cutting activity. There were three injuries on the fire; 2 firefighters (back and ankle) and 1 civilian (first degree burns).

Here is the amazing list of responding agencies:

Travis Co. ESD – 6 Lake Travis Fire Rescue
North Hays Co. FD
Austin Fire Department
City of Austin (Mobile Command Units CV-1 & RMC-1)
Austin Travis Co. EMS
Star Flight
Travis Co. Sheriff’s Office
Travis Co. Fire Marshal’s Office
Texas Dept, of Public Safety
Travis Co. Parks
US Fish & Wildlife
Texas Forest Service
Travis Co. ESD 8
Travis Co. ESD 3
CE-BAR FD
American Red Cross

July Sunset, a Week or Two Ago

Stealth Bunny

Fire Over the Hill

Photo by Hugh. This place is about four miles from us by road, but judging by this photo from the patio, much closer as the crow flies.

The Enormity of Hamilton

The Boys Redux

The Boy Cats

Hamilton Chases His Tail

Spider on the Bedroom Overhead Lamp, Just Wishing I Would Go Away

Deers Eat Birdseed Too

Bobwhite Trio

There is a lot of activity around the birdfeeders lately; it is so dry that everyone's on the lookout for more food sources.

Robby Meets the Big Dogs and Goes for a Swim

Today Robby was invited to the Big House to meet his elders and take a dip.


Jackson, Robby, Madison, and our lovely neighbor Patty

The Visitor

Little puppy Robby is staying with us for a few days. He is adorable but I decidedly DO NOT WANT a puppy of my own . . .

Jessie the Dog

Suddenly, on Tuesday, Jessie the dog was unable to walk. The diagnosis is that she had a stroke! Though nothing to sneeze at, apparently strokes in dogs are milder than those typical in humans, and our vet thinks that she will recover just fine. She's a little cockeyed and crooked in the walk, but definitely on the mend. She is the sweetest and gentlest of dogs and we're happy that it's not her time to go yet.

Scorpion #3 2011, in Absentia

No photo of #3; just this note to record the event for all posterity. In bed last night, with a cold pack on my hot feet, I felt something whispery on my ankle and somehow I knew, in the way that one knows such things, that I wanted to get up very quickly. I did, and there was a rather large scorpion running away from where my ankle had been.

Did he fall from the loft above, or had he been inside the dish towel I'd taken from the drawer to wrap around the cold pack? Only the Scorpion knows . . .

I do feel this supports my argument that they don't sting just for the hell of it, just because one's ankle or whatever is there. It was just using my ankle to walk on, and the ankle was not threatening it, so no sting.

Hamilton, Sleeping

Note that his head is actually larger than my kneecap (and I am not a small woman) . . .