SATAN...GET THEE BEHIND ME...

Here's a couple of bro's I have known since I was 14 years old. That we are still alive and in the same hood is no mean feat. I fucking love these guys.


Better friends you couldn't ask for...these guys are the shit...I remember when we were kids and hanging out at the game room of the Armadillo in Lucky's pit playing foosball...and here we are , all these years later.
Amazing.
I am a lucky guy.

GUS FRUH / AIRMAN'S CAVE
Could be alternately titled : A perfectly good walk ruined by pit bulls , or , I fucking hate pits and dog owners who don't control their dogs...

I could hear them accosting other dog walkers on the trail and even observed them doing so to a couple who were observing the leash law on this trail. I had the grrrls on leash but traveled the creek bed to avoid these "dogs". No such luck. They charged off the trail straight at us , I got between them and my grrrls and drew my pistol - safety off , hammer drawn and started yelling at them. To my amazement they stopped dead in their tracks and retreated...It was like they knew they were about to get blasted.Sample exchange between me and the pit owners...
She:"If you don't like dogs why do you bring yours here"?
Me:"Those aren't fucking dogs...they're demons"! still training the 9 on them.
They left me alone after that. :)
I called my buddy John in Colorado to share this with and he had two things to say...
"This is not the first time you've been to this rodeo" and "you only made one mistake...You didn't follow through". He hates them as well. I don't care what people say about "it's all about the owner and how they are raised and blah blah blah" The only good pit is a dead fucking pit. I should know. Three down at my hand and I won't hold back next time.
To be honest , my trigger finger was itching...I wanted those pits to give me a reason to fill them full of hollow points
In spite of the harshing of our walk I still got some nice shots...
Airman's cave.
More Airman's cave.
Layla in bandanna...
A reflection...
Irene in bandanna...

TWIN FALLS , LOWER TRAIL
After the less than satisfying hike this morning I was determined to give the grrrls a nice hiking experience , so we went to Twin falls.
We had to jump the gate , but it was worth it. I suspect they close the trails after heavy rains for a couple of reasons - one , if the creek is raging you could drown. But in this case I think it was to prevent bikes from routing out the trails , I came to that conclusion because the creek was still dry , save for some pockets of water , even after the heavy rains...we are in serious drought.
I spotted this really cool stump and almost walked away from it. The striations look kind of like a daisy.
Irene on the rocks...
Layla smells something interesting...
the grrrls on the trail.
mossy branch.
Mission accomplished I think :)

EAST WILLIAMSON CREEK GREENBELT

It took us a while to find it, and I have to say , although very pretty , I have never seen so much poison ivy and fire ant mounds in one place in my life and it abuts a sub division , essentially more a neighborhood park than a greenbelt.
It's nice to see the creek full.
Some purty flowers...
Very green area with lots of big trees.

GOOD MORNING

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal to prepare and eat...and since I've started using the griddle , it a one tool meal.

Eggs , sour dough griddle toast , country sausage and home fries...
Here's to a wonderful Saturday!

IT PISSED DOOM TODAY

And apparently it's not over yet...more to come later tonight. Me and the Grrrls ventured out only to the store for smokes and coffee around noon and then again around 4ish for deli meat for grilled sandwiches.
We spent the bulk of the day watching TV until a giant bolt of thunder killed the cable...it even made me jump it was so close...Layla does not like thunder.But she was responsive to hugs and reassurance and did not freak.
Some outlying areas got almost 7 inches of rain and there was hail involved as well...but here we just got heavy rain and thunder and lightning.
I got a bit of the cabin fever having gotten used to heading out early for parts unknown with the dogs...we were going to the Williamson creek east greenbelt this morning until the rain nixed it for us.
It's looking like tomorrow holds more of the same and we really need it , so I can deal , but Sunday promises to be nice , so we'll get out then.
Layla has integrated herself into the family in short order...everyone loves her and she is my shadow. She is a perfect fit.
Off to movie land:)

GANGSTER SAUSAGE

I remember that scene in goodfellas where Pauly is having a cookout and they have those spiral shaped kielbasa on the grill. Since the gangsters down here eat tacos and fried chicken . this was the best I could find. It was quite tasty.
I got my hair did this afternoon and now it is all even and not so ratty looking.
Our good friend Ash did the cutting and she is very good...she works at Frenchy's which is a funky little place with a good vibe. If you live in Austin - go there the next time you need your hair did. Corner of Mary and So. 5th.
I'm off to TV land in the bed with Anna belle and the doggies :).

SEARIGHT


Kind of a rough looking place , even though we were in a city park it felt like being out in the woods where I grew up.
The grrrls had a wonderful time.Layla is an endless source of amusement and follows every move beenz makes.
There are some swampy areas in this park that just say "water moccasin".
As mentioned earlier , searight has a great disc golf course, and this is a typical example of what disc golfers use for inspiration :).
And after an hour or so , we headed back to the truck...I have to go get my hair did this afternoon ...

I WILL NEVER GO TO THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AGAIN

I took the grrrls to (ahem) Ladybird lake park this morning for a walk and i will never go there again...too many people and way to much activity.Irene hates being on a leash and it brings out her dog aggressive behavior , so between her lunging at other dogs and Layla getting spooked by construction and pulling out of her collar several times it was a rather challenging walk. Plus , we are still figuring out the rhythm of tandem leashes and when Irene drops a deuce I have to bag it and tag it. I however , put the bag in the fucking trash can. Unlike most of the rest of Austin dog owners...the trails are littered with little charcoal bags of dog poop...strange.
On the plus side , I saw my old friend and colleague Tanya and that was cool.
The river was the boundary between North and South Austin back in the day...


Tomorrow we go to Mary Moore Searight Metro park...some rougher terrain and some of the best disc golfing around.
Off for smokes...

Tax Day
For quite a few years now, I've filed our taxes on the 15th. This started because we always owed money, even though we both claimed M-0 on our W-4s. The joint income thing always left us screwed and there was no point in sending in a return early when you owed money. These days we get a refund because I always have extra money taken out above and beyond the tax table calculations they do at payroll time. But that "refund" just goes towards paying the back-taxes we owe from previous years so again there is no reason to file it any earlier than I have to. And I'm very thankful for the e-file capability we've been using for years now because I absolutely HATE driving to the mad-house that is the post office on the evening of April 15th.

TURKEY CREEK

It was incredible...I let Layla off her leash and she is an absolute spaz.We hiked 3 miles , but she probably did 6. Her gait is very amusing...I caught myself laughing out loud several times.

On the trail...
This dead fall caught my eye...very prehistoric.
the folks who live around this trail have instituted a "walk a rock" program that encourages people to line the trail with rocks.So far it's only about a mile in , but it looks really cool.
After the hike I took some soup to my Father in law...just flew in and said "hi Hugo,have some pea soup".I think he liked the surprise.
Looking forward to a lazy afternoon...

THE INTRODUCTION...

What?
Theo could give a fuck..."where's my treat and who is this little bitch"? He just doesn't care. And we were so worried...fucking humans.
I need to let go to the canine thing...dogs know whats right and they act accordingly.
I'm generally pretty good about this but our experience with Sullivan and the old man made me jumpy - I miss Sullivan , he was an awesome dog. But time has given me twins...two girls that I can roll with on the trails.
And tomorrow we are going on a trip to die for as far as dogs are concerned.Turkey Creek bitches! Miles of joy.
Stay tuned...

A SONG ABOUT A BOY WITH A PET MOLLUSK WHO IS REALLY JESUS IN DISGUISE

You gotta love fucking Ween...



Tomorrow holds the promise of a marathon Turkey Creek trip for me and the grrrls...out at first light,home by sunset.
I wish I was a trust fund kid. I could do this kind of shit until I died. But eventually I will get a call from the hall and this dream will end. And there is a part of me that misses the construction site experience. I miss my brothers and the other trades , but right now I'm enjoying improving our home and hanging with the dogs.

OF FLOWERS AND BIRDS

They had these on sale at Lowes , the porch needed a little color we thought.Already had the container and the soil so it was way cheap to do.

I don't claim to be a florist ...


Also added some more feeders to the bird area the other day...

POST EASTER LUNCH PEA SOUP

After the annual Easter lunch at Ann's folks , her mom always sends us home with ham and the ham bone. I come home and make pea soup with onions and ham.

Easy and quick , it tastes good too.
it's like this:
3 cups of water for every cup of dry peas.
Bring the water and ham bone to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes.
I spiced it with cajun all seasoning , use whatever you like.
Add the peas , onions and bring back to a boil briefly then simmer for another 45 minutes , about half way in add some diced ham to your liking (or not).
Remove the bone and use a whisk to blend it all together and here ya go...

Yes indeed.

I JUST CAN'T LEAVE MY PORCH ALONE...

Layla has discovered the joy of the ottoman...
This chiminera has been languishing on the back deck for a couple of years now and I thought it would be a nice addition to the front porch...
That poker looking thing in front of the chiminera is actually a cattle rustler's brand that I found on a dig in west Texas with my parents when I was about 8 years old. It's got a flat narrow edge that they used to alter brands when they were stealing cattle. I have a few things left from those days , but this is probably the coolest.
Kind of shitty weather tonight , so we packed it in early.
Happy Easter everyone !

DRUM DELIVERY SERVICE

I took my grandson his drums today. He was very excited...he knew I had a present for him but had no clue it was a drum set. He was very excited.
Kyle and Kenzie...
Kyle , Kenzie and Maddy.
The next John Bonham ! :)

JUNE BUGS

Hard shelled flying beetles that are an incredible annoyance.And occur earlier and earlier every year. I'm sure global warming has nothing to do with that.

They somehow manage to get in the house or fly crazily around outdoor lights like kamikaze's.
I hate them...the turtles won't eat them and they are ugly.
A funny thing happened tonight...I was on the porch talking to a friend when suddenly the air burst into the sound of automatic weapons fire...sustained fire. I got off the phone and called 911...and of course they are slow to respond so I took my mosberg and crept into the backyard and located the source.I yelled over the fence and asked them what in the fuck were they doing...they responded with "we're shooting paintball guns". I said I called the cops on your ass because that's just not fucking cool...they responded with "you aren't fucking cool" and I responded with I've got you trained in my shotgun...at which point they shined a light on me and I asked if they could see it. Someone said "Dude , he's got a real gun" and then someone else asked how much cocaine I had done tonight and I responded with fuck you...I don't do that...what you are doing is not cool , freaking out the neighborhood and all and that they could deal with the cops. They all cleared out at that point. Fucking punks.
Good Friday...yeah right.

SEASONS IN THE APORCH

When I was on the hike and bike the other day and had both girls leashed up , I was walking along and I had this flash of The Jonny quest cartoon when I was a kid...the intro...right at 00:35 on the video...the dragons on leashes...it made me smile.

We went to Stacy Park this morning for what turned out to be a short walk. There's an elementary school right next door and it was recess...apparently some parents neglect to tell their kids it's a really stupid idea to charge at 2 dogs that outweigh you by 10 pounds screaming like a tard. Though he may have been a tard...This group of 4 was separated from the seething mass of children and had 2 adults supervising them. I tried to get out of the way to no avail. But the staff present reeled the errant tard in before Irene could rip his throat out.
Later on in the day , we hung out on the porch and made chili cheese dogs and listened to music...
porch lights...:)
Irene likes her ottoman when the sun goes down. She amazes me with her self discipline and her protective nature.I have fallen asleep out on the porch with her for hours and she stays right by me . I am lucky to have such a good friend.
And here is our Layla...she's on a run because I don't trust her yet out front without it. This little girl is hella smart and I see great things down the line. She is my shadow...and Irene seems to be OK with me having a Goombah...
Just a note to close this post...at 5:30 this morning a gnat flew into my right ear and did a face plant into my ear drum and then proceeded to buzz hysterically until I killed him with a Q-tip and a flush of sterile water. And tonight while i was shutting down the porch operation a june bug (it's fucking April...come on)! flew in from nowhere and dotted my eye.
Fucking bugs.
P.S. : DF...I hold you in my heart.

BULL CREEK

The most amazing hiking there is...