Bluebonnets along the way

I think it's about a week or so early for the best bluebonnet-viewing, but I couldn't resist taking these photos yesterday on my drive home from Austin. I may go back to the Chappell Hill area (see the last 3 photos here) in a couple of weeks and take more. It's all so gorgeous.

Along the highway, west of Giddings, TX.

Also along the highway, between Giddings and Brenham, TX

In Chappell Hill - how would you like to have your whole front yard knee-deep in bluebonnets? 

Beautiful!

A bit north of Chappell Hill - a field of bluebonnets along FM 1155.

Magnificent drive!!

So GREEN!

Driving home from Austin yesterday, I was struck by how green everything is -- the trees, the medians, the roadsides, the hills ... quite a difference from when I drove to Austin and back last August and October -- after months and MONTHS of drought. This is such a joy!!

Even as I got into the flatter parts of this drive, past Brenham and heading toward Tomball and Spring, it was still green, green, green as far as I could see. How marvelous!

Early spring view out my front window

 All those new green leaves!

 Crape myrtle just outside the window, live oak farther out in the yard.

A neighbor's tree in full bloom at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Beautiful spring in the neighborhood!

I took all these while driving home one day recently. It was so spectacular, all the way north on Northcrest! I couldn't help it! And yes ~ it took longer than usual to get home that day!!

This is a close-up of the tree above. I don't know what all these trees are called, but they're gorgeous!

Looking north on Northcrest ...

Wow! Someone made a good choice many years ago - this tree is beautiful every single year!

Beautiful front yard

Spring - I never tire of it!!

I took these photos about 2 weeks ago, and I'll take more soon. This stage of each spring is just fascinating to me, though - the very beginning of everything becoming new again! Even though we had a very mild winter, these are still wonderful to see.

This is the oak that doesn't lose its leaves in fall. Its leaves all turn a pretty reddish-brown and then brown, and then they hang on the tree all winter! The first year I lived here, I thought I had killed it! But this is what it looks like when the new leaves begin to show - pushing out the old brown ones. It'll become very thick and green, of course. It's a fantastic tree.

Here's where all that yellow pollen (dust) comes from - and with so many of these pines all over the area, in the forests and in yards, the yellow dust gets everywhere!

This gap, just to the left of the sego palm there, is where I lost a tree last year. No matter what I did, no matter how much extra water I gave it - I lost it. When the guys were taking it down, I could see that it didn't stand a chance. The inside was hollow and rotted - no amount of water could have saved it.

And here's that oak tree again, the same tree as in the 2nd photo above. Four days later, and what a difference! Those leaves come in fast when they decide to come in!!

Latest pix

Here are the most recent, really good photos I have of Anne's kids:

Parker - in AF JR ROTC uniform

Kira, about to play her favorite sport!

And Austen, on a photography trip around Austin, TX, with friends.

These are to keep everyone up to date about how these three are doing ... just fine!!

Spring must be on its way!

Yesterday morning, my yard was filled with birds of various sizes and types: small ones flitting all over the place, chasing each other, it seemed; a couple of mockingbirds; a dove; and a woodpecker high up on one of the elms.

He stayed a long time, so I finally decided to try for a video ... and here it is!

And yes, you should be able to tell that the ash and elm trees have begun to put out this year's leaves. I think they're confused, but then, we really didn't have much of a winter around here!

Simone's races on Jan 15

Here are a couple of videos Robert took. Simone's first race ~

~ and her second race ~

She learned a great deal that day!

UPDATE: Here are the links directly to the videos in You Tube. This blog format is cutting off about one-fourth of the video on the right side.

1st race: http://youtu.be/uqeFGVxpjZw

2nd race: http://youtu.be/Qv9Jkkjk90o

The Spandaus' ski place

In very northwestern Massachusetts, there are Williamstown and Jiminy Peak Ski Resort (photos below). What a lovely place -- cold, cold, cold, but lovely! Here is where Robert, Danielle, and Simone come to ski on weekends.

This is the building from which the main ski lift begins. I took the photo from inside the lodge, and it was definitely colder out there than inside! It was snowing a bit, even though they had the snow-making machines going full blast, too!

Here's the guide to which ski runs are where.

More and more skiers were starting to show up.

Snow-making machines in action on one of the runs.

What looks like fog rising from behind the trees is really the man-made snow being made on a different ski run, one not completely visible from the lodge.

And a couple of little videos ...

Now it's beginning to clear up ... and get more and more crowded with skiers, too!

More and more crowded ...

Here's Simone when she came in for lunch -- goggles are off, and the rest came off very soon.

Cutie!

Here is a view of the whole ski area from the highway as we were starting our drive back to New York. It's a very beautiful place, day or night, snowing or clear!

Fixing a mistake!

Hmmm! I must have done something stupid - and deleted the former post in which I had this photo posted.

Anyway -- here it is again -- with the UTexas flag in my front yard!

Holiday photos

The Linehan family at Thanksgiving, 2011

The Linehan kids just before they dived in to open all their presents on Christmas morning, 2011

Getting the photo

The process of getting 7 girls and their coach all smiling and sitting or standing straight at the same time!!

If the video seems cut off at the right side, you can also view it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q6Qaech0to&feature=youtu.be

Enjoy!

Anne's adventures in decorating!

Anne: So I decide to string lights on the stairs. I pull out some bundles and start untangling and plugging in to find strands that work.

Success!  I find two strands!

I begin!  And get ready to attach and plug in the next strand.

Crud!  This strand was lighting but now isn't!

Aha!  I see the problem!

My assistant looks innocently on as I try to find another strand that lights.

Choir concert last night

Last night, Kira and all the members of the Hildebrandt choir performed in the combined concert at KOHS's auditorium. There were choirs from KOHS, Hildebrandt, and three elementary schools. It was a wonderful evening ... all those talented kids!

Here's Kira with Hildebrandt's choir:

And here are Hildebrandt's combined treble choirs. Kira is at the very left of the front row of girls.

The very last song was performed by all five of the choirs together. For a few minutes, we could just barely see Kira ... and then the piano's top was raised and she was out of sight!

The following three photos show all five choirs as they were performing the last song.