“Strange Clouds” Cedar Park, 2017
Wordless Wednesday
“Strange Clouds” Cedar Park, 2017
Tag: clouds
“Strange Clouds” Cedar Park, 2017
Caverns of Sonora to finish vacation
“Morning Brew” Fort Davis, 2016
こんばんは！How’s it going?
Today was the final day of our road-trip out to the Big Bend area of Texas. At the semi-last-minute, we decided to visit the Caverns of Sonora, which were on the way home. But first, it was a 3-hour drive to get there… 🚗 Grey clouds and no sky, but no traffic!
“Low Clouds” Alpine, 2016
We read some really good reviews at Trip Advisor so we were confident that it would be worth our while, and I’m happy to report that it was a really cool activity! We took the regular tour, which lasted a good hour and 45 minutes, and learned a lot about the history of the cave and the cavers who explored the caverns. Those explorers were very brave, and also very crazy!
“Descent” Sonora, 2016
Our guide, a self-described cave nerd, had a genuine enthusiasm about the caverns, and had plenty of stories for us. Good stuff!
“In Water” Sonora, 2016
The caverns and the rock and mineral formations were incredible, and we saw some types that we didn’t see at Carlsbad Caverns, or perhaps they simply weren’t pointed out to us there. What I thought was most amazing were the super-long soda-straw stalactites. I don’t remember seeing anything like that before at the caves we visited previously. (sorry, no pic of these)
“Coral” Sonora, 2016
After visiting the caverns, we ate an early dinner before hitting the road again for the final 3-hour drive back home. We arrived safely, not too late (8:30 PM), and now it’s time to relax and catch up with the cats. 🐱
It was another memorable Thanksgiving road-trip, and I’m already looking forward to our next one… but where will we go? 😜
“Big Miles” Texas, 2016
I hope you had a nice Saturday!
おやすみなさい！
– B 
Alpine, Marfa, and Fort Davis
“Fancy Hot Cocoa” Marfa, 2016
こんばんは！How’s it going?
We spent today traveling the triangle of Fort Davis, Alpine, and Marfa. After a nice breakfast at the B&B, we made the 30-minute drive to Alpine to get two new tires for the Prius, then headed to Marfa to see the town. One of the highlights was grabbing coffee ☕ at Do Your Thing. It’s a really cool little coffee and toast place, with a nice atmosphere and yummy drinks. Worth stopping by!
“Coffee Time” Marfa, 2016
Marfa is a cool town with an interesting, artsy vibe. I can definitely see the appeal.
“Trash Talk” Marfa, 2016
Unfortunately, our time in Marfa didn’t extend into the evening, so we weren’t able to see the famed Marfa Lights. We did stop at the viewing station since it was on the main highway. Maybe some day (night) we’ll be back to experience it.
“Viewing Station” Marfa, 2016
After Marfa, it was back to Alpine to visit the Big Bend Brewing Company for a flight of beer 🍺. The people there are cool and friendly and it was nice to drop in for a little while.
“Big Bend Brewery” Alpine, 2016
Lunch in Alpine today meant a visit to Cow Dog, which is a food truck with maybe 15 different kinds of hot dogs. Delicious and messy! 🌭 Gourmet hot dogs. Recommended!
“Cow Dog” Alpine, 2016
After lunch, it was back to Fort Davis. While shopping, we spotted this funny door:
“Brain Drop-off” Fort Davis, 2016
The last planned activity of our vacation was a visit to the McDonald Observatory. Unfortunately the weather was cloudy and rainy 🌧, so we weren’t able to look through the telescopes at the Star Party. 💫 But there were alternate programs offered which were really interesting and fun. I actually thought these were a good complement to the traditional Star Parties, so I think we lucked out on the weather!
“Cloudy Day” McDonald Observatory, 2016
We did a lot today, but it was relaxed and relatively stress-free… just the way a vacation should be. Even though we ran into snags with the weather and flat tire, everything worked out in the end. 😄
I hope you had a nice Friday!
おやすみなさい！
– B
Wordless Wednesday
“Evening Clouds” Cedar Park, 2016
⛅📷
Fall Arrives
“Cold Front Coming” Austin, 2016
こんばんは！How’s it going?
Today’s photo is one that I took from my workplace this morning, around 7:45. I liked how the tops of the clouds caught the first rays of the sun. The clouds were the beginning of a cold front which came down all the way from Canada and finally arrived in Texas. 🌬 It’s not too cold since we are still in the mid-70s, but it is a big change from the mid-90s we’ve had the past few days.
I guess Autumn in Texas has begun! 🍂
In other news, my 48th birthday was yesterday. 🎂 I got some wonderful gifts that I’ll post about more in detail, but here’s a quick list:
- Kindle PaperWhite
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Street-photography book
- Nose/ear hair clippers
- Bouquet of flowers
- Awesome sushi dinner 🍣
I hope you had a nice Thursday!
おやすみなさい！
– B
Saturday
“Sun Coming” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！How’s it going?
Today’s photo is of this morning’s clouds, and the sun coming up. Not too long after, the overcast skies were gone and we had a beautiful day.
Tomorrow is the annual “Undoukai” or Sports Day at the Japanese school 🇯🇵, so today Mariko spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing our food. Lunch is kind of a fun part of the day, after half of the sporting events are over and all the families relax for a bit and get to eat yummy bento. I always look forward to our bento because it’s so delicious!
Anyways, she was very busy so I helped out by going to the grocery store and then grilling burgers for dinner. 🍔 Of course she had to contribute to dinner too, and for the burger dinner, she baked fresh sesame-seed buns. I have to say, the burgers turned out great. 😄
More about Undoukai tomorrow, so for now, have a good evening!
おやすみなさい！
– B
Changing Season
“Swirling Clouds” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！How’s it going?
Did you know that it’s already Autumn? It’s been so hot lately that I thought it was still Summer! How time flies.
Today’s photo was taken this afternoon, looking straight up. There was a swirling cloud right above our house, and it was changing so rapidly that for a moment I wondered if it was the beginning of a tornado. 🌀 But no, thankfully it was not.
Today my sons and I watched the ceremony the Dodgers had to honor Vin Scully. It was great, and I had a tear in my eye a couple times. Scully has been announcing Dodger games for 67 years now, but this will be his final year. For so many people who grew up in Los Angeles, Vin’s voice was the soundtrack of Summer. He will be missed!
“Vin’s Ceremony” Cedar Park, 2016
Have a great weekend!
おやすみなさい！
– B
