Sunset on the Lake

Thanks to Jackie for this one from her balcony take a couple of weeks ago.

Bird Watching - Cormorants

Our friend Jackie is the bird expert on the team. She got this great shop a couple of weeks ago of cormorants on Lady Bird Lake. Who says there is no nature in the urban lifestyle?

Abandoned Shoes

I've always said that when you walk you see the world a little differently. On our walk to SoCo on Sunday we saw these Chuck Taylors neatly arranged in the fallen leaves. We did no posing or setup. FFP shot with iPhone and I did a slight crop. Unlike the shoes in this photo, there is no indication of why they were abandoned.

Good Morning

The days are getting shorter and they haven't returned the hour they took in the spring so we see a lot of sunrises getting up at our usual time. This one showed the Frost Bank doing a close-up in October at dawn.

One Picture

What's happening today? Well, UT football, Texas Rangers in game three of the Series and, of course, Saturday adjusted Halloween. So, I offer a picture taken from my balcony earlier in the month with a long lens of a Texas Flag with an orange sky that you can take for Halloween or burnt orange (UT's colors). Your choice. We plan to be in front of the TV tonight catching bits of the sporting events and maybe looking out at people downtown in costumes. (Already saw that last night.)

Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon shined brightly Wednesday night beside the Frost Bank Tower.

The End of the Rainbow

Our friend Oliver was strolling across the Pfluger pedestrian bridge when he caught the skyline under a rainbow. We use this with his permission to celebrate being back in Austin after a road trip through the western U.S.

Summer Salute

Allen's Boots on SoCo was flying some Texas Lone Star Flags the other day and it looked pretty neat with the old stones and stars on the building and the summer blue sky.

Proper Peacock Signage

We've mentioned the peacocks who live in Mayfield Park and roam at the end of 35th Street by our club. They've finally given them some warning signs. (I have put up a blowup in the inset.)

Home with a View

Some friends of ours are selling a home with magnificent views of Lake Austin. Especially at sunset. Thanks to Jackie for this picture.

More Boots

These are Floramay Holliday's boots (she's in Sis Deville) tapping out a rhythm.

Cactus Blooming

Spring for cactus comes a little later when the heat they like gets on. It is sort of trite to shoot the buds and flowers but it is always tempting as they look so fresh and renewed on such a curmudgeon of a plant. When I whipped out my point and shoot to get this shot on my walk yesterday on South First, a bee was exploring the flower.

Makes Us Look Small

This is the view looking west from the 56th Floor of the Austonian. The nearest tall building (the not yet finished but topped out W Hotel and Condos) is 36 stories. Our home, the 360 Condominiums, is beyond that at 44 stories. I'll stop for now and go back to minutia on the ground. The skyline has changed so much in the last two or three years.

Sun's Reflection

Last night the sunset was beautiful reflected in the Frost Bank tower. For long time readers I apologize for photographing this once again. Moments later, as the sun sank, the dark pink layer became blue.

Wild With Color

Linda and I treated ourselves to a day like many retirees enjoy yesterday by going out to Fredericksburg, having lunch and then taking a leisurely drive through the Hill Country to see the wildflowers. There is a sweet oval of country road called "Willow Loop" northeast of the town that takes you in a fantasyland of flowers. We got out several times to use our cameras. This is my favorite photo of the ones I took. The loop was packed with other people doing the same thing we were. Quite a fun time -- and what a beautiful day.

One hot party!

Last Saturday, Linda and I went to the Viva Las Vegas party for AIDS Services of Austin, a non-profit we have supported for many years. We had taken our seats, getting set to see the fashion show and I noticed how the shadows from the crowd were making interesting patterns on the floor in the red light.

The Top of Frost Bank

At dusk yesterday I was trying out a new camera, a Nikon Coolpix P90, and I shot this picture from our balcony. We've shown the Frost Bank Tower many times, mostly from our balcony as here and here and here. We've also gotten closer in other buildings and shot its iconic top as here and here. What's special to me about this one is that it is an uncropped shot using the new camera, its maximum 24X zoom and a simple 'dawn/dusk' scene setting. I braced against the balcony but didn't use a tripod. I feel, even after our building and others like the Austonian and Spring have been added to our skyline that this tower remains iconic for Austinites. Hopefully our new camera will give clearer views of things without seeking vantage points beyond our apartment balcony. Of course, when we are out and about, the shots are just as likely to be made with an iPhone or small 'point and shoot.'

Lucky Venue

I confess. I'd never darkened the door of the Lucky Lounge on Fifth Street. I'd wondered at the strange lighting in the window (turns out it looks very cool from inside!) but that's it. But last night on a cold and blustery evening of a day that saw what passes for winter here most of the time (melting sleet) they had a jazz happy hour. I took this picture of their nifty little stage while the group was on a break. It's a neat bar, with comfy seating and a great sound. The Jeff Lofton (warning music on link) Quartet played. we're big fans and he's been featured here before. The sound in this venue is wonderful. This is going to be a Wednesday night gig (5:30-8PM) for a while. Last night Kellye Gray stopped by and grabbed a mike for a couple of tunes. Fantastic.

Gadjo Disco

Linda and I were walking home from a party Saturday night and saw this line of youngsters dressed up in a variety of costumes at La Zona Rosa, the club across from the north side of our building. They were waiting to get into a concert which required dressing up. Here is a comment from a young friend who went: "It was for the last Gadjo Disco (eastern European themed dance party). All were encouraged to dress to transgress! I was tasteful in a leopard print lace number topped off with a teased monstrosity on my head."

I shot this with my iPhone.

Changes

Change abounds in Austin's downtown even if the downturn quieted some projects. A large crane in use at the Federal Courthouse project next to our building frames the dome of the Capitol, which was completed before the end of the 19th century.

Today is a theme day (first of the month) for City Daily Photo blogs. The theme is 'changes.' Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

There will be a special theme day on the 15th of January with blogs reprising their 'best photo of 2009.' If you have a favorite, let us know.