The Second Wave

Why does it seem there's been a new blast of fall colors?  Today, at Lebanon Hills:

Several weeks ago, Southern Minnesota:

Pike Island

The Northern Lakes









The Southern Prairie

Hope, Minn.:

 Albert Lea, Minn.:

 Zinnias from the CSA:

Vegetables, Part 1

[No] Clouds in My Coffee

Yesterday, the high temperature in Austin, Texas, was forecasted at 104 degrees.  The actual high temperature turned out to be 106 degrees, with a heat index of oh, about 238 degrees.  Today, the high temperature is forecasted to be 105 degrees, and that means invariably it will be 107+ today.  I don't want to leave my house, because I don't want my cutaneous self to fry, I don't want my scalp and toes to drip with sweat, and I don't want to, want to cuss with every step I take.  Swimming seems to be out of the question, even; the pool's an eerily warm temperature now, reminiscent of bile-ly bodily fluids (okay, yes, PEE).  Therefore, the only time to go outside and receive a daily modicum of vitamin D is around 9:30 a.m (when it's a blustery 87 degrees).  This morning, I sat on our patio with my 1000-page novel and sipped a strong mug of delicious, fair-trade, organic dark roast.

Then, the hot wind blew, I watched the tree branches sway overhead, and I glanced down to seize my cup of liquid happiness.  Alas, this is what I saw upon my attempt at grabbing the cup of Joe:

Organic, indeed!

Also, this is my mug.  It will probably break soon, because we're clumsy like that (though we've had it unbroken in our possession for six impressive years).  It was bought at Savers in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, and the year stamped on the bottom is 1963. It's pretty: 

Little Dinosaur

Gecko on our patio.  Click to enlarge to better see his amazing scaly skin.

I was whispering sweet-nothings into his ear(?) while trying to get the focus just right, and I like to think that that had something to do with his several minutes of stillness and "compliance."  Or, the staidness could be just attributed to his survival instinct. I mean, I guess, yeah.

Out West

we took a trip to the texas desert. some weird things happened to us. instead of elucidating on the weird stuff, i'd rather share the beauty of what we saw.














high water bridge, where the pecos and rio grande rivers meet:














sanderson, tex.:














the beginning of sunset, night one. fort stockton, tex.:














outside balmorhea, tex.:














coyote, outside fort davis, tex:














prada marfa--public art piece of a mock prada store, in the middle of nowhere:














valentine, tex.:




























bank of marfa:











































viewing platform for the mysterious marfa lights (astronomical wonder). we tried, but we didn't see any of those elusive marfa lights:














sunset from viewing platform:















alpine, tex:








































first time entering the state of new mexico (very exciting). bullet holes in sign:






orla, tex. (tiny, forgotten ghost town):
















pecos, tex:


























(the end.)

Craving Structures