Rap at your doorstep.

These rappers were delivering their goods throughout downtown Austin during SXSW.

South by San Jose

These horn players were part of a band playing in the parking lot outside Hotel San Jose during South by Southwest.

Al fresco makeup

This young lady was getting made up for an outdoor photo shot on a recent morning.

Heads up!

This rather unnerving sight met us as we walked along the Shoal Creek trail on a recent morning.

Ye who enter here . . .

This list pretty much covers it all. These steps lead to a co-op in the west campus area of The University of Texas.

Rounding up for Round-Up!

A group of day-glo clad girls posed for a photo outside their sorority house near the UT campus on a recent morning. This weekend marks the annual Round-Up event at UT.

Washing the Eagle

A sculpture by David Deming called Eagle II apparently needed cleaning and these two gals were doing a great job. It is in front of Austin's main library, named for John Henry Faulk, at 8th and Guadalupe. (There will be a new main library location in a couple of years. It is being built a couple of blocks from us at Cesar Chavez on the west bank of Shoal Creek.)

Bevo

The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau threw a party at Royal Memorial stadium on the University of Texas campus. (FFP is on the board of ACVB.) One of the photo ops was with Bevo, UT's 'mascot' Longhorn.

Astronaut

During the SXSW trade show, NASA had a booth. (I don't know why either? Recruiting? Trying to get folks to lobby Congress for tax dollars?) Anyway, FFP climbed on the little platform they had provided behind this space suit and that's him you can see there.

Buddies forever

These dogs were waiting outside Sweetish Hill today. The bigger guy seemed to be protecting his pal.

Decorate the Walkway

The construction walkway for the office project at Third and Colorado appears to have acquired some sanctioned graffiti.

Truth

The constantly changing (and overpainted) Lamar overpass. That's my shadow. I don't really approve of graffiti but this site gets some good ones.

Cloud Climb

These clouds over South Austin looked interesting.

The Joy of Chocolate

Here is another recent sign from the Chocolate Man at the Farmer's Market.

Sweet!

The Chocolate Man has a suggestion for SXSW attendees.

Capitalizing on Weird

Folks say 'Keep Austin Weird,' but when it becomes part of an ad campaign? Hmmm....

Brightening things up

These pretty flowers would make any room look more cheerful. They were looking good at a recent Farmers Market.

Hey kids! Let's build something!

This is one of Linda's favorite toys from her childhood. She loved putting things together with the parts in it. It still has a place of honor in our bedroom.

Just a piece of the skyline

I snapped this shot from the Pfluger Bridge the other day. There are five buildings here but they look like one big mass of glass and concrete.

"Say cheese," doggie!

This friend of mine was trying to get her cute dog to pose for me the other day. The pooch was having no part of it!

Green tomatoes, great for frying

The tomato crop is already coming in from the winter gardens.

Hop aboard!

South by Southwest is in full swing. To show off its latest models, Chevrolet is offering free rides through downtown Austin in their cars. Last year, we were walking towards the Convention Center and a nice young man picked us up and drove us over there.

Yehudi Goes to Texas!

Ruby Jane Smith and her band showed a different side of the fiddle during this free event during the Menuhin Violin competition earlier this month. This was on the ever versatile Long Center porch.

Souvenirs for Violin Competitors

As a souvenir of their visit to Austin for the Menuhin Violin competition all the competitors received a custom-fitted cowboy hat. Our friends Andrew and Mary Ann Heller provided this great remembrance and the kids (some shown here) were very pleased.

Juggling

This juggler was doing his thing on the Long Center porch during Yehudi Goes to Texas, a free event during the Menuhin Violin competition. That's our home in the background, of course.

Sunset from the Heights

Shot this on the 55th floor of the Austonian. Sun was setting. Visible landmarks: center near bottom is the excavation for the Trammel Crow project between Shoal Creek and San Antonio on Cesar Chavez; near foreground to the right is the W hotel and condos; behind the W you see the 360, our building. Seeing the W and the 360 look so small makes you realize how high this is!

Filming

I have no idea why this guy was filming across from the giant star at the Texas State History Museum. But I like pictures of people taking pictures.

Room with a View

We were dining in a private room at the Headliners Club (the Green Room) and I just sort of shot this sunset/reflection picture 'from the hip' during the cocktail portion of the evening with my tiny Nikon S01. The lamp, the reflection of the bookcases (which hold books written by members of the club), our building (just above the lamp), the line of traffic on Sixth Street...it really spoke to me about our life in downtown Austin. No retouching done.

Pretty...but useful?

This gazebo on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake between the Drake and Congress bridges has a very modern-looking roof on what is apparently a very old stone base. When the trees leaf out it won't have quite as good a view and, with no benches, it doesn't seem useful for lounging.

Back In Parking

Spotted this paint job on an old pickup in the back in parking on South Congress the other day.

Austin Street Scene, 1948

The theme today is "People on the Street." Here you see my parents carrying me down Congress Avenue, the main downtown Austin thoroughfare, in 1948. I was about 1 1/2 years old at that point. The shot was taken by what was called a street photographer. They were guys who set up their cameras on a tripod, snapped shots, and then sold prints to people. I have kept this one in my files. Such a different era -- people really dressed up to go downtown back then. Click here to see how other members of City Daily Photo interpreted the theme.