UT Jazz Orchestra was swinging

Here you see our friend Jeff Helmer conducting the University of Texas Jazz Orchestra. The man on piano is famed professional Cyrus Chesnut, who was playing some other-worldly licks.

Gunhild Carling

This is Gunhild Carling who performed a fantastic concert at Austin Cabaret Theater the other night. We loved it! She played trumpet, piano, trombone, recorder, and bagpipes, She also sang and danced.

My creation

An exhibition at the Blanton Museum here in town offers patrons a chance to do their own "Sorted Books" creation. Here you see mine. 

Big Pay Day

Bob Dylan got $100 to play the Newport Folk Festival, according to this document at the Bullock Museum. It is part of an exhibitions on big music festivals.

Stevie Ray was an Austin icon

This large photo of Stevie Ray is graced by the presence of "Number One" which was his main performance guitar.

Stevie Ray's Hat

Now that is one bright red hat! It is part of the Stevie Ray Vaughan exhibition at the Bullock Museum here in town. 

They're not dummies!

These mannequins have a bird's eye view of Lavaca Street from the balcony outside the Hampton Inn. Kind of an arresting sight!

Love those dogs!

Another shot from the Taliwaggers gala that we attended -- lots of cute dogs were out there getting hugs.

Woof!

That's us in the middle -- we have a great time at this Tailwaggers Neo-Gala for Austin Pets Alive the other night.

Men Working

It's not all done by machine. The building going up where the Austin Music Hall used to be was pouring columns. Those guys are guiding the funnel into the forms. The poster on the fence (lower left) shows what the office building will ultimately look like.

Serpent Handle

This is a detail from the decorative gate at the Zilker Botanical Garden. A reference to the Garden of Eden, perhaps.

Anvil Cloud

Jackie caught this anvil cloud from the balcony of her apartment.

Local Hindu Temple

Jackie attended a retreat at a Hindu temple that used to be Barsana Dam, now Radha Madhav Dham. The ashram occupies 200 acres about one-half hour’s drive south and five minutes’ drive from the Salt Lick BBQ restaurant. It’s the oldest Hindu Temple in Texas and the largest in North America. It was founded in 1990 by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati. In 2011 Saraswati was convicted of 20 counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and sentenced to 280 years in prison. But before he could be imprisoned, he skipped his $10 million bond (provided by a TV infomercial entrepreneur) and disappeared, creating quite a local scandal. Federal officials believe the Swami’s followers moved him to Mexico and then helped him travel to India on a fake passport.

Joe Ely

Jackie made it to Joe Ely's 70th Birthday Bash at the Paramount.

Mural in Progress

Jackie shot this near the Hyatt Regency. I haven't seen the finished product and I'm unsure what it's all about. Have to track down the finished product.

Another shot from the Electric Drive event. This piece of Second Street has places to charge your gadgets as well as electric cars. The old Seaholm Power plant in the background has been recommissioned for businesses and a restaurant.

 Jackie was on hand to celebrate the ceremonial launch of Electric Drive. Mayor Adler and other city staffers were celebrating Austin’s progressive work toward alternative energy sources. The mystery we raised about the kiosk in the background has been resolved. It is indeed a place to charge your gadgets from the sun's energy.

Fried chicken at Mattie's

Linda tried the fried chicken at Mattie's, the updated version of Green Pastures, not long ago. She said it was very flavorful and the potatoes were good as well.

Little lost shoes

Some kids are missing one shoe in the trail area around the lake.

Row, row, row those boats!

We were walking over the Barton Springs Road bridge recently and I snapped this photo of some boats being rowed towards the lake. Nice day for a boat ride.

Nice day for a ride

Lots of people were taking advantage of the Zilker train to have a nice ride in the sun the other day. 

Big boy koi!

Another shot from the Zilker Garden Tour the other day. These big koi fish are obviously thriving in this pond.

Uh oh, Dino!

This sculpture is in the Zilker Garden area at our central downtown park. They had a tour the other day -- it's been a while since we had explored it.

Warm shoulder to feast on

 I love the pork shoulder at Fixe, one of our favorite restaurants.

Crispy crust

Love the Margarita pizza at Cipollina in West Austin.

Fuzzy face

I love seeing the dogs at the Farmers Market. This one was especially cute.

Helen Thomas and a friend of ours

We went to a memorial service for a friend the other day-- here is a photo of him with Helen Thomas, the famed AP journalist.

Caged/uncaged

Blackmail always has some striking window displays.

Matties new bar welcomes new patrons

This upstairs bar at Matties at Green Pastures is full of comfy ambiance. The management group for this restaurant has renovated an old Austin favorite.

Always Wet!

It's theme day at City Daily Photo. For April the theme is, simply, 'wet.' This view of Lady Bird Lake across the lake from our house makes it look like we might be about to take a wet shortcut home. But really we always take one of the bridges! Click here to see what others have on offer for theme day.