The end is near

A few minutes after I took this photo, this building was exploded by a professional demolition crew. We had to get out of bed at a horribly early hour to see this event from the windows of The Headliners Club.

A good time was had by all.

Here you see my partner in life and fellow blogger (right) with our former Mayor Will Wynn and his friend at the Ray Benson concert and birthday party. 

Ray Benson is rocking out

Here is another shot from the Ray Benson concert the other night. It was quite a scene for his big Birthday Party. Several guest musicians appeared with him.

A shady spot in the bar.

Have a seat and have a drink -- a nice spot in the Fairmont bar under a shady tree.

Rockin' Out!

We love a lot of the artwork in the Fairmont Hotel that just opened in downtown Austin.

On target in the Fairmont.

This is another piece of artwork that is in the new Fairmont Hotel. Lots to aim for here!

Gentleman Jackson

We ran into our friend William Jackson at the new Fairmont Hotel the other day. He always cuts a fine figure. What a snappy dresser!

Chicken Paillard-- something to cluck about.

This Chicken Paillard at June's All Day is some of the best I have ever tasted, anywhere in the world. Austin is blessed to have some terrific restaurants.  

Happy birthday, Ray!

Well-known recording artist Ray Benson gave a concert and was presented with a cake onstage for his birthday. We had good tickets for the event.

White glove treatment

I loved this piece at our friend Gail Chovan's show at Women and Their Work Gallery.

Great graphics and great jazz

Loved the electronic poster our friends at Parker created for the recurring concert they have on Tuesday. It's great to have this sweet venue just a few blocks away from our condo.

University of Texas Symphony concert

Loved this concert by the UT Symphony on a recent night. They played Bernstein's "Age of Anxiety" which was really moving. An apt choice for this time in our history.

Me, reflecting

Here is a shot I took of myself in the elevator lobby the other day while I was waiting to go downstairs. We have been here almost ten years now. 

Two Basie greats

Terrific concert at Parker the other night. Two of the stalwarts of the Basie Orchestra-- Doug Lawrence on tenor sax and Butch Miles on drums. Yes, indeed. That is Kris Kimura, one of the club's owners, on baritone sax.

Sweet potato hash at Eberly

Yes, this dish was delightful. Sweet potato hash with two over easy eggs. Very tasty for a brunch dish. And we had good conversation with friends to boot.

Flowers at The Four Seasons

We always love walking into the lobby at The Four Seasons and seeing what the artists who do their flowers have created. 

Four hard-working people

We spotted four construction workers in the cold and rain on top of the new Zaza hotel, guiding concrete into forms the other afternoon. That's some serious stamina.

Rather well done!

We heard a stirring speech from Dan Rather at a charity event on a recent evening. It was well-received and many people were sobbing at the end of it.

Salmon on lentils

Loved this perfectly cooked salmon dish at Le Politique the other day. We had lunch with a bunch of Ballet Austin friends.

Vintage car

I love seeing fine old cars like this one that are preserved so well.

Sunrise, sunset

Loved this pretty sunrise the other day. We have great views off of our balcony.

Stickwork!

This new sculpture in Pease Park is really a delightful addition to the beauty of that space. They will be allowed to be absorbed back into the ground.

Mussels up to the bar

This new restaurant we found -- Auguste and Marcel -- had four types of mussels. Linda got the classic garlicky ones.

Horns, not a dilemma

These ladies had purchased a pair of horns with a jeweled cow head and were posing with them on South Congress the other afternoon.

Texas burger

This burger at Perry's was really juicy and full-flavored. Not a place we go often. We enjoyed it. 

New bistro in the hood.

We dropped into this bistro on South Congress during the Super Bowl. Nice comfy little spot. 

This took a lot of work!

"Stickwork" is a sculpture made entirely from invasive species of vines found at Pease Park in central Austin. Patrick Dougherty is the artist who made it happen.

Carving art.

Sometimes it's fun to notice the excellent artwork that was done by hand on older local buildings.
Here you see angels over the doors to the First Methodist Church.

Fixing up

I love taking photos in museums. Here you see a man with an unorthodox outfit. He looks like part of the exhibition. 

Sound in the Space

Here you see Jeff Lofton doing a trumpet solo in the Blanton Museum. It was part of the Sound Space exhibition. 

Play!

The Theme for today is "play." Here you see a man and his dog doing just that. The dog has just retrieved a tennis ball and his owner is waiting to get it back so he can sling it again. Click here to see what our compatriots around the world posted for this theme.