Valentine's Graffiti

This paper and paste pot graffiti seems to be a Valentine's Day message. It was on the side of the art glass place on South Congress I believe.

House and Wall

On West Sixth and Harthan there is an interesting property with a big house with a wall and, behind it, a skinny apartment house. I got to go inside on a home tour many years ago. There was a pool behind the wall and a nice view of the skyline through glass blocks in a shower on the upper floor as I remember. Harthan Street is a two block street which got a historic district designation (not including this house). We showed it here.

Well, not really THAT bike.

The Tenth Annual Hill Country Ride for AIDS is taking place in April. This challenging ride would be tough on these old wrecks but they've been painted red to promote the ride. We are supporting a couple of individual riders with small donations. They have cool donation pages. Charity in the modern age.

Swan vs. Swan

These kids were having a great time as Dad paddled them on Lady Bird Lake in the Swan Boat. The swan was nonplussed and ran away from them until they turned around...and then followed them. Taken from the Hike and Bike Saturday when we were walking over to see the new high rise apartments on Rainey Street.

For Sale in the Shadows

A shop on West Sixth called Portnoy's has stuff spilling over into an outdoor area outside including a life-sized bronze Texas Longhorn.

Our Waterloo

Before there was an Austin there was a tiny community at the confluence of the Little Colorado and Shoal Creek called Waterloo. Hence some home-grown businesses use Waterloo in their names. At Sixth and Lamar are Waterloo Records (which kind of ripped off the logo of the London Underground which has, of course, a Waterloo Station) and one of the Waterloo Ice House locations. (These joints are places for fast food. The ice house nomenclature comes from south Texas where places that sold ice started selling beer, cold drinks, burgers. This restaurant has that sort of food. And since it's Austin, music.) I hope these two spots keep going because they are independent stores. I don't buy many CDs these days and I haven't been to Waterloo Ice House lately either. (FFP had breakfast there last week.)

Bike Path

This shows the entrance to the Lance Armstrong Bikeway from a feeder for the Hike and Bike trail. I stepped onto the biker's sacred place (no peds allowed) to take this picture but the bikeway isn't finished and there wasn't much risk. Of course, when the bikes are using this and come this way they will speed into an area where we are allowed and so I say to them: be careful! (I'm an ardent pedestrian but, I hope, also a great supporter of bicyclists who take care and obey the law.) Here is a map of the bikeway. This piece is near the underpass of Cesar Chavez that allows hikers and bikers to enter the main trail from the Shoal Creek trail.

We are participating in City Daily Photo's February 1st Theme Day: Paths and Passages.Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Our hike and bike was getting a ton of usage yesterday when we walked to Rainey Street and back. Bikes, strollers, dog walkers, joggers and just plain walkers. It was a beautiful day and lots of people were enjoying this lovely resource.