Crepes Trailer

This trailer is on South Congress and it sells sweet and savory filled crêpes. The 'mille' in the name means thousand. I think there are 'mille crêpes' desserts in France that are made with many layers of the thin pancakes with sweet fillings but maybe this establishment was just hoping to sell its product by the thousands. We haven't tasted because we seem to spend fewer and fewer meals eating out of trailers. Have to try is some time, though.

I've Been Adopted!

On Saturday there was a mobile adoption station on South Congress. Word was: this fellow found a home.

Reflection in the Lake

FFP shot this a couple of afternoons ago from the pedestrian bridge showing our building apparently casting light into Lady Bird Lake. That's the Monarch apartments on the left.

Happy Christmas

No snow in Austin...although much of the rest of the U.S. has seen a few (or many) flakes. But the shop window of the downtown St. Bernard store gave the impression of a snowy wonderland and the clothes for it. It was really windy and cold when I snapped this yesterday, for Austin anyway. Gusts of over 40 MPH around our building I'd say.

Goodbye, Mother Ginger. It was sweet.

Rich Segal, meteorologist and weathercaster for Time Warner News 8, was Mother Ginger for the last performance of "The Nutcracker" yesterday. He did a great job. Here we see him atop the Mother Ginger dress getting ready to be wheeled onstage. The children lined up to go under the dress are the Bon Bons. Being backstage at "The Nutcracker" is a big part of my holiday experience and I'm always a little sad to see the last curtain come down. I'm 63, but I guess I'm a kid at heart.

Sara Hickman does Mother Ginger

As long as it's the season, I thought I'd throw in one more Mother Ginger shot. Here is my friend, well-known singer Sara Hickman all done up in her costume before the second act of "The Nutcracker." I took this photo Monday night while she was getting ready for her big role. Talk about a natural performer-- this woman was born to be on stage--and she is one of the most genuine, kind, warm-hearted souls you'll ever meet.

Like I said the other day, I've had a great time recruiting the VIP Mother Gingers since 1997-- it's hard to believe we've been doing it this long. Cookie Ruiz, the Executive Director of Ballet Austin, gave me the task back then and I'm grateful she had that much faith in me. It's always fun to watch VIPs get made up and have some fun. And it makes my holiday season anything but boring.

Backstage at the Nutcracker

I was backstage at Ballet Austin's "The Nutcracker" last night and saw this tableau of dancers watching two of their colleagues performing as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier.

The lighting looked like it might be interesting, so I took out my iPhone and snapped this shot. Just using available light, it came out with a painterly feel.

Sara Hickman did Mother Ginger last night, by the way. She was terrific.