Unauthorized Photos

Welcome to the jungle.

It feels like a wild tropical jungle here, especially after it rains. Super green, super muggy and lots of bird and bug noises. We woke up this morning to steam on the outside of all the windows. I LOVE the humidity. And I'm fine with the heat too. I suppose it might be the many years I spent in AZ as a kid that trained me for it, and it certainly doesn't hurt that every building is on A/C overload 24/7. But still, as you step outside and it feels like you just stepped into a steam room and also like you just ran 5 miles because your clothes are instantly wet and sticking to you, instead of being annoyed, I'm both charmed and amused.

Here is the river path that runs all through Austin...

The path is super beautiful and great to stroll on a Sunday, even despite the runners who take themselves a little too seriously and don't bother to hide their mild disdain for those of us who don't appear to recognize their superior status.

Turtles everywhere!

We had a boat guide tell us that they have a bite second only to a shark. I'm not sure whether or not I believe it, but I certainly won't be sticking my finger in the water anytime soon. The crazy thing is they are attracted just like ducks when you throw bits of crackers in the water. We were feeding like five of them. Super cool.

Austin has seemed incredibly green to me since the moment we arrived. However, the locals tell me that they've been in a terrible drought, and it is usually much greener. And, low and behold, it's true! In the last few weeks we've had many inches of much needed rain, and subsequently the whole city looks like one big green carpet.

And as a side note, there doesn't seem to be such a thing as a light rain here. I think the adage "when it rains it pours" was coined in Austin. There have been several flash flood warnings since we've been here. It's the norm. Everyone expects it. We're expecting one tonight.

And they've got the storm drains to prove it. Seriously, a small cow could fit through the openings found about every block very near small children riding their big wheels just asking to be swallowed whole.


The one thing I don't love about the humidity? Mosquitoes. Boo. I am constantly nursing about a half dozen bites on a good day. On the bright side, I've purchased stock in anti-itch cream which is sure to see a spike with our family usage. We'll be rich!

Don't go towards the light!

We would like to introduce you to and simultaneously extend both a heartfelt welcome and our deepest condolences to the newest additions to the Thomas family.

Dearest Bacon and Tofu: we will try very hard not to kill you.


And what are the first things you should always do when you get a new pet? Take off your shirts and pick your nose! (That advice actually holds true in any number of different situations.)

(Again, we are truly sorry, Bacon and Tofu.)

lazy post...

more tub time!

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

Two men in a tub...

Pee Wee Welcomes Us!

Yee Haw!

My Grandpa Lyman is a successful race horse trainer. He sold my grandma's refrigerator to buy his first horse, which he parked in the garage. She was less than pleased at the time but came around eventually.

Grandpa will turn 90 this year and still gets up at 4:30AM every morning to go down to the track to oversee the horses' workouts. He is well known for his gentle techniques and overall honesty and integrity. He's also known for being totally kick-ass in every other way.

I won't go into how sad I was when my grandma died last December. She and my grandpa have, through their tireless devotion and love, earned dozens of equally devoted, loving and admiring grandchildren and great grandchildren, not to mention the hundreds of friends. Grandma and Grandpa's ranch where we grew up visiting not only felt like home to our family like nothing else did but was as fun as going to Disneyland.

Seriously...

Rides? Horses, go-carts and tractors.

Food? The cookie jar and treat cupboard were always full and unrestricted, and for some inexplicable reason, we were allowed to drink all the Pepsi we wanted.

Themed bathrooms? One was all horses and the other had owls, including a vinyl toilet seat cover that always felt warm when you sat on it. Like magic.

Happy short people? In abundance. Grandpa 5'4'' and Grandma 5'1'' with lovely aunts, uncles and cousins all around the same height.

It was also the one place on earth where swear words were used as terms of endearment. My grandma, in particular, loved to call us all "little shits" as she hugged us, kissed us and swatted us on the rear.

It was my happiest place on earth.

Still is.

A couple weeks ago, the kids and I went down to Prescott, AZ to watch a horse race named in memory of my Grandma Lois. I have attended many horse races from the time I was a little kid to watch my grandpa's horses run. Sounds seedy, I know. But we were completely oblivious to the other world that may have lurked there. Up in the grandstands there were lots of jolly old people, waitresses catering to your every whim and supervised trips to the stable making it a dream come true to any kid.

It was amazing to grow up around all of it. And much to my delight, my kids were as wide-eyed and enthusiastic as I was.

The following is a statue at the race track in honor of my uncle who died in a horse-related accident a year and a half ago. He is deeply missed.

Just a fraction of the great grandchildren...