KC & Cate in Sepia

KC & Cate in Sepia, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

This was toward the end of our fabulous day with Cate & KC at Bull Creek. A tired KC came over to get some love from Cate. I love her expression!

Resting Canoes

Resting Canoes, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

These canoes were sitting alone, looking so nice against the blue and green background. What a beautiful day it was!

Sandals on Kayak

Sandals on Kayak, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

A shot of my flip flops sitting at the front of mine and Kevin's kayak. A beautiful sunny day without being too hot or windy. I love being on the water!

Heron Flying

Heron Flying, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Cate, Kevin and I went kayaking on Lady Bird Lake Saturday afternoon. The weather was absolutely perfect, and we all had a great time! We're planning to go again very soon.

Cate and I took tons of photos, and I'll be posting more (at least on Flickr) as I get them edited.

I'm generally terrible at photographing anything moving, so I was pleasantly surprised I caught this heron flying away from us.

Lost Your Marbles?

Lost Your Marbles?, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

These adorable figurines were at a booth on First (1st) Thursday on SoCo in Austin, TX. They are so cute, and I bought a calico cat, a turtle and a skunk (for Cate).

The guy, Sid, and his wife, Debby, start with marbles and then add clay and paint. They call them "Marblies" and you can see the whole collection and how they're made at www.marblies.com.

I think this is the first time I've managed to focus on something in the foreground and have bokeh in the background! Yay!

Gypsy Jewelry

Gypsy Jewelry, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

The gypsy who assaulted Cate (see here) also insisted we take photos of his jewelry. This one came out rather pretty and shiny in the light.

You're So Vain

You're So Vain, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Austin has 1st Thursday every month, where the stores that are open stay open until 10:00. There are tons of booths outside with local artists, and this time there was an awesome percussion group with dancers.

This mannequin just struck me in a store window as looking so vain and self-serious. I tried to catch the weird lighting that was hitting it. Cate and I were standing outside, and I shot through the window.

Study in Lines

Study in Lines, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Sometimes you just get lucky with timing and lighting.

The Wal-Mart Cometh

You might want to read this first unless you're from Austin: http://walmartwatch.com/blog/archives/more_on_victory_austin_tx/

About the photo - I took it awhile back but kept forgetting to post it. There's a skating rink that moved from the mall to the other side of the parking lot, and I skate there Saturday mornings. I don't usually drive all the way through the lot, since there are fences and construction everywhere. One day I did, and this is what greeted me. I was totally shocked.

I tried to find a photo of the Northcross Mall before it was torn down, but I couldn't. You'll just have to imagine that there was an entire mall where this destruction is now. My fiance and I used to live in an apartment complex across the road. When we first heard about the fight against Wal-Mart we kind of rolled our eyes. Where were these concerned citizens when the mall was there and dying? Were they shopping there; were they helping the local businesses in the area?

When we heard the size and scope of the Wal-Mart plan, how the trucks would be going down residential streets, and how there was no way the streets would be able to hold all the extra traffic, it got a lot more serious. We're all used to seeing Wal-Mart on the highways and interstates, but a 200,000 sf 2-story monster with attached parking garage in a small neighborhood? Is that really necessary? No. I'm so glad we bought a house and moved.