Fall in Austin

 

It's hard to believe it is already November 1! Fun fact: it's almost been a full year since I cut my hair! I donated 10 inches at the end of last November and with the excuse of COVID keeping me away from the salon, this is the fastest it's ever grown back 😄! Work is keeping us busy. I'm back at school and have two to four students in my room per class as I teach in-person and online at the same time. Right now the students are only attending their fine arts classes in-person. Starting November 9 the students on campus will begin rotating to all of their classes. James is working from home and frequently has visitors that pop in for a cuddle or a nap. 

October and November in Texas tend to bring beautiful weather, which has made for some beautiful hikes and even a camping trip. If you have been for a visit and hiked up Mt. Bonnell with us, you were on the other side of the Colorado River (pictured behind us in the next picture). James discovered the trails on the other side of the river during one of his long runs and brought me back to see the great views.

James ran a 5-mile run in the Hill Country State Natural Area last weekend, which perfectly coincided with the cool front that brought us into the 40s overnight. It made for a comfortable night of camping, great race weather for James (3rd place!) and a nice hike post race.

Another fun thing about living in Texas this time of year is that we are able to fit in another gardening season! We had more blooming flowers and saw the monarch butterflies make their way back through on their way to Mexico. We have three resident lizards in the backyard gardens and I finally saw the frog that I've heard singing at night.

Plumbago

Gregg's Mistflower

monarch caterpillars on the milkweed

kale

broccoli

chard

We planted a Big Toothed Maple tree in our backyard! The only type of maple tree native to this area. We're crossing our fingers for some colorful fall foliage in our future 🍁.

Lots of love from Austin 💙💚🧡💜💛!