I remember you, June...

Can you believe it's almost August? 

Can you believe I haven't posted anything here since early summer?

Poor neglected blog.

I'm going to slow things down and mosey back in time, via some of my favorite shots from June.

Most are from our morning walks, which start pretty early. We haven't had many 100 degree days, 

but even the 90's are too hot for Max these days.

June is when the Mountain Pinks decorate the roadsides. 

But they aren't the only wildflowers in the Hollow.

We were blessed with rain this summer. 

See the raindrops left on these yucca petals?

 Rain spills down the hills around us, 

creating huge ruts on our dirt roads, 

so Tom and Daniel spent a morning digging and stacking rocks 

to divert the water down to the culvert below. 

Yay!

In June my nephew brought us a treat - my great-niece. 

She is truly a little doll, inside and out.

We didn't notice until I took the photo and zoomed in close that there's a tiny "pearl" in the middle of this star-shaped plant. 

Anyone know what this is called?

Would you believe Belle is 4 years old now? 

She still acts like a puppy, though, and has the energy of two.

It's funny to me that we say everything in Texas is bigger, yet we call this Lake Austin.

Would you believe a friend's sister lives with this view every day?
I felt blessed just getting to visit and see it once!

More from our early morning walks. 

My friend Leslie turned 55 this month. 

When you've been friends with someone for 40 years, 

you better hang on to them, because they really do know too much about you!

I'd hang on to her anyway. She's a sweetheart.

Speaking of hanging on, this little guy kept me company one day when I was working at home.

I ate my first Torchy's Taco in June. 

I'm ready for another one!

Visits to my house are an adventure for my mom...and impossible without my sons to help maneuver her wheelchair up and down our inclined rock path. 

(Don't take your legs and lungs for granted!)

I gave blood for the first time in more than thirty years in June. 

Then wondered why I hadn't done it sooner. 

No big deal!

I'm glad I chose to be part of Keller Williams Realty for many reasons, 

but one of them is their attitude that we're family. 

Our market center plans fun things for us to do together, 

including a happy hour at the Oasis restaurant on Lake Travis, 

where we watched the sun set.

I told him I just had to take his picture. 

He was cool with it.

I spotted this in a new home I was touring. 

I hope I can find one in a store.

(I'd say I'd make one, but I know better.)

Looking Back at August

It seemed like August barely arrived before it was leaving again, 

blowing past me while I was busy getting acquainted with the real estate business. 

I still made time for quite a few morning walks with my camera. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the past couple of weeks...

One of these days I'll find the name of these. 

They're tiny and easy to ignore, but are so photogenic, aren't they?

There are different stages of beauty. Don't you agree?

Snow-on-the-Prairie. 

Another one that's easy to ignore, but so beautiful if you take a closer look. 

(Thanks to TexWis Girl for letting me know its name!)

A cousin to the Mexican hats. 

A final hurrah for the summer.

This sign is close to the road I walk almost every day, but I don't think I've ever noticed it until now. 

I love the combination of blue and rust.

I love how the bark on this post has peeled and flopped over the barbed wire. 

See the sign from the photo above in the background?

A man I used to work with told me his family used to eat prickly pear, but I don't remember how he said they cooked it. 

(Yes, I know. I can probably find a recipe on the internet, now, right? Hmmm...maybe next year.)

A premonition of cooler weather on its way? 

I hope so!

Hello September.... please don't be in as big a rush as August! Take your time and let us enjoy you!

Mountain Pinks

Alas, I think the mountain pinks are beginning to fade. 

Thanks to a few scattered showers, the Hollow will stay green for awhile, but I'm sure going to miss these splashes of pink... 

"Who would have thought it possible that a tiny little flower could preoccupy a person so completely that there simply wasn't room for any other thought."  

-  Sophie Scholl