austin! adventures! and home!
Wednesday in Austin was mainly spent outside. Therefore, only a little text and even more pictures for today's entry. :-)
I began my day at the Mayfield Park and Gardens. The gardens are simply lovely and populated by a flock of peafowl. This added an interesting element to exploring the park trails surrounding the cottage and gardens. Hearing the cry of a peacock as you walk through the woods is an odd experience. Although a sign does ask visitors to refrain from shooting photos within the garden walls (thus robbing me of the ability to take a picture of the rather bizarre sight of an entire flock of peafowl roosting in the upper branches of an oak tree), I did sneak a few pictures of some flowers.
After, wandering through the gardens and wishing I could walk through the house, I trekked through the woods on the surrounding park trails.
There I found cacti growing with wildflowers:
Mayfield Park, etc., just happens to be about 100 yards down the road from Laguna Gloria, the original site of the Austin Museum of Arts, current home of its art school, and the Mediterranean-style home of Clara Driscoll.
Because this was just not enough trekking for one day, I then proceeded to Mt. Bonnell, climbed a boat-load of stairs, and was rewarded with this completely magnificent view.
If you're looking for the really wealthy people in Austin, look no further than around Mt. Bonnell:
I even took a mediocre pic of me, just to prove I was really there. :-D
Next, I managed the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. I was quite impressed with Umlauf's skill at bronze casting. His works were detailed and emotion-filled. The garden design well fit a contemplative study of the sculptures.
There is even a waterfall so charming that I climbed down this deceptively stable-looking wall to take a photo of it.
My final stop of the day was the O. Henry house. I had tried twice earlier to see it and had been met with a "closed" sign. This time, though the sign read "open," so I went in. The home was small, but I was diligently guided about by the elderly tour guide. I learned even more about this very prolific short story writer. He made his home in Austin for about 14 years, not counting the three years he spent in federal prison for embezzlement. I always find it interesting to stand in the place where someone I've read lived and worked. It definitely adds a new layer to the reading experience.
At this point, I was pretty much done for the day. haha. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing. Thursday, I slept in and then made my way homeward. And there you have my Austin trip. Hope the pictures were enjoyed. It's a lovely town to visit!
PS. As before, you can find these pictures and more here.