Attacked By A Lion

My purpose in going to Austin, Texas was to visit my beautiful/excellent/amazing friend, Belinda, and to get out of my routine and experience a new atmosphere and environment.  I had a wonderful time.  Never a dull moment.  I experienced so much.  Here is a list:

• Urban Bat Colony under Congress Avenue Bridge – At sunset they fly out from under the bridge and swarm down the river – There are 750,000 – 1.5 million bats depending on time of year.
• Tour de Fat festival – Craziness and Bicycles
• Food – home cooked & garden fresh – Tacos – Pizza – Steak – Food Trucks & Trailers
• Krause Springs – A desert oasis – swimming – waterfalls – gardens
• Alexi Murdoch & Kishi Bishi muscial concert at Antone’s
• Opera/play hybrid starring John Malcovich called The Infernal Comedy
• Blanton Art Museum
• Occupy Austin
• Bicycling everywhere
• Hope Farmers Market
• Pot Luck Dinner
• Helping different people of the community

Belinda is living in an amazing house built by Thor.  Thor is a carpenter, musician, artist, and more extraordinaire.  He built his house himself, he also built his girlfriend’s house just down the street where he spends most of his time.  I didn’t know where Belinda was living, and on the way from the airport to the house, I asked her something about crime in her neighborhood, and she said, “maybe there is some crime, but our house is protected by an aura…”  you shall see, and you will agree.  Everything is so cool.  The washing machine is bicycle powered, back pedal for agitation, and forward pedal for the spin cycle – hang up on line to dry.  There are 2 garden areas.  The water from the bathtub and the kitchen sink drain out to the gardens.  The counter around the bathroom sink is made from and old tree that had to be cut down.  This is where I stayed, and slept with the cats and the dog, and I awoke every morning feeling good.  I could go on, but just take a look at this slideshow:

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So Thor’s house is very inspiring for me.  It gives me something to strive for.

I went to Tour de Fat festival.  It’s a traveling variety/carnival type show centered around bicycles.  I think 95% of the people who were there rode their bikes.  I loved the deformed bicycles.  There was also Austin Bike Zoo bikes on display – these are the bikes that look like butterflies and one really long snake skeleton bike, and one Bat bike with wings that flap when you pedal.  They did a bicycle dating game on stage, and the bicycle asked the contestants questions and gave them small challenges, and whoever won got the bike, there are some pictures of that in this next slideshow.  There was some great sideshow acts that I didn’t photograph, like the husband/wife jugglers from Boston, and the husband/wife crazy/vulgar/absurd/magic/variety show, and Lipsync Lounge with Lipsync Larry…  I was also very inspired by everything and everyone at this festival:

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My next slideshow is from Krause Springs (pronounced: Kr-OW-see, ow-like getting hurt), it’s an hour drive outside of Austin.  It’s the only time we used the car besides going to and from the airport.  Krause Springs is out there in a very dry climate, a somewhat deserty landscape, not quite like a desert, but sparse vegetation… But at the springs, it’s a little oasis with waterfalls and gardens and big cypress trees and wildlife.  I went for a swim in the springs and swung on the rope swing, and soaked in the waterfalls.  There are black squirrels running around the park.  In the garden area, there is a giant wind-chime hanging above a hammock, and the sounds it makes are so hypnotizing…

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This next and last slideshow is just some other photos around Austin Texas, some from the art museum, and a few miscellaneous…

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I really loved Austin Texas, especially because of the people I was with, which was mainly Belinda, and few of her friends.  Austin is in my top 2 favorite places where I’ve been so far, the other is Asheville, N.C.  We biked everywhere, it is such a bicycle friendly city.  There are always big and interesting things going on.  The local community is very helpful and thriving.

Above:  Belinda is back-pedaling for the 5 minutes of the agitation cycle.  Below:  I’m forward pedaling for 10 minutes for the spin cycle.

Below:  Poquito was Thor’s beloved dog.  Poquito died some time ago, and was buried.  Francine, the other beloved dog, dug up Poquito’s bones.  Thor put together this sculpture in honor of Poquito, and it hangs by the front door.

Below:  This huge plant at Krause Springs.  I forget the name.  but similar to Aloe plants…

below:  This girl was so excited to be wearing her batman costume and to find the Batcycle Mobile built by Austin Bike Zoo at Tour de Fat.

Below:  There are many places around the country that choose a local animal and put stylized versions of the statue in various locations.  Tennessee has bear statues.  Miami’s 8th street has Chickens.   Austin, Texas has cows, and this was my favortie one, I call it the Tacow:

I hope these pictures and story inspire you.  This is just a brief overview of my time in Austin, Texas.  Words and pictures cannot express or describe everything, but they can give you an idea of my experience.

Thank you, and live full.

Love,

Shaun Wright