“Eggs & Soldiers”

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It was time once again for the Nutcracker, this time with my son. (Thanks M&E)

DSC09031He has been looking forward to this Ballet Austin production for about as long as he has been Christmas and was very impressed with the small packet of mints that were waiting for him on his seat.

DSC09033At the intermission he found a huge cookie waiting for him (things just kept getting better and better), then it was time to blow off some steam and his sugar-rush before the final half began.

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After the show was over we were treated to another show, this time by the Austin grackles which amass in a very

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like fashion downtown this time of the year.

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Back in the Patch,

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it was time to cut back the fountain grasses that, to say the least, were looking rather long in the panicles.

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As I cut them back I noticed that the sotol that had bloomed earlier in the year was beginning to lean due to the weight of the beanstalk.

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I climbed up it a little to make sure it was all brown and wizened,

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deciding it was, I climbed back down (with the golden egg of course), got my hacksaw and started sawing.

article-0-162DA642000005DC-551_634x409Better safe then sorry after all.

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The beanstalk fell quickly into small hands,

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who wasted no time in making a huge mess, it was like a cattail on steroids.

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Texas snow.

Moving along:

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Anxious hands grabbing objects in a bucket of silicon carbide? It can mean only one thing.

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Yes, it was time to check on our latest batch of tumbled stones and this time there were some beauties…

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some looked very cosmic,

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others cellular, and now to bed…for tomorrow we rise at day break to start the final polishing stage…snort.

Have a Merry Christmas from us all in the Patch.

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Stay Tuned for:

“Christmas Crackers”

 

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All material © 2012 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized
intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.

Inspirational images of the week:

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Meet the Author

A Central Texas Garden Blog. Zone: 8b. Welcome to the East Side Patch. This site tracks the inhabitants of a house and garden on the east side of Austin. All material © 2021 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant) 14th century planet Earth techniques.

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Cheris Dec 24, 2012, 9:48 pm

    Great shots! :)

    Thank you Cheris, and have a great New Year from all of us in the Patch.

  • Bob Pool Dec 24, 2012, 11:20 pm

    It would have almost been worth it to have had kids. They look like they are having soooo much fun.

    I’m glad you have a better title this time as I didn’t have a clue what the other one said or meant.

    Hi Bob and happy b/day/New Years and all of that. Very funny on the title front, and yes it is a little obscure for anyone outside of Scotland and most likely quite a few inside too come to think of it. This may help explain it:

    No?

  • Cheryl Dec 25, 2012, 4:36 pm

    Merry Christmas to you all! Hey, has that Purple Martin house always been there and I just never noticed it before? Do you get occupants in the summer?

    Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you too Cheryl.
    I have had the Purple Martin box for years and yes, I have had the scouts visit in the past. Unfortunately they always get ousted by the mean and aggressive sparrows before they really get to make it home / break out their pipes and slippers etc. I know I should cover the holes in the house until the scouts land to discourage the sparrows from nesting and next year I just might, though I would not make it a resolution…I do not make them :-)

  • Les Dec 28, 2012, 7:12 pm

    We can’t have anything to do with the Nutcracker in this house. Ages ago my wife danced it every Christmas and the music brings up bad memories for her. I hope you and your family had a great Christmas, and I wish you a happy new year.

    Hi Les and thanks.
    Sorry to hear about the Nutcracker.
    We have rudely been calling it the Buttcracker in our house for quite some time (after watching the JibJab video)…I was dreading him blurting something along the lines of this out before the performance / during intermission.
    I got lucky.

    Happy New Year.

  • Nicole Dec 30, 2012, 1:30 pm

    All the best for the New Year!

    And to you too Nicole.