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

He 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.

At 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.

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

like fashion downtown this time of the year.

Back in the Patch,

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

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.

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

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

Better safe then sorry after all.

The beanstalk fell quickly into small hands,

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

Texas snow.

Moving along:

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

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

some looked very cosmic,

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.

Stay Tuned for:

“Christmas Crackers”

 

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