Austin Daily Photo
Saturday, September 30, 2006
police cars
We never found out why there were three police cars parked outside the local HEB grocery store, not to mention all the other police cars that gathered there for a while that evening; there were no machine-gun wielding maniacs to be seen. Perhaps the police folk were meeting up to sign a shared birthday card for a colleague, we concluded. ¶ posted by alice at 9:59 PM 4 comments
We never found out why there were three police cars parked outside the local HEB grocery store, not to mention all the other police cars that gathered there for a while that evening; there were no machine-gun wielding maniacs to be seen. Perhaps the police folk were meeting up to sign a shared birthday card for a colleague, we concluded. ¶ posted by alice at 9:59 PM 4 comments
Friday, September 29, 2006
Read all about it!
This statue of an enthusiastic newsboy of ye oldeyn tymes stands outside the Texas Press Association on Fifth Street. Perhaps he comes from the 1880s, as 1880 was the year the association was founded. I wonder what he is thinking. Maybe, "I wish it was time for my lunch now..." ? ¶ posted by alice at 8:50 PM 2 comments
This statue of an enthusiastic newsboy of ye oldeyn tymes stands outside the Texas Press Association on Fifth Street. Perhaps he comes from the 1880s, as 1880 was the year the association was founded. I wonder what he is thinking. Maybe, "I wish it was time for my lunch now..." ? ¶ posted by alice at 8:50 PM 2 comments
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
a block of flats
This overlooks the downtown bit of Shoal Creek that Shadrach posted yesterday. What we should have photographed instead was the zombie rights march (protested by pirates) last week, but unfortunately we missed that event. So instead you get this block of flats. We promise to try harder to picture all future events of the undead and fantastical, but in the meantime you can see these other pictures taken by shannou here on flickr. I still like the apartment block though, especially as it was grey and rainy that day, which is a major novelty here in Texas!
Austin's famous slogan is Keep Austin Weird, but personally I don't think there's any danger of Austin becoming normal anytime ever. ¶ posted by alice at 11:52 AM 2 comments
This overlooks the downtown bit of Shoal Creek that Shadrach posted yesterday. What we should have photographed instead was the zombie rights march (protested by pirates) last week, but unfortunately we missed that event. So instead you get this block of flats. We promise to try harder to picture all future events of the undead and fantastical, but in the meantime you can see these other pictures taken by shannou here on flickr. I still like the apartment block though, especially as it was grey and rainy that day, which is a major novelty here in Texas!
Austin's famous slogan is Keep Austin Weird, but personally I don't think there's any danger of Austin becoming normal anytime ever. ¶ posted by alice at 11:52 AM 2 comments
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Maria's Taco Xpress
And here, following up Thursday's picture of the gorgeous effigy of Maria, owner of Maria's Taco Xpress, we give you... Maria's Taco Xpress! This is the new, fancier, artier, paid-for-by-Walgreens-because-they-made-her-move-ier (sorry), Tex-Mex heaven of South Lamar (not that there aren't plenty of others). Isn't it pretty? Shadrach and Si can fight it out over whether super-chain Taco Bell counts as food or not, I am foreign and have only just discovered queso. Nice stuff! ¶ posted by alice at 6:58 PM 5 comments
And here, following up Thursday's picture of the gorgeous effigy of Maria, owner of Maria's Taco Xpress, we give you... Maria's Taco Xpress! This is the new, fancier, artier, paid-for-by-Walgreens-because-they-made-her-move-ier (sorry), Tex-Mex heaven of South Lamar (not that there aren't plenty of others). Isn't it pretty? Shadrach and Si can fight it out over whether super-chain Taco Bell counts as food or not, I am foreign and have only just discovered queso. Nice stuff! ¶ posted by alice at 6:58 PM 5 comments
Saturday, September 23, 2006
back of a sign
These great big metal signs interest me, so I took a picture of the back here. I guess it's not a view anyone worries about while putting up on of these things. If they are by the side of the road nobody has to see it anyway (except maybe the people who actually live there...) but this was in the middle of the downtown area. Fairly unavoidable. To me, it's more fascinating than ugly, but most would probably not agree. ¶ posted by alice at 10:35 AM 2 comments
These great big metal signs interest me, so I took a picture of the back here. I guess it's not a view anyone worries about while putting up on of these things. If they are by the side of the road nobody has to see it anyway (except maybe the people who actually live there...) but this was in the middle of the downtown area. Fairly unavoidable. To me, it's more fascinating than ugly, but most would probably not agree. ¶ posted by alice at 10:35 AM 2 comments
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Taco Bell
Ahh, Taco Bell, my favorite fast food place, although what seem to only be blood relatives share my love of this place. Now all you people in Mexico can look at it and go, 'So that's what they did to our food'. Taco Bell's mascot used to be a talking chihuahua, until he mysteriously vanished from commercials... how I miss him, they had such fun commercials. ¶ posted by The Strange Little Geek Girl at 3:59 PM 2 comments
Ahh, Taco Bell, my favorite fast food place, although what seem to only be blood relatives share my love of this place. Now all you people in Mexico can look at it and go, 'So that's what they did to our food'. Taco Bell's mascot used to be a talking chihuahua, until he mysteriously vanished from commercials... how I miss him, they had such fun commercials. ¶ posted by The Strange Little Geek Girl at 3:59 PM 2 comments
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
it rained!
It has rained quite a few times lately, actually. But this downtown picture could almost be London... apart from the empty road (it was Sunday early evening) and the fact that those buildings are modern reproductions not genuine Georgian mansion flats. (Maybe that could be a Daily Photo blog theme day idea- shots of your city that make it look like some other city?)
OK, now it is Shadrach and/or Si's turn to post something... ¶ posted by alice at 6:32 PM 2 comments
It has rained quite a few times lately, actually. But this downtown picture could almost be London... apart from the empty road (it was Sunday early evening) and the fact that those buildings are modern reproductions not genuine Georgian mansion flats. (Maybe that could be a Daily Photo blog theme day idea- shots of your city that make it look like some other city?)
OK, now it is Shadrach and/or Si's turn to post something... ¶ posted by alice at 6:32 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
building works
OK: the bad news is, they are building a new Walgreen's on South Lamar. We do not need a new Walgreen's. Actually, we do not need any Walgreen's. They are an ugly overblown pharmacy chain which also sells many random things like frozen pizzas and three-for-two t-shirts for no apparent reason. (Sorry if you like Walgreen's, please ignore my remarks and let us know what we are missing...)
However, the good news is I love this photo! It has everything- building vehicles, a taco sign, telegraph poles and wires, and most of all a grey cloudy sky! It is so nice to have gentler daytime light conditions for a change, and to me, these blues, creams, yellows and reds on this contrasted with the black lines look really beautiful.
Other Daily Photos I especially like today are: an everyday scene with some intrigue from Jing, a beautiful picture of a doorway called "uncertainties" from Kris, and there is more building work from Sean over in Kyle, Texas too. ¶ posted by alice at 5:08 PM 4 comments
OK: the bad news is, they are building a new Walgreen's on South Lamar. We do not need a new Walgreen's. Actually, we do not need any Walgreen's. They are an ugly overblown pharmacy chain which also sells many random things like frozen pizzas and three-for-two t-shirts for no apparent reason. (Sorry if you like Walgreen's, please ignore my remarks and let us know what we are missing...)
However, the good news is I love this photo! It has everything- building vehicles, a taco sign, telegraph poles and wires, and most of all a grey cloudy sky! It is so nice to have gentler daytime light conditions for a change, and to me, these blues, creams, yellows and reds on this contrasted with the black lines look really beautiful.
Other Daily Photos I especially like today are: an everyday scene with some intrigue from Jing, a beautiful picture of a doorway called "uncertainties" from Kris, and there is more building work from Sean over in Kyle, Texas too. ¶ posted by alice at 5:08 PM 4 comments
Monday, September 18, 2006
Mexican restaurant
This restaurant is on the bottom of South Lamar and I think it's Mexican from the "ria" there, but I took the picture for the unusual-for-Austin palm tree look. For some reason, Texans don't seem to like palm trees very much... we went to Florida once, where they are everywhere, but Texas, no. And as you can see from the blue sky, the weather is getting cooler and more autumny now... not either. ¶ posted by alice at 2:52 PM 3 comments
This restaurant is on the bottom of South Lamar and I think it's Mexican from the "ria" there, but I took the picture for the unusual-for-Austin palm tree look. For some reason, Texans don't seem to like palm trees very much... we went to Florida once, where they are everywhere, but Texas, no. And as you can see from the blue sky, the weather is getting cooler and more autumny now... not either. ¶ posted by alice at 2:52 PM 3 comments
Sunday, September 17, 2006
yellow crane
Despite cranes being one of our obsessions, there haven't been any cranes on the ADP for a while, so here is a nice big yellow one. It's on the bottom of South Lamar, and over the invisible Town Lake there, you can see three of the towers of the brilliant old 30s power station. There is much history buried in this town, which is one of the reasons why I love it. ¶ posted by alice at 11:46 AM 2 comments
Despite cranes being one of our obsessions, there haven't been any cranes on the ADP for a while, so here is a nice big yellow one. It's on the bottom of South Lamar, and over the invisible Town Lake there, you can see three of the towers of the brilliant old 30s power station. There is much history buried in this town, which is one of the reasons why I love it. ¶ posted by alice at 11:46 AM 2 comments
Saturday, September 16, 2006
bunch of signs
America is a car culture because is it so big. The buildings fit the size of the place, the roads between the buildings are wide and long, and because of this (relative to much of the rest of the world) Brobdignagian effect, there is some amount of distance between the passer-by in their car, and the store or restaurant set back from the road behind a parking lot. Hence the enormous important of roadside signs. Without them we would not know what we were missing, and probably keep driving till we ended up in Dallas or Mexico. These signs on South Lamar seem to be competing. They are a bit like pre-internet pop-up ads, in a real-life way. ¶ posted by alice at 6:52 PM 3 comments
America is a car culture because is it so big. The buildings fit the size of the place, the roads between the buildings are wide and long, and because of this (relative to much of the rest of the world) Brobdignagian effect, there is some amount of distance between the passer-by in their car, and the store or restaurant set back from the road behind a parking lot. Hence the enormous important of roadside signs. Without them we would not know what we were missing, and probably keep driving till we ended up in Dallas or Mexico. These signs on South Lamar seem to be competing. They are a bit like pre-internet pop-up ads, in a real-life way. ¶ posted by alice at 6:52 PM 3 comments
Friday, September 15, 2006
Texas Department of Public Safety Drivers' License Office
More architecture today, this time of the "tin shed" variety. Corrugated metal is a very cheap, functional and because of the weather completely feasible building material here in Austin. Coming from England, the home of Damp, I still find it amazing that you can live, work and shop in buildings which European public health rules outlaw for all except cows; but you can, and it can even look quite smart and modern. If plain. Unfortunately, when we went to get new licenses yesterday, their computer system was down for the day. (That's what people always used to say about computers, when they were still new- "What if they break down?" The answer, mundanely, is that you go back and try again another time.) ¶ posted by alice at 7:35 PM 0 comments
More architecture today, this time of the "tin shed" variety. Corrugated metal is a very cheap, functional and because of the weather completely feasible building material here in Austin. Coming from England, the home of Damp, I still find it amazing that you can live, work and shop in buildings which European public health rules outlaw for all except cows; but you can, and it can even look quite smart and modern. If plain. Unfortunately, when we went to get new licenses yesterday, their computer system was down for the day. (That's what people always used to say about computers, when they were still new- "What if they break down?" The answer, mundanely, is that you go back and try again another time.) ¶ posted by alice at 7:35 PM 0 comments
Thursday, September 14, 2006
modern condos
There are a lot of new buildings springing up in Austin generally, and definitely a lot in still-urban-but-relatively-cheap South Austin, where we live. These condos impressed me with their clean shiny and utilitarian modern style. No overblown American fake columns and beams round here! I especially liked the colours, which unfortunately came out a bit muddy in my photo, because of being in the shade. This new modern style has really taken off for residential buildings lately, but not everyone here likes the look. So, what do you think? As you can see, the next set are about to go up very soon... ¶ posted by alice at 9:53 PM 1 comments
There are a lot of new buildings springing up in Austin generally, and definitely a lot in still-urban-but-relatively-cheap South Austin, where we live. These condos impressed me with their clean shiny and utilitarian modern style. No overblown American fake columns and beams round here! I especially liked the colours, which unfortunately came out a bit muddy in my photo, because of being in the shade. This new modern style has really taken off for residential buildings lately, but not everyone here likes the look. So, what do you think? As you can see, the next set are about to go up very soon... ¶ posted by alice at 9:53 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
mural with overhanging tree
This is off Guadalupe-the-drag, a place populated by squillions of students daily. The lady is manning (ladying?) a craft stall, while doing her craft (or while "crafting" as Martha Stewart would call it, somewhat suspiciously in my opinion), but often the whole square is full of craft stalls selling nice and pretty things. I guess most of them had packed up by the time we took this. And the mural shows the University of Texas tower on the right of the blue guy and the Capitol government building to the left. Somewhat confusingly, he seems to be having a psychedelic vision of standing in the middle of Austin (perhaps at the bottom of a giant telescope?)- well, you don't need drugs for that. Just come here! ¶ posted by alice at 11:05 PM 4 comments
This is off Guadalupe-the-drag, a place populated by squillions of students daily. The lady is manning (ladying?) a craft stall, while doing her craft (or while "crafting" as Martha Stewart would call it, somewhat suspiciously in my opinion), but often the whole square is full of craft stalls selling nice and pretty things. I guess most of them had packed up by the time we took this. And the mural shows the University of Texas tower on the right of the blue guy and the Capitol government building to the left. Somewhat confusingly, he seems to be having a psychedelic vision of standing in the middle of Austin (perhaps at the bottom of a giant telescope?)- well, you don't need drugs for that. Just come here! ¶ posted by alice at 11:05 PM 4 comments
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Blue skies, Green grass... Geese?!
Taken at a Campfire meeting at 'Deep Eddy pool'. As soon as the geese calmed down from being chased by the nearby boyscouts, I whipped out the camera and took a picture. Why there are geese at a swimming pool is beyond me, of course. ¶ posted by The Strange Little Geek Girl at 4:45 PM 1 comments
Taken at a Campfire meeting at 'Deep Eddy pool'. As soon as the geese calmed down from being chased by the nearby boyscouts, I whipped out the camera and took a picture. Why there are geese at a swimming pool is beyond me, of course. ¶ posted by The Strange Little Geek Girl at 4:45 PM 1 comments
Monday, September 11, 2006
Construction at sunset
Today's Daily Photo is from our new correspondent, Si, daughter of Shadrach, fifth or sixth (we don't know for sure) generation native Texan, previous and current homeschooler, teenager, and generally lovely person- Alice
I really don't know where this is, but I thought that the sunlight effect was lovely. I don't know what it's going to be, either, but i'm guessing from the reddish stuff, it's either a Target or Walmart. What I really like about this picture is the pretty sunset clouds and slowly darkening sky, I think it's a nice effect. Taken one-handed on the way to drop off a friend at her house. ¶ posted by The Strange Little Geek Girl at 2:06 PM 2 comments
Today's Daily Photo is from our new correspondent, Si, daughter of Shadrach, fifth or sixth (we don't know for sure) generation native Texan, previous and current homeschooler, teenager, and generally lovely person- Alice
I really don't know where this is, but I thought that the sunlight effect was lovely. I don't know what it's going to be, either, but i'm guessing from the reddish stuff, it's either a Target or Walmart. What I really like about this picture is the pretty sunset clouds and slowly darkening sky, I think it's a nice effect. Taken one-handed on the way to drop off a friend at her house. ¶ posted by The Strange Little Geek Girl at 2:06 PM 2 comments
Friday, September 08, 2006
Artz Rib House
This would be our most favourite barbecue place in the whole of Austin... it's near where we live, they have fabulous jumbo beef ribs, and there is live music all the time. When we popped in last week it was the Texas Old Time Fiddlers, and I must say, few entertainments could ever be so cool.
(Austin Daily Photo is taking the weekend off to prepare for the arrival of an important new blogging member on Monday. Please come back next week!) ¶ posted by alice at 6:54 PM 2 comments
This would be our most favourite barbecue place in the whole of Austin... it's near where we live, they have fabulous jumbo beef ribs, and there is live music all the time. When we popped in last week it was the Texas Old Time Fiddlers, and I must say, few entertainments could ever be so cool.
(Austin Daily Photo is taking the weekend off to prepare for the arrival of an important new blogging member on Monday. Please come back next week!) ¶ posted by alice at 6:54 PM 2 comments
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Exit
I love how road signs sometimes take on a kind of profound meaning or poignance intended by no-one except the Very Universe. I'm not sure how or why this picture got taken or who by (anyone in the family reading this?!) but I am sure it's not supposed to be morbid- I personally find it quite peaceful and lovely. You are free to choose your own response... ¶ posted by alice at 2:36 PM 1 comments
I love how road signs sometimes take on a kind of profound meaning or poignance intended by no-one except the Very Universe. I'm not sure how or why this picture got taken or who by (anyone in the family reading this?!) but I am sure it's not supposed to be morbid- I personally find it quite peaceful and lovely. You are free to choose your own response... ¶ posted by alice at 2:36 PM 1 comments
Monday, September 04, 2006
Whole Foods with big sky
I've posted about Whole Foods before- they are a very successful Austin based company in the process of taking over the world, and their food is brilliant. And this is what their flagship store looks like in its natural urban setting. Lovely. ¶ posted by alice at 8:06 PM 1 comments
I've posted about Whole Foods before- they are a very successful Austin based company in the process of taking over the world, and their food is brilliant. And this is what their flagship store looks like in its natural urban setting. Lovely. ¶ posted by alice at 8:06 PM 1 comments
Sunday, September 03, 2006
street, sky, wires, vehicles
Let me explain to y'all how we do this: the camera gets taken out and about, whoever feels inspired takes pictures whenever they feel inspired, and depending on the day of the week/ month/ year the photographer could be either of us or one of our four children that come and go. Everything gets loaded onto Flickr. Then someone (usually me) goes through the Flickr pages looking for something Austinish for this blog. And this is what I found today. I'm not sure who took it but I think it's great: lots of our favourite sky wires, a big blue sky, and some shiny buildings, not to mention the blue Ben and Jerry's van and the nice green car. The star of the shot is the big telegraph pole in the middle, perhaps. And maybe Shad, who grew up here unlike me, will pop in later and tell y'all where it actually is. ¶ posted by alice at 8:56 PM 4 comments
Let me explain to y'all how we do this: the camera gets taken out and about, whoever feels inspired takes pictures whenever they feel inspired, and depending on the day of the week/ month/ year the photographer could be either of us or one of our four children that come and go. Everything gets loaded onto Flickr. Then someone (usually me) goes through the Flickr pages looking for something Austinish for this blog. And this is what I found today. I'm not sure who took it but I think it's great: lots of our favourite sky wires, a big blue sky, and some shiny buildings, not to mention the blue Ben and Jerry's van and the nice green car. The star of the shot is the big telegraph pole in the middle, perhaps. And maybe Shad, who grew up here unlike me, will pop in later and tell y'all where it actually is. ¶ posted by alice at 8:56 PM 4 comments
Saturday, September 02, 2006
a road
This is from on the way to or from nowhere in particular, but it looks so characteristically Texan. The sky so big and so blue, the grass so yellow and the road so long and empty... and as for the big pole with a circle on top, I don't know but it looks nice. ¶ posted by alice at 11:31 AM 1 comments
This is from on the way to or from nowhere in particular, but it looks so characteristically Texan. The sky so big and so blue, the grass so yellow and the road so long and empty... and as for the big pole with a circle on top, I don't know but it looks nice. ¶ posted by alice at 11:31 AM 1 comments
Friday, September 01, 2006
my beautiful laundrette
We are having a Theme Day on the Daily Photo network today, so if you click on some of the links on the sidebar you will find lots and lots of doorways from around the world! And our Austin doorway is from Spin Cycle on South Congress. Not just because we were there (although we were) but because it is beautiful in that old-fashioned chrome industrial glorious American way. ¶ posted by alice at 8:54 AM 5 comments
We are having a Theme Day on the Daily Photo network today, so if you click on some of the links on the sidebar you will find lots and lots of doorways from around the world! And our Austin doorway is from Spin Cycle on South Congress. Not just because we were there (although we were) but because it is beautiful in that old-fashioned chrome industrial glorious American way. ¶ posted by alice at 8:54 AM 5 comments
