Favorite Photo Friday: Playland Skate Center

The Professionals II, originally uploaded by michaelbrown.

Check out some amazing skating and choreography Sunday evening at 8:00 at the Playland Skate Center. Read more about it in this Austin Chronicle article.

(thanks to Mary Arnett for yet another tip)

Office Depot's Grand Opening

I'm a little late in posting this but I think the offer is still going on...

The new Office Depot on Anderson Lane is having a grand opening and if you purchase even ONE THING, they give you a roll of "green" paper towels and an energy efficient light bulb for free.

Limited to one visit per day.

(thanks to Mary Arnett for the tip!)

Favorite Photo Friday: Koi Eating Culprit

what kind of bird is this? (close up), originally uploaded by sweet patina.

I found this big guy by our pond a few weeks ago. We often have herons in the backyard but he is a different looking fellow. I posted this photo to our Life in North Shoal Creek Flickr pool and the general consensus seems to be that he's a juvenile yellow-crowned heron. Have any of you seen one in your yard?

Favorite Photo Friday: San Francisco in Austin

San Francisco Bakery and Cafe in Austin, Texas, originally uploaded by cdozo.

This photo of the bakery case at San Francisco Bakery (on Anderson, right across from Alamo Drafthouse Village) always makes me want to run over there and get a chocolate-chunk cookie. And a strawberry croissant. And while I'm at it, maybe a tuna sandwich on that parmesan-crusted bread, or just some of their excellent French bread that comes with their soups and salads.

Is it lunchtime yet?

Live Music! Free Beer! Free Lollipops!

This Friday, The Lowelies, Austin's own Nick Lowe tribute band, is playing a live performance at Encore Records to celebrate their newest CD release, Six at Nick's. The show is free, the beer is free and even the lollipops are free -- plus it's a great chance to check out of some live local music right here in the hood.

The Lowelies CD Release Party:

Friday, July 11, 2008
6:00PM - 8:00PM

Encore Records
1745 W Anderson Lane

Cheryl's Butterfly Mud Puddling Tip

Recently Allandale's Neighborhood Habitat Steward, Cheryl Silver, mentioned butterfly mud puddling in her wildlife habitat tip -- #1 Water for Wildlife.

I had never even heard of mud puddling but I love the idea. How cool that butterflies gather near puddles!  Creating a butterfly mud puddling pool would be such a fun backyard activity to do with kids. And it must be so lovely to look at.

According to the University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology:
"Butterflies also like puddles. Males of several species congregate at small rain pools, forming puddle clubs. Permanent puddles are very easy to make by burying a bucket to the rim, filling it with gravel or sand, and then pouring in liquids such as stale beer, sweet drinks or water. Overripe fruit, allowed to sit for a few days is a very attractive substance (to them!) as well."

For even more information on attracting butterflies to your backyard and garden, click here. Scroll down toward the bottom of the page for mud puddling.

Let us know if you create your own mud puddle. We'd love to hear from you and see your photos too.

Yankee Doodle Dandy

I couldn't pass up the chance to post a photo of Beck all decked out in his 4th of July glory.  He took 3rd prize for Best Decorated Stroller.  We all had a great time.

July 4 in Austin, in pictures

Ride Like the Wind, originally uploaded by -Dons.

On Friday, I posted links to some photos from our neighborhood's July 4 parade and celebrations. Today I've got more images to share -- not just from North Shoal Creek, but from other neighborhoods who held parades and similar gatherings. It's amazing to see how many Austin neighborhoods hold their own small parades, each with its own special quirks.

• Don has some delightful photos from the North Shoal Creek parade that leave my Flickr set in the shade. That's his photo, above, of one of the neighborhood kids at the parade. You might remember the great photos he took last year, too.
• More North Shoal Creek parade photos from Flickr user tweety78757. This person must have had a busy July 4, since they also took Allandale parade photos, including shots of Elliot Naishtat and Wall-E.
• Jack Thielepape posted a Flickr set that not only includes pictures from the Allandale parade, but also the downtown fireworks show that night.
• Carlos Lowry took some photos during the Delwood II (north of Mueller) neighborhood festivities. I loved the beauty queens.
• Here are more photos from Delwood's parade, courtesy of Flickr user Stefan. They had a goat in their parade ... wonder if it lives in the neighborhood.

What did your neighborhood do? If you've got photos or stories, please share them (or links to them) in the comments.

Favorite Photo Friday: I love a parade

Parade down Stanwood (cropped), originally uploaded by juliettek.

We watched the neighborhood July 4 parade this morning and I caught a few photos. I like this one because it shows how the kids couldn't wait to zoom down the street on their bikes -- no stately and slow parade pace for them!

I posted more parade photos here. Cheri has some too; so does our neighbor Chris Jones on the Flickr page for the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Assn.

Come Join the Parade!

Triker, originally uploaded by -Dons.

I hope you got a flyer on your door announcing North Shoal Creek's Annual Fourth of July Parade. Meet us at the Pillow Elementary playground from 9:30 - 11:30am for snow cones, face painting, balloon twisting, a moonwalk and a fantastic time with your friends and neighbors.

The National Anthem will be performed live at 9:40.

And don't forget the parade. Prizes will be awarded for:

• best decorated stroller
• best decorated tricycle
• best decorated bike
• best dressed dog
• best sidewalk chalk art
• best entertainers

Did You Guess What We Have Growing in Our Backyard?

Did you figure out what strange sort of horticulture I posted the other day?
Yep, it's a flowering banana plant.

Not quite the type of native plant the City has in mind for their Neighborhood Habitat Challenge but lovely none the less.

Did you know that there's a Washington Banana Museum?
Do you know any of these banana facts?

1) A cluster of bananas is called a hand and consists of 10 to 20 bananas, which are known as fingers.

2) Banana plants are the largest plants on earth without a woody stem. They are actually giant herbs of the same family as lilies, orchids and palms.

3) Bananas were officially introduced to the American public at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. Each banana was wrapped in foil and sold for 10 cents. Before that time, bananas came to America on the decks of sailing ships as sailors took a few stems home after traveling in the Caribbean.

4) Some horticulturists suspect that the banana was the earth's first fruit. Banana plants have been in cultivation since the time of recorded history. One of the first records of bananas dates back to Alexander the Great's conquest of India where he first discovered bananas in 327 B.C.

5) The average American consumes over 28 pounds of bananas each year.