Today we will motor around and check out the ice damage from the storm that passed through Texas. No need to leave the bus since we will be catered to by Paperboy of Austin. Our entertainment is who else but Vanilla Ice.
BRUNCH
classic breakfast – two eggs, maple sausage, potato wedges, buttered toast, apple butter
texas hash – roasted pork, sweet potato, onion, kale, poached egg, pecan mole
add avocado
paperboy pancake – warm maple syrup, brown butter, sea salt 11 add blueberries or chocolate chips
migas – egg, avocado, pico de gallo, cotija, serrano hot sauce, grilled tortillas add pork carnitas
steak & eggs – 44 farms steak, chimichurri, sunny eggs, potato wedges, secret sauce, arugula
chicken & biscuit – crispy-fried chicken, country gravy, sunny egg, spicy honey
lox plate – grilled toast points, everything spice, caper cream cheese, tomato, cucumber, dill
So let’s get rolling.
So here is a juniper pretty well split.
Downed limbs, but also the ice is beautiful
Limbs in the street.
More beauty
Another juniper.
A tree uprooted. Seems the drought caused the surface roots to dry out and weaken.
The same tree is now available for pick-up.
More brush for city pick up, which Lakeway said they will do beginning Monday.
Closer to home. Our artichoke agave is covered in ice.
The mountain laurel on the right and the magnolia tree on the left took hits.
Closer view of the mountain laurel
The magnolia is my 80th birthday tree and looks worse for wear.
She is all cleaned up now and feeling better, although lighter.
Time to relax and enjoy the food and music. I hope you have a wonderful week.
Fiction Favorites 
Hi John
Thanks for the documentation. One doesn’t expect all this ice in Texas.
Keep well and happy
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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We sure don’t. Thanks, F4. 😊
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Wow! I can’t believe the temps and ice that you got down there!
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I know right? There are folks still without power
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I hope they get their power back soon!
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The electric guys still aren’t saying when. 🙄
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Oh, no, that’s not good. What worries me most about the power going out is having to throw out food that hasn’t been refrigerated.
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That is always a concern.
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Reblogged this on https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you for sharing the post today, Michael.
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It looks like the weather offered you the icing on the cake of Lakeway. 😉 I hope Lucy and Twiggy had a warm place near the fireplace. Thanks for sharing the interesting photos, John! Enjoy a nice rest of the weekend, with hopefully arriving higher temperatures next week. xx Michael
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We expect a high today of 70 degrees F (21 C) today. So warm is back.
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Incredible to see this much ice in Texas. Those junipers got hit badly. Sad to see but I imagine they will bounce back, as will your magnolia. Have a good Sunday!
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Thank you, Darlene. We sure hope so. 😊
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I knew someone, somewhere, finally would snap to and post “Ice, Ice, Baby.” Good for you! I suspect your mountain laurel will be fine. I posted about those trees and ice here, including a photo of ice-covered mountain laurel buds in Austin last week. After the statewide freeze in 2021, it took until May, but some mountain laurels bloomed that year despite it all. They’re Texas tough!
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Ours bloomed after snowmaggedan. The poor thing is getting smaller though. Thanks, Linda.
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Patience, grasshopper! (Or, patience, and with luck no grasshoppers!)
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Very wise advice, Sensei
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Wow… I remember the ice cycles and fallen branches from when I lived in the Northeast, but I didn’t know Texas had the same. Your artichoke agave photo is extraordinary. I hope you and yours cuddle up and stay warm.
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We expect 70 degrees today so I think this is history. It was a record so we are not used to it. Thanks, Gwen.
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Oh gosh, I hate to see so much damage to the beautiful trees. Wishing you a peaceful Sunday, John.
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Thank you, Jill. The damage was pretty extensive. Recover will be slow.
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Sorry for the damage, but the ice storm did create some beautiful photos – especially the artichoke agave!
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Thank you, GP. The photos were beautiful as you say. We did get an inch and a half of rain after all was said and done. We certainly needed it. 😊
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Ice isn’t always nice!
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I like mine in a glass. 😁
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Wow! Such sad photos, yet looking deep into each one there is a beautiful message: they will return. Just as we humans face physical, spiritual, or emotional illness (damage), with love and care from others we can return to healthy, happy people.
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Well said, Karen. Thank you. 😊
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So happy that your special magnolia survived with minimal damage!!! Other than the beauty that ice storms bring, they are a damaging and difficult encounters.
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Especially for Texans. We do not understand ice unless it is in a glass.
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While I’m sorry to see so much damage to your neighborhood, I did get a chuckle from the video.
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It is a good one. I always liked that song.
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I expect this in Canada, not Texas. Glad you are all safe.
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Thank you, Pam. Yes we stayed home. 😁
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Wow. Looks really destructive. Guess the plus side is that there isn’t snow all over the place. I remember being in upstate New York during a big ice storm. The roads were dangerous for days afterwards.
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Yeah, snow would have done us in for sure.
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Always feel bad for the trees during ice/snow storms. I use my telescoping roof rake (usually used for roof snow) to shake Mother Nature off our junipers. She can damage them so easily. Oh, I’ll take the eggs and anything that accompanies them. Have a great day!
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Thanks, Steve. Getting the snow of Junipers is a good thing. Thanks for sharing.
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Are yours a different variety than up North? I know Junipers encompass a wide variety. Our tree junipers have green growth from top to bottom while yours seem to be green at the top only. We have low, bush like junipers, as well. We love them.
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In the wild they have green from top to bottom. Some call the Texas juniper cedars as well. They are not like your junipers.
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We had the same type of damage from snow. Hopefully, the damage to your neighborhood will soon be put to rights.
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The city said they will pick up the brush but there is so much of it. Not sure they can handle it.
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It sounds like patience will be required.
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Yes indeed
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Oh my goodness, John. That is definitely nothing to mock. That huge tree with the branches in the road… I have to say the agave looks beautiful with it’s icicle earrings. So sorry you had that much damage. Will be interesting to see how the trees fare come spring.
Happy Sunday.
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Yes it will be interesting. We are hoping the agave is okay.
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I hope so too!
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😁
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Yipes! We’ve had a rough winter here in California as well. With so many tall trees on or near our property and several significant windstorms, we worry about one of them coming down on the house.
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That is a worry for sure. We had all the trees around the house trimmed but they still touched the roof.
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The ice is beautiful, but we know oh so well what it does to trees. We once were without power for 10 days because of an ice storm. Our Christmas camellia trees seemed to take the worst of it, but because they were not so tall, I went out and shook the ice off of them a few times during the storm. That kept them from breaking.
I guess this was nature’s way of tree trimming. BTW, the agave is just gorgeous with the ice!
Lox for me this morning, John!
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Good move on shaking the ice off. It is nature’s way of removing weak limbs for sure. Thanks, Noelle. Lox it is.
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With maybe a few capers?
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Yes indeed.
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Wow, your area really did get slammed, John. That’s the kind of ice storm I’m used to seeing in the northeast, but wouldn’t expect in Texas. It’s odd how nature can be so destructive yet beautiful at the same time.
I’m glad your magnolia tree is feeling better. 🙂
And the photo of the artichoke agave was stunning.
It’s odd the way weather patterns keep changing. We’re going to hit 60 this coming week. I’m not complaining, but…. just weird!
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I can’t figure out the weather for sure. Thanks for your visit. We are 72 right now.
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Yikes! Ice and freezing rain can sure cause some damage. I’m glad you still have electricity, John. 🙂 I remember driving home during a freezing rain event, having to really pay attention to keep the car on the road and headed in the right direction. When we got home a limb from a big maple tree had fallen and taken out our electricity. 😦
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That is a sad ending to your story, Tim. Good thing you made it home. I remember one time driving from Chicago to South Bend. I must have spun out three or four times. I was driving a Nisson 280ZX. I pulled into the Mercury dealer and left with a front wheel drive Taurus. That damn car almost killed me.
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Yeah. I learned to drive with rear-wheel drive and have always wondered about controlling front-wheel drive vehicles in slippery conditions.
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Front wheel were terrific. No real wheel push and spin. More of a pulling action. If the tires did spin there was no fishtail.
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Taking notes. 🙂
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Ha haha
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After our last storm of this type (year ago), one of our giant holly bushes looked like it capsized into itself. I literally gasped when I saw it. That being said, I left it alone and once the ice had melted away the bush popped back into place. Sometimes nature knows best. Hope the aftermath gets cleaned up soon, John.
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The oaks in my neighbor’s yard were on my roof and they popped back. Things are getting cleaned up. Thanks, Bruce.
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ouch; have you been towed to Alaska and no one said?
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That would certainly explain it.
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So sad but still beautiful, John. The agave is a work of art. Your magnolia tree looks relieved to be trimmed up and lighter. Thanks for the ice tour and brunch. The names of the restaurants are always interesting. Let’s hope Austin is done with ice for this winter!
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Thank you, Jo. I hope we are done with ice too.
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Such spastic weather right now. Looks like your neighbors might have gotten the worst of it.
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I think so too. Of course, tell my magnolia that.
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I’ll text it some encouragement.
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She would like that. 😁
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Mother Nature really did a job on your neighborhood, Boss.
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She sure did.
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Oh my! That’s a lot of devastation. I’m so sorry your trees took a hit, too. Hope they all manage to keep hanging on!
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I hope so too. The magnolia looks like a plucked chicken.
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John, this just breaks my heart — I’ve been so worried about y’all. I kept hearing the reports and seeing the cars careening into each other, and I know your part of Texas isn’t used to taking such a hit from Mother Nature. The good thing is, the cleanup will go fast and the warmth will return. Fingers crossed, your trees survive!
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We were at 72 today so the warm is back. Thanks for your kind words and concern, Debbie.
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The icy trees are pretty but the damage can be tough on them. I hope your artichoke agave is okay – it looks pretty in ice though.
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It did look pretty. Thanks Barbara. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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Yes…
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The ice is beautiful, but it sure does some damage. Hope your trees survive.
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I was so busy looking at pictures of the icy roads and whatnot, I never even thought about how the weight of ice can bring down limbs and even entire trees. (While we do get the occasional freeze in Florida, it’s usually only enough to kill smaller, non-freeze hardy plants and put a thin layer of ice in the birdbath. And cause some LEAF droppage here and there.
How sad to lose so many trees, and/or PARTS of trees, to this storm. But I have to say the ice-covered agave is a gorgeous photo, John! I might be tempted to frame that one.
Thanks for sharing, and here’s to NO MORE ice storms for a very long time. (Like maybe never.) 😀
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Wow, there is some damage. Although I know the ice wasn’t good for it, the cactus shot was beautiful.
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It looks like the agave is doing okay so far.
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Yikes! That’s a lot of damage. I hope your trees survive. That Agave plant was pretty though with all the icicles.
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It was. We are hoping it will be okay.
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Good golly Miss Molly! Ice storms wreak havoc. Those poor trees — and the poor backs that have to clean it up. I’m glad you and your loved ones are okay, John. Stay warm. Hugs.
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We are okay, Teagan. I’m so sorry that Chrystal was called over the bridge. I pray your sadness will be replaced in time with the joy you shared with her. Hugs.
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Mon Dieu! One thing is obvious the Mother Nature is furious…while unreasonable human like creatures continue their stupid battles of pride…The agave is splendid in ice. Let’s hope that all the tress will be fine soon. Thank you, dear John! I wish your magnolia wonderful blooming! 🙂
🍤🍤🍤🍻
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Thank you for your good wishes, Dear Maria. The magnolia has lost weight but I think she is okay.
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It’s sad to see all the damage, John, and ice in Texas makes no sense, does it? But the artichoke agave is stunning! No matter what, the bright side shines. 🙂 I hope the power is back on for those residents too. Stay warm!
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We are in 70 degree temps nw so all is good. Thank you, Lauren
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The chicken and biscuit with spicy honey sounds delightful. Sorry to see your birthday tree took a hit. It’s really too bad the ice is beautiful amongst nature. Damages things something terrible.
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It does. The tree did take a hit but looks like it is going to be okay. We’ll see this summer. Thanks, Audrey
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Oh, no. Ice storms are the worst. I’d rather have a foot of snow. Did people loose power?
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Some still don’t have it. Austin power left about 25,000 without power for a week.
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A week? Terrible. At least it’s Texas temps.
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I’m too, upset to eat!
All this destruction from the weather is getting to be beyond annoying.
When you had the ice storm, here it was COLD, icy, snowy, no sun and windy. I was wearing a jacket in the apartment (cheesecloth windows when the wind is so nasty).
I drew under blankies with a heating pad.
Now it’s 40F and will be 58 (but windy) on Wednesday.
I have never experienced 40 degrees in February.
What’s going on?
OX OX OX OX
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I think Mother Nature is saying to all of us. “You better get your shit together.” OX OX OX OX 🥶
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Agree!!!! 💋💋💋💋
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🐂 🐂 🐂 🐂 🐂 🐂 🌺
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HVD! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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❤️🐂❤️🐂❤️🐂❤️ HVD to you as well.
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