Views of the Neighborhood – The Ice Man Comith

~ John W. Howell

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

Picture of an old time school bus

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.

104 thoughts on “Views of the Neighborhood – The Ice Man Comith”

  4. 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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  6. 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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  7. 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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  11. 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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  15. 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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  16. 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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      1. 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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  18. 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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  19. 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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  20. 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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  21. 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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  22. 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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    1. 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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  23. 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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  25. 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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  29. 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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  32. 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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  36. 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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  40. 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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