There is a monthly garage sale in Lakeway at the Activity Center. The entrance to the event is free but a donation of food or money to help the homeless and the animal shelter is suggested.
This 8,100 square foot building, with a theater seating capacity of 400, or a dinner seating capacity of 250, also has smaller meeting rooms, a full size commercial kitchen, a raised stage complete with modern computer operated lighting and sound systems, a baby grand piano, dressing rooms for performers and a large drop-down front projection screen. The Activity Center is a beautiful venue. I hope you enjoy the tour.
A shot of the outside of the center. The style of architecture is in keeping with the community. I would label it Craftsman Texas Hill Country. The rain yesterday made for a gloomy day.
The main doors to the Center. Notice the stonework and lamps.
This first photo of the sale is on the veranda. Arched doorways in keeping with the Craftsman style.
A photo of the veranda showing the pillars, metal roof, and the lights
The inlays on the walk are dedication bricks. The guy is thinking of buying that trimmer, but he couldn’t get it started.
A covered lounge area.
Another photo of the veranda which gives you an idea of the stonework on the walls.
Inside the Center, you can see the mirrored ball and chandeliers which are a nod to dances, weddings, and other events. There are room dividers for smaller events.
More shoppers and sellers.
I liked the idea of “Do What You Love.” Good advice for all of us.
The Center also has a stage for theatrical productions. These lamps made good use of the dark.
A photo of the courtyard. You can’t see the rain running of the downspout, but that rock basin in the foreground is where the water falls.
The food donation station.
I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Activity Center and the Garage Sale.
It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this weeks prompt is“fab.” Linda Hill says, “Use it as a word or find a word beginning with “fab.” As always, use any way you’d like. Have fun!”
So there you have it. Have fun. If you would like to have fun with words, go to Linda’s blog and read how easy it is to have fun without drugs or alcohol. Here is the link.
“Where you going Little One?” “I was coming to get you. It’s Friday and time to celebrate.”
Another Friday and the week has not slowed down at all. We did have a visit from the lot clearing service. We had a bunch of what we call in Texas, cedars ( The rest of the world calls them junipers) on our lot. They were in sorry shape, and we had them removed. We also need to trim the neighbors and bushes to make room for the fence that we are going to put in. The fence has been approved, and permits paid, so we are just waiting for the contractors to submit their bids. Of course, the contractors are all worth a billion dollars and could care less about new work, so we wait.
Once the fence is in, we will proceed with the landscaping plan. The yard is about three times the size of Port Aransas, so some planning will be necessary.
Our dining room table arrived (big surprise), and the chairs are two to three weeks away. We are looking forward to having a meal there.
Since I don’t have the skill to build a fence, I am at the mercy of those who do. Today’s JohnKu talks about wishing. I hope you have a great weekend.
“What is that, Little One?” “It’s my gotcha cake.” “Ah. One year since we gotcha.” “Yup. Happy Gotcha to me.”
It is Wednesday Story Day again and last week we were part of a discussion between Andrew and Larry to the point that Janice and Alexis Rafferty might have had some discord in their marriage that could have been a motive for murder. As clichéd as it sounds the detectives will need to follow-up with a careful investigation of the Raftery’s to see if there is that possibility. In the meantime, it appears that Larry is keeping Cortez on the suspect list given the five-million-dollar policy and the fact that Rafferty refused to sign the report that said Sandusky’s machine didn’t work. We better check in with Larry and Andrew and see where the heck we are on this whole mess.
“Hey, Larry. You hear from Evon on that contract?”
“As a matter of fact, no. I totally forgot that he was going to send it over.”
“Well, I have some news on Miss Janice.”
“Do tell.”
“it seems she filed for a divorce a year ago.”
“You’re kidding me? That is all too pat.”
“Get this though. She never went through with it.”
“How do you know that?”
“There was a subsequent filing requesting a withdrawal of the petition which was granted. Guess who was Janice’s lawyer.”
“I don’t have to guess. Evon, right?”
“You got it.”
“So what does this tell us?”
“In my mind, there was something not right in the marriage and then for some reason whatever was not right was corrected.”
“Or some hot-shot lawyer talks the petitioner out of pursuing a divorce for some reason.”
“And the husband dies within the year.”
“And five-million is up for grabs.”
“We need to talk to that police chief in South Tahoe to see if the insurance company contacted him.”
“I also have to call Evon and find out the status of that employment contract.”
“Who’s on first?”
“Let’s do the police chief. Dialing now.”
“I hope he is available.”
“Me too¾Yes this is detective Dunfee of the Boston Police depart. Is Captain Swartz available? Sure, I’ll hold.”
“Bet he’s out.”
“Hello, Captain. Thank you, sir, I hope your day is good as well. Yes, sir. The reason for my call is to quickly check to see if an insurance agent or investigator has contacted you regarding the Rafferty matter? They have. I wonder if you could tell me about the nature of their discussion. Uh huh. Yeah. Okay. So, you told them it was an accident. No, no that’s all the information you have about it. What you said was fine. One more thing, captain. Could you give me the name of the company and the person who contacted you? Why? As you know we are investigating a murder that has some elements involving Mr. Rafferty. We just want to make certain that the company understands some of the circumstances around the five-million-dollar policy. Yes, that’s right five million. He never mentioned the amount? No, I still think what you told him are the facts as you see them at this point. No, of course, I don’t think you were part of any scheme. Captain take a breath. No one is accusing you of anything. We just think it is prudent to let the company know some facts that we have uncovered. It will be their decision to pay or not. So are we good? Great. Now, who were the investigator and the company name? Yes, just read me his card. Okay, I’m ready. Randall Davis, special investigator, World Life, and Casualty. Um, Hum. Yes. 212-555-1212. Okay, I got it. Thank you so much, captain. Yes, we will keep you informed. Yes, sir, you have a good one as well.”
“What the hell?”
“I know right? The captain became unglued when I mentioned the five million.”
“Sounded like he was declaring his innocence.”
“Yeah, don’t you wonder when people do that?”
“I’m not sure but if I were the head of the police department, I would have thought a drunken ski accident would be suspicious.”
“Maybe there is more to his denial than meets the eye.”
“God, I hope we are not adding another suspect.”
“We need to keep our eyes open, but I agree with you. This whole case is getting to be bigger than a breadbasket.”
“Where do you get sayings like that?”
“I don’t know. They just come to me.”
“You sure you didn’t work in a Dilbert kind of company?”
“Yeah, I’m positive. Anyway, let’s do the call with Evon. I think I’m going to have to talk to Gloria soon if we get any more complex here.”
“Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.
There won’t be a Kreative Kue for a couple of weeks – it seems someone is rather keen (and in a hurry) to buy our home here in France. Next week, we’ll be heading to the north of England in an effort to identify a house to live in after we have to leave this one! The next scheduled Kreative Kue will be on Easter Monday, 22nd April.”
Looks like I will be on my own for the next two weeks. Good luck to Keith in househunting. (I have walked in his shoes)
If your significant other is having a birthday, there are things that one should not do. It just so happens that yesterday was my significant other’s birthday, and except for one thing I managed to avoid the other stuff on the list.
10 If your significant other is having a birthday, do not take a lot of time writing a Ten Things Not to Do list. If you do, at best there is still time for other activities. At worst, you will run out of time to celebrate the birthday. (Now you are in deep yogurt, Ghoukas. What happened to the cake, presents, and good wishes? You better pray for author understanding.)
9 If your significant other is having a birthday, do go to the gym with Tiny the WWF wrestling champ. If you do, at best you’ll only have sore muscles from sparring with him. At worst, Tiny will show you his latest helicopter spin and drop maneuver. (Hard to celebrate from the ER huh, Giancarlo? Don’t worry someone will call and let your significant other know you won’t make the party.)
8 If your significant other is having a birthday, do not think a packet of beef jerky from the convenience store is the perfect gift. If you do, at best your significant other will take it as a joke. At worst, you’ll be dining alone tonight. (That beef jerky helps cover the taste of the crow, Gili. Better luck next year.)
7 If your significant other is having a birthday, don’t forget to cancel your participation in the weekly bowling event. If you do forget, at best you’ll stay home. At worst, you’ll go to the event and suffer dire consequences. (Did no one ever tell you about life choices, Gilvaethwy? You now must live with the results of your neglect. Please remember it was Fido’s house before you moved in.)
6 If your significant other is having a birthday, do not think going to your favorite place is the best experience for a birthday. If you do, at best none of the usual crowd are there. At worst, your bowling team members and the local motorcycle club are having a beer chugging contest. (You could have made a reservation at a beautiful place, Giovany. But no, and now your significant other is being cheered on as she downs a quart bong. Tomorrow is not going to be a good day for you.)
5 If your significant other is having a birthday, do not expect a home cooked meal instead of dinner out. If you do, at best you’ll get cold cuts. At worst, your significant other will cook something and leave it with a note that lets you know a restaurant visit was expected. (Looks like your significant other and a bunch of friends are having more fun than you, Girvin.)
4 If your significant other is having a birthday, do not offer to bake a cake unless you know what you are doing. If you do, at best you can still have time to call the bakery. At worst, the suggestion will be made to use your masterpiece as a doorstop. (Never knew frosting to get that hard did you, Glaucus. Maybe NASA would like to know about your formula.)
3 If your significant other is having a birthday, do not buy a card with a message that is obviously not a natural expression of your feelings. If you do, at best your significant other will get a chuckle. At worst the inscription, “Roses are red, Violets are blue, I want to run away, How about you?” will be taken the wrong way. (You were talking about a trip together, Gobrwy. What are you doing in court?)
2 If your significant other is having a birthday, do not give a gift which you know is not suited. If you do, at best you might be able to keep it. At worst, you might be wearing it. (They say to give a gift that you would like to receive, Godric. Not sure your significant other had a cordless weed trimmer in mind as the perfect gift.)
1 If your significant other is having a birthday, do not invite guests to the celebration who your significant other does not know. If you do, at best there will be some new friendships made. At worst, you will get no kudos for the uncomfortable feeling your significant other will have in a room filled with strangers. (It seemed like a good idea at the time, Gofraidh. You better get over there it looks like your significant other, and your boss are having some kind of argument.)
The park in Lakeway is celebrating the Twenty-Fifth anniversary. Since the Producer and I have never visited in our three weeks here, we thought it a good idea. We were surprised by the size and services offered. As a side note, the city council bearly passed the approval for the park when it was first proposed. Now it is a city treasure. I hope you like the tour.
A sign letting you know that this is it.
Unique cactus at the entrance.
A surprise was a full-sized ball diamond named Ranger Field after the excavating company who made it possible. (Not named after the Texas Rangers)
A view of the outfield from the umpire position.
A shot of the bleachers and dugout down the first base line.
A huge playground. I noticed that this part is for 2 to 5-year-olds. Given the directions of not wearing a helmet, I think the children learn to read very early here.
A pavilion for parties including a dance floor.
A Texas-shaped stone honoring those who made the park possible.
A sigh with rules.
A shuffleboard needing some TLC.
A cactus garden
The cactus garden dedication.
A dog park with an agility course.
Rules of the dog park.
A kayak launch site on Lake Travis in Lakeway Park.
A place to borrow a life jacket if you left yours at home.
Sand Volleyball courts.
A view of the lake. The construction is a new park bench. (Not in view)
This is very unusual. It is a butterfly garden with all manner of flowering plants to attract butterflies. You can see some Texas Bluebonnets in the background.
It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this weeks prompt is “dough/d’oh.” Linda Hill says, “Use one, use both, use ’em any way you like. Enjoy!” Well, you heard her. If you would like to join in visit Linda’s blog and read how. Here is the link.
“It is a beautiful Friday morning, Little One.” “What should we do today, Lucy?” “The sky’s the limit, Little Potato. The absolute limit.”
Another Friday and just have to say time flies. This seems to be the big lament. I’m happy to report the washer, dryer, and refrigerator arrived and are installed. I’m pleased to say we will not have to eat salted game and fish anymore. Okay, maybe I exaggerate a little. We do have a fridge in the garage that has met our needs quite well. It just seems that everything you need is out there and everything you don’t need is in here. I think you get the picture. Also stumbling over two cars to get to a quart of milk is a little inconvenient.
We seem to be getting closer to more of the things we need. Once you have clean clothes and ice, there isn’t much else. Well, we still need a dining room table. Ours arrived with two broken legs. That meant going back and getting a new one. We are still not sure when it will come. The dining room chairs are a way off as well. We are fortunate to have a kitchen island where we can sit and eat. The island stools were some of the first things to arrive so we lucked out.
All in all, things are coming along. This week’s JohnKu talks about patience which is one thing we have learned to embrace. I hope you have a rewarding weekend.
