Notes from a summer getaway

Society6
There are smudges on the inside of my windshield from my frantic attempts, whilst driving, to squash a mosquito trapped inside the car with me.  The result was a blood bath (mine) and clear victory (hers).  Phantom battle scars linger, and even indoors my legs and feet still itch.

The next day, undeterred by the swarms of insects that seem prepared to hunt me down, we hike down the Greenbelt which meanders along Barton Creek, squelching through mud puddles and jumping over rock piles.  Despite flooding in other areas of Hill Country, here the water runs cool and clear, entire families with their inner tubes and devil-may-care attitude floating in the serene pools.  It felt like the five mile trek took the entire morning, even longer than it took us to scale a mountain in the desert, and we turned back when the trail we were following devolved into large puddles filled with squirming tadpoles.  There was a brief pause in the rushing creek water for a fully-dressed dip to cool down, during which he slips and almost falls, which we capture on video.

As usual, the food in Austin doesn’t disappoint.  Burgers with doughnut buns, more doughnuts smothered in Nutella, vegetarian restaurants that must offer cheese and eggs, the mother of all quesos, and casual dining spots where the produce is grown fresh in the restaurant garden out back.  We hit up a barbecue restaurant - part of a gas station of course - and I almost drink the sauce straight from the bottle.  Later my stomach hurts and no one wonders why.

The streets in Central Texas will bake a person alive, even in June, and we popped in and out of quirky shops partially for the A/C blast alone.  A quick glance in a shop window was enough to remind me that as much as things change, so they also still stay the same.  A tank top, running shorts, and backpack, almost 10 years later I was still dressed in the same uniform as I wore when I was in college.  Getting carded at the restaurant later only underscored that point.

At night, it’s quiet, save for the flipping of pages.  There is no tv in the cottage and we don’t even notice.  The occasional cricket serves as background noise and falling asleep is almost as easy as falling in love.


Comments

  1. I love the way you write Rooth. I'm smiling from ear to ear while reading each line of your post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mosquitoes are always tearing me up. ahhh! It is interesting to see things that change so much but stay the same.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Agree with the comment above...<3 :) The images you created made us feel like we were right there with you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. for years we went to a cottage with no tv, no electric and the water came in from the stream outside. we need to go back there, I miss it x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such beautiful writing...I love the food in Austin too! :)

    http://ourruins.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds like a wonderful trip for two. I love things that meander, I need to do some of that myself. A brief pause in a rushing stream sounds good too. My dad's farm had one of those and it was a lot of fun.

    When is the best time of year to visit Austin (temperature-wise and crowd-wise)? Maybe spring break, while the kids are elsewhere (getting carded)?

    ReplyDelete
  7. oh, how sweet. and welcome back here xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sounds so peaceful, especially the crickets. I love that sound. And doughnut burgers...mmm...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Really, really lovely. There's a meandering to this post that mimics what your weekend must have been like, and I quite like that. Makes me want to be Austin-bound. I have some family I'd need to avoid, so can we sneak me in and out? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your writing style always fascinates me. Love the sound of crickets. Happy that you had a good trip!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That last paragraph got me good :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, that sounds simply divine (except maybe for the mosquitoes and being baked alive--but other than that) . . .

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your wording almost makes mosquito avoidance sound like a fun game! Hooray for vacations. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. oh, i would love to visit austin sometime. it's been on my list for awhile now. and this post is making me wish i go do that right now. sounds like a perfect getaway.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Reads