An Austin family outing

LOML's parents are visiting us from New Zealand this week, and so we have been showing them the sights here in Austin! I'm afraid I haven't been the best tour guide - I've had a dreadful cold - but it has been fun to introduce some more Kiwis to our new home. On Wednesday we went to the Zilker Park Botanical Gardens, which neither LOML nor I had visited before either, and it was just beautiful. I love the dry, hot landscapes here - they really remind me of my home in Zimbabwe. I feel much more comfortable in this sort of arid scenery, with its succulents and dry grasses, than I did in the lush greenery of New Zealand. New Zealand is absolutely stunning, of course, and I loved it - it just didn't feel like the landscape of my childhood, as Texas does.

LOML and his father are both very accomplished photographers (unlike me and my shameful lack of skills), so a lot of the shots I took feature them taking photographs of other things ... all very post-modern. 'In and out, among the dots.' (Did anyone else read and love The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban when they were younger?).

LOML's parents.

Corona-rita?

A few of you were as intrigued (and horrified) as I was by the bowling-ball-sized margarita with the up-ended Corona bottles in my previous post. Quite a drink, eh? I was so tempted to try one, just for the potential hilarity, but I am such a lightweight that a drink that size would have me under the table for the rest of the day. Anyway, it is called a Mexican Bulldog, and every restaurant in Miami seemed to offer them. As you drink the margarita, the Corona seeps in and fills your glass again. Sounds like something out of Harry Potter, if Harry Potter were more like Jersey Shore.

Apparently it was made famous by Snooki, which sort of says it all, doesn't it? Has anyone tasted one? What is it like? I can't imagine it tasting that good, but perhaps it is delicious and I missed out.

Sorry about the brief posts lately - I am embroiled in edits for The White Shadow, due next week, and my in-laws have come from New Zealand to stay with us. Things are a little busy. I so appreciate all your comments, and thank you for reading!

Miami holiday

Florida was lovely. It was so good to take a break from edits to lie on a beach and sip fruity drinks. I can't go into too many details, as it was a bachelorette party, but nine of us girls went together and had a wonderful time. Most of it (and most of the pictures) shall remain shrouded in secrecy, but here are the innocuous ones ...