Long Hollow

Where seeds of thought have room to grow

recent posts

about

Realtor, writer, blogger in Austin, TX

Category: Every Picture Tells a Story

  • A Photography, Writing, Duck Soup, Fajitas, and Birthday Cake Weekend

    Several months ago, on a slow Saturday at the winery bistro, I waited on a man and his wife. The man had a Nikon, so of course I started asking him a jillion questions and talking photography. Their son had gotten married that weekend, so I gave him my email address and he sent me…

  • She’s still here… and other sweet!s of the week

    I slipped through the trees on the narrow deer trail as quietly as possible to check on the mama duck and her duckling this morning. At first glance, the pond was empty. But earlier this week it appeared empty, with only a lone feather brushing the shore. I thought for sure something bad had happened…

  • …whispering hope

    I sat on the porch swing this evening listening to David Gray and watching the cardinal couple dine at the feeder. Just as the sun slipped below the trees, I felt myself slipping, too, into worry about the future. But right away I hit the brakes and scrambled back up to reality. It hit me…

  • Working

    Mud. Lots of mud. And mosquitoes. Foremen who stole from the company. Welders who smoked pot in the weld-out yard. A warehouse worker who bragged about being high on Vicodin. A co-worker nicknamed "Moo Cow", who carried a gun in her purse before it was legal and had a tattoo when they were still edgy.…

  • A Father…

    A father gives advice  A father nourishes the body  and the soul    A father encourages A father reads A father lends a hand  A father plays    A father offers support    A father sticks close by your side   A father makes memories A father teaches  A father laughs    A father is…

  • Surprise! (and my sweet!s of the week)

    One morning a few weeks ago, eyelids drawn against the assault of bright light, I felt my way into the bathroom and turned on the water to wake up my face. Up popped something from the drain which made my eyes fly open without the water: a scorpion, moving fast. I guess cold water wakes…

  • Flash of Blue

    Gray sky, false promises. The world barely breathes.  I see colors fading, petals drying, feel my spirit sagging. And then   there's a flash of blue. A Mystery Bird, bringing excitement, color… and therefore, hope.   I know.  A little melodramatic. But that morning I really did feel very blah. The air was still and…

  • Passing Time in Whataburger

    I found myself with a few hours to kill one morning this week with nary a Starbucks in sight. So I stepped into the next best thing – a Whataburger. I knew they'd have coffee, a restroom, air-conditioning, and space for reading and writing the time away. Everything I needed. "You doing alright, ma'am?" It was…

  • On Martha and Friendship and Tomorrows

    I heard Garth Brooks sing "If Tomorrow Never Comes…" on the radio the other day. It was the same day that I heard about the unexpected passing of one of my mom's closest friends. Mama and Martha went to the same high school but didn't become friends until they worked for the same company years…

  • Kids, grandpuppies, and other sweets of the week

    Nothing perks you up after a long night working a rehearsal dinner than being greeted by a bunch of kids you love, plus your grandpuppy, when your aching feet finally carry you into the house. In my case this happened Friday night, close to midnight, and the kids included my son, his fiance, her sister,…