today R, I, A and Mummy went to Town Lake Trail / Lady Bird Lake trail to kick start our four day weekend. Since our trip to Santa Fe was cancelled because of the wildfires in New Mexico, we decided to enjoy some local scenery instead. Of course with triple digit temperatures almost everyday and one of the hottest Junes on record behind us, we left for our little excursion early in the morning. Even at 8.30 am, the day felt warm and humid, though tolerable in the shade. We enjoyed feeding the ducks, turtles, fishes and of course the pigeons and crows, a first time for me and R since there are some things you can only do with kids. Its revealing how much the presence of A in our lives has made us slow down and enjoy the moment more than before. Earlier we would have walked along the trail briskly, with a passing glance at the ducks, and the beautiful vistas of downtown that you can see from various points on the trail. Now that we have to adjust A's much slower pace and his curiosity of the world around him, we see such things anew and come to appreciate it better. We were able to take plenty of photos of the serene waters and the gleaming skyline, made all the more beautiful because of the cloudy skies. In some ways, we felt like we saw something new in Austin. Taking Mummy around town has also had a similar effect. We pause and look at the trees and the terrain, and see it as not just the background for our lives, but something beautiful that should be appreciated and rejoiced in.
Having Mummy here has definitely helped in more ways than one. I was finally able to complete these drawings that I had started last September and March respectively.
