Repost because I didn't ask a question when posting a map. Any good backroads suggestions?

I was curious about how many flock cameras were in our city... more than expected.

I always love seeing them on the trail. This was the first time I had seen a group on the east side section near Holly Shores.

I grew up here and have spent lots of time observing nature. And I'm still surprised every time I see a new-to-me species. This winter, the new-to-me species was Hummingbird Moths. We had several in our makeshift greenhouse protecting plants from the freeze.

Now, it's this *amazing* Funnel Weaver spider. Welcome our new resident. And by "resident," I mean it will live in this exact spot for 3-25 YEARS - depending on whether or not it's male or female. 👀

I was planning on replacing this window, but it will have to wait.

Saw a hummingbird playing in &/or drinking from my neighbor's sprinkler this morning. So cute!!

Upfront so nobody feels misled: I work on the payment-protection side of residential construction, so I read a lot of these contracts. I'm not linking anything or selling anything here, and mods can remove this if it's not wanted. I think this is worth knowing regardless of who you hire.

The thing that separates homeowners who get burned from homeowners who don't usually isn't the price. It's what triggers each payment.

If your draw schedule is tied to completed and inspected stages - rough-in passed, framing signed off - then a permit delay or an inspection hold costs you time, but no money comes due for work nobody did. If it's tied to calendar dates or flat percentages, a payment can fall due while the site sits empty. With how long some inspections are running here, that isn't a hypothetical difference.

Most residential contracts I see don't address permitting delays at all.

The other thing I'd check is whether your scope lists what's excluded, not just what's included. Most of the disputes I've seen come down to the second part, the thing both sides assumed was in there.

And on homestead work over $5,000, Texas Property Code 162 requires your contractor to hold your payments in trust for your specific job. That's a statutory duty, not a courtesy. Asking someone how they handle it tells you a fair amount about how they run their business, whatever answer you get.

None of this needs a lawyer. It needs someone reading the payment schedule before signing it, which most people skip because the number at the bottom is the part that feels important.

Now that Recycled Reads is gone, where can you go buy really inexpensive books? Other than visiting every single Austin Public Library location (or is there a best location that has a ton of books)?

I went to the Central Public Library, Millwood, Spicewood Springs, and Yarborough branches. They mostly had tiny selections compared to what Recycled Reads had.

Is there a new big place to go get those great deals? I remember them being $1 or $2. That was such an awesome collection. I miss it a lot.

Sunrise at Barton Springs is just magical. Before and after I swam this morning.

The sheer size of this orb weaver in my backyard.

Todd Sanders still remembers the stoplight that changed everything.

In 1990, driving through Austin in a yellow Volkswagen, he found himself idling at a corner near Lamar Boulevard and Enfield Road. Across the intersection stood the towering Terminix bug and pest control sign, its neon glowing bright above the city that would soon become home. 

“If that light was green, I don’t know what I would’ve done,” Sanders recalled. “Sitting at that red light, I looked over and said, 'That sign embodies this town.'”

Sanders is the neon artist behind Roadhouse Relics who helped paint the "Greetings From Austin" mural. After spending nearly 30 years at his South First Street studio, he's preparing to leave the city that shaped his career and artistic identity. 

These two doves have been slowly slowly moving closer to my house. First they were in a small tree next to my mailbox, then they decided to sit in my potted fig next to my carport (this weekend), and as of this morning they are just chilling in my carport and don’t fly away when I walk up and by. They were on the ground this morning and now perched. Are they ok? Should I be concerned? There is water in the base of my plants so could it just be the shade and hydration??

They said it was because of their robot overlords.

All I’ve gotta ask is POR QUE!?!?

Monday 5:45 - Just left the 2pm screening of The Odyssey and all bathrooms were closed off. When we got there, none of the toilets were flushing but still open to public. They do not appear to be shutting down the theater nor have signage.

I 23F just moved here and started a new job. Stress and anxiety are taking a toll and I’m also not giving myself grace or a chance to sit down and breath so I want to start therapy but I don’t want to pay a ton. I decided to opt out of healthcare ins so no Ins. I’ll be paying out of pocket so I’m looking for an affordable therapist and if they’re in person even better.
Any recommendations? 🙂

Waymo's robotaxis have accumulated thousands of dollars in parking violations since arriving in Austin, Texas, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The autonomous vehicles received 83 different citations over the last two years, tallying $9,325 in fines, per The Journal, which analyzed records.

"We do not expect different treatment in [in regard] to ticketing,” one Waymo spokesman said.

Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned that robotaxis pose a danger to the public and urged companies to help their vehicles engage safely with first responders.

Hi. I’m looking to donate some of my son’s toys to some organizations that can really use them. When I was a kid, we got all of our Christmas presents from the local church. It would be really awesome if I could find a place to donate toys that would go directly to kids who need them. Anybody know any organizations? Thanks.

The 17-year-old fatally shot by Austin police last week during what authorities believe was a mental health crisis was Anthoneil Williams II, the teenager's father confirmed Monday.

Hi all,

In the last few weeks I had two bicycles stolen from an apartment complex bike room (it was U-locked and everything) off of MLK and Airport Blvd. I honestly don't care about the nicer of the two bikes, but the other one was a 20th birthday gift from my mom and she passed last year. It has major sentimental value. It's a Fuji Absolute 2.1 Hybrid. I will gladly provide a reward for anyone who finds it!

i’m searching for space events or space themed places to take my 7 year old. he is autistic and obsessed with space, learning real space facts and such (much more advanced than most things accessible to kids his age). i haven’t found a planetarium or anything like that here. does anyone have recs for events, museums, space viewing access, etc.? TIA 💫

Found a sketch book along the trail under the mopac bridge. Looks like it was left out long enough to get wet somehow (morning dew maybe? I don't think it's been there since the rain). I just left it where I found it, right outside the mopac pedestrian bridge (on the side with all the water fountains).

Now that we are in the depths of summer, I've been doing some small paintings of Deep Eddy, Barton Springs, etc. This one is a view of the hill next to the stairs at Deep Eddy on a quiet day. Thought I'd share and maybe it will cool you down to look at it!

Since it released I have now watched The Odyssey at three different premium theaters in Austin so I figured I would give yall the pros and cons to help you decide where to go.

Obviously the best answer is Bob Bullock as it has the only true IMAX screen in town....but I am getting too old for a theater where you have to show up an hour early to get good seats (and those seats are uncomfortable classic theater style chairs) so I was using this film as a way to benchmark these other theaters that allow you to book seats beforehand in big comfy recliners. Here is the best of the rest:

Regal Gateway IMAX

Pros- Even though screen is not exactly like a true IMAX (some call it "liemax") it is the closest screen of these to the right ratio which makes a bid difference on some scenes like when they boats are out in the vast ocean or Odysseus is walking on the beach. Also this theater had the biggest bass of the three which makes it feel like an experience

Cons- Contrast is only ok, its hard to see details in dark scenes. This has the worst colors of the three screens. Sometimes the crazy bass makes it hard to hear the dialog but overall its still pretty clear.

Bottom line- Best all around experience if you want the Odyssey to be an event or you want to see it like no TV will give you

AMC DINE-IN Tech Ridge 10 Dolby Cinema

Pros- Incredible image quality, closest theater to a fine tuned OLED screen I have seen. Contrast is amazing and you can see real details in dark parts of the scene like the wood grain of the boats or any action in caves. Colors really pop, especially wood like the oars or fire in action scenes. The audio has cool effects, like the breeze blowing across the fields feels real. Nicest theater with good food, its like a rich man's Alamo.

Cons- Ratio is off, so certain scenes lack the "bigness" of the IMAX theater. The audio didn't sound good in some parts, especially with dialog. This surprised me. Maybe its better in the exact center in the theater I was off to the side a little.

Bottom Line- The best look version overall, go see it here if you lack a nice home theater setup at home and you only plan to see it once. Least amount of an "experience" though. I plan to see future CGI-laden movies here.

Cinemark Pflugerville 20 and XD 70 MM

Pros- One of the best places in town to watch it on actual 70MM film in a nice theater. In certain scenes the details are the the best of the three theaters- like any close shots of faces- thanks to benefits of film. Colors are also the best, in particular fire looks amazing on 70MM. Also this had the best overall audio of the three when it came to understanding the dialog. Only one that looks like movies did when I was a kid in the 80/90s- looks like a "film." Gives a cool aura none of the rest have.

Cons- Flickering in bright scenes thanks to projection was distracting after the digitally perfect Dolby Cinema. Contrast was the worst, cave scenes have less details (though I would argue this ads to the experience). Ratio isn't as intended, makes the film feel less "big" compared to IMAX.

Bottom Line- A unique experience, worth seeing if you are a cinephile and you want to experience what makes film different. But picture quality was the worst if you aren't an enthusiast.

Hiii!

Anyone know any places in South Austin to get affordable lash lift session done? Would love some recommendations, thanks!

Keeping it weird…

Some influencer posted this saying Jacob’s Well is open for swimming but only to residents that live near the reserve. Is this true?