Pet Sitting in Mueller Park For Taiyo & a Tour of Austin, Texas, April 2nd through 13th

What can I say, but that I LOVE Austin?!  This Trusted House Sitters gig was an absolute dream.  I stayed at the lovely, spaceous home of Allyson and Ted, California escapees, now living in the area of Austin called Mueller Park. It is an upscale community of grand--fairly new--homes, with their own community pool; a running/walking track (a 4 mile loop circumnavigating the community, including "downtown" Mueller);  and a really beautiful park a few minutes' walk away, boasting a large lake along with lots of grass and greenery. 

I spent my several-day stay happily enjoying the luxuries of their home, including the use of a  Vitamix, a state-of-art diswasher, and many other amenities. I was also delighted to be able to make use of Allyson's electric bike; I took 3 rides on it and was delighted by the great abundance of city bike lanes, many of which were totally separated from the streets' traffic! Truly a dream... it is a phenomenally bike-friendly town! 

I also swam--thrice--in the outdoor community pool (albeit, rather CHILLY swims, as the pool wasn't heated). One of the times was after a couple cooler days, and I thought that I would become seriously hypothermic, but perservered for a 40 minute swim nonetheless!

I of course also walked the adorable dog, Taiyo, twice daily. (The only times he WASN'T adorable was when other dogs came by...then, he acted the part of the "tough guy", barking and straining at the leash to get at them!) Still, everyone else also thought he was adorable, so both of us were the recipients of many pleasant greetings by the myriad other folks on the track. 

On both Saturdays, I picked up home-made, fresh-baked bread at a neighbor's house, and it was absolutely DIVINE! I exercised great restraint though, and managed to make one hefty loaf last me two weeks... (The others, I left for Ted and Allyson to consume upon their return.) 

One hot day, I went on a 4 mile hike to a waterfall... it was brutally hot--and humid!-- this particular day, especially because I didn't make it out to the trailhead until close to noon. But it was beautiful in the area, and worth the effort despite the difficulties of both the heat and the challenging trail (of constant ups and downs!)

 And finally, I  spent time in the nearby Mueller park, where I stumbled upon a "Rock in the Park" festival happening on a Friday night... unfortunately, the DJ was playing techno music-- not my cup of tea at all--but it was fun seeing all the happy people and dogs that came out for the event, giving me a good sense of the Austin "locals". 

In sum, it was a truly comfortable, very active and happy "vacation" for me there. 

The photos below help tell the tale: 

First series: walking the flower-loving pooch! Yes, springtime in Austin is truly beautiful, with many kinds of blooms--cultivated and wild-- in great abundance. Both Taiyo and I liked to stop and "smell the roses"... and everything else, for that matter! (Both being the olfactory-driven creatures that we are!)  The pooch --as well as the flowers-- were indeed both great subjects! 

Along the fabulous, 4 mile walking track... passing by lakes and rivers right in the center of town! 

It took him a couple nights, but Taiyo decided to join me on my bed. He was actually a great sleeper: pretty still, and didn't try to take over the bed! He was a nice companion, to be sure... but also liked to be coy at times... and pose, because of COURSE he knew how very cute he is! 

The "casa": Spacious, light and lovely! It was a bit hard to know what to do with myself in SO much space, minimalist that I am! Yet somehow I "managed"... LOL!  I especially appreciated the large kitchen, with a great, state-of-the-art range and other appliances. Not to mention, lots of counter space! It was great to really spread out...quite the contrast to car camping, to be sure... 

The thoroughly luscious bread, picked up fresh-baked and still warm, from the neighbor up the street. It was whole wheat with nuts and seeds... so delicious, I enjoyed it without anything on it at all! (Later on, I DID add some very gourmet-- and extremely expensive!-- vegan cheese from a local boutique called "Rebel Cheese". It was the best vegan cheese I have ever eaten, and also the most expensive by far!) 

One of my excursions was to this lovely stream and waterfall, about a half-hour drive from where I was staying. It was quite a grueling climb, with constant ups and downs, but worth it for this lovely destination! It was 89 degrees that day... YIKES! But I survived to tell the tale and share the photo... 

The Friday night "Rock in the Park" Festival: Also the night of the full moon! It was beautiful out, and while I didn't care for the music, it was the perfect eve to be in the park, enjoying the scenery and the merry crowd of Austinites...