Monday, April 07, 2025

Sunny Sundays are for Photographing Fun People and Swimming Glorious Workouts. Everything else is an add-on.



It was cold, windy and dribbling rain on Sunday morning. I woke up, swallowed some coffee, grabbed a clean, dry towel from the linen cabinet and headed over to the Rollingwood Pool where I was joined a small group of fearless and dedicated swimmers ready to brave the elements and get some yards swum. How many ways to mix up the four strokes in one practice and still get a lot of yards in? Coach Kristen had the formula. Mix in some easy recovery yardage between hard sets and the yardage racks up. But it was still unseasonably cold when we exited the pool an hour later. 

After an exciting breakfast of egg, potato and onion torta, perfect coffee and a slab of Parisienne Sourdough bread, thickly coated with (sugar free) peanut butter and drizzled with blueberry preserves, I headed over to South Congress Ave. with an SL2 festooned with a 45mm lens. I visited with photographer friend, David, who has a degree in economics and we exchanged bafflement over the current state of....economics. We gave up and sat in front of Jo's Coffee for a while shooting the breeze about more interesting/less emotionally challenging topics. 

I walked the big circuit around South Congress Avenue, snapping photos of whatever and having fun just being out in the clean air, bright sun and cool temperatures. It was packed with people out along the street and that was fun too. 

I ended up back at Jo's because they have the most convenient restrooms in the area and then I decided I needed a latté as well. That's when I ran into the young lady with the hat. She was just great. And happy to stand around being photographed....

Home for dinner with B.&B. 

Here's some more photos from the day...







Reflections in a blue painted table.


Mural art at the Austin Motel courtyard. 










8 comments:

Anonymous said...

KT, I was just in Texas. Went to my first Rodeo in Houston, then to Fredericksburg and SanAntonio. Both nice Cities, but the highlight of the trip was a side trip to Luckenbuch, Tx. I think my travels have been complete after that visit. Great weather for most of the trip.

Gary said...

Luckenbach. A storied location for those of us of a certain age.

Eric Rose said...

Beautiful smile on the first girl!

Edward Richards said...

Not as storied as La Grange. :-)

Edward Richards said...

Kirk - did you do any shoots for the The Best Little Whorehouse? I got to assist a photographer and shoot candids at the opening party for Urban Cowboy at Gilley's in Pasadena. Fun night, what I remember of it. (I grew up in Pasadena.)

Jon Maxim said...

Talking of coffee and your love of pour-over, Kirk, have you read? : https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-the-secret-to-making-the-perfect-cup-of-pour-over-coffee-according-to-physicists-180986400/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

Kirk said...

Hi Jon, Not to sound to "know it all" but that is exactly how I make coffee. Really, exactly.

Jon Maxim said...

Goes to show that, just like photography, you are a professional who knows exactly how to do it! Does this mean I have to ditch my Breville Espresso machine and learn to do it "properly"? After all, I am able to switch from auto-focus to manual. :)