A FELON ON FOGG STREET ????

     It was just another quiet day in the neighborhood.  I rumbled around the kitchen, preparing food, cleaning countertops, aware that a helicopter was circling overhead.  Then I heard sirens.  Then I heard sirens again.  Then Victor and Charles came in from playing raquetball to ask how I was enjoying the craziness outside.  What???   Checked the front window;  grabbed the camera;  counted!    TWELVE burly policeman, some in SWAT gear, many with walky talkies.  SIX police cars along with two unmarked police cars stationed right in front of our house.  Policemen escorting women and children out of the Lewis's house and Morrissey's house.    Others stealthily creeping around corners, rifles at the ready,  jumping fences, loud speaker blazing....and ever the hovering, circling helicopter!  The target apparently was hiding in the house under construction down the cul-de-sac.  
     You can only watch so long, so resumed a few chores, checking back frequently.  Suddenly the army of men & policewomen were strolling back down from the action.   Kelly Lewis and the kids and Morrisseys and the playschool kids were being escorted back home.   Apparently the rifle-weilding person of interest had finally surrendered after being caught on the roof of the house.    Yup, just another quiet day in the neighborhood.    Photos for you to enjoy and be part of the Austin action packed antics!

Notice the helicopter at the top of the picture

The policeman with the megaphone pointing out to the guy that he couldn't escape - not with the helicopter tracking him, a police dog on his trail,  and his being surrounded and all.  "Come out peacefully" type stuff.

The party's over.  Let's stand in the street now and fill out reports for another half hour.

You folks can go back to your homes now.

Tyler Lewis, Kelly and her family who are here with Shellee and Gary while Kelly is very sick with her pregnancy;  Eva and Teisha Morrissey and the day-care kids follow. 

Who says you have to leave home to have excitement?

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Nice day!  I love to watch the men grapple with fixing the Sunday meal....which is a tradition started by my father when I was a child.   NO women in the kitchen on Mother's Day!  So I gave instructions from the sidelines on cooking the pasta and the asparagus.  Charles made wonderful steaks though impeded hugely by record winds we were having!   The flames were shooting high, but the steaks didn't burn, amazingly.   Victor gave me the Julia Child cookbook (The Art of French Cooking) which was the subject of the great movie  "Julie and Julia.".   Audrey and Ethan gave Grandma something to remember them by when they leave us later this month! 

(Not quite sure what that expression stands for on Audrey's face!)

LITTLE PEOPLE NEED TO GET THE VISION EARLY!

Audrey, dreaming of her future graduation, no doubt.  We tried, but couldn't get Aly to keep the cap on long enough to show her stuff too.  I'm sure that doesn't mean she won't love college later on, though,  RIGHT???

                    And five-month old Ethan just laughed at everyone!

GRADUATION TIME AGAIN

A busy weekend in the Austin household.  FOUR people from our home graduated from UNLV:  Son Peter was awarded his BS in Counseling, Son-in-law Charles got his BS in Public Administration, renter friends Lucille and Reed Jacobsen got a Master's of Social Work and Associate Degrees respectively.  Lucille's family came from California so we got to visit with lots of people as well as celebrate yet another milestone.  I have seen some pretty stressed faces over the last couple of weeks as they have all dealt with finals, papers and comprehensive exams!  Here are the first photos off the press.  More to come as I get them ready.

Peter with proud parents (Victor even got teary!)

Lucille and Reed Jacobsen - our friends and renters who will leave us at the end of the month to return to California, sniff, sniff!  Reed will continue schooling there while Lucille license qualifies and jobhunts.

Charles did not "walk"...but we'll get him into the cap and gown any day now so his picture can be here too.

Peter's Jill was able to get into the Thomas & Mack early so we had seats right above the causeway where the graduates came in to start their respective college processions.  Does this boy look relieved, excited and glad to reach this first milestone, or what?  (He is taking a break from classes for the summer and then will plunge into his Masters in the fall.

MMMM.....ROSES!

So!   We came back from our 16 day sojourn to cabin, Salt Lake, Twin Falls and Boise in early April to find that the magic flower fairy had waved her wand over our property while we were gone!  The yard looked and smelled delightful!!!   Just had to share.  (I'm a little peeved at her though, that she didn't mow the lawn while she was here).