Photo of da-AL and her new bull-friend on LBJ's ranch.

Vid: My Bull-Friend + Austin + Podcast: G. Constans’ Novels are Movies

Posted on by da-AL
Photo of da-AL and her new bull-friend on LBJ's ranch.
My new bull-friend and me horsing around.
Want to listen to a podcast/audio version of Happiness Between Tails? Click the Spotify podcast link above. And please give it a follow.

Hurrah!!!! Spain now recognizes pets as legal family! My hope is that the U.S. will be next…

Every budding novelist (see about my books H-E-R-E) needs a bull-friend for fun between writing days. Mine lives among the herd at LBJ Ranch. Lyndon Baines Johnson served as the United States’ 36th President from 1963 to 1969 (Wiki’s info on him h-e-r-e).

LBJ’s ranch is in Johnson City, Texas, which includes his “Texas White House.” The 300-year old “Cabinet Oak” shades the front, and the view is of the Perdernales (which means “flint” in Spanish) River.

da-AL stands in front of LBJ's Texas White House.
LBJ’s Texas White House.

 

da-AL stands before Perdernales River, which runs near LBJ's Texas White House.
The Perdernales River runs near LBJ’s Texas White House.

Last I visited the United Kingdom (I’ve written a number of posts on that, including H-E-R-E and H-E-R-E), a taxi driver who immigrated from Brazil waxed dreamily of wanting to visit Texas, “To see cowboys.” Definitely he was immune to America’s Anglophilia. (Just today I came across vlogger Michael’s English lessons where he offers t-h-i-s one about real life in England.)

I envied the taxi driver his romantic, cartoon-eye-ed view of the U.S. that blinded him to our political horrors like what’s happening abortion rights-wise in Texas and elsewhere (posts on that H-E-R-E and H-E-R-E and H-E-R-E).

Austin is truly stunning. Though this visit was about family, we did plenty of sight-seeing. Downtown, there’s a great statue of Barbara Jordan, an African-American woman of many political firsts in Texas and nationally. (Wiki tells about her h-e-r-e.) An Austin Airport terminal is even named for her!

Khashayar and da-AL stand before statue of Barbara Jordan in Austin, Texas.
Khashayar and I were cheered to see Barbara Jordan’s proud statue in downtown Austin.

 

Photo of sign for Barbara Jordan terminal at Austin Airport.
Jordan even has her own terminal at Austin Airport!

On our way home from a sunset hike up Enchanted Rock, we passed through Fredericksburg, where a stand of trees twinkled.

The views at sunset are gorgeous at Enchanted Rock.
The views at sunset are gorgeous at Enchanted Rock.

 

A festive stand of trees at Fredericksburg, Texas.
A festive stand of trees at Fredericksburg, Texas.

 

Trees filled with tiny lights in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Trees kissed by stars in Fredericksburg, Texas.

 

Khashayar and da-AL in front of trees filled with lights.
Khashayar and I happened on these by chance.

It had been way too long since I’ve seen my dear extended family, all the longer due to the Covid pandemic (read about how Khashayar and I got it just before the vaccines came out H-E-R-E).

Thank goodness our dear K-D doggie provided the loving buffer to the crash landing returning home can feel like. (By the way, our Austin friends offer t-h-e-s-e instructions on their audiology site regarding keeping our furry friends’ ears healthy.)

Close up of K-D-doggy's sweet face.
Hopefully our little K-D-doggy was as happy to see us as we were to see her.

Do you think pets should be regarded as legal family, like they now are in Spain?

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Published by da-AL

Happiness Between Tails speaks to and from the heart. It connects lovers — of pets, authors, books — and of my still-unreleased novels, “Flamenco + the Sitting Cat” and “Tango + the Sitting Cat.” The stories are my love letters to all who fear they're too odd, too damaged, too old, too whatever to find happiness. ContactdaAL@gmail.com • BuyMeACoffee.com/SupportHBT

47 thoughts on “Vid: My Bull-Friend + Austin + Podcast: G. Constans’ Novels are Movies”

  2. What lovely pics. And place.

    As for tourists, that’s what they are, so we shouldn’t be too harsh on them. I feel the same way when I see how impressed with Serbia tourists are. But can they really see the real picture? The poverty, tyranny, dirt, lethargy. Do they want to? Of course not, because all they want is to have fun. It’s not like they’ll live there. Once you become a citizen of a country, you’ll entitled to criticize it, I guess, and you most probably will.
    Our friends don’t understand why we are so critical of the EU and Germany in particular. Well, for the same reason. We see more living here than they do on TV.

    Liked by 4 people

      1. Double standards, hypocrisy, the all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others kind. As is the case with most rich countries, I guess. There will always be us and them, two opposites that don’t attract.

        The developed world is as a rule supportive of a totalitarian regime elsewhere, turning a blind eye to all wrongdoings as long as their expectations are met. Angela Merkel was booed on her last visit to Belgrade, Serbia, because she had been speaking highly of our authoritarian president for years on end. Now that he’s losing touch to reality, branding opposition leaders and journalists as “tycoons” or “fascists, hooligans and thieves,” “conspiring” to overthrow him, now that more and more people are raising their voices and protesting on the streets, the West is all of a sudden miraculously noticing abuse of power, media censorship, poll fraud, massive corruption, lack of public debates, absence of political will to solve assassinations and and and…

        Do want more?

        Liked by 3 people

        1. Sounds similar to Merkel/EU behavior toward other Mediterranean countries (Greece, Italy, Spain) over the last few years. Repugnant stuff.

          I’d be interested in any other details you felt comfortable talking about.

          Liked by 2 people

      1. Welcome to the real world.

        Yes, Germany too is all green, all bio, all organic and then (surprise, surprise!) opens a factory in Serbia, oblivious of environmental harm it will be causing. What is a no-no back home has turned into a land of endless possibilities elsewhere.

        Liked by 2 people

    3. I wish some of everyone’s taxes would go to making sure everyone stays at home of someone in another country for a month at least once every 5 years. I suppose the marketing fantasy to get tourists visiting is good not just in terms of revenue but of getting people to experience places rather than go by news. travel changes people, makes us care more when we’ve been to a place…

      Liked by 2 people

      1. That is a great idea!!!
        That is why I think that the exchange programmes for students and teachers are so important. As early as possible for children. If they learn from the start that different is not the same as worse or even dangerous, they might never get that idea.

        Liked by 1 person

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