Austin City Limits and Beyond!

 While speaking at the Lake Austin Spa Resort, one of my biggest treats and greatest surprises was getting to know organic gardening guru, Trisha Shirey - the Director of Flora and Fauna at the Resort.

 We were like two organically grown peas in a pod, trudging off to collect plants for our hands-on container planting demonstration.  Our first stop - the kitschy/clever little garden store called Sunshine Nursery.

  Garden Art!

 Displays for inspiration.

 Our next stop was a container gardener's mecca - look at those colors!

 Look at all these options! And the funky black containers

 At the Natural Gardener

 I absolutely loved these guys - they followed me all over the nursery.

 Beautiful gardens throughout the grounds

 Inside the butterfly garden

 the maze at the Natural Gardener

 I've never seen Euphorbia so large.

 The maze

 An exact replica of Willi Nelson's guitar

My momma always said that country music guitar playing would grow on me.

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me That Heaven Was Somewhere Close to Lake Austin Spa Resort?

Nothing like a shaded hammock on a warm summer afternoon to call my name...

As I landed in Austin, Texas, about nine hours ago, the thought crossed my mind that I had never actually spoken to anyone in person about the speaking gig that I was heading toward. We'd had lots of emails and confirmations, and I'd looked up their information online - impressed by the Conde' Nast ratings and their online presence. But I had never actually spoken to or even met anyone from this resort and I started to get a little nervous. My fears were calmed a little by the fact that the limo driver they had scheduled was there waiting for me, with my name in his hands, as I descended the stairs to baggage claim, and fell away even more as we entered the drive into the Resort. 

The pathway to the spa was what I would have envisioned being like  Grecian bath house.

Shaded verdandas covered with vines

water features throughout the resort create a quiet ambience

The pathway to my room

Loved this funky flower - no idea what it is

There is a calming symmetry to the resort

with well tended trumpet vines to accent the trellised walkways.

 A few of my new friends along the way

Reflections through the library window (you can see my arm taking the picture!)

The place where I am giving the seminars - Lake Austin Spa Resort - is a total escape from reality. Right now I'm sitting on the charming porch of my accommodations after a delectable meal (with veggies grown from their garden) delivered t

o my room, listening to the sounds of late summer with the garden and river before me in the fading sunlight. Citronelle candles keep mosquitos somewhat at bay, a glass of wine and a riveting novel in hand after a day of travel and exploration - the only thing that awaits me is a deep bathtub with bathing salts, a lavender scented bedroom, and the gentle hum of cicadas to lull me to sleep. This is my kind of speaking gig.