My 1st kayaking experience

I never try kayaking until I was in Austin.

There is this popular Zilker Park linkup with Town Lake just few minutes drive from our place.

Was quite nervous because I never tried and I am damn lousy in swimming and might be drowned.... -__-

Lucky I tried, and that was a whole new exciting experience opening up a whole new page in the book of my life.

This is where we rented our equipment @ Zilker Park..

There are a lot of people gathered here as well for kayaking as this is a popular activity during summer.

This is the starting point of our kayaking journey... see? the family of geese!!

Kayaking surrounded by a crowd of geese... and crystal clear blue river...

Jeezzz... that's my 1st time =)

We stepped into the very cool shallow water until above the knee, jump up to our kayak, and excitedly, our journey begins!!

We tried paddle the kayak heading to Town Lake to downtown Austin...
We don't really know how to paddle it and our kayak always went to the wrong direction or beign swept to the sides....

It took us quite awhile to know how to make the kayak heads to the right directions!!

Is not easy to balance ourselves in the kayak.. my heart beating in fear that few times we were nearly off balance and collapsed... -___-"'



We finally get the hang out of it and slowly heading out...

Wow... I never knew it would be so beautiful....This is indeed fascinating...

And hey!!! Is so cute watching the geese family swimming across in one row, and so near I can touch them...

I looked down on the cool water... and is very clean and clear...

And gosh!!!! I saw this little baby turtle swimming beside my kayak!!! Wow...!!!
See that?!

Geezzz.... This is mesmerizing...so stunningly gorgeous...you have to come and see it for yourself...

Ooohhh.....so many tortoises realxing on the stones bathing the warm sunny summer afternoon...

Holy cow!! What a picture!!

This is the Town Lake overlooking downtown Austin on a summer afternoon kayaking in the middle of nowhere...

Hehee... even the geese couple come out dating together with us kayaking.. =)
This is such a wonderful summer afternoon, experiencing the best-est nature!

Panaromic view of Town Lake and the prosper of Austin.. I just love it..

Oppsss.....some lady too thrilled that she stood on top of her board and paddled her way thru with only her bikini on...

Not something we usually see.... cheerz to her courage...!

And see the bridge on top..... a naked guy standing on the side, trying to perform a dive into the cool water...

Is the summer too hot that you need to be naked?!

DinoLand Austin...

There is an opportunity to visit DinoLand in Austin Botanical Garden, hidden in the woods.....

This is a whole new experience, like back to Jurassic Park!
One of the best outdoor adventures =)




Dinosaur!!! Woww.. looks so real...and so gigantic...!!~




This is the authentic Limestone Fossil... And I touched it.....

Can you see the Dino-bird creature flew through?

Woww.. they are so real...

See the little ancient creatures resting on the tree..

The woods is like going into a different time zone, into the mysterious zone of Jurassic...

Ooohhh....there!!! That's a huge one... can you see?!

Are you able to see the ancient big bird? See carefully...~~

This is a perfect natural camouflage in the woods!!

The dinosaur mum taking care of her babies.... so sweet~~~

Oh-huh.... this is Dinasour from Jurassic Park!!!!! Massively Enormous!! And REAL...

The creatures just blended nicely in the woods... they look like just belong there naturally... they look so harmless..

Wahhh.... she is damn huge...her tail is way too long I can't even captured in the picture...

She is defending her eggs...

This is some very weird creature trying to attack people nearby...

2 different types of dinosaurs fighting for food..

Cute little creatures here =)

Too bad they are already extincted many centuries ago......

It actually triggers me to take good care of our natural environment so that we can stop animals extinction, we can live harmony together and our next generation can also enjoy what we have today......

A better tomorrow, isn't that what we always wanted for our next generation?

When 'Alvin' is just so common..

This is Austin, where I stayed 8 months long at the nearby apartment.

I took this photo during sunset on the road, surprisingly mesmerizing & memorable... @.@

Austin is a place full of squirrels!! No jokes okie, really the heaven for squirrels and chipmunks like 'Alvin' :)

When I first came, I din't know about this. And everytime I see a squirrel or chipmunk, I would shout "Alvin! Alvin!!", so very excited and happy; for as squirrels are not common back home, where you can only see them in zoo...

Squirrels are too common in Austin, they are everywhere: running around in the park; beside the roads; climbing the trees; resting somewhere; eating the nuts on the bars etc.

And I tell you, they are really cute...

Hi Alvin!!!! hey!!!! come here!!..

Alvin trying to search for food, and running around the park...

Can you spot Alvin on the tree? hehe..

Hmmm... What kinda position is that?!

Run Alvin!!! Runn.... They are just everywhere...!!

Come down Alvin!!! hello helloooo~~~

Alvin still hiding up on the tree....

*Sniff* *Sniff* got nuts somewhere??!

Let me find find.....I can smell it~~~~

Heh.... why are you looking at me?!!

What do you want from me??

They are just so so adorable!!!! Cute little creautres!!!

They play by themselves; running around, jumping up and down, finding their own food, enjoying their own life...in their own world....

Mphh... anything to eat here...? hungry...

Hah, Alvin dangling on the branch outside the apartment's balcony, enjoying the summer evening warm sun, doing his own spa.. he looks so relaxing..

Squirrels and chipmunks, they are so appealing, very sweet and with really cool characters, that make me adores them alot :)

They too, help me reflects back on my own life now and then, and to always remind me, to work hard for my survival, at the same time, enjoy life as it is the coolest thing on earth!

Sweet memory of Grape Stomp Off @ Vintage Oaks, Texas

So that was Summer time last year in Texas...

We went to the Vintage Oaks winery for our first time ever Grape Stomp Off ..we don't really know what to expect... but we were told it will be fun!

Ready with our GPS, together with a group of frenz, we drove to Vintage oaks, a serene suburb 2hours drive from Austin, with astonishingly beautiful bangalows...

Waoooo.... My dream house........so elegant..! how I wish..

Woo...would I be able to earn myself a bangalow like this..?! It must cost a fortune!!!

My..my... I already start to fall in love with this place..!!!

Finally we arrived at Vintage Oaks winery..... enchanting castle like building.

This is fastinating... I like this place.. =)

Let's go in and have a look at this great place and to our first experience of Grape Stomp Off!

Wow... this is 5-star treat for the event! There are servings of high quality red and white grape wine, cheese and biscuits... All proudly Texas home grown!

Texas local red wine is undoubtly one of the best u can have... I just love it!

Had a few glasses before we started the event... hehehee...

See?

This is the equipment for Grape Stomp Off... we have a big wooden bucket, 2 bottles and a pail of quality local grown red grapes =)

The red grapes look so mouth-watering that I feel so guilty have to step on them with my bare feet later.. -____-

This is the place for Grape Stomp Off where we have 10 sets of equipments for 10 groups competing each time.. 1 group 2 persons, usually comes in couple or family siblings and frenz..

Beeppp!!!!!! The competition starts!

Squash..squash... squash.......squeeeeeze harder..

All the competitors are stepping hard and diligently on the grapes while their counterparts keep on brushing the grape juices down the pipe into the bottles..

Everyone is very very excited... all the shoutings and cheerings for their groups... all the sweating and grape juice splashing all over....!!!

Hahahaaa.... been a long time since we have so much fun!!!!

IT WAS FUN!!! =)

A closer look at how we squeezzze the grapes with our smelly feet....

Opsss.... not so appetizing, rite? ;p

TA DAHHH!!!!

This is our 'feet made' red wine product...... hehehee

*so proud like that*

**Ahemmmm**

This is how you will act like when you have too many glassess one shot...

Similar or not?

Heheheheeeeee...