In July, I flew to Austin, Texas for Melanie’s birthday! I also wanted to meet Mudskipper, the capybara who doesn’t like water.

Skip and Melanie

Mudskipper is about 6 months old and thinks he is a cat. He doesn’t like to swim and loves cat food. His cat isn’t allowed outside and so he pines by the window instead of grazing, swimming, or destroying the garden, the favorite hobbies of many capybaras.

Pining away for his cat, Driftwood

We went out to the big town of Buda to plan Melanie’s party, drink beer, and listen to music, not necessarily in that order.

Tavern on Main, Buda, Texas

I stayed with Coral, Melanie’s daughter.

Coral and Melanie

Melanie’s friend Carol flew in from Southern California. She stayed at Mudskipper’s Melanie’s house.

Melanie enjoyed the last day of her youth. Birthday the next day.

Carol and Coral share the same birth date. It’s completely coincidental that their names are so similar.

Coral spent the evening texting to a man she insists is not her boyfriend.

The Mudskipper

Turn around so we can see that cute nose!

That’s better.

Coral has a brand new house near Melanie’s. It is both big and beautiful!

Where the party is!

It has interior details like a round vestibule and stone arches.

Entry vestibule

The party planning continued for days on end. Carol and I shopped and shopped and then shopped again.

Carol and Melanie, working hard.

Coral has a great party house. Too bad I didn’t get any actual party pictures.

I was too busy taking cold medicine and trying not to sneeze on people to do any serious party photography.

I don’t have quite enough to do, so I am putting together a little landscape plan for Coral’s back yard.

The landscaping in Coral’s back yard is understated elegance.

So far all I have created is a basic plant list and a rough concept sketch. I’ll spiff the sketch up a bit, finish the plant list, and throw some labels on it . . . in September. Landscaping is expensive, and the best time to plant is fall, so there’s no rush. Still, it’s fun to have a plan.

So far, so good.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . .

Muddy is still hoping someone will give in and let his cat out.

Skip doesn’t like water much, but he does love his kitty. He is 100% capybara, though, and eventually his love of water will prevail.

“I will be loyal to you forever, Driftwood.”

I understand that since this trip, Muddy is already starting to appreciate his wading pools.

He’s drinking the water, but not much else going on that looked like pre-swimming activity.

On the way home, I adopted some pets at the airport.

I’ve already lost one. Responsible Pet Ownership