The Brass Tap

Apr22

I went to downtown Round Rock this evening to enjoy “Music on Main Street” with a performance by a local bluegrass band. Once I had my fill of bluegrass music, I wandered across the street to try out a new place for me – The Brass Tap. I tried the hummus with fresh baked pretzels along with the Save the World Agnus Dei Wit draft beer. Yes, I did my part to represent on Earth Day. The history of this building includes time spent (1907 – 1942) as the Economy Drug Store. If you visit, you can see things like the original heart of pine floor, the original pressed tin ceiling, cast iron stools from the original soda fountain, the original orange marble which is now at the main bar, and an antique safe. There is the inside bar area, an outdoor patio, and a Biergarten with picnic tables to enjoy. If you find yourself in downtown Round Rock, then check out this place for some history, food and drinks.

Kawaii Shaved Ice

Apr21

Close to the water tower in Downtown Round Rock, there exists the most wonderful place for an icy treat when the weather begins to get warm again. The high today was 81 degrees Fahrenheit, so an afternoon trip to Kawaii Shaved Ice was the perfect plan. Some coworkers and I enjoyed the oasis-like setting for a short team building exercise. I ordered my standby shaved ice flavor – grape. We then enjoyed the shady tables, shooed off a few small bees who wanted in on the grape action but were too shy to pose for a photo, and had some nice conversations. I will have to remember to visit again soon and maybe experiment with a new flavor next time…

Taquerias Arandinas

Apr15

If you are in Round Rock and are looking for breakfast or lunch, give Taquerias Arandinas a try. Their Mexican food leans to more authentic Mexican as opposed to the typical Tex-Mex. Some friends and I had lunch there today, and I was pleasantly surprised. My selection was the Migas plate, and it made for a tasty lunch!

Bluebonnet Beer Company

Apr10

So, it turns out that Round Rock has a small brewery. Bluebonnet Beer Company opens its doors to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings and invites the Sweet-n-Cheezy food truck along for the ride. The brewery has been described as “homebrewing on steroids”. They currently have four different brews on tap that they produce for some area bars and restaurants. In addition to that, they offered a seasonal beer which was my beer of choice this evening – a Belgian Wit that is “brightened with the zest of fresh, seasonal Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit”. Definitely check this place out if you find yourself in the area. As a bonus, there is a nice thick field of Bluebonnets just next door. 🙂

More Red

Apr8

I am motoring around the Round Rock Outlet Mall today. As usual, I hit up the Starbucks, this time for an iced green tea and some internets. There is more red in the beautiful blooming rose bushes outside then you would imagine possible. On the inside, they are playing music I’ve never heard before and one groovy lyric stuck with me.

“You can dance in a hurricane, but only if you’re standing in the eye.”

The YouTube video of the song “Eye” by Brandi Carlile is linked below if you want to give it a listen.

Vulture Babies

Apr2

There is this secluded corner of the building at work where the Vultures return year after year to lay their eggs. I believe these to be Black Vultures. There are two baby birds this year, and typically they will stick around for about three months or so. This spot is next to a conference room, so you can take pictures through the dusty windows without disturbing the family. It is a unique experience to watch them grow up, learn to fly, and then leave this temporary home for another one.

Cuba Bakery & Cafe

Mar30

Today’s lunchtime mission was to get some empanadas. According to Wikipedia, “Cuban empanadas are typically filled with seasoned meats (usually ground beef or chicken), folded into dough, and deep-fried.” That was the case at Cuba Bakery & Cafe in Round Rock. In the third picture you can see the state of the empanadas in the display case after my friend and I got our orders. We almost cleaned them out of the chicken and beef ones. Now we just need to time our assault so that we arrive as they are just coming out of the oven. Yummy!

Cinderella

Mar23

A nice version of the classic story.

“Have courage and be kind.”

Blur

Mar10

Ever taken some throwaway snapshots that had some cool colors or interesting subject matter, but were taken from the wrong vantage point? That is what happened at sunset tonight. Instead of tossing these, I added a simple blur effect to try and make things better. The first photo has a circular blur, and the second photo has a linear blur. I didn’t fall in love with either one, but the colors of the sunset were nice.

For those who are wondering, I have added the original photo from the first edit below. Now you can see everything before the blur was added, including all of the nice colors from the sunset and the not so nice reflection from the window I was standing behind.

Up-Up-Up With a Fish

Mar9

It rained all day today, and then it rained some more. After work, I find myself in the Round Rock Public Library, where they were holding a demonstration of a 3D printer in action. I rounded the corner, and found this piece of Art (number 923 out of 2500). Pretty cool, and totally appropriate for today’s weather.

“The sun did not shine.
It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house
All that cold, cold, wet day.”

earthrobert

Tag Archives: Round Rock