Laguna Gloria

This morning, Thumper and I strapped on the Snugli and set off to the Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria to seek adventure. We may not have found adventure, but we did find a really good time. And oak pollen. Lots and lots of oak pollen. I gave him a bottle on a bench under an oak tree upon our arrival, and by the time he finished, we and our stuff looked like we'd been spattered with bright yellow paint. We were ready for some art.

If you're unfamiliar with Laguna Gloria, as I was, it's an historic Italian villa surrounded by gorgeous grounds. I wasn't really expecting an experience like the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (OK, maybe I kind of was, a little), but the museum itself was, um, understated. Beautiful, but understated. It consists of black-and-white photos in each room depicting what the room looked like in its glory days as Clara Driscoll's home. Scattered throughout the villa was the current exhibit, a handful of paintings and photographs inspired by the grounds.

Thumper was surprisingly receptive to the exhibit, kicking and squealing in delight at more than one of the paintings. He particularly liked the more monochromatic offerings, like the deep blue pre-sunrise view of the lagoon and the vibrant green watercolor renditions of the flora. His favorite, though, was "Baby in a Bathroom Mirror." He has loved the replica we have here at home for as long as he can remember, but to see the original in a museum setting was particularly fulfilling.

The grounds, of course, are the real attraction to the place. We wandered down meandering garden paths around the lagoon, occasionally surprised by a sudden sculpture. We paused in one or two appropriate places for photographs. I let him practice his stair climbing skills. I plopped him down amongst the plants here and there to take his picture. I snapped one or two touristy shots of the grounds without the baby. Mostly, though, Thumper just wanted to grab everything and put it in his mouth. So we picnicked, watched the "big birdy" peacocks for awhile, and when the bluest one started to get territorial and puff himself up and threaten to kick our asses, we headed back to the car and home. Thumper was asleep within half a block, and thus, a fabulous time was had by all.