New school year...end of summer...

A couple days ago, the city of Austin public schools began the new year and classes begin at UT today.  

It's always seemed weird to me when begins in August, rather than the day after Labor Day, like it did in Chicago when I was growing up.  Anyway, I haven't been blogging a lot this summer, so here's a much-abbreviated post of "What I did last summer." 

Of course, the bulk of the summer was working on the follow-up to CHRONAL ENGINE :-).

In July, Cyn and I did a trip to Galveston, where we went to Moody Gardens and saw some penguins.  We also did a trip to the Railroad Museum and wandered around the Strand.

Avian dinosaurs at Moody Gardens

Another avian dinosaur at Moody Gardens

Cyn at the Bishop's Palace

Big cruise ship

Me and a diesel  locomotive. 

Me and a steam locomotive

At the Rain Forest Cafe

With the ghosts at the railroad museum...

Then, after just enough time at home to do laundry, we headed out to Honesdale, PA, to teach the Highlights Foundation YA Whole Novel Workshop.  It was a great deal of fun -- good food, relaxed, collegial atmosphere, and a lot of writing time.  Unfortunately, I took the draft of CEII down to the bones....  Best of all, it was about 25 degrees cooler than in Texas. :-). 

Giving my speech on Voice.

The cabin in the woods...