Callahan's General Store

Welcome to Callahan's General Store.  

Callahan's has been serving the Austin Area for over 30 years and me personally for almost 20 years.  I love Callahan's because it's such a fun place to visit, especially on Saturdays when they have live music, food, and baby animals to hold.

Each Saturday, different critters are available for a closer look.  I've seen some of the most beautiful roosters, the cutest little baby goats, and this Saturday I met a pig named Spud.  Spud is a Bastrop fire rescue pig who is making himself at home at Callahan's while his family rebuilds their home.

So, what do I shop for at Callahan's?  That's a tough question to narrow in on, because they have everything from hardware to western wear including home decor, kitchen items, books, garden supplies, feed, baby animals and the list just goes on and on.

One of my first purchases at Callahan's was a food dehydrator that I bought to make my own beef jerky and dried fruit.  Food dehydrators can be found in the kitchen department along with all sorts of other tools and gadgets.

During my futile attempts to learn how to do the Texas Two Step, I outfitted myself in some authentic western wear from Callahan's.  I still have my classic western shirt, which goes perfectly with my red Justin Ropers.

Browsing the home decor department is a feast for the eyes.  There's so much cool stuff.  This is the perfect place to shop for gifts for Christmas, special occassions, or just because.  

If you're looking for super fun gifts, look no further.  Callahan's stocks gifts for sports fans as well as fans of a good sense of humor.  After all, who can resist talking frog slippers or squirrel underwear?  In fact, there's a little boy squirrel running around my yard who could really use these underwear (hee hee).

These days Callahan's serves as my backyard chicken headquarters.  I purchased my girls from their chick room which is full of little baby chicks, especially in the spring.

At Callahan's you can get all your backyard chicken supplies served up with a healthy portion of free advice if you need it.  The folks at Callahan's are very knowledgeable and ready to help.

If chickens aren't you're thing, maybe wild birds are more to your taste (no pun intended).  Callahan's has everything the backyard birder could want including bird houses, feeders and seed.

I saved my favorite department for last:  GARDEN!!!  Callahan's has seeds, tools, gloves, plus all my favorite fertilizers:  Hasta Gro, fish emulsion, and liquid seaweed.  Callahan's even stocks my favorite Lady Bug products. 

As you can see, Callahan's has a lot to offer, and I haven't even included it all.  I hope you'll go see for yourself sometime.  

Thanks for shopping local.

Garden Junk

Let’s talk garden junk.  I am absolutely fascinated by the crazy and fun things that people choose to display in their yards.  Old neighborhoods and small towns are the best for spotting some of the most interesting garden junk.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the display is intentional or perhaps just forgotten.

This red rocking dog sitting pretty on a front lawn seems to have found a friend.

Bird baths are as ubiquitous in Texas towns as wishing wells and wind mills. 

Swings are popular too, but it’s not every day you get to see swinging begonias.

Mushrooms are the “Where’s Waldo” of the landscape.  Frequently hidden and low to the ground, they aren’t always as easy to spot as these larger than life specimens.

Speaking of “larger than life”, this frog seems to have replaced the stereotypical lawn jockey at this residence.

Garden junk should make you smile.  These little guys are just so goofy, they crack me up.

Who could resist the face of this little hippo?

Afraid of color?  Not at this house, where a colorful, sunny face is perfectly at home on this pink and yellow porch.

I hope you stuck with me because I’ve saved the best for last.  A throne fit for any gardener and the master of all garden junk.  I can only hope someday to achieve this level of garden junk-dom.

Downtown Views

Welcome to downtown Austin. 

The city might be made of concrete and steel, but Downtown, the hard surfaces are softened by green plants whenever possible.  This softening is evident at City Hall, where natural stone blends with native and adapted plants. 

These beautiful rock planters provide the perfect containers for xeriscape plantings.

Interesting… someone left their rock here.

A metal sheep looks down from the top of the City Hall’s roof top terrace.

The roof top terrace views look out across the city as well as the roof top gardens.

Roof Top Terrace South West View

Roof Top Terrace South East View

Along San Antonio Street, metal planting boxes full of Little John Bottle Brush and Mexican Feather Grass present an unexpected sculptural element to passersby.

At a downtown restaurant, a fig vine grows to amazing heights.

Along Town Lake, mature oaks provide shade to nearby benches.

Bald Cypress trees line a paved stone walkway.

Coaxing trees to grow in large metal planters adds an element of green to the side walk.

Forests of trees, in perfect alignment, appear to sprout from the concrete.

A roof top planted with trees illustrates that in the urban landscape, no surface is overlooked.