Augo Photograph & Essay

My pops showing his infant granddaughter how to fire up his bike. Glad to have a dad that loves laughin. Celebrating all good dads today, rookies and vets like mine alike. And three cheers to women who carry and give birth to the kids that give good men the opportunity to be good dads. Dad wouldn't let me get away with not acknowledging the full scope of things! #thankspops

Our front lawn/wash room this week. We were the only humans for miles except for four Czech hikers who shared their wine when they came by. Color me impressed with these latitudes.

Took a couple years but finally got her home before dark. ❤️

Made a quick trip to Nebraska and squeezed in too-brief visits with almost all the good people and pets I love here, and got to welcome some brand new turkeys to the world. I love turkeys.

Nothing like a big ol birthday to make a fella feel fresh. This year I am struck by the realization that a mother is behind all these birthdays we celebrate, and I want to take a moment to bow to those who have committed the energy and enthusiasm required to rear and raise a person--especially I want to thank my mom. I'm so grateful that I get this chance to have a go at it all. This year my wife teamed up with others to throw an incredible surprise party for myself and my friends @imktfox and @ringoatringo at the most essential dive bar in Texas. Here is a picture of Rick the owner serenading us out with a perfect country song at the end of the night. Thanks all for the great year.

With Belgian beer, we celebrated the indescribable feeling of relief from having a successful green card interview yesterday. How wonderful it is to feel free. I'm so proud of my darling @niespret and amazed by the patience and determination that she showed over this past year. It's such a joyful and momentous occasion in our lives. Thanks to all for your love and support while we tackled this process. 🌞

Don't give up on it, now. Keep tryin and stay good. Bright and warm love to you all.

Happy birthday to my little sweet potato. Love you Liesbeth. ❤️😘

You may have heard that it snowed in central Texas! We are loving it.

Bendigo Bridge (Slime Bridge), Wimberley, TX 12/8/2017

Someone made her Godfather really, really proud by opting for a full face plant instead of a curious nibble when presented with her first birthday cake. 😍 Love you little Eleanor.

Embarking on the old 13 hour drive into the wind up I35-the crevasse of America's rump-tomorrow. Last time I did it I lost two lug nuts, all faith in the mechanical skills of Ardmore, Oklahomans, several hundred dollars, at least two gallons of sweat and possibly my favorite jacket. I gained only weight, eating what seemed to be sawdust hotdogs held together with horse hoof glue and made to look like greased wooden pegs--the standard gas station offering.

Very excited to become the godfather of my niece and celebrate her first birthday, and excited to see family and friends who I miss so much, and hoping @eljosharino is doin the turkey, but really Nebraska, look, why don't y'all just come here instead?

Wolf gets a lift from Uncle Bobby Dale during his first birthday party. It's been a true joy seeing friends @dust_foundry and @anamaul parent this pup for the last year. Judging by the kid's general demeanor, it's safe to say he's happy to be their boy. High fives all around!

An old photograph of my brother @eljosharino placing an order at Lisa's Radial Cafe. His ability to place a perfect order at a restaurant is worth beholding. Wednesday October 18 is his birthday. I implore everybody to celebrate it today and everyday with beverages and food that please your soul. And for the love of everything good and pure, be more like Big Aug! Calm down, be smart, do the right thing, believe in the virtue of making sense and accruing knowledge, watch a ballgame and enjoy kind-hearted buffoonery. The world needs 10/18 to be a planet-wide Be Like Big Aug Day.



Happy Birthday, love you brother.

It's been three weeks now so maybe everybody's looking ahead to the next one, but here's a shot of the moon and sun's big dance from my old tired canon at the top of a hill in an alfalfa field. My favorite part was the 360° first-light-of-dawn on the horizons.

Almost a decade ago, just exactly when I needed it, these guys extended a hand of friendship to me and it changed everything about my life. Ringo and Josh and their Annas have propped me up physically, emotionally, financially, and in so many other ways. The friends and bandmates I've made through them have similarly supported me in countless ways. But most important is they revealed to me and reinforced something about who I am that I had previously shied away from. Around them, I was able to feel like my full self, know my full self, and believe in myself. A lot has happened in 10 years, and on Saturday, in front of my loved ones, I married the most incredible person I've ever met. She loves me, and I feel I am properly equipped to love her in the deep way she deserves, and that would not have happened or been possible without these friend's guidance into my adulthood. And then! Our band played a packed Zoo Bar, which is my favorite thing to do with my friends. I just had the best weekend of my life, and I feel like I am going to be trying to find the words to say thank you for it to a lot of people for a long time, but I want to start here with the Kill County/Triggertown family. They showed me the way to this life. Love.

Very late on gathering the eggs today so we're gonna have breakfast at 11:30 PM to keep the cosmos balanced. You're welcome!

Love you babe. Two years has gone by so fast, and has kept my heart so full. I admire you. Prost, mijn Patatje ❤️ Everybody, look at this woman. She is a bright light in this world. If you don't know her I want you to. She is one of those people that makes you feel a little more complete, lucky to be alive, and happy to be awake and human. May you get the chance if you have not yet...

Outside fooling around on my telephone while Liefje sews decorations for a party we're about to throw. I am still approaching my to-do list with a big ol' 🤔.

Good to know we can tap into Kid County for back up if Bobby ever cuts his thumb off again.

I want to alert the world of a potential antidote to its problems. All everybody needs is a few moments a day to sit with Muss in a wheelbarrow, and, more importantly, to adopt a behavior focused around the forceful insistance that their neighbors experience daily peaceful moments with Muss in a wheelbarrow. Let the era of big-hearted kids asking Santa Claus for world peace end today!

To sit down, take a breath, look around, and recall that you are livin weird.

Barn /bärn/

A choice place to finish up the day.

If you work hard and do your best, when you're done, come on down to sit the slime bridge and swim the dog.

Thank you, Earth, for bringing friends together with turnips and beer. #earthday

You can't hear it by looking at this picture of a skylight installation (which I do not recommend any of my friends do unless you are interested in having fiberglass insulation in your underpants. Keep the insulation in the attic and the darkness in your living space.) but I was humming Flying Cowboys by Rickie Lee Jones when Mark burst through this roof like a giant living pitcher of #koolaid. Look up that music video to feel weird and have a happy Saturday.

@niespret and I planted a potato in my old boot. She is exactly my dream person.

That weekend felt more like a bathroom break, didn't it?

Well after 32 full years of drawing breath I'm still not sure what to do about anything but I'm pretty confident that I can ensure your deep inner calmness if you don't ruin anybody's day on purpose. Through this approach you may also find yourself amongst the greatest friends and family on earth everywhere you go. Works for me anyways. Thanks for the love everyone 😘

Free head massages all day at our parlor if you're a dog

Dear friends, I hope for a lot of things for you, and among them is a deep and sincere wish that you never have to put siding on a chimney.

As a budding transatlantic family, Liesbeth and I feel deep compassion for all the families so drastically affected by the rash pen flinging in DC. We understand well the inherent difficulties in a familial relationship that requires extensive travel and border crossings, and we know the realization that the forces of good arising from such a relationship make every ache worth it, and that by extension of that worthy goodness found in familial love, the world improves and grows more united in the effort to nourish humanity and virtue. Our understanding of how goodness prevails makes yesterday's news extremely distressing. Generalized compartmentalization of an individual's capacity to share and exemplify the efforts of peace based on their nationality is not an effective strategy against real or perceived threats. A pursuer of peace employs open hands, open ears, open hearts to all--always has been and always will be the case. Thoughts are with those families in shock today. Hoping for better news soon.

Peace to those who didn't make it, health to those of us who carry on. Into the fog we go--hope you find what you're looking for.

Every morning this mama deer is eating a little bit closer to my new bedroom window. Today I tried to play my clarinet for her and she shuffled off in a hurry. 😕