Today we are going to try and find evidence of spring. It has been a challenging winter, and a lift of the spirits is in order. We are catered by Odd Duck of Austin. Our entertainment is Willie Nelson.
menu
starters
Gulf seafood ceviche, carrot leche de tigre, strawberry, radish, potato chips
Grilled kale salad, fennel, citrus, sunchoke dukkah, shiitake ranch
Charred broccoli, chèvre, mole spice, apple gastrique, sesame
Cast iron cheddar cornbread, green garlic butter
Mushroom tamal, kohlrabi cheese, field greens, cilantro
Smoked oyster chowder, turnip, pork belly, brassica greens, pork rinds
Main
Capellini pasta, sunchoke cacio e pepe, TX cheddar, carrot salsa macha
Blackened redfish, sourdough sauce, wilted romaine, pecan, lemon
Grilled quail, XO fried rice, braised greens, beet BBQ, fried chicken skin
Dry-aged wagyu burger, blue beer cheese, tostada, pork birria jam, cabbage slaw
Aged pork loin, tzatziki, caramelized fennel, beets, pepitas
Chile beer glazed short rib, radish kimchi, sweet potato, peanut
Dessert
Lime mousse, strawberry sorbet, puffed rice, butter mochi
Orange flan, amaro candied fennel, almond tuile, citrus, orange blossom water, fennel pollen
Sunchoke blondie, caramelized white chocolate, sherry vinegar caramel, cocoa nib ice cream
Let’s go.
Our first sign of spring is a blooming mountain laurel
To double-check to make sure the first mountain laurel isn’t a fluke, here’s another.
The oldest redbud in the neighborhood.
Another redbud showing off.
A close-up of mountain laurel blossoms. They smell like grape Kool-Aid
A cross vine bloom and those waiting to pop.
Another large redbud.
A very happy fig. Of course, The Producer puts it inside when the temps are projected to be below freezing. Those days are supposed to be behind us. (knock wood)
The bougainvillea loves the warmer temperatures.
A lone rose left after the seasonal trim.
The greenbelt has blooms.
Another greenbelt bloom making a break for it.
I hope you enjoyed the tour. It is now time to relax and have some food and listen to music.
Fiction Favorites 
I spotted a couple of daffodils pushing through in the garden, even though the temperature was only 4°C when I got up at 8.30 this morning!
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I think that is how the got the nickname ‘Daffys’ 😊
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😀
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Yes, we have signs of Spring in England. Chilly weather is coming, so I hope I won’t lose more plants. My lawn is a mess
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Most lawns are a mess right now. Thanks, Paula. I hope the weather is not too chilly.
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It appears we’ve jumped right into summer, AC on and all! I love the variety of blossoms you get. Here I’m seeing hibiscus, periwinkle and a few roses. So I’ll take the pork loin and sit back to enjoy old Willie.
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Excellent, GP. Our hibiscus is not blooming right now. It likes warm over time.
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Once again you are tempting me with that grilled kale salad, John. But I don’t get Gulf seafood up here very often, so I’ll go with the ceviche. Then the aged pork loin, and I’ll finish that off with a sunchoke blondie.
As for sings of spring, damn, you have green stuff! These are wonderful and hopeful photos. We may be weeks away (and we did get some snow overnight) but spring is coming.
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For us here we will have 90s before we know it so we kind of luxuriate in the 70s and 80s.
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I loved seeing the mountain laurel! It’s a favorite, for sure. The purple flower in your last photo is spiderwort — another tough one, and an early bloomer that’s showing up here, too.
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Thank you, Linda. As you guessed I did not know the name and The Producer is visiting daughter.
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Hope spring shows up and stays. Keep seeing signs then it gets cold and kills the flowers. Just like last year.
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I think we are finished with hard freezes.
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It’s wonderful to see the first signs of spring, isn’t it? Beautiful photos, John. I didn’t know mountain laurel smells like Grape Kool Aide! Yum! Wishing the family a peaceful Sunday.
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Wish you a peaceful Sunday as well, Jill
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Always fun to see what’s going on in your neighborhood, John, and today I learned something new. Texas Mountain Laurel looks nothing like North Carolina Mountain Laurel, which is a cup-shaped blossom, usually pink or white. I love that yours smell like grape Kool-Aid!
Thanks for sharing! 😀
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😁 Thanks for the lovely comment.
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Some great shots of signs of spring. It’s on its way! Willie Nelson is the perfect pick too.
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I thought he would make a good addition to the spring theme. Thanks, Darlene
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Oh, wow what beauties! The Redbuds are well into their bloom! It will be sometime before I see any flowers blooming. We got another 4 inches of snow and are expecting more over the next 4 days.
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You have such a beautiful view the snow can only enhance it. 😁
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It does indeed! 😀
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😊
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Beautiful, John! It sure makes Texas look good. You know what we’re going through up here. Ice storms and power outages. Thank goodness for generators.
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My sister lives in Farmington (near Detroit) and has had a whole house generator for years. It runs quite often in the winter.
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Whole house generators are great. Our son has been using our generator for three days now. We didn’t lose power.
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Sounds like you are the saving factor.
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Wonderful tour, John. It’s great to see signs of Spring. We’ve not a glimmer of Spring–snow still covers the area. Enjoy the sunshine and the wonders of a new season. 🌹🌷🌹
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Thank you, Gwen. We do like spring for sure.
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I feel like I am totally missing something. Most of your menu items are things I have never heard of.
I adore your signs of spring.
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Well, that is Texas for you. Most people think of Texas food in beans, beef , and tortilla terms. It is way more complex that that. (Of course Texans like their beans, beef , and tortillas too.
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Beans, beef, and tortillas are perfect for this Californian. 😊
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😁
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I had to wait for that gorgeous song to end – what a touching tune.
As for our lunch, oh my goodness, so many delicious things to choose from.
I love your signs of spring; they really are uplifting!
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I’m glad, Dale. I felt good putting the post together. I love Willie and thought this song was a perfect tie in to spring.
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It was a lovely post all around. I love Willie, too and this one really was perfect.
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He is getting up there too.
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He is…. but he keeps on going…
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He does.
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Interesting how different parts of the country warm up. It’s still winter here, but we never got any reasonable amounts of snow. Looks like more drought for the West.
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Sadly it is a seven year cycle and this is year three.
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The blooming is starting here as well – daffodils in the meadow where a farm once stood and threatening to open in our patio box. Pear trees are creating arbors of white blossoms (although they do stink). Very early though.
I think I’ll just have the seafood ceviche with the corn bread! Yum!
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The ceviche does sound good, Noelle. Those crazy Daffy’s are always out there early.
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They make me happy!
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Me too.
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So lovely to see a bit of spring! We are once again snow covered up here but I have no doubt, spring is just around the corner!
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It is just around the corner.
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These are delightful, John — thank you for sharing early Spring. Those of us longing for the warmer temperatures and flowering trees really needed it! (Not that our winter has been so terribly awful. In fact, according to the weather guys and gals, it’s been unseasonably warm. But gray. Lots of gray.)
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The gray skys are the worst.
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Nice to see those spring blooms, John 🙂 I think it will be a while before we see that or even daffodils under all this snow.
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Yes you have a ton of it now.
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I see the bus is still there.
Otherwise it is nice to see all these spring blossoms. Here we are not that far yet.
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The bus is here. We do get an early spring.
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Nobody compares to Willie. That menu is amazing, John. I’m glad I haven’t had lunch yet, because I would have been hungry all over again. And how wonderful to see so many gorgeous spring flowers already. Thanks so much for this warm and lovely collection. Hugs.
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Thank you, Teagan. I’m glad we could find a little spring. Hugs
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How lovely to see such pretty signs of spring (and smelling like koolaid!). We’re getting snow, John, which is very odd for this time of year. I’m looking forward to some flowers!
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Yes. Flowers definitely trump snow.
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Wonderful preview of Spring, and Willie certainly provides a lovely accompaniment. One of each dessert from the Odd Duck will finish off a lovely visit today!
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I would like to go to the Odd Duck right now.
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Spring has arrived in your neighborhood for sure. I love the Mountain Laurels. They grew everywhere out in the brush where I grew up. I don’t think I have ever heard this Willie Nelson song. Thanks for brunch!
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I’m gad you enjoyed the visit, Jo. Have a great week,
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I love the mountain laurel trees, and isn’t it just cool that they smell like grape Kool-aid? Great photos! Spring is around the corner.
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Thank you, Jan. I think it is sneaking in.
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I’m glad that the spring is on the way. dear John! 🙂 🌹🌹🌹🍤🍤🍤🍻
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It certainly is here. Thanks, Maria. 🍰🥂
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All these colors are a most welcomed sight, Boss.
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Thank you, Marc. Welcome to me too.
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So many colorful blooms! It snowed all weekend here.
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Well snow has it’s place too.
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Yes, it does. The snow covers up all the dirt.
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😁
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Buds’n’blooms?
Lucky!
We’ve got snow’n’shovels!
Yet, I feel fortunate… happy … a sort of inner bloom.
Have a great week, John!
🐂💋🐂💋🐂💋🐂💋
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Inner bloom is the best. 🤗😘🐂🐂🐂🐂
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Agree!
🐂🌹🐂🌸🐂🌼🐂🌺
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🐂🌻🐂💐🐂🥀🐂🪷
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Wonderful flowers and blossoms, John.
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Thank you, Robbie. We are hoping the freezes are finished.
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Our azaleas are blooming over here as well as some Redbuds. I’d like our temps to be a bit cooler, but I hope we don’t get any more freezes. It would be sad to see all those blossoms turn to mush!
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That is the tense part of this time of year. Thanks, Marie.
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We’ve had daffodils blooming for the past couple weeks around here, and that’s just crazy. I’ve never seen them bloom this early.
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It is crazy.
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Give me some pork loin. I’ll sit by the red buds and listen to Willie, a very favorite singer. We’re way behind your Spring. Trying hard to catch up.
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You’ll make it, Steve. Thanks
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👍
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I’ll live vicariously through your beauty photos, John. We’re in the middle of a blizzard. 🙂
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That truly sucks. 🙄
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Beautiful signs of spring, John, and Willie Nelson is the perfect choice. We’re getting a lot of rain now, so the weeds are thriving. 🙂 Enjoy your day!
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Thank you, Lauren. The weeds have to live too.
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🥹
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Thank you for the flowers, because we’re still snow blowing. I love the oldest redbud in the neighborhood.
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It is an old tree, Jennie
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🙂
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[…] Views of the Neighborhood – Search for Spring […]
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You’re on your way to spring out there, John! We have a few signs here 🙂
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Excellent, Barbara.
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Brilliant colours!
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Thank you, Ankur.
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I love this post!
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I’m so glad you did. Thanks for letting me know.
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