Views of the Neighborhood – Yard Decorations

Happy Mother’s Day

I have to admit it is a slow week in the neighborhood. The Producer did see some unusual yard decorations, so that is what the tour is all about today. We are being catered by Ten Ten of Austin. Our entertainment is The Yardbirds. (Of course)

Menu

Grilled squash, black garlic, baby spinach.

Charred hamachi kama black garlic, pickled vegetables

Sea bass miso butter, bok choy

Pork belly ssamjang, baby lettuce, pickles

Short rib Japanese bbq, shimeji

Wagyu new york strip summer squash, shiso

A5 wagyu tenderloin hatcho miso, 8oz

A5 wagyu strip shiso wasabi gremolata 14oz

A5 wagyu ribeye veal truffle demi-glace 24oz

Picture of an old time school bus

The bus is ready.

We start with a dinosaur and a frog character. (Sorry for the fuzzy photo, but it had to be taken from a distance.

A slightly tilted wind sculpture.

A full-blown windmill.

Mushrooms and lights.

A very strange headless monk. (I think monk.)

One of the more weird yard decorations. When the wind blows, there is an illusion of motion.

Another wind sculpture and some steel flowers at its base.

A glass something sitting among rocks.

Totally weird. Our favorite purple house now has aliens. Two kid aliens are taking a nap on the ground.

Back to normal. Steel sunflowers. (Yeah, they are normal)

That is the tour. I hope you have a great week. now enjoy the food and music.

99 comments

  1. What a nice morning excursion…I’m a little concerned about the alien babies. I think that l may have the monk’s head in my garage…will check after l finish my coffee. Thanks John and you guys have a nice day.🤗

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Have a great day, BT. Yeah, let me know about the head. Thanks. 😁

      Like

  2. I’ll have the squash, John. I enjoyed the tour, but I’m still trying to figure out the purpose of the headless monk!

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    1. I cannot help, GP. I thought it very strange. 😳

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      1. 🤪😏

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Love the terrific displays of imagination!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Annette. 😁

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Hm, maybe the monk used to have a head.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think he might of had one. Gotta wonder. Thanks, Vera.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Aliens and headless monks? For a minute I thought it was Halloween! Happy Mother’s Day to anyone who loves and mothers someone, including fur babies.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Darlene. Happy Mother’s Day to you. 😁

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Cool collection. Fuzzy or not, I think the dinosaur is my favorite.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It is very cool in person.

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  7. There must be a backstory to the headless monk. Hmm, the possibilities are endless and intriguing. 😄

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I wish I knew the story. We’ll just have to make something up, I suppose. Happy Mother’s Day, Gwen. 😁

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  8. I like how the house with aliens still has jack o’lanterns out front, too.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They have a permanent Halloween display.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hm, looks like the glass something among the rocks could be used as a head for the headless monk. You’re a good negotiator, try and put that deal together.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I like that line of thinking. Good idea, Dan.

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    2. Don’t be silly. The glass something would not work. Who are you anyway? Glass and stone don’t work. I’d like to think that the head is around somewhere. Just call me Ichabod Crane.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Okay, Ichabod. Where did you put the head?

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      2. Ah yes, the head. There is a price on the head.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. If it is more than 9 bucks you can keep it.

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  10. Love the aliens. I wonder what the story is behind them. The Yardbirds are a perfect accompaniment to the Japanese bbq.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The Yardbirds was The Producer’s idea given the yard decoration theme.

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      1. Perfect! But I’ll bet only us oldtimers know the Yardbirds!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I think you are right, Noelle. 😁

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  11. As soon as I read Yardbirds, “For Your Love” started playing inside my head. With all due respect to your purple-housed neighbors, the alien display is just plain tacky.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I have to agree with the tacky, Liz. I could not believe it when I saw the display.

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      1. Do you have an HOA? Wouldn’t they frown on that sort of thing?

        Liked by 1 person

      2. We don’t have an HOA. We have city codes which none of these things violate. Don’t forget we are close to Austin and the city’s unofficial motto is “Keep Austin Weird.”

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      3. OK, got it! (I think.) 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  12. A very eclectic collection. Love the sunflowers, and agree the green aliens are weird.

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    1. Yes indeed. Very weird. 😁

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  13. I would like the grilled squash, please! Oh my … every day is Hallowe’en in your neighborhood! I LOVE the dinosaur & frog, the mushrooms, and even the aliens. The bicycle one … looks too much like someone I’d rather not think about! And metallic sunflowers … who knew? At least the squirrels won’t eat those! Fun trip today, John! Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Glad you enjoyed it Jill. Thanks for coming along. 😁

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  14. Yard art. Like some other things there is no accounting for yard art.

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    1. To each his own.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Hi John, some of these decorations are rather eccentric

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    1. Um..You think?

      Liked by 1 person

  16. I love how eclectic these decorations are, John. The aliens are so unusual, the bicyclist would be fun to see when the wind blows, the headless monk is bizarre, and the mushrooms and lights are full of whimsy. Toss in the Yardbirds and it’s a great tour!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Mae. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. Also thanks for letting me know. 😊

      Like

  17. D.L. Finn, Author · ·

    Thank for the fun tour. The alien house cracked me up!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I have no idea where one would get a group of aliens. Thanks, Denise.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Gotta love that headless monk. I do like the cyclist.

    I’ll go with the short ribs.

    Happy Mother’s Day to the Producer.

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  19. Imaginative yard decorations, John, with some weirdness too. Nice!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Tim. I think you have the recipe right.

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  20. The headless monk leaves one to ponder. Did it ever have a head? What happened to the head? Endless questions. But my all-time favorite is the house with the aliens. That’s a loud statement! Thanks for the tour, John!

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    1. Thank you, Jan. Yes more unanswered than answered questions this week. 😁

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  21. Those green aliens make no sense. Glad I don’t live next to the purple house. The headless body must have story, but then I guess the aliens have a weird story. Thanks for ending on normal flowers and providing great food! Have a good week, John. Thanks to the Producer for finding these treasures.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Jo. I guess it takes all types.

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  22. Thanks for the tour, John.
    Hey, your fave purple house has aliens, for sure.
    They are merely pretending to be yard statues.
    They are walking among us!
    They’ll have the Squash dish, please!
    👽𝖃 👽𝖃 👽𝖃 👽𝖃

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I thought the same about the aliens. Every time I go by their house they have moved. Love these emojis 👽𝖃 👽𝖃 👽𝖃 👽𝖃

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      1. 🎨👽𝖃 👽𝖃 👽𝖃 👽𝖃🎨
        We are engaged in emoji art!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. You are a master. ⚇⚔︎ ⚇⚔︎ ⚇⚔︎ ⚇⚔︎

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Dahling! Pass the paint brush, please!
        🎨𝐗 🎨𝐗 🎨𝐗 🎨𝐗

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Here you go. 🧹 ⚙️⚒ ⚙️⚒ ⚙️⚒ ⚙️⚒

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Ahh, a broom paint brush!
        I’ll need an 8′ x 10′ canvas to lay on the floor. I’ll roll my naked body in a tub of blue paint. Then I’ll writhe all over the canvas.
        After it dries, I’ll use the broom to sweep about other colours.
        Have you ever seen this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdlL3b33ruU

        Liked by 1 person

      6. I have not seen the Dent video before. It is amazing. Do you need any help with the blue paint project? 🛠🪙 🛠🪙 🛠🪙 🛠🪙

        Liked by 1 person

      7. YUP! 💙⨶🧹💙⨶🧹💙⨶🧹💙⨶🧹

        Liked by 1 person

      8. Oh, good. 🧢⨶🧹🦋⨶🧹🫐⨶🧹🐳⨶🧹

        Liked by 1 person

      9. 💋🧢⨶🧹🦋⨶🧹🫐⨶🧹🐳⨶🧹💋

        Like

      10. 💋🧢⨶🧹🦋⨶🧹🫐⨶🧹🐳⨶🧹🌹

        Like

      11. 🌹💋🧢⨶🧹🦋⨶🧹🫐⨶🧹🐳⨶🧹🌹

        Like

      12. 🌹🌹💋🧢⨶🧹🦋⨶🧹🫐⨶🧹🐳⨶🧹🌹 +Blue paint

        Liked by 1 person

      13. LOL!
        I take it there is no blue paint emoji out there.
        Well, we’ll just have to make do!
        💙 ~ 🥧 – e & 🐜
        🐂🐂🐂🐂

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      14. There is no nude or blue paint emoji so I guess the 💙 ~ 🥧 – e & 🐜 will have to be blue paint. Still working on the other.
        🐂🐂🐂🐂

        Liked by 1 person

      15. 💙 🐂🐂🐂🐂 💙

        Liked by 1 person

      16. 💙 🐂🐂🐂🐂 💙 😊

        Liked by 1 person

      17. ⚙️⚒ ⚙️⚒ ⚙️⚒ ⚙️⚒

        Liked by 1 person

      18. 😁X 😁X 😁X 😁X

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Your neighbour is taking a turn for the worse, John. Is there something in the water? Too many Thursdays?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. See what happens when you allow too much freedom of expression. (and easy access to margaritas)

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Well now… Those aliens are disconcerting – don’t even try to blend in with the natives! It was enough for one to lose his head! I do love me the ‘shrooms, though…
    Happy Sunday!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Dale. Happy Sunday to you. 🤗

      Liked by 1 person

  25. I think I like the sunflowers the best…guess I’m boring. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You have good taste. Thanks, Jill.

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  26. There are some seriously creative decorations in your neighborhood, John. I’m thinking you should interview the people who live in the purple house for your blog.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I should interview them. Thanks, Teri.

      Liked by 1 person

  27. The menu sounds yummy, John, and the dinosaur and frog are a bit quirky, but the aliens, well, they’re something else, aren’t they? 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The aliens are something for sure, Lauren. 😁

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Those are some strange decorations! Aliens standing guard over the entrance with kid aliens on the ground? That headless monk? The dinosaur and frog? That weird bicycle thing? Well, to each his own, I guess. At least, now I have an appreciation for my own neighbors, ha!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes our neighbors do have some quirks for sure.

      Liked by 1 person

  29. Fantastic finds John. And my mouth was watering at that miso seabass 🙂

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    1. I had my eye on it too. 😁

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      1. I hope you saved me some, lol 🙂

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      2. 🙂 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for sharing, Michael. 😁

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  30. Thanks for sharing these great insights. What a very artistic community you have. Living there must be a great pleasure. Best wishes, Michael

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Michael. Yes there are many eccentrics here. 😁

      Like

  31. That was a clever yard decoration with the biker. And hey! It reminds me of my running . . when the wind blows, it also gives the illusion of motion . . .

    Liked by 1 person

    1. 😁 Good one

      Liked by 1 person

      1. True as well

        Like