Today, we will drive the neighborhood to see if spring is making its presence known. We are catered by Eberly of Austin. Our entertainment is Elvis Presley.
FOR THE TABLE
charcuterie & cheese – artisanal meats & cheeses, accoutrements, housemade bread, crostini
chickpea fritter – white cheddar mornay, roasted carrots, chili garlic crisp
crab cake – parsley aioli, lemon-fresno gastrique
mussels – green curry broth, serrano, thai basil, sourdough
broccolini – dill vinaigrette, aged white cheddar, crispy leeks
crushed potatoes – hot sauce powder, yuzu kosho aioli
charred cabbage – dijon mustard, crispy shallots, pecorino
MAINS
halibut – pomme purée, pepper relish, red mustard greens
salmon – crispy rice cake, romanesco, citrus, chive beurre blanc, trout roe
eggplant milanese – basil purée, toasted almonds, charred zucchini & tomato salad
half chicken – parisian gnocchi, caper-brown butter jus, arugula
short rib – smoked carrot purée, shiitake mushrooms, pickled leeks, crispy carrots
pork chop – confit potatoes, spinach, mustard seed-bacon glaze
NY strip – creamed kale, crispy leeks, bordelaise
Hop on the bus.
Lovely Carolina Jasmine starting to bloom.
A young redbud giving it all.
The vinca is waking up.
A Bradford pear in full bloom.
A quince getting started.
The mountain laurel bursting with grape kool-ade scented blooms.
A bee taking advantage of the abundant nectar.
A record year for the cross vine blooms.
An older redbud doing its best.
The first rose with more on the way.
A beautiful grandad redbud.
A very rare white mountain laurel.
It looks like spring is here. Time now to relax and listen to the music and have some food. I hope you have a great week.
Fiction Favorites 
This is beautiful
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Thank you, Frank
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All the trees and bushes are looking wonderful and so cheerful.
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Thank you, Deborah. 😊
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Yes, you do have Spring in the air and on the trees, eh John? Looking good!
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Thank you, GP. It is loooking like spring around here.
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Spring has gone beyond the sprung stage for you – which means it’s coming my way! …. and that’s a new Elvis song for me.
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It was new for me as well. Your spring is just around the corner. 😁
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Nice to see signs of spring. I always hope it means the cold temps are done.
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We are having a little cold snap (60s) right now
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That white mountain laurel is something!
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Isn’t it? We have only seen one around here.
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Looks like spring is bursting out in your neighbourhood. Thanks for a dose of Elvis. We can all use that!!
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Thank you, Darlene. Yes Elvis is a good dose.
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Wow! Spring is bustin’ out all over in your neighborhood. We’re easing into mud season.
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Ha ha ha. Well keep your boots handy.
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Yup, par for the course!
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😁
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I admit I have some Spring fever going on. lol
I’m on the bus and ready to roll! Love the photos!
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Thank you, Kymber. Glad to have you on the bus.
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Great pics, John. I especially love all the redbuds. We have them here in Florida, too, but they aren’t common. Thanks for sharing such beautiful pictures! 😀 ❤
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Thank you, Marcia. Yes the redbuds are everywhere here. 😊
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Beautiful, John! It makes me jealous.
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You’ll get spring sometime in June. Thanks, Tim
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Wow! Spring is busting out all over! The mountain laurel looks like wisteria – and the bees love it.
And of course halibut!
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Of course, halibut. Yes the mountain laurel does look like wisteria. Thanks, Noelle.
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Definitely signs of spring! Love these photos.
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Thank you, Jan. it looks like it might be true.
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All those blooms are beautiful. I can’t wait until we seem similar signs of spring in my area. Probably another month, yet. I’m getting impatient!! 🌺 🌷
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It will be there before you know it, Mae.
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What a wonderful and ever so welcome look at emerging spring. And that menu…as a proper lady, I had to stifle as tiny burp looking at all those tasty sounding offerings. Yum!
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The beauty of virtual food is it is guilt free. Thanks, Monika.
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And my hips so appreciate it. 😋
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Ha ha ha.
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Such wonderful signs of spring! I wish it would just remain spring and forget summer…
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That would be lovely. Thanks, Becky
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Lovely signs of spring, John. Our autumn flowers are starting to come out.
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That must be fun. I know when our summer heat breaks all kinds of flowers are possible.
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Yes, it is a lovely time of year.
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😁
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John, thank you for a look at your Spring — it gives me hope that, even though we’re several weeks (at least!) behind, we, too, will have Spring coming before long. What beauties you’ve shared with us!
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I’m glad you liked them Debbie. They sure add to uplifting the mood.
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Spring looks beautiful in your neighborhood. I have never seen a white mountain laurel. The other one with the bee is lovely. I’ll have the eggplant milanese. Spring has arrived here to but it is not as colorful as your neighborhood.
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i remember the coastal spring was hard to distinguish from any other season due to the harsh growing climate. We definitely get a break.
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What wonderful signs of spring you have! Beautiful blossoms. We were all excited by our mild temps but Mother Nature said yeah? You like that? Here, let’s wake up to a few inches of the white stuff!!
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The north country is like that for sure.
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We were getting all cocky, tell you what. BAM!
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I know how that can be.
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😊
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Miles of smiles here! The first signs of new life… Thank you for sharing. (we woke to snow this morning – not much and it is gone now)
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I remember when I was a kid it snowed on my birthday. That was in May.
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Beautiful signs of spring, John. You guys are on your way!
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Thank you, Barbara. I think we are too.
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Very nice. Send a little of that heat and sunshine our way, John. Sigh, rainy and windy again here. At least the power stayed on.
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We are only in the 60s so I won’t be much help.
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This was a welcome sight for New England eyes. We’re waiting for Spring.
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When I lived in Connecticut, I remember waiting for the spring. It was always so welcome.
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It will be here, but not till April.
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But then won’t it be glorious. Do you guys have dogwoods?
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Yes it will! We have dogwoods. I want a Korean dogwood in my yard.
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Used to love seeing the dogwoods bloom.
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No dogwoods in Texas?
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A few but not very many
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I was just telling g the littles about Easter hints this morning during the children’s message. Beautiful signs all around us if we stop to notice. Love the photos and the New York Strip sounds perfect. Or salmon… probably better for me in the end.
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The signs have to be looked for for sure. Thanks, Audrey.
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Wow, spring really has arrived where you are.
Here, not.
You have a lot of beautiful bloom trees we don’t have here.
The Bradford pear is gorgeous. It could be a wedding gown.
Thank you for the lovely pre spring tour, John!
🌸ꭓ 🌸ꭓ 🌸ꭓ 🌸ꭓ
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They planted a lot of those in the 70s, Unfortunately when the trees get older their limbs become fragile and break off without warning. It does look like a wedding dress. Thanks for coming along, Resa.
🌺X🌺X🌺X🌺X
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My Pleasure! 💋
🌺X🌺X🌺X🌺X
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🌺X🌺X🌺X🌺X 🌺X🌺X🌺X🌺X
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Hahahaha! YOU WIN!
Your prize is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWjRgzFeE_8
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Great prize. 🤣
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What a lovely neighbourhood, John!
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Thank you, Pit. Looks like spring is here.
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Wonderful photos, John. Very few signs of spring up here, certainly nothing like this. Thanks for sharing.
The chickpea fritters sounded good, but I think I’ll start with the charred cabbage then a pork chop.
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Glad you could make it. The pork chop looks terrific.
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Love Elvis, crushed potatoes and the ribs. Beautiful trees which we won’t see for 1-2 months yet. It 26 and snow on the ground. My neighbor who just built a house in Texas came back here after wintering there. Probably wishing he was still there😎
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He left a little early for sure. Thanks, Steve.
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The food sounds yummy … I would like the charcuterie & cheese, please! And I am oh-so-jealous of your early spring!!! We have no crocuses yet, nor wildflowers … nothing but dead stuff left over from last year, which Miss Goose and I have been planning to clean up, if only it would stop raining and the sun would come out for a day! Loved seeing all the colour in your neighborhood … thanks, John!!!
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Glad you liked it Jill. We are so glad to see the color too.
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Spring has definitely sprung in your neck of the woods, John. The Bradford pear trees are just starting to bloom here, and the daffodils have been out for a couple weeks.
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Such a good feeling too.
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Ah, the ever-durable vinca. Nicely done, John.
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We have a street here named vinca. You can imagine what they grow there.
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Wow…has Spring sprung there, John! I will take the charcuterie & cheese to go with our 40 mph winds and 40 F temp.😁
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At least the elements are consistent. Thanks, Bruce.
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What a great, cheery post, John. The neighborhood is looking gorgeous. I didn’t remember that Elvis song. The video is a lot of fun.
Even the menu is interesting. Charred cabbage is new to me. I need to Google that. I’m intrigued. Have a wonderful new week. Hugs.
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Charred cabbage is delicious. Give it a try.
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Gorgeous photos, John. We’re seeing a lot of spring here. The azaleas especially are bursting with color.
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I love azaleas and they won’t grow here.
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I didn’t know that. That’s a real pity.
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Yes it is. 😁
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Beautiful photos, John. It’s been dreary here with a lot of rain, so we could use some spring. And thanks for the fun Elvis song.
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You are welcome. Yes Marin rain. I remember it well.
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Nobody does purple (or violet . . both?) like nature.
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You are so right.
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