Views of the Neighborhood – All Things Texas

October 3, 2021October 2, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 85 Comments

Good day to you all. As you can see by the headlines we are off to look at things you see everyday in Texas. People love to decorate their houses with Texas symbols and we are going to take a look at a few. Our brunch is being catered by the Forthright Cafe in Austin. We’ve asked Toby Keith to come back since last week we had some technical difficulties.

American Breakfast
two fried eggs, sourdough toast with blueberry jam, hash-browns & choice of bacon, sausage or avocado
Biscuits & Gravy
fluffy house-made biscuits with chicken sausage gravy add two poached eggs +3 add fried chicken
Pastrami Hash
shredded pastrami, shredded potatoes, onions, peppers, two sunny eggs, queso & salsa doña
Pork Belly Eggs Benedict
poached eggs, cherry tomato confit, arugula, hollandaise, on English muffins, pork belly
Pork Belly Chilaquiles
corn tortillas tossed in salsa roja, two sunny eggs, crispy pork belly, pickled onion, queso cotija
Turkey BLT
sourdough toast, roasted turkey, bacon, shaved lettuce, tomato jam, with house-made fries
Chicken & Waffles
two boneless fried chicken thighs, maple honey butter, pecans, maple syrup, powdered sugar
Breakfast Sandwich
brioche Texas toast, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, black forest ham, chipotle mayo

So, get on the bus and we’ll be off.

The first stop is at a place that supports the University of Texas in a big way.

Here is another University of Texas supported but a little more reserved.

Here is a plain star but the bet is you wouldn’t see it anywhere else.

Shutters with stars.

Big ole Texas star.

A little smaller Texas star.

A Texas star mounted in glass.

I have shown this windmill before but thought the Texas colors and star on the rudder was in keeping with the tour.

A star grouping

What could be more Texas than the state used to display the house number?

Finally, a metal trellis with a star.

I hope you enjoyed the tour today and now have some food and listen to Toby Keith.

Views of the Neighborhood – Another House Build

September 26, 2021September 25, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 97 Comments

We are off to view another home today. We want to look at this one because it is being built next to the runway at the Lakeway airport. It seems like a big joint, so we have to go through it. We are being catered by Tyson’s Tacos of Austin. I figured tacos are good for wandering around a construction site. Our entertainment is not available this week since YouTube is having a tough time allowing for the copying of videos.

Let’s get on the bus.

So here we are. As you can see, the outside is pretty much done. A lot of stonework.

Here is another view. Notice the observation area on the second floor.

Here is the three-car garage. You can also get a better idea of the stonework. There are piles of drywall ready to be installed.

The laundry room is right off the garage.

A doggie washing area in the laundry room.

A big living room with sliders on both sides. Through the glass, you can see an outside fireplace.

A double-sided fireplace into an office.

Second bedroom with outside slider.

Out to the patio from the living room.

Big shower in the bedroom ensuite bathroom.

Large island going where all those pipes are located.

The second-floor bath with tub. Those stairs lead to the observation area.

The observation area overlooks the airport.

Second-floor bedroom.

Second-floor ensuite shower.

Well, That’s it. Enjoy the food. I hope you have a great week. If you want to watch a pretty funny video of Toby Keith’s titled “Who’s Your Daddy,” you can click on the link. Sorry, it wouldn’t embed in the post.

https://youtu.be/TVRzk3VWOKY

Views of the Neighborhood – Lamps

September 19, 2021September 18, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 100 Comments

Lakeway has an ordinance that all homes need to have a lamp in the front of the house. Since there are no street lamps here, the regulation is very practical. Without the house lamps, it would be very dark indeed. The nice part about the individual lamps is that the night sky is protected from the glare of high-powered lights. We will take a little trip around the neighborhood to check out the kinds of lamps people have in their front yard. (okay, not the most spectacular tour, but hopefully, you will like it.) To help we are catered Brunch from Josephine House of Clarksville. Our entertainment is Carol King

Brillat Savarin green tomato, strawberry, sourdough crouton, mexican marigold infused honey
Green Gazpacho corn pepper relish, creme fraiche and avocado
English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich chicken sausage, harissa aioli, grafton cheddar & scrambled egg
Steak & Eggs 44 Farms bavette steak, roasted marble potatoes, red chimichurri, sunny side up egg
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes strawberries, blueberries, maple syrup, house cultured butter
Egg Salad Tartine dill, radish, sunf lower shoots, capers on seeded wheat toast
Avocado Toast housemade hot sauce, lime zest & sunny egg
Josephine House Burger house-made bun, grafton cheddar, greens, grilled red onion, harissa aïoli, fruit
Huevos Rancheros housemade corn tostada, sunny side up eggs, black beans, ranchero sauce, queso Cotija, cilantro
Rice Bowl forbidden rice, roasted & pickled seasonal vegetables, avocado, arugula, romesco, poached egg
with seared chicken breast, Gulf shrimp, or Niman Ranch steak
Shrimp & Grits Barton Spring Mills grits, lemon, thyme, red pepper flake
Big Chopped Salad roasted chicken, pepitas, blackberries, avocado, goat feta & citronette

Of course, Top shelf drinks, beer and wine and VooDoo Ranger IPA.

The bus is ready.

Our first lamp has a stately demeanor.

The haunted house look.

Hard to describe but it is a lamp.

Classic carrage lamp with grasshopper bonus.

Sixties globe

Matching pole and house lights.

Modern LED type.

Three lamps supporting the blue.

A trio of lamps that look like they were cut off.

Another back the blue lamp.

A gas lamp.

Large lamp in the mist.

Another gas lamp.

So ends the exciting tour of lamps. Now relax and enjoy Carol King live. I hope you have a great week.

Views of the Neighborhood – End of Summer Potpourri and #Tinypies

September 5, 2021September 5, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 83 Comments

Hello again. Today we are going to wrap up the summer with a tour around the neighborhood. You can expect anything since this will be a random mix of some scenes from the last week.

Our catered brunch is from Tiny Boxwoods in Austin. Our entertainment is the Boss Bruce Springsteen.

Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

yogurt, house granola, berries, banana, honey
Santa Barbara Bowl

blended acai, strawberries, and banana, topped with house granola, goji berries, fresh fruit & honey
Blueberry Pancakes

blueberry compote, whipped honey butter, warm maple syrup, bacon, or sausage
Avocado Toast

smoked salmon, fried egg, sun-dried tomatoes, lime, salt, red pepper, honey, sourdough
Mother’s Breakfast

mother’s sausage or bacon, scrambled eggs, white cheddar grits, warm biscuit, strawberry jam, whipped honey butter
Southside

scrambled eggs, cheddar, avocado mash, tomatillo salsa, warm tortillas
Migas

scrambled eggs, cheddar, pork carnitas, onions, peppers, tomatillo salsa, warm tortillas
Chilaquiles

tortillas, pork carnitas, black beans, feta, tomatillo salsa, cilantro avocado crema, ranchero sauce
Our white wine today -Domaine de la Meulière Chablis 2018 – Burgundy, France
Our red wine today – Château Patrabet Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2016 – Bordeaux, France
Top-shelf cocktails, soft drinks, endless coffee and tea

The bus is ready.

Our first stop begins a study in trash oddities. A comfy chair is no longer required.

An office chair on the way out.

Looks like work at home took its toll on this one.

Forget the shade.

Now a nice deer family. Mom, dad, and the kids.

“I love my geodome.”

“Mom. Quit scratching and look at that man over there.”

Getting ready for Halloween. Tree of ghouls and giant skeleton.

Whoops, like magic. A one-eyed minion and caldron have been added. We need to come back as the collection grows.

A big ole chunk of celestine on a mailbox.

For those of you who don’t live in the Austin area, the idea of a Tiny Pies moving into your neighborhood means little. But, for us, it is like the 21st century has finally reached our door.

These are, for the most part, one serving pies in savory and sweet selections. (We like to split ours) They do have select family sizes as well. (our favorite is King Ranch Casserole pie)

They are made fresh every day.

They have a take and bake option too. This is the way we used to do it when we had to drive 40 minutes each way. Now they are five minutes away, so maybe we’ll let them bake ours.

I hope you enjoyed the tour, and thank you for your patience while I raved about Tiny Pies. Sit back. Have some food and listen to the Boss.

Views of the Neighborhood – New Construction – Take Two

August 29, 2021August 29, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 104 Comments

Hi gang. Today we are going back to the house under construction in the neighborhood. There has been some progress, and frankly, it has been a slow week in terms of events in Lakeway. We are being catered to brunch by the Launderette in Austin. Our entertainment is The Bangles.

Rainbow Bowl

beet hummus, quinoa, roasted carrots, sprouts, sesame, soft egg

Salmon Gravlax

sesame bagel, cream cheese, capers, tomato, red onion, sprouts

English Muffin Sammi

scrambled egg, deer creek cheddar, fennel sausage, avocado, romesco

Benny Toast

poached eggs, sauce aligot, braised greens, truffle hollandaise, toasted focaccia

Fried Chicken Sammie

coriander poblano slaw, pickles, challah

Plancha Burger

American cheese, special sauce, pickles, challah

The Americana

sunny eggs, oyster mushroom, roasted tomato, bacon, toast

Pork Shoulder Hash

potato, brussels sprouts, sunny eggs, salsa verde

Roasted Chicken Salad

bibb lettuce, radicchio, frisee, summer squash, pickled cucumber, soft egg, quinoa furikake, miso pear butter

Accompaniments

Potato Latkes creme fraiche, apple sauce

Bacon, Pork Sausage

Also, top-shelf drinks, wine, and VooDoo Ranger IPA

So, hop on the bus, and let’s go.

As a reminder, this is how the house looked the last time we were here.

Here is a similar shot of how it looks today. Notice the sliders and the Stucco toward the rear. The drywall is in.

Here is a shot of the right side. There is a rock wall being built.

We are now inside between the two sliders on the main floor. I guessed there would be a fireplace, and there it is

The kitchen with a mammoth island

Utility room.

The view is out of the main living area.

The primary bath and behind it a walk-in closet.

A door in the primary bedroom to the deck.

Bathroom on the lower level. I thought I would include this shot sine I like the window over the shower.

Lower level living area. The pool will be to the right through the sliders.

A lot of the rooms have pocket doors. Here is one example of a lower level bedroom which can be shut away by sliding the pocket door closed.

Here is a view of the left side. I included this so you can get an idea of the stucco work. I have a suspicion that the green part is going to be stone of some kind. We’ll just have to wait and see.

That is the tour. Grab some more food and listen to the Bangles. I hope you all have a great week.

Views of the Neighborhood – Cool Arts Show

August 22, 2021August 21, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

Today we are going to an art show. This is a show of local artists and is held at the Activities Center. After that, we are going to have brunch in the park. We are being catered by Paperboys in Austin. Our entertainment is Miranda Lambert.

BRUNCH Menu

quiche

daily selection tossed arugula

lemongrass cured lox

grilled toast, ginger-lime schmear, sunflower sprouts, house pickles

paperboy pancake

warm maple syrup, brown butter, sea salt

classic breakfast

two eggs, maple sausage, potato wedges, buttered toast, seasonal preserves

texas hash

braised pork shoulder, sweet potato, onion, kale, poached egg, pecan mole

chicken & biscuit

crispy-fried chicken, country gravy, sunny egg, spicy honey

migas

goat carnitas, tomato, jalapeno, cotija, serrano hot sauce, grilled tortillas,

avocado

steak & eggs

44 farms steak, chimichurri, sunny eggs, potato wedges, secret sauce, arugula

stoneground grits

roasted mushrooms, pickled onion, kale, cheddar, herbs, butter, poached egg

Top Shelf drinks, Beer, wine, ale, assorted soft drinks, tea, and coffee.

Let’s get on the bus and go.

The sign in town announcing the art show and Studio tour.

Here we are. To give you an idea of the layout, here is a shot of one room.

Here is some Western art. All proceeds go to Meals on Wheels.

Travelog art. The artist traveled around the world and painted what he saw.

Various paintings of assorted subjects.

Still life and beach scenes.

Pet portraits. Found out she never painted a French Bulldog before.

A very popular pots and succulent offering.

Abstract and realistic paintings plus some ceramics and wooden items.

The table with information about the studio visits. (I know we have to get to brunch)

A talented artist who also created the “Slow Fawns at Play” yard signs seen all over town.

The three-piece entertainment group is on a break but pretending to play for the camera.

Well, that’s the tour today. So relax, have some food and listen to Miranda.

Views of the Neighborhood – Shark Week Scavenger Hunt – Part Two

August 15, 2021August 14, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 68 Comments

Welcome back to Part Two of the Shark Week Scavenger hunt. If you missed last week you can go HERE and take a look. Today we are being catered by Biderman’s Deli. I asked them to package up their most popular sandwiches. So you can take your choice. Today’s entertainment is Chicago.

Let’s get on the bus.

SAW SHARKS are named for the long saw-like snout that makes up 1/3 of their bodies. At 3 feet long they are among the smaller of their species. Their poor eyesight means they depend on barbels, or sensitive feelers on their mouths, to detect their prey’s vibrations in the sand.

Clue: Find the SAW SHARK fin at this area with a “sand floor”.

This looks like a sand floor.

Here is the number six fin.

COW SHARKS are considered the most primitive of the species. This is due to their skeletons which resemble those of ancient extinct sharks. They are the only shark to have 7 gills where all other sharks have 5 gills.

Clue: Find the COW SHARK fin at this “ancient” location. (A large old tree, Upper Level, near a fork in the sidewalk)

This looks very much like the description

Sure enough. Number seven. (Upside down)

GREAT WHITE SHARKS are muscular-bodied. Young members of the species dine on small coastal fish. As they grow so does the size of their prey. They position themselves underneath their intended target, then burst up to surprise their prey. (We all remember the swimmer in “Jaws.”)

Clue: Find the GREAT WHITE SHARK fin at this location down “below” (Upper Level, playscape

Here is the upper-level playscape.

Pretty tricky location but we got it. Down below for sure.

BLUE SHARKS have a slender, aerodynamic body that allows them to move elegantly in the water. They prefer to swim slowly, biding their time and stalking their prey.

Clue: Find the BLUE SHARK fin at this location perfect for “taking it slow”. (Lower Level, scenic overlook, heavily wooded sidewalk path).

A “no wake” section of the lake is pretty slow.

On a bench is the fin.

LEMON SHARKS are highly social. They tend to live in groups and work as a team to coordinate attacks. Their yellow coloring provides camouflage as they search for food along the sandy seafloor of their coastal habitats.

Clue: Find the LEMON SHARK fin at this “social” location where kids can play together and talk on a yellow phone.

Kids socialize here for sure.

There’s the yellow phone and our final fin.

I hope you enjoyed the tour and now sit back and enjoy the music and the food.

Views of the Neighborhood – Shark Week Scavenger Hunt – Part One

August 8, 2021August 7, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 70 Comments

Today we are participating in the shark week scavenger hunt. There are ten different sharks and our job is to follow the clues and find the fins that have been hidden in the park. Since this might be a taxing exercise (mainly to me) we will do it in two parts. Next week will finish the hunt.

We are being catered brunch by June’s All Day in Austin. Our entertainment (Yes I finally went to Firefox as my browser and can load YouTube videos) is DiDO.

Café Breakfast

choice of eggs, sliced ham & gruyère, housemade jam, buttered English muffin 17

Farm Egg Omelette

Boursin, salted radish & green salad

Croque Madame

jambon Paris, gruyère, fried egg, mixed greens 20

Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad

classic with dill crème fraîche

June’s Charbroiled Burger

grilled onions & jalapeños, American cheese, pickles & french fries

Bone Marrow Bolognaise

handkerchief pasta, kale, parmesan

Fried Chicken Sandwich

kohlrabi ranch slaw, hot sauce

Matzo Ball Caldo

poached chicken, vegetables, avocado, jalapeños, soft egg

Grilled Lamb Merquez and Poached Eggs

couscous with caponata and sumac yogurt

Of course, there are top-shelf drinks and very expensive wine. Just ask your server.

Hop on the bus and let’s go.

WHALE SHARKS are the largest of the species and can measure up to 40 feet in length. Their huge mouth can have up to 300 rows of teeth.

Clue: Find the WHALE SHARK fin at this popular spot to relax and “take a bite”. (Lower Level, near playscape, scenic view)

Looks like a view and spot to eat.

There is number one.

CAT SHARKS are distinguished by their elongated cat-like eyes and patterned appearance. They often sleep together while grouped in close quarters within small crevices.

Clue: Find the CAT SHARK fin in the “small” side of a play area for animals that bark.

There’s the dog park and certainly a place for animals that bark.

And the number two fin.

Black Tip Reef Sharks have distinctive black tips on their fins. Those fins help them to steer, maneuver and accelerate in the water. These shy sharks are timid around other predators & prefer to stay within a home range of approximately 1/4 mile.

Clue: Find the BLACK TIP REEF SHARK fin near “home base”.

There is home base at the ball diamond

Here is the number three fin.

Bullhead Sharks are relatively small bottom feeders who live in tropical and sub-tropical waters. They move through the water with a clumsy wiggle. You can often see these sharks “walking” along the seafloor looking for their next meal.

Clue: Find the BULLHEAD SHARK fin near this “walking” location. (Take the sidewalk path between Upper and Lower Level)

Here’s a sidewalk.

The number four fin.

Hammerhead Sharks are known for their wide-set eyes located on their hammer-shaped head. They also have special sensors across their heads that detect electrical signals of other living creature’s bodies. They swim in schools during the day but prefer to swim solo at night.

Clue: Find the HAMMERHEAD SHARK fin near this “electric” location. (Lower Level near the picnic area and flag pole)

Here is a picnic area and flag pole and electric plugs.

Number five fin.

I hope you enjoyed the hunt today. Don’t forget to come back next week for the conclusion. In the meantime relax and have more food and listen to DiDo.

Views of the Neighborhood – Mail Box Topper Visit

August 1, 2021August 1, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 92 Comments

Well, today, gang, we will go out into the Lakeway neighborhood to see if there are any new and different mailbox toppers. It has been over a year since we checked them out, so it is about time. We are being catered by Café No Sé in Austin. Since I still have not figured out how to post a YouTube video in the Classic editor mode of WP, our entertainment will be all of us humming Bohemian Rhapsody in five-part harmony. No, I’m not going to Block.

Menu

avocado toast

soft boiled egg, crème fraîche, arugula, aleppo carrots

smoked salmon bagel

salmon, hard-boiled egg, pickled onion, tomato, caper scallion cream cheese, everything bagel

lemon-ricotta hotcakes

apple-thyme chutney, pecan butter, maple syrup

café scramble

roasted wild mushrooms, Fresno pepper, spinach, fresh ricotta, sourdough toast

sweet potato hash

two sunny eggs, crispy pork belly, kimchi, mustard greens, jalapeño, kale

cowboy breakfast

two sunny eggs, bacon, confit pork, borracho beans, tomato, roasted jalapeño, cilantro butter

So what are we waiting for? Let’s go.

Our first is this cute smiling snail. Lots of color.

I thought this blue bowl was attractive. The sun was in the wrong place for this photo.

A colorful turtle who is not too pleased to have his photo taken.

Totally realistic-looking tortoise.

A casual frog who looks like he made friends with a tagger.

This colorful plant and blue bowl made a nice combo.

I thought a lamp with a topiary inside was a bit unusual.

A rusty bird. You have to zoom in to see the three feathers on the left side of his head. His beak is on the right.

I call this the Wimbelton frog. He’s making a fist as if he just got a match point.

A comfy bunny.

Old world pot with daisy.

Loving frogs with umbrella. Looks like the rain has stopped.

Little tiny bird with a chick.

Views of the Neighborhood – Lawn Ornamentation

July 25, 2021July 24, 2021 ~ John W. Howell ~ 71 Comments

Today we are going out to view some of the lawn ornamentation that is around Lakeway. Yes, we have brunch catered by Bangers in Auston. Also, if you want, you can view a video on how they make their sausage. There is a link below. Today’s entertainment will be me playing the wax paper comb since I can’t get YouTube videos to play.

House-Made Montreal style Bagel

House-made Plain or Sesame seed Bagel. Served w/ cream cheese & house-made jam.

Avocado Toast

Grilled peasant bread topped w/ fresh avocado, roasted tomatoes, sunflower sprouts & a hard-boiled egg

The Corned Beef Hash Sausage Sandwich

House-cured 6 day corned beef ground w/ potatoes. Stuffed it into a beef middle & smoked for 8 hours. Sliced, seared & put on a Martin’s potato roll. Topped w/ an egg, American cheese, sauerkraut & Russian dressing. Served w/ a side of spicy shoestring potatoes.

Want to see how it’s made?

Banger’s Bennie

English muffin topped w/ braised pork belly, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce & spicy shoestring potatoes. Vegetarian upon request

Super Deluxe Breakfast

Two over-easy eggs, house-cured bacon, miso & cola smoked beans, toast & house-made seasonal jam

So let’s get on the bus and go.

Our first stop is a couple of mariachis musicians.

Next is the sign advising of the fawns in the area. It is accompanied by a very strange lawn ornament. It looks like a weight that could be used in the water to anchor a buoy.