Nightmare? Where?

We were cutting through one of the lesser know streets in Old West Austin the other day and caught a glimpse of this shadowy figure on a porch. We'd already noticed that the name on the mailbox was F. Krueger. And yes, it's Elm Street.

Austin Bike Zoo

These amazing contraptions are part of the "Austin Bike Zoo." It requires a lot of people to pedal it. Here you see it in a resting state at the Honk Texas Band Fest in Republic Park last weekend. A lady was taking a photo of them, like I was.

Blast of Color

Noticed this lovely potted plant display (and daring choice for door color) in Old West Austin the other day. Azaleas don't really love the soil here so planting them in the ground requires a lot of soil amelioration (or out and out replacement) but lots of people solve their desire for the spring darlings with pots. In Dallas (where the soil is quite different) I remember seeing huge displays of them in parks. Not sure what's in the smaller pots but the overall effect is lovely.

Art? Golf? Mutant Nutria?

Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria currently has a bunch of artist-designed mini-golf holes. This one is a riff on nutrias. At the other end the ball ejects from a well-placed orifice. They have placed a number of brown golf bowls there. Yes, well....

Music Festival

No, SXSW ended the weekend before this last one. But last weekend HonkTX Community Band Fest took place around town. They had a small parade culminating in performances at Republic Park on Sunday. These bands have crazy instruments and costumes, but they do swing. I believe these guys were from Massachusetts. Yes, here they are. The local Minor Mishap Marching Band was the host for all this madness, I think, and the Austin Bike Zoo showed up, too. Minor Mishaps have been featured on this blog and the Bike Zoo, too.

Capitol 10K

Yesterday was the Capitol 10K. We never got closer to the festivities than this shot from our balcony. It's late in the race and Auditorium Shores is swamped with people who've finished and those on Cesar Chavez look more like walkers to me. Supposedly this race is the biggest 10K in Texas or one of the top five 10Ks in the U.S. I'm a walker myself and I don't do that in large groups. But this is great fun for many. I was reading this week how the land between us and the run will begin to be developed, perhaps starting late this year. I may have to be less lazy about taking a shot of this run in the future.

Quinceañera Photos

Some Latinos make quite a fantastic celebration when a girl is fifteen. Yesterday on the Captiol Grounds I think this young lady was getting some photos made for her event. Personally such traditions (like wedding extravaganzas with brides in flowing gowns) make me squirm, but lots of people love them. The young girl seems to be giving directions, but she also seems ready to climb that tree in her jeans! Settings around the Capitol are often used for photo shoots.