Keep Austin Weird

 

Ya gotta love Austin Texas, the town whose motto is “Keep Austin Weird”. Own It, Be It.

 I think that Austin is going to have to maybe start working a bit more to live up to and keep their motto. The place is becoming home to Big Tech firms (Apple, Google) and is booming. Yes, they do have SXSW and parts of Austin seem funky, but it seems like it is becoming a happening place to be for up and coming corporate types.

I really like my new iPhone's night camera

I am a great fan of outsider art, so it was with a great deal of anticipation that I went to see the Cathedral of Junk. I have to say that I probably did not understand or particularly enjoy this installation. It is probably just me though, as some people have actually been married at the Cathedral. Vince Hannemann started in 1989 collecting junk for his project. After a while, people started bringing him their junk. He has incorporated it into a three story 60-ton pile of junk in his suburban back yard. I felt rather bad for his neighbors. You can climb up to the top and overlook the neighborhood. There are several theme rooms – such as a yellow room, or a bicycle room.

The Cathedral of Junk

Looking up in one of the towers

This is in a front yard(a different yard than the Cathedral)  Evidently this chicken gets a new and different coat of paint every so often, many times to correspone with a holiday.

My brilliant nephew, Alex, lives in Austin and it was so nice to see him. He was a wonderful host. We went out to dinner every night which is something I don't usually do in my travels. I insisted that if we went out, we had to eat outdoors on the patios. It was quite chilly, I think there might have even been a windchill factor. 

Giant warm chocolate chip cookie with ice cream

 One day, while Alex was working, his roommate Mina and her three dogs (Mina always moves in a pack) took Miko and Me to a park. I found water and trees. Yes, most of the trees were brown, but it just felt good to be in this type of nature.

Alex and Mina

And finally - the kids
Doesn't the screen make them look sort of arty?