Holiday Bonus - How Long Do You Wait.

I love coming into February. Christmas ornaments still abound, while others yard artist are eager to display their Valentine heart decor. As a review: we assign one point for each holiday decoration one month past the end of the holiday. For each month, you add another point for each item. For a field reporter it is the ultimate gamble, do you cash in early or do you wait.

Rosey of Dung Hoe submits:

It is a good  thing there is not more than one moose.  I have no idea what the plural is for moose.( mooses?)    It is the end of January and still the holiday penguins frolic in this front yard.

Braveheart hates Christmas... more than your average moose...it's addition of the reindeer antlers. (Moose are very sensitive, you know.)

they can cover me in lights, they can force deer camouflage on me...  the enemy may take my life.... but they'll never take my FREEDOM!!

What's his problem?

I don't know. I love being sparkly don't you?

Yes, yes I do. Hey nice hat

Score

• Christmas decorated Moose with fake antlers (because his weren't good enough)1+ 1 point for dressed + 1 for holiday dressed
• 6 perky reindeer: 6 points +6 holiday bonus
• 4 happy holiday penguins, they all have cute hats: 4 points (in the south we call the toboggans) + 4 holiday bonus
• Set of juggling clubs that glow in the dark (penguins have very clever flippers) not sure holiday related: 0 points

Subtotal: 23 points

Creativity Bonus

For a humiliating a giant moose and then to make him bear the burden way past the holiday: 3 points

Total: 26 points

For you snow bound folks, just dance:

I propose we all learn this dance and all meet somewhere warm like Savannah do a flash mob. Diane can feed us.

Gazing Globes and My New Appreciation

I will be the first to admit I poke a little fun with gazing globes (no, no it's okay, I do) Maybe it was ball envy, maybe I did not understand how to successfully put them to use.
I found this to fix any ball envy you may be experiencing:

Soap that may or may not allow you to smell like balls.... I'll pass

Carolyn of Carolyn's Shade Garden comments and submits:

"A Globe for All Seasons
I have a cheap, mass-produced gazing globe on a cement pedestal, and I’m proud of it”

a moving tribute to the life of a gazing globe (close the ad to reads the comments, if you want)

it moved me anyway

Score

Fantastical blue garden globe on pedestal that glows in the dark: 2 points

Subtotal: 2 points

Creativity Bonus

A lone blue garden globe in a sea of beautiful landscaping, not an exciting display of yard artistry but the night shot... see that pushes my buttons: 2 points

Total: 4 points

I take it back... I almost warmed up to hill billy balls but no one told me they drew dolls

shudder... all bets are off

Furry, White and Magical and Not Even Falcor

Matt of Pass Along Plants comments and submits:

"Another Gnome!!

And - believe it or not, two Leopards and a Parrot - in the snow. Along with some misc others..."

This has really been a great year for unique yard art that I love. Really if you can't have a unicorn in your yard, then the next best thing has to be a snow leopard.

Lovely and majestic, Vladimir suffers cohabitation with Barney... 

Sigh, oh please not again

I love you... you love me....

Someone calling for a dinosaur exterminator? 

You know, it's just a feeling. I can't nor do I wish to put my finger on it but I am pretty sure he really enjoys his job.

Score

• Bird sign: 1 point
• Metal flowers: 1 point
• Barney (love him but alas he is a rock): 0 points
• Vladamir the snow leopard: 1 point
• Some kind of metal bird stand construction of epic proportion (functional, but awesome): 0 points
• Truck on a re-bar: 1 point
• Parrot (a little out of his climate): 1 point
• Large butterfly on a stick: 1 point
• George a regular ol' leopard who suffers an inferiority complex: 1 point
• Snail: 1 point
• Adorable and very alert donkey: 1 point
• Creepy as hell gnome with his murder toolkit on wheels: 4 points

Subtotal: 13 points


Creativity Bonus

For our first snow leopard and that gnome- seriously folks what is the deal with the doll-like features on gnomes... I don't sleep as as it is...3 points

Total: 16 points

An overload of sweetness and light to cleanse our minds

Light Headed

Gazing balls really began to take on steam in the late 80's. During this time, they were very avant-garde and very avant-expensive. The idea was to put them in your garden to reflect your landscaping to create dimension, like putting a mirror in a small room. So OK, I'll admit... I wanted one, not a dozen, but one. I never got the one, friends got them and the darn things would roll off break or a dog would knock the stand and they would fall off an break.  (My psycho neighbor had one stolen. I laughed. I did not take it, I swear! It probably broke, anyway)

The problem is the presentation. How to keep it elegant, not cliche and safe:

Should I lift my balls up, should I put them on fishes, do I put them on a tripod so many choices....

veesvision of Veesvision Photo Blog found the perfect solution:

Classical and artsy and all statue-y. I don't think the ball is going anywhere.  In fact, I may have to get one of these stands myself.

It's That Most Wonderful Time of The Year

January 26... one month past Christmas.

What does this mean: Holiday Bonus, my friends. Now is the time you play the gamble. Are the Christmas decorations still up? That is 1 point per item. Do you think it will still be up in February? That's 2 points. Do you wait or do you take the points and run? It is up to you.

Some reminders:

Lily of The Suburban Gardener time to check out this yard and see if the bounty is still there:

"I passed this house everyday on my way to work.  The decorations had been up since before Thanksgiving.  They are still lit up every night and wish I brought my camera with today to work and snap a pic on my way home so you can see the full Christmas effect.  (I work nights.)"

I especially love the candy canes in the tree

Jeremy of We Took The Bait ,these guys look like professionals so I find it very unlikely that it is still up but you never know.

"Though I know this doesn't count for points, I figured you'd want to see this yard.

This beauty is found in North Wilmington, Delaware, and can be easily seen from the highway.... and I'm guessing from distant planets."

 ooh lighty

 Very lighty... I like lights

Let's see what Santa is doing with his time off:

Oh Santa..., I can't score this either.

Happy Flowers

The Yard Art Game receives submissions on a fairly regular basis.  In the evenings (results do vary) I look over my bounty, my treasures, my treasure trove and wait for the creative muse to whisper in my ear. Therefore, sometimes my submission are a tad out of order. This is Jester's first submission of the year.

My first stakeout:  

"I don't know if plastic flowers would count or not, but there is still a bunch of other yard art going on in between them all. I couldn't quite decipher all of it, but here is my best shot. I sent a bunch of pix so you can get a feel for the whole thing, so use whatever works. Now that I stopped  & took pix, drove a mile down the road, turned around and did it again with no one coming out yelling.....hmmm....I'd say an addict was just born.....as I drove away watching my rearview mirror giggling like an idiot...."

Gonna be a great year!!!!

oh yes, and that is how a field report is born!

 OK guys, you have to blow up these photos because Jester wrote comments on in thin spidery little orange writing that I find amusing. Click on photo to enlarge.

 Holiday Score! and plastic flower goodness

Always the glowy things are in the day light

Wheels, forever for me a Jester trademark

 Looks like a naked goose

hey y'all

Score (List and points supplied by Jester, my comments are in red)

• Lamb-1 point
• mini gazing balls-4 points
• dressed goose-1 point + 1 point for dressed
• Halloween bucket-1+ holiday bonus 3 points
• boy-1 point
• Blue St. Francis bird feeder?-1 um, no lightning zone 0 points
• Cardinal on a stick-1 point (love a bird on a stick)
• pinwheel flower-1 point
• solar flowers - 2 points
• butterfly on a stick-1 point
• wagon wheels- 4 points
• stars- 2 points

Subtotal: 23 points

Creativity Bonus

The presentation is not particularly exciting or inventive but I can't resist a good plastic flower display.  That forced plastic happy color in a field of winter blah.... it almost reminds me of spring: 1 point

Total: 24 points

oh look, a visit by The Petal Fairy, the patron saint of plastic flowers:

 

"whee, spring is coming"
(don't mention his freakishly long, um, stigma. It only encourages him)

A Day At The Beach

The time has once again come for me to declare my undying love for the seahorse birdbath. A new year has started, some new field reporters have signed in for duty so they may not know the trick to my heart.

One: find something glowing or sparkling at night (not holiday related) I love glowy stuff. We rarely get captures after dark. Rare yard artist specialize in the nighttime show.

Two, find a seahorse birdbath and send it in. Seahorse birdbaths are the epitome of old school southern culture. If they are painted all stripy even better.

Diane knows how warm the heart of  Lifeshighway (who is speaking in third person as a cool effect)

A pristine seahorse birdbath placed in the front yard where it should be:

extra lone seahorse added for great seahorse effect

Balanced entry way with matching white seahorses and Jerry Garcia frogs

hey dude, looking good, 

you too dude. Dead Frogs Unite! 

Far out, man

What I can only call a clam

a very rare square clam guarding the crypt to unknown oyster

Score

• Seahorse birdbath (sigh) kitsch: 3 points
• Seahorse companion (not noble enough to adore the glory that is the birdbath): 1 point
• Dual seahorse door guardians: 2 points
• Dead Head frogs: 2 points
• Rock adored with sea shell eyes, he looks disgruntled: 0 points

Subtotal: 8 points

Creative Bonus

For the lovely symbol of southern yard art culture and The Rock Clam: 2 points

Total: 10 points

remind me NEVER to take salt to the beach... I pre-apologize

Save The Jackalopes

It's Saturday and I thought we would take a little break from yard art and re-visit vehicle art. If you are new to The Yard Art Game you may not remember The Taxidermist - Hell On Wheels or Felder Rusing's fantastical yard art truck. But from these examples, I have developed a theory that certain yard artist cannot contain their talent to the small stage that is the front yard. Their vision is too large thus compelling  the maker to drive their creations about the town for the fullest visual impact.

That being said: Shame on you truck driving sculptor, don't you know jackalopes are an endangered species?  

Tufa Girl submits:

Please note the refined mounting technique involving a log, copious amounts of duct tape and a bungee cords. Truly an artist of rare skills.

But his days are numbered, somewhere a baby is missing his Momma:

and babykins looks pissed.

On a brighter note, Jackalopes are being spotted in Furry coventions so at least they are getting some yiff action.

Hey Foxy care to rub my horns?

The War of The Cranes or Herons - I'm Going With Cranes

First, please bear with me a moment: WOO HOOO.... We Rock (and so does Blotanical). Sorry for the interruption but I am so happy to introduce our newest field reporter from... MALAYSIA... that's right... uh huh, uh huh, uh huh uh huh uh huh

the perfect cheer

Rosie of My Garden Haven...A Fine Romance comments and submits

"There aren't many opportunities in my country for spotting yard art. Even if I could spot one yard, it might contain less than 5 items that might get me a respectable score. Anyway, I visited a friend who had some hidden treasures in her backyard.So here's my chance...be generous Lifeshighway. These articles may be run-of-the-mill, conventional yard 'art', store-bought, not weird or ugly, but you might want to consider that this yard is hard to come across here. OK, bargaining attempt made. Ha-ha, I've never been any good at bargaining.

So here is...a mix and match of bunnies, black elephant and such art!
 

Might have to do my yard art spotting when I'm abroad!"      you go abroad too!


Penny and her cohorts have been imprisoned on Rebel Island where they remain under constant surveillance:

Penny plots her escape: If only I had some implement, some device that would allow us to cross water

The victors guard their prisoners or as Penny calls them "those skinny legged b*tches"

Hey Bambi, you owe me 5 bucks, I told you the cranes would win... hey you too, Thumper

 I still don't understand why we had to get out of the pool. We didn't do nothin'

The ways and squabbles of the woodland creatures holds no interest for Bernice but her new friend is strangely compelling.


Score

• Angry Hen: 1 point
• 2 eggs (future troops): 2 points
• 4 ducks & 1 giant duck: 5 points + 1 size bonus
• 2 fairies, one wounded in the crane wars: 2 points
• Tiny bridge: 1 point
• Tiny gnome living under a mushroom: 4 points
• 2 round elves with derby hats: 2 points
• Turtle: 1 point
• 5 cranes + 2 tiny cranes: 7 points + 1 point size bonus
• Fairy (neutral and disinterested): 1 point
• Fish and Frog: 2 points
• Bunny: 1 point
• Another turtle: 1 point
• 4 deer: 4 points
• elephant and her stump: 1 point 

Subtotal: 37 points

Creativity Bonus

For the Alcatraz Island of yard art and for the awesome skills of the cranes: 3 points

Total: 40 points

3 equally powerful foes:

I can only hope that Rosie will come back.

As a side note, the art does not have to be weird looking or handmade nor do yards have to have mega-scores. Don't let a few lone deer stop you from a good find, you never know what might unfold.

Saturday Night Line Up

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessman slowly gets stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone

And then - Lola rides in

Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she rides into mine.

Lola and her lovely mount, Dreamboat, caused quite a sensation. Drinks were bought and carrots were gladly shared. During the festivities, a surprising and to some a heinous discovery was uncovered. Dreamboat and Lola were in drag and they had flounced into the wrong joint.

What ensued was a riot not seen in a long time at Ricks Cafe.

The police rounded up the worse of the offenders for aggravated assault

Matt submits:

That's him officer. I clearly heard him say "oooh, I hates rabbits"

Score

• Mule whose heart was broken by the lovely Dreamboat. He may be sterile but he's not dead: 1 point
• Lamp: used to smash furniture and if it was turned on perhaps certain parts of the anatomy would have been a little more noticeable: 1 point
• Yosemite Sam: the roughest, toughest, rootinest, shootinest claim-jumper that ever jumped a claim: 1 point
• Cow Skull - you'd think a skull could stay out of trouble: o points

Subtotal:  3 points

Creativity Bonus

I am disappointed by the lineup display of some fairly interesting yard art but I do really like Yosemite Sam: 2 points

Total: 5 points

If you didn't notice, Sam has lost a few pounds and is going for a slightly different look:

Cows - A Warning

A common theme in nature is some of the brightest, most unusually colored animals and plants are poisonous or dangerous. The combination of being poisonous and sending off a warning is called aposematism. Aposematic coloration must be easy to detect, recall and associate with a defense. This allows predators to identify the animals from a longer distance away and allots more time to make a decision whether to attack or not, based on passed experiences with the prey. These past experiences could be distastefulness, noxiousness or speed of the prey.
examples include:

that's a pretty nasty  group of characters and a very fancy mosiac (I might add)

So why this quick, down and dirty biology lesson (which eventer79 will probably correct in some way, pfft)

Rosey of Dung Hoe comments and submits:

I am starting small. (but you have a BIG message)

My radar is up: bright colors, murals half painted with dribbles rolling down in mid-paint. What happened to the painter. I need to do some research. Also Alpine... why Alpine. It could be a clue.

ah ha... Cows attack cars. Angry cows ... got it.

OMG, Get out of the way Jimmy! Angry cows propelled themselves from the cliffs. Hence the secretive alpine warning. Watch out for cows in higher elevations.

oh no, Kamikaze Cows are attacking cars with boulders

Whew, thanks Rosie. We will all be better for knowing the danger of killer dairy cows. I cannot give you any points for a painting but...

Creativity Bonus

For spotting the inherent risk of cows, hills and mountains and posting the warning: 2 points

Total: 2 points

 I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm getting some protection:

This should have given the locals a clue:

Clifford The Bird Metal Dog

After a massive collection let's switch it up with a spectacular solidarity item that is awesome on in its own right. No flash, no glowing in the dark, just gigantically fantastic.

But first, speaking of glowing: a prize update. Does everyone remember the glowing flamingo fantasy yard giveaway?

 Read about Solo's and Mr. Glowy's budding friendship at eventer79's blog: We Are Flying Solo

two great things that go great together

Now onto the game

Jester comments and submits:

was taking the really long way to the post office the other day when I passed this "dog". All I could say was "OH....MY.....GOD...." over and over....and still doing it.....so I have nothing witty to say cause I still can't get over this thing. It literally is in the front yard of a house that is on a wooded stretch of back road. I went back after we got some snow so it would show up better, even got a little fan crazy & went half way up the driveway before getting cold feet. Why would someone build a big dog out of metal siding to hang a swing on: beats the hell out of me, but I have to admit they did a pretty cool job (Even decorated with red ribbon & pine roping for Christmas, awwww). It is definately an English Pointer, which is what I have for bird hunting, so I'm a tad bit biased about this big guy.

 A very large metal dog

 look at that, there IS a swing people.... A SWING!

Mrs. Homeowner : Honey, I really want a swing in the front yard to sit in the evening and sip tea (or beer... depends on the Mrs.)
Mr. Overenthusiastic Welder Homeowner in a frenzy of creativity and FYI bliss high: Sweetie Pie come outside, it's finished. Look how great is swings.
Mrs. Homeowner (silent mortification... I think I can hear crickets)

Score

Large metal dog (okay it is functional sorta but I have to score this baby) and dressed: 2 points

Subtotal: 2 points

Creativity Bonus

For a colossal porch swing not on a porch exactly more under a dog's belly (let's hope it is not a male, just sayin') and your trip halfway down the driveway: 4 points


Total: 6 points

Jester is inducted in the Royal Order of Manatee. 

May your manatees always swing under the a big dog

This is really what the little lady had in mind:

comfy and functional