Outdoor Living, Red Dog Style

Having spent the last three years under the wise tutelage of the Red Dog, Shiva's Mom and I are anxious to show-off some of what we've learned from her about being - and staying - in the moment.  To that end (and with a little help from Shiva's Mom's Pinterest addiction) we created an evening-oriented outdoor living space reflective of our shared interests.  It's a place to enjoy good food, cold drinks and great friends.

With that, we give you what we like to call:

Tiki Top* Southern Appalachian Backyard Beach Bar/Beer Garden/Somewhat Vegetarian Grill:

The flaming tiki torches give the flower bed a pleasing Polynesian jungle vibe, don't you think?

Edison lights make pretty much anything look cool...even our backyard.

Note the metal shed in the background. Classic relics such as this are considered by some to be the apex of Southern Appalachian lawn architecture.

Like many things of (relative) beauty, Tiki Top is best viewed in dim light, which unfortunately further dilutes my already rudimentary photography skills.  It really is something one has to experience in person.

This endeavor also will allow me to unveil/pull from mothballs the vintage tiki bar my lovely wife found for me a few years ago in a local antique & garage sale store.  No longer will it be a combination storage unit/art table/cat perch; rather, it once again will serve its intended purpose as a funky-cool Mai Tai delivery device!  Check it:

Can't you just feel the Tiki vibrations already?

* For those unfamiliar with our hometown, it is known - among other things - as Rocky Top.  Hence, our choice to combine our love of all things Tiki with our landlocked Tennessee home.