Giant Frog Among Yard Animals Helping to Keep Austin Weird

When Laura and Mehtab Benton moved into their Travis Heights home two decades ago, the neighborhood’s numerous yard decorations – including animal figures and old trucks – fit perfectly with Austin’s reputation for being weird. “It seems like South Austin was the weirdest,” Mehtab says. The couple soon purchased their own whimsical piece – a giant frog. The company that they purchased it from delivered the ½-ton concrete creature on a truck and lowered it into place with a small crane. For the past 18 years, the giant amphibian, which they had painted light green, has graced their front yard on Avondale Road. The animal is actually a toad because of its short body and stubby legs, the couple decided. It also is female, they say, because male toads always are smaller than females. “I think we have the only oversized frog in Austin, Mehtab says.” Neighborhood residents know the Benton’s’ home as the frog house and bring their children by to see the creature. The house is near Blunn Creek and a waterfall. “It’s a water spirit,” says Mehtab, a well-known yogi. “It’s protective of the creek and the waterfall. She’s always watching over them. She never blinks. Nothing escapes her gaze.” While Travis Heights and many nearby neighborhoods have transformed during the past 20 years – with newer modern builds replacing historic homes – residents of the communities still display their share of yard art. There’s a tall rooster in the 1800 block of Alameda Drive, a hulking gorilla on the corner of West Lynn and West Eighth streets, and three giraffes in the 700 block of West Mary Street. During the pandemic, some yard creatures wore masks, although the Bentons never dressed up their animals, which also include a cougar and a smaller frog. The long-time Travis Heights residents soon will be moving out of state since they are selling their Avondale Road home. Along with a house, the buyers will gain the enormous frog. “The frog belongs here,” says Mehtab. “It’s part of the landscape. We feel like we’ve improved the overall weirdness of the neighborhood.”