Following Mr. John’s Truck Up the Narrow Road
One day BEAUTY, the next day NECESSITY- Andy said the blog is like a Carousel Slide Show and you just don’t know what’s next–
On the way to school one morning. Shot with old iPhone 4. How about that narrow road Parkfield Street?
Not sure how a toilet got named a John, so I looked it up and found out they are named for Sir John Harrington and that there is even a toilet museum.
One of my favorite posts on the blog is the pink toilet in the snow.
Hail Storm in Zagreb Croatia- Guest Post
In my email this morning-
Dear Mom,
A hail storm broke out in Zagreb today and my friend Maja captured it with her iPhone from her 9th floor office. She was a little bit reluctant to be blogged, but she had this to say about the picture : “It looked so great and it made me so happy that I wanted to share it.”
And it reminded me of the sentence from the film “American Beauty” – “Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.”
I think that quote is a great motto for us to live by. You and your blog do a great job reminding us all of the beauty that surrounds us every moment of every day, so I knew what to do with Maja’s picture right away!
Love you,
Matty
Thank you Maja for sharing your beautiful photograph of the hailstorm from the ninth floor window and thanks Matty, too.
Adjectives Illustrated- But Which Ones?
Today I read an ________________________(noun) about creating a self-assignment for your photography.
It made me _________________________(verb) about what I might like to try to photograph.
Then I ____________________________(verb) at what I’d already photographed.
(Chose a word – like Mad Libs ™ (Did you know Mad Libs™ was created in 1958?)
I was looking for images to go with the ____________ (adj) Strawberry I photographed on the _____________(adj. )porch this afternoon- it seemed to have a __________________(adj. )mouth.
I added the ________________________ (adj.) eyes and ears.
Adjective defined by Merriam-Webster : a word belonging to one of the major form classes in any of numerous languages and typically serving as a modifier of a noun to denote a quality of the thing named, to indicate its quantity or extent, or to specify a thing as distinct from something else
and the Writing Centre University of Ottawa has an accessible definition and examples (not that you need them but I was refreshing my grammar knowledge)
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.
In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives:
- The truck-shaped balloon floated over the treetops.
- Mrs. Morrison papered her kitchen walls with hideous wall paper.
- The small boat foundered on the wine dark sea.
- The coal mines are dark and dank.
- Many stores have already begun to play irritating Christmasmusic.
- A battered music box sat on the mahogany sideboard.
- The back room was filled with large, yellow rain boots.
____________________________________________________(adjective) Strawberry face
____________________________________________________(adjective) Stanchions in the elevator when we took down the student art show
____________________________________________________(adjective) Origami on the school steps
______________________________________________________(adj.) sign in Millvale
_____________________________________(adjective) masking tape dispenser in an art room
_____________________________________(adjective) sign
_______________________________________________________________(adj) night light from Divertido
_______________________________________________(adj) iPad fireplace
Sock Monkey in camo sleeping bag _____________________________________(adjective)
A garden gnome for my Daughter-in-law’s garden (just kidding, Erika!) ____________________________________________(adj.)
There might be descriptors for several that are interchangeable. I am restraining myself from writing a list of adjectives to choose from.
Thanks for playing MadLibs™. Hope you will write an adjective for any image(s) you wish.
Fresh Eggs Make the Best Omelet
My colleague brought me a dozen fresh eggs from her chickens. Thanks S.
I loved how each egg had a date written on the end. I made an omelet this Saturday morning with some Cabot Creamery Extra Sharp White Cheddar. Maybe a tad too much butter. Couldn’t cook and photograph with the cell phone simultaneously. I was told you want “sound” when the eggs hit the pan.
I know the chickens are well cared for and eat organic feed. Fresh eggs make the best omelet. It was delicious. If I were a true photographer I would have made a neater looking one and photographed it again but no one else around to eat the wrinkled one. I went on Google images to see how my omelet fares by comparison and I think it is fine. These eggs are too precious to waste.
Yes, a little too much butter. Eat the toast with jam no butter due to excess amount on the eggs!
Hiding the imperfect folds with the farm grain bread toast. Now to polish the French PepperMill that was a wedding gift in 1974.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape
They call it challenge for a reason. Escape. Or trying to.
Escape defined : Break free from confinement or control (School is out June 17th)
Need to get away. Get out. Break free.
Attempted escape. Some of mine seem like “trapped” or “escape is necessary” . It makes me consider posting a photograph of our jail that they built along the Monongahela River, spoiling the scenic view. Escape from reality. A fire escape?
Me in the mail chute at the City County Building today when we took down the art show.
Fencing so the Cheetahs Can’t Escape!
Kayaks on the Allegheny River Photographed from the Roberto Clemente Bridge
Fence and Branch at the Softball Game
Did you ever feel like you can’t escape when you are in the middle of the car wash?
Take the keys and lock her up! Little sister tries to escape
A hopeful escape from reality and the rat race. I guess I need to buy a ticket. Oh well.
The Book Loft- Columbus Ohio. Reading is a terrific escape!
A roller coaster is good for a brief escape
at Kennywood Amusement Park
Ready for the get away
A Couple of Fire Escapes ( I was shooting the Bitter End, I think)
Central Park Pastorale
See others bloggers escapes-
JOIN
You Write the Story
Here’s the scene.
Found on a New York City Sidewalk on Bleecker Street- Night time- a tad grainy and soft.
High Chair and TV Tray Table.
Thai Cuisine on Liberty Ave at Pearl Street in Bloomfield
When I got home from school, Steve asked me if I wanted to go eat at the Thai Cuisine Restaurant in Bloomfield. Bloomfield is considered the Italian section of the city and I have blogged the Italian Festival and scenes from the Bloomfield Bridge.
On Liberty Ave at Pearl Street, across from the Bloomfield Laundromat,there’s delicious Thai food in this wonderfully Italian neighborhood.
I was so tired when Steve suggested going out to eat, I thought about lying down and taking a rest instead.
Fortunately, I decided to take him up on his offer and am I ever glad I did. He’d brought home take-out from this restaurant before but had never dined in. He told me how nice they were to him and always remembered his name.
It’s BYOB. They have a vegetarian menu,too. The service -friendly and nice, the food fresh and perfectly prepared. Very tasty. The decor and ambience clean and comfortable. Love the cloth napkins.
We enjoyed our dinner tremendously.
We ordered two dishes to share and the brown rice. There are curries and appetizers, soups and salads and desserts. Spicy Basil Fried Rice seems to be a favorite in the reviews. The YELP reviews = overall four out of five stars. The Urbanspoon seemed quite favorable and highly recommended by the City Paper Critic, too
Ginger Roots Onions, Black Mushrooms, Broccoli, Carrots, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Snow Peas, with Chicken
Classic Shrimp Pad Thai
The view from my seat in the front window booth.
And the high gloss lacquered table reflecting formerly St. Joseph’s Church
Our server rolled all the silverware in wonderful cloth napkins- stacked and ready to go
And Steve took a shortcut down the alley to get us home. Love being a passenger so I can photograph with the good old iPhone camera. Did not take my regular camera to dinner.
Bronze Elevator Doors in the City County Building, Pittsburgh PA
Sometimes you see something on the fly- take a quick picture and later you think, oh,
I should have taken a little more time, shot more views or gotten better photographs as you review what you captured.
I left these photos the way I took them- a bit crooked, a partial door- as a reminder to take my time and get the detail, watch the angle,
*note to self- take a few more pictures when you see something magnificent, unusual and interesting. Take the entire door in the frame!
When we hung the art show at the City County Building downtown Pittsburgh, we were getting into the elevators and I took a couple of photographs of the bronze elevator doors. You almost felt like you were in Florence.
Henry Hornbostel was the architect of the building (and about fifty other building that are still in the city) but I couldn’t find who designed and sculptured/cast the elevator doors specifically. They were amazing to see. Figures with earlier government buildings in hand. Definitely need to get to the Carnegie Library for some detailed research but just look at the doors and think about how they don’t make buildings like this anymore. There’s a lot of history in the story of the doors that I don’t have at hand. Details later.
Brass vs. Bronze the difference in the two metals information here
The Wilds, Cumberland Ohio
Mark and Erika called Saturday night and suggested we meet up at The Wilds. Cumberland Ohio. I took the New Concord Exit on I-70.
I said, sure I’ll meet you there! I was excited cause it was unexpected. And who knew this place was so interesting?
It was about 130 miles for me to drive there and they drove about 90. We took a 2 1/2 hour bus ride tour throughout the 10,000 acres and saw lots of wonderful animals. Most are endangered in the wild and this conservation facility(non-profit) gives them the protected place to reproduce. It was a beautiful day.
Bactrian Camels- Mother and Child (Yes, this was photographed in Ohio)
Przewalksi Wild Horse- a female
Sichuan Takin
Zebras- Buck and bray a bit while the one looks on
Bison running away from our bus
25 cents in a machine and you can get food for the catfish. They act like they have never eaten before or will they ever eat again. I know these were Jack’s favorite.
The catfish are not particularly attractive to me.
Rhinoceros family time. Our guide says there skin is really soft. A group of rhino is called a CRASH.
All photos taken with a Canon 70-200 mm L series lens on a Canon 5D
Our knowledgeable guide Rob.
And an ordinary rabbit. Not endangered.
And if you want to travel with us on the bus, Anna captured a two minute segment of the tour! Thanks Anna for the videoing,
Weekly Photo Challenge: Pattern
Pattern. This week I actually took a few photos to respond to the weekly challenge instead of sifting through the archives.
It was a wonderful Mother’s Day with an unexpected trip to meet the family at The Wilds in Cumberland OH but stay tuned for that post. No time for uploading tonight. Using the iPhone camera tonight, looking around the kitchen for patterns. Came upstairs and saw the afghan on the bed. Impromptu pattern photos.
Traffic pattern- coming back from The Wilds we were totally stopped on Interstate 70 around Zanesville.
China pattern. I used to like the idea of mismatched china. Service for 12 in twelve different patterns. It was an idea.
Silver Pattern. My grandmother’s Moonglow and some random pattern in my drawer. Used to be you would select a silver pattern when you were getting married. Lots of couples choose stainless these days.
Knitting, Sewing and Smocking Patterns from yesteryear- another life. I used to do all these things when the kids were small. I still knit.
Knitting Smocking and Sewing Patterns
Pattern in Nature
A Chevron pattern- the crocheted afghan that a coworker’s mother made for my mother. I call it the Good and Plenty afghan.
Pattern in the lid of the jam, sitting on the kitchen table
You can see some wonderful pattern in fellow blogger’s posts for the challenge this week
Light through Glass Block Windows
Carpets Architecture Leaves and Details
and see Rockaway Six Months After Sandy at Nylondaze
The Umpire and the Softball Coach After a Consultation on the Field
I was at the Girl’s Softball game (high school ) last Monday. When I look at this photo of the third base coach walking away from the PIAA umpire after a discussion, it makes me smile, too.
I considered showing the first photo of their discussion on the field but this walking away after they spoke seemed the more powerful and effective shot.
You just wonder what was said.
I was shooting with a 70-200 mm Canon L series Lens and had to keep ducking behind the chain link fence for protection as those foul balls kept whipping towards third base.
Pittsburgh Marathon Photos – Almost Mile Twenty
I got down early to catch the first marathoners in the wheelchair division. It was a perfect day for a marathon.
There was a street sweeper operating at the intersection of Highland and Bryant when I got down. I knew the wheelchair participants started about 6:45 AM and I calculated when they’d arrive at almost mile twenty down the bottom of our hill. I didn’t have too long to wait.
When I witness their effort, a catch forms in my throat. It’s inspiring. Accompanied by a bicycle escort, they “run” the course with determination and hard work.
I am dividing the post into galleries. The first shots I stood across the street from the local coffee shop – Tazza D’Oro.
DICK’S Sporting Goods flew about 3 dozen marathoners to Pittsburgh from Boston so they could run the marathon. These runners were ones who were unable to complete the marathon due to the attacks.
There were thousands of runners today for the Pittsburgh Marathon so this is just a small sampling of the day. Perfect weather!
Here’ s the first gallery-
The Wheelchair Participants
The lead runners just flew by, almost effortlessly (well, it seemed easy watching them) Soooo fast. So smooth.
There were lots of dogs in attendance today.
And then there were the fun runners, the monkey, the man with the trumpet.bugle?, the guy in a kilt and sandals, women wearing tutus who were texting, and some wild hair and outfits. Many patriotic displays and one guy running backwards. A man wore a Chicago Runs for Boston shirt.
One man ran the whole marathon blindfolded, tethered to a co-runner. He did this to raise awareness and to experience what his 7 year old daughter must experience in life- she’s legally blind. To read about his efforts click here and another article about this father’s running the entire marathon blindfolded- here
A few more runners
And all the volunteers and the workers who made it all possible
The street sweepers, the garbage collectors, the police, the paramedics, the course marshals, the volunteers who passed out water and picked up the cups from the course. The bus who came to sweep up the runners who needed to ride for the remainder of the course. All photos shot with a 70-200mm Canon L series lens on Canon 5D SLR camera
And the partiers, the cheering section, and as neighbor Mike coined the term the CHAIR-ATHONERS. for further coverage you can go to the Post-Gazette
The City Planted a Tulip Tree
Ten years ago, I lost the giant sycamore in front of my house. It must have been 100 years old. I even called in a tree doctor to see if it could be saved. It was a sad loss when in was cut down. I applied for a new tree through the city,
Last Saturday, volunteers planted a new tree in front- Liriodendron Tulipifera. A tulip tree. A yellow poplar. The leaves are the shapes of tulips. It is a beautiful looking tree and I am so grateful to have it planted. I read it is the state tree of Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee and may grow to 170 feet tall.
Email instructions arrived on how to water it deeply by using a big bucket with holes in the bottom and how to not put mulch touching the bark so fungus doesn’t grow on the bark are a couple of tips.
Does anyone remember the television commercial encouraging the planting of trees? There was a quote – It’s a mature man who plants a tree under whose shade he will never sit. I looked it up and all I could find is a Greek proverb…
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
How about my crop of dandelions?
Woke Up, It Was a Foggy Morning
In The Early Morning Fog
My sister and I were on the phone and she had just asked me about my seeing things to photograph and am I always on the lookout for a good photo and I said I think I take fewer pictures now, that I am not obsessing about getting a decent shot blah blah blah and THEN-
And when I got to the red light at the end of the Liberty Bridge before the tunnel, I saw the fog enveloping the PPG building except for the pointy towers peeking through.
I opened the back window and took a quick shot.
On the way to school the next day I didn’t get a red light so no photo.
Day three! A red light and another quick pick of the city without the fog.
Dinner, Sunday
Late Sunday afternoon, I drove across the river to shop for dinner ingredients and some fruit for lunches this week. The larder was looking a bit sparse. It was either go shop or eat another grilled cheese and/or egg sandwich. M and I had just talked on the phone, earlier in the day about wanting a real meal. She was thinking Thanksgiving like. I opted for meat and potatoes.
At the meat counter I asked the butcher for two petite steaks (on sale). Not too big. It’s funny about meat. Sometimes it actually turns me and I can’t even think about eating it, and other times I am actually craving a serving. It was one of those days of wanting it. Not thinking about it having a face.
Came home and sautéed an organic yellow onion in some Amish butter and then sliced up a box of fresh mushrooms. Baby Romaine salad with Steve’s favorite brown Clamato tomato( I swear they look chocolate) and a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar. Garlic smashed Russets.
After I plated the food, I used the phone to capture the dinner. Feeling ready for the start of a new week, fortified.
Peter Celebrates the Big Five O (+)
Stuffed grape leaves, and fancy cheeses. Goat cheese and fig jam on bruschetta. Green grapes. Some bubbly to toast. M and D brought the most drinkable wine. A secret in the carafe, a blind test. Carlo Rossi. No kidding. Beat out the pricey Portuguese wine. What do we know?
Dates and nuts in a chocolate South African pudding recipe, topped with whiskey whipped cream, created by his wife Janice. Happy Birthday to Peter. Live music at a party makes the evening rhyme. Marc on harmonica and Peter and Doug on guitar. Kim sang a number with the lyrics on her cell phone.
A fun surprise party. Well done, J.
Flowering Pear Blossoms Fall Like Snowflakes
There were thunderstorms and heavy rains. then it cleared a bit.
As I pulled out of the school parking lot, a strong wind came up and the blossoms swirled and fell like snow.
Sure Sign It’s Spring
Bloomfield Bridge Tuesday afternoon waiting at the red light I looked next to me and saw a vision.
Top down on a shiny brightly colored convertible.
A definite change in the weather and I took it as a sure sign that Spring is finally here. (it’s a Murano by Nissan).
April Showers, Richie Havens and Here Comes the Sun
It was MIXED BAG (vinyl) in my dorm room in the early seventies. Over and over. Richie Havens sang Dylan better than Bob.
Here’s an email in response to the one I wrote in December.
Subject: A Message of Gratitude
Last Christmas Matthew was back from Croatia and we were sitting in Mark and Erika’s living room in Ohio, remembering the first Richie Havens concert I forced him to go to as a teenager. We saw him together years later in New York City at the Knitting Factory, too. Matthew and Aunt Mary braved a Connecticut snowstorm to see him together and sat right under him.
——————————————————————-
Hi Ruth
Thank you so much for taking the time to send along such kind thoughts. I will make sure Richie sees your email.
Best wishes for 2013!
Leslie
Stormy Forest Productions, NYC
—–Original Message—–
From: ruthehendricks
To: stormyforestprod
Sent: Sat, Dec 29, 2012 3:50 pm
Subject: Message of Gratitude
This is a message for Mr. Havens as I sit with my 32 yo son tonight (home from Croatia where he lives) listening together to RH on youtube. When Matthew was 14 I forced him to go listen to a Richie Havens concert in Pittsburgh Pa at the Carnegie Music Hall. Oh he was mad cause who wants to go anywhere with their mother at that point of their life? We waited in the corridor afterwards and met Mr. Havens and my son said he emanated positive energy right out of himself into him. Matthew saw him in concert at least six times after that and he said tonight that Richie Havens was able to communicate to his soul. We saw him together at the Knitting Factory years later. So powerful and I wanted to express gratitude for his musical gifts and these wonderful loving memories we share of listening to Mr Havens music and energy. Xxoo Ruth Hendricks
Paris in Pittsburgh
Sunday afternoon, Steve and I were walking across the Schenley Bridge on our way to the Carnegie Library in Oakland. We saw lots of shiny things reflecting the sun. As we got closer, I saw combination and key padlocks.
Not sure when these locks started showing up on Pittsburgh Bridges but this was the first time I’ve seen them.
Love Padlocks or Lovelocks, they’re called.
They signify “everlasting love” according to the entry at Wikipedia. And they aren’t just in Paris. There is a whole list of cities – Prague, Rome, Zurich, London, Moscow, Dublin, Sydney. The padlocks are controversial as some deem them unsightly and akin to litter. Eyesores. Too much weight on some bridges.
Other citizens are outraged when they’re cut off from public bridges around the world. Not sure what the stance is here in Pittsburgh-these additions to the Schenley Bridge over Panther Hollow. Guess time will tell.
We were able to see names or initials inscribed on them, dates. Most of the padlocks hung from one section of fencing.
Just now I read that the padlock keys are thrown under the bridge.
I remembered seeing a photo of a ton of padlocks on a Parisian bridge in a Weekly Photo Challenge from WordPress: LOVE (click to see photo of Paris Bridge)
and if you want to read the list of locations around the world and see more photos of love locks, click here.
If you look at bridges around the world sporting Love Padlocks, Pittsburgh is going to have to go some to catch up!
Do you think a sword was pulled from this stone?
Pizza Chef Again in E.Rossi & Co. Windows- Grand and Mulberry Streets
Taken the week before Easter, on Spring Break vacation in New York City. Found the second window picture with the nativity scenes tonight and the pizza man reappearing which I’d missed the first time.
The little girls’ mom is pointing out the Mary riding on the donkey with a hand on her expectant figure. 
Pyramid of LED Lights on the Gulf Tower, Change with the Weather
Dear Blog Readers,
Thank you for the thoughtful expressions of sympathy, your comments and emails yesterday, on the passing of Murphy the Airedale.
It means a lot to the whole family to read such an outpouring of love, care and concern. Your words offer comfort and understanding. xxoo Ruth
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For years the Gulf Tower Building ( built in 1930) had a beacon that displayed the weather- red lights for fair or blue lights for precipitation
Now The Gulf Tower has a fancy installation of programmed LED lights that change with the holidays, sporting events and special occasions but still tell the weather at five minutes before the hour. The combination of lights can produce any color.
Designed by Cindy Limauro, professor of lighting design at Carnegie Mellon University and husband, Christopher Popowich, partners in C&C Lighting LLC.
Read more: at the Post Gazette article with a chart telling how to”read” the lights.
This photo was taken from my car window while waiting or my sister to buy her train ticket back to NYC at the AMTRAK station downtown.
Murphy the Airedale- A Family’s Best Friend
Murphy Joseph McGrath. Murphy passed today. He just turned 11. He was patient, loving, loyal, humorous and adored by everyone. What a personality!
It is a very sad day for the family.
If you’ve been following the blog you’ve seen his photograph many times. I swear he smiled for the camera.
He was one of the first posts on the blog, Murphy Waits for Michael.
So many of you expressed sympathy recently on the passing of Erika’s parents Italian Greyhound, Cleo. It’s been a hard month.
Today’s tribute is for Mark and Erika’s, Anna, Michael, Jack and Maura’s dear sweet boy- Murphy!
When Mark and Erika brought each of the babies home from the hospital, Murphy was there to welcome them into the family. Murphy was a pup before M & E got married. He was a loving and well loved member of the family. ( Erika would get mad at me if I called him “dog”)
There are no words to describe the sadness, the missing. You may remember the photos from his Tenth Birthday post last year.
Anna is nine now but here she is just home from Mercy Hospital
Murphy’s favorite tree in Virginia. He represented for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful. 
Photographed by Erika
In Hardy Virginia
Rest in Peace Murphy
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