Waiting for Barges on the Allegheny River Late in the Day
Standing on the Roberto Clemente Bridge from Sixth Street. Saturday night.
Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background
Oops. Between going away for the holiday weekend and my consternation about loyal and regular followers not being able to receive the blog in email, I forgot to do last Friday’s Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background. Tomorrow there will be another challenge so this one is in just under the wire
This challenge was just that- a challenge.
Fishmarket Chinatown NYC
A class trip picture in Central Park
Breadmaking at Eataly NYC
The horse’s eye at Booker T Washington Monument Park Virginia
From the giant Lego store- Prometheus
Eataly
Chicken through the fence
Washington Square Park
(Thanks to everyone who wrote and commented about my ongoing frustration that many friends and followers can’t even subscribe to the email to receive it. What’s up with that , WordPress? I have tried to send the link or forward the post and they don’t get it either. AND from three different types of email- mac, yahoo and a virgin gmail account.)
Bob Rumba- Ventriloquist, Comedian, Balloon Artist and All Around Funny Guy
His card states COMIC GENIUS*
and the asterisk below statement says *Genius Available by Appointment Only.
When Steve and I were downtown at the Gallery Crawl a couple of weeks ago, we were walking in front of the new Arcade Comedy Theater. Kristy was out front distributing info and invited us in. I told her my daughter Laura was taking an improv class in Columbus.
Free beer! Hmmm. Steve thought that sounded good. There was improv going on in the theatre. Lots of good energy in the place.
We promised to return another time when we didn’t have to be somewhere.
We were on our way home but with the free beer and the man in the window motioning for us to come in, too, what else could we do?Just a few minutes.
Turns out it was Bob Rumba, All Around Funny Guy.
Women outside the Arcade Comedy Theater
The Trees Sue’s Dad Had the City Plant, 35 Years Ago
Yesterday Sue commented on the new tulip tree being planted in front of my house. She told how her father had the city plant trees up and down her street, thirty five years ago, and how they were a memorial to him. He was featured on the blog for a Veteran’s Day post- Martin H. Cooper.
Today I was driving by her street on my way home from the Waterfront. Took two cell shots of his trees. Thanks Sue for your good words on the blog.
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.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Neighborhood
Phoneography special. The weekly photo challenge I have been talking about it for days. Unable to do it for a variety of reasons. Out of town. Too dark. Many people shoot with their phones. All day, everyday. Don’t think much of it, the photos sit and take up space. They have them in the phone and that’s about it.
This is just a snippet.
Tonight Steve drove us over to Shadyside for 1/2 price burger night at Shady Grove. I’ve added some shots around town I already had in the phone. This is not an attractive time of year to showcase where I live. If you want to see Pittsburgh at it’s best you can check out Francine in Retirement of Frizz in Germany. I take photos of Pittsburgh frequently. This is a collection of the everyday. The Historical Marker is where musician Billy Eckstine lived in my neighborhood.
The snowy park is the neighborhood I live in Highland Park. There are 80 neighborhoods in our city. The edges of neighborhoods are where I drive through everyday to school and across the bridge, over the Monongahela. I’ve thrown in a few you’ve seen before just to round out the gallery.
Last Wednesday’s view of the Highland Park Entrance. The second one is what my driveway looked like! It’s all gone now.
Old Trees New Trees on a Winter Path
After school I drove into Highland Park, right near my home. I’d taken a series of black and white photos for a film class years ago in this same spot and still have a print on my wall.
With the new snow today, I thought it might look interesting but the light was low and the sky thick and gray.
Found some new trees planted along the path, though.
I plan to return in the Spring.
There weren’t many dog walkers or walkers or runners or any activity in the park. The Super Playground deserted and covered with snow and ice. No bicycles. The fountain turned off. The reservoir a layer of ice. The sounds muffled with the snow, but barely a car driving around the circle today.
It’s in color but almost looks black and white.
Downtown Alley
The illumination challenge could have kept me going for the rest of the year. I shoot a lot of photos in the dark with lights! When you look at your body of work ( or parts of it) you notice different things and details on different days.
When I was sifting through files, I found this city alley downtown and just liked the perspective, the people, the shapes and lines. Although it was captured in another season, the thermometer went up to 69 degrees ( I saw it lit up on a sign!) and for the second week of January it feels odd.
I think I need to return downtown and shoot some more alley views.
The Music of Michael Jackson, Tuesday Night in Town
A friend had an extra ticket to the The Music of Michael Jackson Tribute with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra who put on a stellar musical performance. People were on their feet, clapping and dancing to the familiar music as the star of the show gave it his all. It was a tribute not an impersonation pointed out the star, James Delisco. It was a fun night and an unexpected outing on a Tuesday evening. Thanks Barb and Penny.
The Heinz Hall was elegantly decorated for Christmas. Single glittery gloves were passed out and kids 13 and under got a chance to come up onstage for the last number, Thriller, and show their moves.
Photos by iPhone again.
Macy’s windows were filled with holiday displays. The giant Nativity scene and the Menorah display were by the old USSteel building, now UPMC. Preparations for the holidays are in full swing in downtown Pittsburgh. 
Reading About Hurricane Recovery
This is the skyline of Hoboken, shot across the Hudson River when I visited my sister in April. I heard a story on the radio about Hoboken residents and the Hurricane Sandy clean up efforts. So many people still suffering.
Although my sister has power back in lower Manhattan as of today, unfortunately there are areas that are just devastated and still without power.
Almost a week later, remembering those affected by this massive storm.
All the leaves are down and the sky is gray
I heard a loud machine sound out my bedroom window this morning. No school today. I shot this right through the screen and glass and need to pull the storm windows down. It was a vehicle with a strong leaf blower. Hmmmm. The tree muncher arrived later to chew up a few branches that fell on the park across the street.
Francine’s High School For Sale
Schenley High School
It’s been closed a few years now.
Well, the yellow sign says RELOCATED but that was temporary.
It’s gone now.
When I drive by this building it feels sad. When I drove by today it was raining and I saw the For Sale sign out front. If you want to see a magnificent aerial view of the building and where to send your bid to buy it, click here
I went to high school in Morristown, NJ so it isn’t my Alma Mater, but the empty building evokes a sense of loss.
There’s whole list of notable alumni but here’s a link to a photo of Andy Warhol’s homeroom class 1944-1945
Weekly Photo Challenge: Everyday Life
Everyday life.
Selected a dozen shots for this Weekly Photo Challenge. The photographer who created this challenge, Jon Sanwell, suggests walking around and shooting people in a variety of settings throughout the day. One of my decisions was to mix it up, peopled and unpeopled shots but the trace of humanity in the unpeopled shots.
What I documented-
Walk the dogs, cook breakfast, make coffee, catch the school bus, sit in traffic, run out of milk and go to the market, home repairs (thanks to Andy’s father’s screws and nails collection in her basement ceiling)feed the dog, put out the trash, buy a lottery ticket, gather with the family,dine with friends. Everyday life can be so fine.
Fellow bloggers respond to the challenge here
Weekly Photo Challenge: Near and Far
When I received an email with the challenge of the week, I read the suggestions about landscape and horizon and went to find them.
I have a ton of landscape images but suddenly I saw all these photographs in my library with people in them.
Walking somewhere. And me, following the walkers. A city far in the distance. Near and Far. Here are my interpretations of Near and Far, starring my family, the cities, the Hot Metal Bridge decorated with colorful bras for Breast Cancer Awareness and an unknown marathoner with her pony tail flying.
Photographed in Columbus and Pittsburgh.
There are at least 100 other bloggers interpretations in the list of ping backs on the Daily Post
Shammy and Sean at the Corn Festival
Last Saturday I went to the Carrick Corn Festival at Phillips Park, across the street from the high school where I’d just started my new position (digital photography teacher) the day before. Our principal had invited us to attend and get to know the community plus it was a chance to see the Marching Band perform and shoot some photos of the event. There were Irish Step Dancers and Bhutanese Dancers and I’ve quite a few views of the corn being shucked and boiled, dripping in butter but this is the photo of the day.
At one of the booths, this man was writing people’s names and telling their meaning. I asked if I could photograph his dog (Shammy) who was by his side with a bowl of water on the grass. Sean told me that I should have seen her at the St. Patrick’s Day parade and he shared some snaps of her in her outfit. Here he’s picked her up for another pose. Even though I was short on cash, this generous gentleman wrote the meaning of my name Ruth (a friend to all) on the back of a prayer card, using a calligraphy pen in neat writing.
Not just any prayer card but the patron saint of photographers.
He’d asked me if I knew who the patron saint of photographers was and I ‘d no idea.
He told me the story of St. Veronica and her capturing the image of Jesus’ face in the cloth she offered to him.
Receiving this unexpected gift felt like a special blessing at the start of of the new school year. Thank you Sean.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban
I could sift through thousands of urban photographs for this week’s challenge: urban.
There are the suburban shots of the family in my file folders, too.
Choosing a cohesive urban series was my personal challenge. The most searched term on my blog and a true urban image is NYC Rooftops at Night which I posted in 2009.
I live and work in the city of Pittsburgh, driving across bridges and past demolitions, playgrounds and chain link fences. There are skyscrapers and empty lots. When I visit my sister in lower Manhattan there are hundreds more images to shoot and file. And why not throw in a couple from Zagreb where Matthew lives?
So much for a cohesive series. Here are my urban selections for this week’s challenge. A couple will be familiar if you’ve followed me for more than a year.
One hundred other bloggers interpretations of URBAN
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « e-Shibin
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Fenland Photos
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Flickr Comments
- Weekly Photo Challenge – Urban | Chittle Chattle
- Weekly Photo Challenge – Urban | Chittle Chattle
- Le città e il gioco. 2. | Empire of Lights
- Photos by the Dog of a Depressed Woman « Broken Light: A Photography Collective
- WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE : URBAN « beyond toxicity
- Weekly Photo Challenge – Urban | Just Snaps
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban – Downtown Oak Hill, Alabama | Humbled Pie
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban – Joy and Woe
- Urbanizando el tiempo « La Mandraka
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Pictures for Froghopper
- Weekly Photo Challenge; Urban « So where’s the snow?
- Urban Energy « the thirdeyeworld
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Wind Against Current
- Weekly Photo Challenge: My Urban Garden | Cardinal Guzman
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « britten
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Figments of a DuTchess
- Urbaunite « bukaningrat ™
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « A year in the Life
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « MaanKind
- Weekly Photo Challenge – Urbane | Canoe Communications
- weekly photo challenge: urban « A Meditative Journey with Saldage
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Efrata Denny Saputra Yunus
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Four Deer Oak
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « matt_pic’s
- Weekly Photo Challenge: URBAN « iñigo boy
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Lucid Gypsy
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Lydia Street
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | A barbaric YAWP across the Web
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « picture-bandit
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Disorderly Chickadee
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « A Happy and Beautiful World
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Picturing England
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Children’s Books & More
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | StandingStill
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « danajoward
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | efahmi.info
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban «
- Weekly Photo Challenge – Urban « Tacts Blog
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Capture the Moment
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Healthcare Updates
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Merge | Thrifty Finn
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Ohm Sweet Ohm
- faux statue « primo piano
- Urban Flowers (aka Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban) | One Not Alone.
- Weekly Photo Challenge: The Red Door « Shelf Life of a Bookseller
- WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE : URBAN « 2012 – ON THE BENCH
- WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE : URBAN « 2012 – ON THE BENCH
- Two Awesome WordPress Themes For $29 [Deals] | Open Knowledge
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Carra Design
- WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE: URBAN – A slice of Metro Manila « mywordwall
- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish « Detours by Deepali
- Weekly Photo Challenge – Urban « mtlawleyshire
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | perceptionsofareluctanthomemaker
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « DesignHouse9
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Lonely Travelog
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Bams’ Blog
- Weekly Photo Challenge theme ‘Urban’ | Campanulla Della Anna
- Dreaming under the trees « mein27 photoblog
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « JahsWorld
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | My Sardinian Life | La Mia Vita Sarda
- The bride in the city…City Explo[it/r]ation, a WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge |
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Project 365 Challenge in 2012
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | R Shad
- Challenge photo – Urbain – Paris-Plages « Paris en photographies
- urban human « i don’t understand the cattle
- Pont Neuf – urbain « Paris en photographies
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Rois
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « miljoanne
- Weekly Photo Challenge : Urban « Cheryl Andrews
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Insanity at its best!
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Emma’s life unravel
- weekly photo challenge: urban « monkeymuesli
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Last Train to QVille
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Monochrome
- Weekly photo challenge ~ Urban | holistic complications
- The Barrio Of Kitsch « The Urge To Wander
- weekly photo challenge : urban | bodhisattvaintraining
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Mirth and Motivation
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | The Blog Farm – A Growing Blog Community
- Urban Silhouettes « Ink.
- weekly photo challenge : urban (part 2) | bodhisattvaintraining
- Weekly Photo Challenge:http://humbledpie.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/this-mornings-commute-across-tampa-bay/ | Humbled Pie
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Olivia May Photography
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Becca’s Photo Blog
- Photos Galore! Travel Photo of the Year Contest, Travel Theme – Silhouette, Weekly Photo Challenge – Urban | newsofthetimes
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban Leiden « What’s (in) the picture?
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Wanderings of an Elusive Mind
- Urbanite | Beyond the Brush
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Stephen Kelly Creative
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | The Retiring Sort
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Chronicles of Illusions
- Urban Rooftops « Broken Light: A Photography Collective
- ER, BAN REALLY AWFUL RHYMES? | Colonialist’s Blog
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban « Zain’s Pix & Text
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Photography Journal Blog
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Urban | Autumn in Bruge
The Toynbee Tiles in Pittsburgh
My friend Steve told me about a documentary he watched last Saturday night about the Toynbee Tiles. Toynbee Tiles? I’d never heard of them. The documentary is called Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles . It’s a film by Jon Foy and was chosen as one of the best documentaries of 2011 by Roger Ebert.
Turns out there was also an article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about the tiles downtown but I missed it when it came out.
So last Sunday afternoon, Steve and went to look for them. We found three of the Toynbee Tiles. The first photographs of them were in the 1980′s so I am a latecomer to these mysterious plaques. And I am intrigued by their placement in so many locations.
Find the pop top and the screw in this close-up.
A couple of them are paved over. Chicago doesn’t allow them, they rip them up. But in Pittsburgh they are there for pedestrians to walk over and cars to drive right on top of them. It is a mystery who places the tiles but there are a lot of them in the world. Right by the church where James and Laura were married in Columbus, OH at Third and Broad there’s another one and Laura’s seen it! They are considered guerrilla art. And a mystery!
You can see it in the crosswalk below.
An you can see the above tile in the crosswalk below.
Not sure why but I didn’t shoot the location of the third tile we just happened to find when we went back to the car. 
3 Year Blogoversary- Food Truck and Cart Fest, Columbus Ohio
Thanks for following, looking, commenting and sharing. I appreciate your writing emails and sending photos to me.
Three years ago today I started the blog.
This is the 1027th post as I didn’t postaday when I started, it was just random.
Thanks to the nice mom and dad who said I could blog their baby eyeing the pizza from Late Night Slice and great idea SIL James.
* The Boa Constrictor’s name is Sally May*
Ceramics by Katie Kikta and Eric Rausch
Pittsburgh Steelers T shirt by 8 Bit Apparel
Vintage and Handmade Jewelry by Katie Guagenti
Camera Onesie by KLZART
And you can see This Guys Art on Cardboardmetravels.com today
Six Months After the Wedding
I couldn’t be the mother-of-the-bride AND the wedding photographer last November and their photographer did a fine job but I wanted to photograph the bride and groom myself.
Laura and James agreed to let me shoot some “wedding” pictures on another occasion. Not exactly a Trash the Dress shoot. James knew some good spots to go to in the city. When he asked me I said I wanted the mood to be urban sophisticated.
Turns out it is almost 6 months later. It was not stressful or pressured and we had a relaxing time together. Even returned to the field as the sun started to set to get a different light, something not possible on a wedding day when everyone at the reception is waiting for the bridal party.
Costco white roses for 16.99 with some white floral tape and ribbon and a floral pin from JoAnn’s another ten dollars but the flowers added to the shoot. I had a boutonnière for James and promptly cut the flower head right off as I tried to pin it into his lapel. So much for props..
People called Congratulations and honked their horns, cheered them on and told them they looked nice. Laura said if you want to feel good about yourself, put on a wedding gown and walk down the city street. I asked them what was the best part about being married. And I asked them what is the worst part of being married. Their answers were forthright, frank and touched my heart.
Afterwards we ate at Giorgio’s in Clintonville. They changed before we went.
Laura said, “I like a little direction” so I said Jump on three. One, two, THREE.
I had to ask what the name of the river is. Scioto.
Google Pittsburgh
When we first lived in Pittsburgh and Matthew played baseball in Mellon Park across the street from Bakery Square we could smell the aroma of baking. Crackers, cookies, it was the NABISCO Factory built in 1918. Bakery Square has been “repurposed” as they say. And GOOGLED.
There’s a Coffee Tree that opens at 5:30 AM. for the early birds.
And a close-up crop of the Google flag.
Buildings Demolished- A Sign Discovered
Converted to black and white to accompany this discovery.
A bit of research on the web and I found the photograph of the Fiore Family in their Larimer Meat Market.
I drove by just before sunset and was surprised to find some buildings missing. The ground covered with hay. And then I spied this wonderful sign. What a gift. Larimer used to be densely populated with Italian immigrants but this area is fairly desolate now. Vacant lots were restaurants and shops used to be. There are still homes in the area but lots of spaces in-between of what used to be there. About a mile from my house.
Only the automobiles in the photo give it a date. TODAY.
I hope some of their descendants find this post and write a comment.
copied and pasted from a Google Search.
Einstein in the Flower Shop on the Corner
The sign in the window says, BEWARE OF DOG! I’ve driven by this place for almost six years as I go back and forth to school everyday. Sometimes there are balloons tied to the signboard outside. It’s on the corner at Brownsville Road- PLANTS & FLOWERS by Lisa .
Today I pulled over to the curb, ignored the meter, got out and went inside. I was headed to Bridgeville to visit a friend. Einstein used to have two white tufts of hair that stuck out, hence his name. The two women were really helpful to me and I asked if I might photograph him and they agreed. I thought about the flower shop as I left and drove in traffic, finding my way to Bridgeville. I’d heard that photographing animals with a black fur coat is difficult and looking at the shots now (available light) I concur. But those eyes were really checking me out! Einstein was friendly and wanted to communicate. Must be used to new customers off the street.
My grandmother worked in a flower shop in Lincoln, Illinois, and when I was small I would visit her there. I remember the spools of ribbon, the sticky green tape, the wire stands and styrofoam base, that green squishy foam and of course the smell of the place but the thing that sticks with me the most was her can of spinach and a hard boiled egg she kept in the cooler for lunch.
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