Such Expressive (and Unexpected) Taxidermy
Beware of Fox!
It’s been up on this porch roof for at least a couple of days.
I was driving to the zoo from school on Monday.
The story I heard from the guy out in front of the house next door?
The guy who lives there does demolition and probably got it from some home he was tearing down. It is the season of demolition around the city as you know.
A photographer has no choice but to pull to the curb and shoot the scene. Remember the days of women’s stoles with fox heads dangling and tiny paws with claws? Beady eyes? Ugh. Wonder if they take him in if it rains?
The last book we read in 2nd grade Intervention Group was the Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl.
Note to Self: Leave Home Ten Minutes Earlier
Two school buses and a garbage truck stopped on the narrow street as I made my way to school. A standstill, brake lights on. Do you worry? No, you photograph the scene. Write a note to self.
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.
What I Found on the Sidewalk by School
I walked on by-
nearly passed it up-
even thought it caught my eye.
It’s a rush and a hike between schools.
Time’s always short.
But after I stepped past, I turned around
got down on one knee and shot this little gift
to me- hard boiled yolk, a bit dried,
rolled in sandy crumbs,
abandoned on a sidewalk, fell from a lunch bag
or on the way to the nearby dumpster, missed.
Easter is over.
Didn’t make it to the egg salad bowl.
I drove by after school, to see if it was smashed
maybe rolled an inch, more dry, but still there
all those hours later, just not in as good a light!
Two Upright Sweepers Wait for Pick Up
My family always called these vacuum cleaners but in Pennsylvania you “run the sweeper”. These two are in Clintonville (Laura’s Neighborhood) when we walked on Saturday. The sun shone down on them as they stood at attention.
A portfolio of my work would be incomplete with the garbage studies.
Someone Left Their TV in the Rain
Glad I shot it when I did, as it was gone the next day.
The other day a friend said to me that one of the things about the blog that she enjoyed is that you never know what the topic or theme will be for the day. It’s true, I like to change it up. Seems to come in waves sometimes. Lately I have been documenting some discards again after being off the noticing of them for awhile. I think it was the comments about the televisions people had that could complement the outdoor seating of the couch I posted a couple of days ago. Couches and televisions are frequently curbside.
People at Work- Butcher at Schwartz’s Market (now closed)
The market closed a year ago after being open for 83 years! Photo taken 2009
Outdoor Seating Available
Same couch, a different day. Through the chain link fence.
The Hide-a-bed across the street from school.
Carmela Baked All These Breads for St. Joseph Feast Day
Tuesday afternoon I met a friend for dinner. We used to teach in the same school but are in different schools across the city now. It was good to catch up. When we walked into the restaurant,La Tavola Italiana, I could not believe what I saw in front of me! A St. Joseph Feast spread from the day before. Later Carmela came out to speak with us about how we were enjoying our dinners and she was taking photos with her iPad to send to her family. She uses the iPad to keep the restaurant calendar for parties and other aspects of her business.
I asked if she made the St. Joseph Cavazunes filled with the chick peas and she said, “NO, they are Calabrese.” She is Sicilian and she makes Zeppoles.
I said that I’d photographed all the bread and would send her the photos but would she like to pose with all her handiwork and she did! I didn’t notice she put the iPad down onto the cloth in front until I saw it on the computer. She was gracious to allow me to photograph her. NEXT year we have to go to actual feast! It sounded like a terrific party.
And speaking of party? Click to hear Chicago John’s Italian Song Selection
Yikes- You’ve Got to Pull Over, Get Out of Your Car and Shoot It!
In the distance you can see the Cathedral of Learning at Pitt.
The sparkly Christmas Tree caught my eye . St Patricks’s preparation?
And as I returned to my car, I saw the sidewalk/stairs in the shade.
Fresh Spring Rolls from Tram’s Kitchen
Everyone I know has been talking diets lately. Paleo, Eat for your Blood Type, Low Carbs, No Carbs and a couple of Vegetarians. After speaking with a friend about her shopping and cooking for the day I started thinking I wanted a hamburger on a white bread bun with grilled onions and a side of fries made from some regular old white potatoes, the four cheese macaroni and cheese at Tin Front Cafe or just a trough of grain.
Steve brought this offering home Tuesday evening and I found it on the kitchen table, right next to the box of Clementines when I arrived. I photographed the tray of Fresh Spring Rolls right then- before we ate them! I sliced one in half so you could see the interior. There’s a detailed review of Tram’s Kitchen at TastyBurgher here and an AllMenus link full menu and reviews here. The tiny containers of sauce- peanut or HOT chili really accent the Vietnamese Spring Rolls. *And Tom and Chee posted a new note on their webpage with a link to the Cardboard Me Travels blog
Tram's Kitchen Fresh Spring Rolls
They were delicious.
Tram's Kitchen Fresh Spring Rolls
Saturday Night at Teppanyaki Kyoto Restaurant
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Friday night we made a reservation at the Teppanyaki Kyota Restaurant for Saturday. Tonight Steve and I walked down the hill to the new Japanese Restaurant and it’s 34 degrees outside so the Hot Miso soup filled with onions was a welcome beginning. I think I was hungry and chilled so didn’t get that photo! Just ate it heartily. Next we shared a House Salad with Mango Mint dressing and a Sapporo beer to accompany the meal. Grilled Pork with Ginger and Onions and then Yaki Soba a Japanese Noodle Dish with Shrimp. After those dishes we ate a Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice Ball). The wife of the owner/chef explained how to put it between the seaweed leaves and eat it. Pickled radish was on the side. The cooking shown in the slideshow is Okonomi Yaki- a Japanese Pancake.
We finished with a square of Green Tea Cheesecake for dessert. Light and not too sweet. And then a very chilly hike back up the hill to home. Everything is cooked to order just for you. Perfectly. All fresh ingredients prepared with attention to detail.
And a word from the Chef off their Facebook page as he doesn’t want to turn customers away but also wants to make the customers in the restaurant happy-
I finally tell you that I decided the date to soft-open Teppanyaki Kyoto restaurant. It is January 15th. That is this coming SUNDAY. Only counter seats. Because of new style of restaurant in Pittsburgh, we take only reservation for beginning of a few months. Please CALL me to make a reservation. Phone nunber is 412 441 1610.
I am looking forward seeing you soon.
Do call and make a reservation. The food is delicious and Bryant Street is enhanced by the presence of another excellent restaurant! We had a good time and a wonderful meal.
Shadyside in the Snow
We lived in this neighborhood for two years in a little rental behind what was the Balcony Restaurant and Jazz Club. You could hear the dumpster trucks come in the early morning and the beer bottles clash in the alley. Today on the way home from school I stopped by the Food Museum where the fruit in the window is like a Flemish painting in the Metropolitan. Better known as the Shadyside Market. An elegant place. They were really nice to me although they knew I was checking the price tags before I made my selections. I knew I could buy bacon, eggs, and bread and not break the bank. The plan was to use a box of spaghetti in the pantry, the parmesan in the fridge and make spaghetti carbonara accompanied by a spinach salad with oranges and red onion. (had Spinach Salad on my mind, thanks to Chicago John from Bartolini’s Kitchen blog)
With the snow falling I knew that our big markets would be swamped as everyone rushes there to get the last roll of toilet paper or empty the shelves to stock their larder when they hear of an impending snowstorm. So no food photos of the great meal I was inspired to cook in the winter weather, But the neighborhood of Shadyside. Sometimes I cringe when I realize I would let 7 year old Laura walk around the block ALONE to Rite-Aid to buy the paper. What was I thinking? Prantl’s Bakery makes the Burnt Almond Torte everyone loves. Well, most people.
Famous for their Burnt Almond Torte. Pamela's is nice for breakfast, too.
City Alley in Afternoon Light
Bloomfield Neighborhood on a January Afternoon
Unretouched, But Who’d Believe It?
Sunlight in January. Blue sky. Although predictions for the tonight and morning are snowfall, we are not convinced. Everything has been mild and though some wet, it has felt almost like Spring.
I caught the sunlight on this garage as I pulled out of the school parking lot and it was just aglow with the sun. It was a one shot chance from the car window. I know it looks like I increased the saturation on the red. But I didn’t. This is how it looked.
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Flat Ruthie is a VW Hood Ornament on Cardboard Me Travels
It looked like a jewel to me.
Wylie Avenue View – Winter Afternoon
Wylie Avenue view of the city skyline in my mirror. I was pulled over to the curb.
The last of the light on our first real winter afternoon- snow, icy roads, dropping temps. I was headed home.
Read Guest Blogger Theresa of Third Hand Art -
Flat Ruthie/ Cardboard Me Travels is in Independence Missouri click here to see her photos
Molasses Cookies Mystery
Sunday, a beautiful box of homemade molasses cookies was left on my doorstep. My friend Steve brought them into the house. The sugar on the cracked tops is the fancy kind. I drove back from Ohio Monday night. Ate a couple with some hot tea. Mmmmmmmmm! Reminded me of the cookies my mother used to bake.
I have called three friends to ask if they are the one who dropped off these delicious cookies. My friend V said that another friend came to her mind when I told her I didn’t know who made them. I called.
Wasn’t her either!
Thank you for the delicious molasses cookies. Whoever you are.
(and then I got worried and had to look up grammar rules- whoever/whomever?? )
Most people knew I was away with the family. But maybe they thought I was driving back Sunday night?
Weekly Photo Challenge: Possibility
The challenge spoke of doors and paths, travel. This is what Arlington Avenue looked like on the way to school Thursday morning. The October light made the brick building seem to glow. That is the color it was when I saw it. No retouch on that brick. Just morning sun. I like to think that the start of the day offers POSSIBILITY.
What I saw on the way to school Thursday morning. Shot through my windshield.
Feast of Saint Rocco, Fireworks and a Full Moon
Information about this celebration at St. Raphael’s in Morningside arrived in my inbox from the community list-serve. Said there would be fireworks. When I got there a band from Cleveland was playing Italian songs and couples were dancing. A large statue of Saint Rocco was illuminated and people would go up and kiss their hand and touch him. He is the protector of contagious disease and pestilence. There was a statue of a dog with a loaf of bread in his mouth right by his side and you can read his story here. At first I took a few timid photos with my phone as I felt conspicuous. But when the fireworks started I pulled out my regular camera and propped it against the chain link fence and caught the scene. The full moon looks less dramatic in the image than it felt in person. Used a 24-70 L series lens and the remote cable to reduce camera shake. The fireworks were fun and everyone thought they were over and then more would shoot up and an audible oooooh and aaaaah came from the crowd. A nice summer evening, it is 64 degrees right now! 
On Walters’ Pond- They Had to Throw it Back
A cookout. Kids running around playing ball. Some on the swing set. Men teaming up to play cornhole. A group of kids on the dock. Hamburegers hotdogs on the grill. Salad and fruit. Macaroni and cheese. The kids actually caught a little fish and threw him back. I photographed several of the families so they could have a family picture. It was a beautiful summer night.
Moonrise Over Bocce Court in Bloomfield
As I an writing this post I think that it is almost two years that I started the blog. And when I checked the stats I see that the first post was 7-14-09. Two years and a day. Happy Blog–aversary. Thanks to all the readers who have followed my blog, written comments on the blog, written nice emails to me or told me about which photo they enjoyed seeing. And to the friends of friends who have shared the posts and photographs, whom I have met only online, I appreciate your good feedback, too. SO here is the today’s post-
Stephanie cuts my hair. She asked me how the photography was going. I told her how I photograph and post a photo of the day on the blog. (Today is the #658 post.) She told Jack, her husband and he looked at my photos online and invited me down Thursday night when he plays Bocce. Here is his website.
It was a perfect summer evening and the men were gracious, allowing me to photograph the games. Tried to be unobtrusive and hung there for over two hours. One gentleman is 97 years old! I sat on a bench at the end of the court for a time, shooting intermittently. A little conversation here and there. And there was the moonrise over the bocce court.
Although I was invited to the mid-season party at the Pleasure Bar on Tuesday, I already have plans with the grandchildren….but I got to hear the menu! Mmmmmm. I am really missing out. Fortunately there is an end of season party in the fall!.
Thanks Jack and to the Bocce League, playing under the cars passing over the Bloomfield Bridge on a summer night.
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