Guest Blogger’s Response to Yesterday’s Waiting for Spring Post
Okay Aunt Bobbie (the one who gave Anna the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls). Bobbie saw my almost Spring post of the flowering pear trees and then sent me a photo for the blog today. YIKES!
I was so hopeful. Just when I was thinking of how the earth will warm up and the buds and blossoms will burst. I was counting the days until Spring, ready for the winter to be OVER!
I love it when someone is inspired by my photos on the blog, though. Even if it is a snow photos. Well more that just any snow photo.
21 inches of snow in Kansas City in a week!!!
(Chicago John, this one is for YOU, too!) For everyone shoveling and plowing and hopeful that it will just all go away….and SOON.
(Rob, you must be so glad you moved out of Northern Illinois to Florida this year. Kristin, how was Hawaii? Sue, you enjoying Spring training in Bradenton?)
Thanks Bobbie for the photo today. Where are the crocus?
A p.s. to Aunt Bobbie’s picture
Two more responses, this time from faithful blog reader ROB
writes to
Ruth,
Brrrrrr.
Reminds me of a song that my Music Monday Maestro might find….
“Button up your overcoat, when the winds are free. Take good care of yourself, you belong to me.”
Tree in Snow, Tree in Sun
Another in my winter tree series. Actually I drove through the park today and the snow is gone. See the tree below.
I wanted to post the trees in silhouette, though and the sinking sun behind the trunk.
It ‘s the warmth of the sun on the snow that appeals to me.
My drives through the park after school on my way home have help me appreciate the beauty of the winter.
A different tree but this is the angle of the sun at the time I was driving into the entrance of Highland Park.
Today on the way home, the car thermometer read 63 degrees. Here’s what my trip into the park yielded Monday afternoon. Find the car to check the scale of the tree. Because of the mottled peeled bark, I believe it’s a giant sycamore. Long shadows and blue sky with pretty clouds made it feel like April.
Last Sliver of Sun
Before I drove up the mountain, I went to one of my favorite spots on West Carson Street. This is what made me decide to head up to Mt. Washington to catch the incline in the snow as the sun set.
Family of Four Walking at Alum Creek Dam
Hard to see them in the first photo.
My daughter -in- law was driving and I was the passenger. Shot from a moving van. They are walking above the Alum Creek Reservoir.
Oh there they are!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Surprise
Seven surprises!
The weekly photo challenge: surprise.
I’m thinking about Stef’s Three Daily Delights blog and how she faithfully lists three delights from her day. Thanks Stef for the inspiration.
Here are 7 surprises captured by the handy iPhone, save #2,shot with Canon 5D.
1. Jack found the fresh snow when he opened the front door Saturday morning. That’s my unpacked suitcase by the front door. Surprise!
2. My wonderful DIL Erika sent a hot cup of coffee out with Anna as I was watching the kids play in the snow in the backyard. (this is the only shot with the regular camera) Yes, that’s a Roadside America souvenir travel cup. Surprise!
3. Penny the Golden Doodle actually watches TV(Christmas Vacation) at Laura and James’ house. Matthew and I arrived Friday night and ate delicious bowls of chili and cornbread, after a 6 hour drive in the snow and traffic (usually a 3 1/2 hour trip).
Surprise!
4. My SIL James’ parents sent the wonderful gift of perfect, juicy pears. I sliced one and it disappeared in seconds. Thanks Chuck and Sharon.
Surprise.
5. Thursday afternoon I was stuck in traffic in the rain and saw this pink building and two pink vehicles for Bread and Pastries. This is the true color, not enhanced! Surprise.
6. Anna(9) baked a cake all by herself then took a sandwich bag, turned it inside out and filled it with buttercream and then snipped the tip of the corner off and proceeded to decorate the chocolate cake.
7. Kerry, the student teacher(Art Department) did some serious baking and made special message cookies for the last day of school before Winter Break. Surprise!
Someone Left a Fake Fur in the Snow
White snow on white fur. Too bright, the reflected light. But what looks like just a pile of snow is some white fake fur puddled on the sidewalk as I got out of the car to go into school Monday morning.
Close up of the white fur with snow on top.
Distant View Through a Chain Link Fence- Close, Closer and Closest
Drove by and it was a blur through the chain link fence.
(Don’t worry, Steve was driving. I was the passenger.)
What do you think these are?
Guess no one flew South. Read that the Canada Goose is now a year round creature of urban environments. And the plural is Canada Geese- not Canadian Geese. You probably already knew that, Mary Lynn!
The Passenger’s View
Took the eighth grade on a Field Trip to the Carnegie Museum of Art to view the Tennie Harris,Photographer: American Story show. We had a wonderful day. Here’s the view from the passenger seat. (note the sidewalk on the right is stairs!) You can see the stop sign at the bottom of the hill. And the reflection of the school bus in the right side mirror. Shot through glass on a snowy day.
Through the front window. It was great to be a passenger.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter
If you've been following the blog for awhile you might remember this as the header last winter,too.
To see other bloggers’ responses to the weekly challenge, click here
*click here to see Flat Ruthie Feed the Horses Cardboard Me Travels to Hardy, Virginia
The Newspaper said “Little to no accumulation…” but-
A friend called and invited me for a slice of cherry pie for President’s Day. Hot tea. I walked down the hill wrapped up in hats and scarves and boots. A good thing- I couldn’t believe it when I came out of her front door two hours later and the snow had accumulated and was piling up. That 60 degree weather on Saturday and now this? YIKES. I trudged home, shoveled the walk and it’s blowing and snowing and really cold. The snow was wet and heavy and a 2 hour delay has been called already for school. How they will clear all the streets before the school buses head out is a puzzle to me. (edit 5:30 AM. All schools are CLOSED! At least they didn’t wait to call it at 7 when everyone is already there. My friend just called, teaches instrumental music and gave me the news auf Deautsch singing Schnee Tag )
Not Spring Yet!
It isn’t that we aren’t ready for the crocus
and blossoms.
We got an unexpected snowstorm.
Shoveling again. And again.
Burrowing in the flannel sheets.
Florida friends, I am thinking of you!
Back to bed.
View from my friend's front porch as I started my walk home up the hill.
Heard from many friends and family who knew and loved Lori today. And from friends who didn’t know her but were touched by her story and loving image with Fredi. I tried to write back little notes of thank you to those who emailed or posted and I told her sister Sara about the overwhelming response but she can’t bear to look at it right now, understandably. A sad day.
School Chairs & Chain Link Shadows in the Snow
Someone left the chairs out in the snow. Today the sun came out. I photographed these a couple of weeks ago and they just looked uninteresting to me. So not the whole chair, just a part. It was the shadows that attracted me today.
This morning I saw my first sundog*.
I was unable to photograph it properly.
It was a stunning sunrise from the Birmingham Bridge.
I didn’t even know what a sundog was until Joanne
sent me a photo of one.
It was clear and cold, blue sky and a magnificent sun.
It is amazing how you can feel when it is light.
The view of the sundog from the school parking lot seemed less dramatic.
I was trying to show our librarian. Definition below.
*from good old wikipedia
A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, from Greek parēlion, (παρήλιον), παρά(beside) + ήλιος(sun), “beside the sun”; also called a mock sun or a phantom sun) is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.[1]
Sundogs may appear as a colored patch of light to the left or right of the sun, 22° distant and at the same distance above the horizon as the sun, and in ice halos. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but they are not always obvious or bright. Sundogs are best seen and are most conspicuous when the sun is low.
A classic assignment for beginning photographers- Capture the shadow!
The Carnegie Museum Fountains in Winter
Shooting a color photo that looks black and white is fun. These pods looked chilly and the sounds of the water splashing gave a shiver right under my wool coat and scarf.
Ever watch kids play in fountains
in the summer months?
Not the day I shot this photograph/
and I doubt kids play in these
or if they do, I’m sure not for long.
Vigilant museum guards would
come out and put a halt to any splashing
February 1st after lunch on Professional Development Day.
Check out Keep or Pitch and vote today!
Whose Chairs?
A recurring theme around the city as I travel between schools- I see chairs. The chairs make me wonder about the owners, their usual occupants. Somewhere in my hard drive I’ve a photo of a high chair near the curb, waiting for pick-up. Chairs have a personality of their own. I love to hear the names of different types of chairs, each evoke an image- wing chair, ladderback, Windsor or Eames. Lawn chair, rocking chair, lounge or arm. High chair, club chair, captain chair, molded plastic, patio or kitchen chair. School chairs are not particularly comfortable. Kids love the rolling ones on wheels. Folding, stackable, side chair or throne. Where do you sit?
Two yellow chairs and a gray one on Evaline Street. Yellow curb peeking through the snow.
HERE WE GO! Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jets Playoff Game- Single Digits on the Thermometer Predicted
Reporting from Pittsburgh- I put myself on assignment. Saturday morning I was thinking about a post for Sunday’s game. It was all blue sky and about ten degrees. Got out of bed and drove through the Strip District on my way down to Heinz Field. The guy who sold me the Croatian STEELERSFan T-shirts last year agreed to a shot. Fans lined up for breakfast outside DeLuca’s. Dumptrucks were being filled with snow from the stadium parking lots. Rows of Porta-Potties stood empty, waiting for the Sunday tailgaters. Up in the stands I saw an army spreading salt left and right. Went for coffee in Aspinwall afterwards and ended in the J & W Variety Store (EST. 1969) where I purchased a tiny 99 cents pencil sharpener. Lots of STEELERS gear and accessories for sale. I asked if it would be okay if I photographed the display and the proprietor said – Sure! Handed me a complimentary HERE WE GO button as I left. Everyone’s pumped! I read a letter to the editor (5th one down)in the Post-Gazette from the guy in the New England End Zone Militia asking us to drown out the JETS fans and win! Similar to the players message to the fans click here- BE LOUD!!
Steelers Inflatable in a Silver Pick-Up
Arlington Avenue. Driving down the curvy slope, slick tracks under your tires make a distinctive sound. Note the trolley tracks and wires. They still run! I had to turn around and get this inflatable. From the rear. Drove up the hill again and came down, took a shot of him from the front. It was the unexpected sight of a huge Black and Gold inflatable, leaning over the cab of the silver pick-up. This view was the better one. Playoff fever mounts as Sunday night’s game with the Jets is on everyone’s minds. Well, most everyone. It helps us make it through the winter. And if you want to purchase one of these blow up football friends, get down to Mike Feinberg Company”The Party King” in the Strip on Penn Ave. Fans have a variety of ways to express team spirit and I know everyone will sport Black and Gold at school on Friday. Throughout the city! I find team allegiance an interesting study. Where you are born, where you live, family traditions, civic pride. There are photographers who photograph the Steelers Fans for years.
My headlights reflect on the truck, the headlights from the oncoming car on the wet street...
Carnegie Library in the Snow
Night light refelcted in the city, one of my favorite things to shoot- add the snow factor.
Seven Robins and the Female Cardinal in the Backyard Tree
I thought the robins used to fly south! Find the female cardinal.
The other day there were two red cardinals in the tree in the backyard. I couldn’t see them no matter how I squinted. Could really see with the 70-200mm camera lens though. The neighbors in the back must have a feeder and the birds congregate. As I waited for the stunning red cardinals, which did not appear, I counted at least 7 robins in the tree. I didn’t see the female cardinal until I put the photos into the computer. Don’t robins fly south anymore?? I thought they were the first sign of Spring so that isn’t right. I am glad I am not a bird. Especially in winter. And what about all the cats in the neighborhood? Can’ t be easy.
Who Remembers Kickball?
You have to have a good ball to play. One with some bounce. Similar rules to baseball they say. But you could get the ball thrown at you as you rounded the bases and be called out. Everyone wanted to pitch. I left school Friday afternoon and saw this kickball on the playground in the snow.
The rusting chain link surrounding the playground. The red rubber ball birghtened the scene.
Snowstorm Softens Skyline Edges
Coming back from training in the West End I pulled into the Cigna lot and took a couple of chilly shots. Although a color photo it appears to be black and white. Looked for lights in the city but the snow blocked the view. You can see the snowflakes against the river background. The railroad tracks, partially covered, made for nice lines. The best thing about being asked to drive across the city in the snow (when it feels like you shouldn’t get on any road!) is that you get to see a view you wouldn’t have seen if you hadn’t made the trip. You might remember the blogpost - same vantage point- without the snow.
Where the rivers meet
Snow Enhances Lights
Left school so late that it was dark. Drove a circuitous route home to check out the lights in Morningside. The house I have photographed the past two years didn’t have a single light. Thinking about the possible reasons for no lights this year but maybe they just moved. This house up the street looked lovely in the snow with the greens and ribbons on the white fence.
Looks more like New England than Pittsburgh to me.
First Snow
As I left school, I saw the snow on the tree. When I walked across the street I saw the Scarecrow people and the ever-blooming flowers in the hanging pot! Happy December
I didn't get the Blessed Mother in the shot, but she was there!
Baby Doll Flies Like a Flag on the Moon
Where a house used to be, unshoveled steps to an empty lot. An iron pipe for a rail. What’s left of it. On the way to school I look up and see this bizarre sight. Pulled over, flashers on, catch of the day, one block from school Thursday morning. Had to look up the definition of stock-still
Just like the flag planted on the moon, immobile.
Boy’s Best Friend
Michael and Murphy Survey Aunt Linda & Uncle Frank's Snow
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