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.
City Shapes
Old and new, shapes and colors.
From a Downtown Parking Lot Window
No students on Monday or Tuesday. Clerical day on Monday to complete semester’s grades and the Art and Music teachers went downtown Tuesday morning to the August Wilson Center for an inservice. Then back to our schools after lunch. When I went to my car I saw this view and shot the Ninth Street Bridge and the street below. It was a Spring like day today, getting all the way up to 60 degrees.
Pittsburgh Ninth Street Bridge
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
NYC Sidewalk Scene: a Writing Prompt?
- Garbage that didn’t make it into the truck on pickup day? I have photographed other shoes and flip flops found on the street. Makes me wonder who was walking around in them before they were abandoned.
Find the Mantel in the Remains of the House Demolished on Centre Ave.
At first I thought it was an upright piano on top of the pile. M-a-n-t-l-e is usually a cloak. M-a-n-t-e-l is the fireplace one. Although it seems they are interchanged frequently. I try to spell correctly on this blog but sometimes it’s tricky.
Driving to school I saw this pile of rubble which was a house last week. An abandoned, boarded-up house but still standing. Webb Construction guys were nice to let me take the photo. I asked them how they do it and he said you start at the top and work your way down. Oh, and I met a contractor who restores houses and is looking for worthy pieces to salvage for the homes he restores. What a contrast.
When It Is Too Far Gone to be Repaired or Restored
It gets torn down.
No one has the money to fix it up.
Houses stand boarded up a long time.
Sometimes there are occupied homes right next door.
Seems the city is demolishing abandoned homes at breakneck speed.
No archeological digs as in Philadelphia sites.
You wonder who lived here and the stories of their lives.
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.
Windy With a Chance of Sunlight
A beautiful day. And though inside from 7:30-4:00 I was able to catch the unfurled flag from the second floor window AND the flag shadow on the asphalt during lunch. Right through the glass.
The Cathedral of Learning in the distance, the light fluctuating as clouds rolled across the sky. Had to tilt the camera to get both the flag and the shadow- the angle a technique I don’t use often.
Windy
In the daytime look out the windows.
Branches bend, papers blow across the yard.
Ripples or waves on water.
A pile of leaves caught up in a whirl.
You can tell it’s windy.
At night, listen.
A train along the river whistles.
Calm, a burst, a roar.
Earlier in my car on the bridge.
Wait for the light.
Feel it. Vibrate.
Bounce bounce bounce
right up through the tires.
Eye level to the top of a flag pole- a cool perspective.
What You Should Never Eat- But Tastes Great!
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Hungry
Sometimes you are hungry
for something that is just not good for you.
And you eat it.
And regret doing so.
Or not!
Wednesday nights I take a class at Manchester Craftsmen’s and eat an early dinner on the South Side, driving down the slopes from Arlington. The last two weeks it was Carson Street Deli sandwiches but then I started thinking French fries. Undoing all the work at the gym yesterday.
So I crossed at 16th St and went into Mario’s, the only patron at that off hour but not for long. Cory was hosting and tending bar and took my order for an Alpine burger (don’t ask) and their house cut fries. A tall ginger ale. I asked if I could photograph the stained glass windows. Designed by Williams Stained Glass of Bethel Park. It was a good time to photograph the architectural details. Woshner’s was once “haberdashery” and is now Mario’s. I was too early for Karaoke night. Had to get to class.
Six AM in the Strip District and La Prima Espresso is OPEN
A two hundred mile ahead of me so getting a bold cup of coffee (and an almond mele) seemed a great start to the trip. The whole block was dark except for the welcoming neon and glass doors and window of La Prima Espresso and the neighboring bakery (Colangelo’s). A standing coffee bar with the best coffee in Pittsburgh. A thought of the day on a chalkboard, written in Italian. Italian TV playing above the barista making espresso, cappuccino, lattes. Fresh squeezed orange juice until 2 PM. You can see the newspaper outside on the sidewalk by the front doors.
One of the most recognizable scents
I remember when I didn’t even drink coffee.
A hot cup in my hand before dawn–
all is right with the world.
Especially if it from La Prima Espresso!
A welcome sight at 6 Am Saturday morning.
Empty Church in a Foggy Mist
Taken from the Bakery Square Parking lot...
Too many churches, not enough parishioners. One afternoon I photographed 8 closed churches on the South Side in one hour’s time. Now a law office, one a Dueling Pianos Bar, two were condominiums, some just locked and empty. I had a plan for a series on the closed churches of Pittsburgh converted for other uses, like the Church Brew Works and Mr. Smalls Theater, the Altar Bar, The Priory etc. but then I abandoned the effort as it just felt sad to me. No shortage of subjects. There are some beautiful and interesting preservation photos of St. Peter and Paul (click here)
Could Have Been Taken Anywhere
East Liberty PA
Once a bustling business
and thriving cultural center.
Gone through decades of changes.
Now some new businesses.
I looked out and saw the closed church.
So hauntingly beautiful in the winter fog and mist.
Button, Button, Whose Got the Button? ( & Bridal Veils, too!)
1700 Carson Street is the home of a great button store. It fascinates me- Parker Button. Boxes and boxes stacked from floor to ceiling. All colors, shapes and sizes. Like an artist’s palette. Shank or flat. Frogs and belt buckles. Ribbon and trim. Spools of thread to sew them all on for utility or ornamentation. My mother had a glass jar full of buttons. My sister made me the coolest necklace from vintage mother-of-pearl shirt buttons, strung onto embroidery floss. Do you have any clothing missing a button?
The other half of the shop is Clarissa’s Boutique . One word to describe the bridal veils, jewelry and accessories for custom headpieces and wedding necessities- exquisite? lovely? classic? ethereal? They will create a custom headpiece for you but allow three months. Feathers, flowers, jewels, or pearls. Voted the Best of the Knot for weddings 2011.
These Days Buttons are Often a Part of Web Design
Or people push our buttons.
Press the button to call the elevator
or select your floor.
Today’s post is the old fashioned kind.
Two-hole, four-hole or shank.
Metal, plastic, shell or bone.
Beatrix Potter shapes of rabbits.
When was the last time you sewed on a button?
Today marks 500 blog posts and counting!
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Growing up we had a record with the song ( these lyrics are from 1929)
Button up your overcoat, When the wind is free, Oh, take good care of yourself, You belong to me! Eat an apple every day, Get to bed by three, Oh, take good care of yourself, You belong to me! Be careful crossing streets, ooh-ooh, Cut out sweets, ooh-ooh, Lay off meat, ooh-ooh, You'll get a pain and ruin your tum-tum!
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
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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!!Red Sky in Morning from the Birmingham Bridge
Left the house a bit earlier to get to the other side of the city this morning. As I hit the Birmingham Bridge I saw the sunrise. I pulled to the edge, hit the flashers again and sat quietly, and shot the sky over a few minutes time. The other direction I could see cars on the Parkway with their headlights on. A nice way to start the day. But the Red Sky,Sailors Take Warning turned out true as it is snowing (about 3 inches so far) and already they have called for a two hour delay at school. The dark band along the bottom of the photo is the Jersey Barrier. Unretouched photograph!
Finding more beauty in winter.
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...
Steam Cleaning 100 Years of Soot and Grime
I drive by this structure most days, the corner of Stanton and Negley. It was in bad repair for a long time. Then it started to be cared for and fixed up. Attended some poetry readings here a couple of years ago. The accumulation of soot speaks of another time in Pittsburgh’s history, when the mills ran around the clock,spewing “carbon, sulfur dioxides and gypsum” (residue listed when they cleaned the Cathedral of Learning) . The buildings with the evidence of another time are dwindling. Tomorrow I will get the name of the company who is doing the cleaning and add it to this post.
The Union Project homepage states “Union Project’s purpose is to create connections and opportunities for learning through the arts and through community-based programming intended to serve the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods.” (click here for entire mission statement and more info on space rental and programs, stained glass classes and ceramics)
The right side is already cleaned, and the tower is being worked on now. I was at a red light and got the one man cleaning the tower but turned the corner and pulled over and rolled down the window to catch the other two workers and the contrast of the clean and the remaining visibile sign of the mills.
Beautifying and serving the community.
Diana Nelson Jones wrote an article 12/11/10 in the Post-Gazette about the restoration of all the stained glass windows.
This cannot be easy work!
Rain A Tribute to the Beatles
I was making a pot of soup when the phone rang. “What are you doing? Some tickets just dropped in our lap!” It was Barb S asking if Steve and I wanted to see opening night of Rain A Tribute to the Beatles. When? 7:30. I looked at my clock on the stove. It was 6:38. We had ten minutes to get down the hill to there house and off we went to Heinz Hall. The roads weren’t too bad. I figured no two hour delay in the morning. After the show I walked across the 6th Street to document the fun evening. It was nostalgic. Good energy. Unexpected live music! We stood and swayed, singing along “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” Given the snowstorm, I was surprised how full the theater was!
See the dusting of snow on the awnings?
Dippy (Diplodocus) in the Snow
Driving through Oakland. A snowstorm. Lights in the night. An enormous Diplodocus accumulating snowfall on his back. Sporting a red knit scarf. Pull to the curb. Forbes Avenue. Turn on the flashers. Get out of the car. Focus. Shoot. Find the beauty of winter.
Diplodocus Carnegiei-22 feet high- 84 feet long- 3000 pounds! Click the blue word Diplodocus in text above to read about him.
Waiting While Someone Parallel Parks on Pearl Street
On the way home from school this late afternoon, crossed the Bloomfield Bridge, down Howley Street past the Shur Save and turned to the right instead left. Too much traffic by the new Children’s Hospital. On Pearl Street the car ahead of me was stopped. It took a long time for the parallel parker to get into the space. Thought the row of houses on the right had some good repetition and rhythm.
Winter in the city.
Jigsaw Rooftops
In Lawrenceville. As I walked over the 40th Street Bridge I looked up and saw all these houses packed so closely together.. There was no air between the rooftops. Reminded me of a difficult jigsaw puzzle.
Lawrenceville. Looking up from the 40th Street Bridge.
Winter River from 40th Street Bridge
And the birds flew up into the shot. I was wishing I had taken my new fingerless gloves from Christmas. Just left the Millvale Post Office (no line!) to mail Joanne’s Christmas box I’d been driving around for three weeks. And the cards that each needed an additional 5 cent stamp. As I came back over the Allegheny I saw the light stream down onto the city. Pulled into the Bus Stop indentation at the end of the bridge, put the flashers on and walked to the center. Fortunately the light was still there. Could have used a filter, too, but it was a stunning late afternoon in winter. Could feel the bridge vibrate as I stood out on the walkway.
All I needed was a barge to come up or down the river. Not today.
Rooftop Deck View of City from the Southside
The holiday lights down below give the clue as to the time of year. Two gatherings Friday night. Live music at both. Extraordinary piano playing. Walked up to the third floor and out the door onto the roof. Propped the camera up on the deck railing and shot without the cable release. The lights felt magical. A beautiful cold winter night.
Rooftops fascinate me. A terrific vantage point.
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