How Many Deer Do You See?
Three is the answer.
Steve says he is glad he is not a deer. These are woods IN the city.
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
If the Tree is Straight, the House is Crooked
A couple of blocks from school there is a tree that grows out of the ground on a angle. This is the effect it has on the object below, when I straighten it out in the viewfinder and shoot.
Angles
There are the geometric ones-
acute, right, obtuse or
how we look at things.
Differently.
Almost looks like it is floating away
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.
Michael Jumps Off the Board into 12′
Saturday afternoon with the family . We checked out the indoor pools, one a leisure pool with a lazy river. Everyone had a good time. How to ward off cabin fever? Enter the balmy Westerville Community Center pool. We skipped the climbing wall. Note the little drips of water off the back of his suit as he jumped. Mark took the two oldest back on Sunday afternoon.
Practicing my sports photography, stop action!
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.
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!
Groundhog Sports Black and Gold Beads
Happy Groundhog’s Day. A friend sent an email of a groundhog finding a Lombardi trophy as a shadow.
You can click here for all the serious information from the official website in Punxsutawney PA.
I hear there are some competitors around the country but Phil lives close by …. “If Candlemas be fair and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year.” or this poem from Wikipedia “In Scotland the tradition may also derive from an English poem:
As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop
One year(1990) my sister and I went to Punxsutawney to see Phil the groundhog. Pre-Groundhog Day movie.
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.
How About this House for Steelers Madness?
Some dedicated fans live here for sure!
Sunday night’s game was a nail biter. On the way to Cj’s house to watch the game I saw this house across the street. Monday morning everyone will be happy at work. The excitement will build over the next couple of weeks. Many will be superstitious about a wide range of rituals-not shaving, items of clothing worn, with many fans feeling responsible for the final outcome dependent on their action or inaction. It is quite a phenomenon. Thanks for all the good wishes from friends far and wide.
And congratulations again to Dr Beth P. who won the Blog Giveaway of the photo print of her choice, which she is going to donate to the National Kidney Foundation’s Annual Gift of Life Gala!
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!!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.
Standing Right in Front of Me
Last night we heard this song in the Rain show and today I was humming it and a few other Beatles tunes, all mixed up. A couple of friends are going to see Rain this week and then Sally wrote that she saw the Beatles THREE times as a teenager in the ’60s. Just ran through my thoughts throughout the day. Steve was starting to walk down the hill in the snow to catch a bus. I drove him to work in the all wheel drive and as we turned onto Friendship Avenue I saw this statue of Mary in front of the convent in Bloomfield. Shrouded in snow. Since school had just been closed for the day, I got out and photographed the figure in the snow thinking of the words to this song- since she was standing right in front of me…….
from Let it Be by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. And in my hour of darkness She is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.Lucille said a touch of red improves the shot. Find the tiny roses.
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?
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.
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.
Unexpected Mail
Home after being away for ten days. Steve bought a pizza for us. Found a pile of mail in the front hall; catalogs, bulk mail, a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon, a notice of a tangelos and grapefruit delivery, a bank statement and the water bill. A few Christmas cards and the Barbie scrubs I ordered for Christmas from Etsy. A nice card with a Starbucks giftcard from Cj. AND a “Mug Rug” with a Norfolk VA postmark from Colleen, a long time friend of Joanne in Omaha. Joanne insists that Colleen and I have met but we haven’t– yet! Colleen stitched a quilted “mug rug” and sent it to me with a lovely card. (Depending on when you are reading this, I am writing on the 9th Day of Christmas so it is 9 Ladies Dancing, 10 Lords-a-Leaping, Mary.) I love the numbers on the fabric. There were instructions for a cup of tea and room for two cookies on the side but I didn’t want to cover up the fabric for the photo. What a happy surprise to find a handmade gift in the sea of fliers and junkmail! And how fortunate Steve had some cookies to supply for the shot. What a great way to end the vacation. And Deb B I like the quote on your handmade card.
“How we choose to think,
Determines what we will see,
And so it is that we,
Create our reality.”
(a quote but no attribution, maybe someone will help find the source)
It is a happy 2011 already. Thanks friends.
*If you want to see the Blog Year in Review 2010 and the Top Posts- click here for late post 1/2/2011
Thank goodness Steve had some cookies a patient brought him. Delicious with Good Earth tea. (after the photo)
Michael Photographs Through Glass at the Ice Skating Rink
Michael got a camera for Christmas from his other grandmother (F.F. Marlene), and was eager to try it out. He was having fun at the Chiller rink on Friday . Matthew skated up to the glass and smiled at Michael. Michael captured Uncle Matty’s image. He was so excited when he pressed the arrow and saw it on the screen.
Go Steelers!
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