Before the snow began

It just takes some getting used to. The new season. It changed this morning. We like the changing seasons, right?

This chilly icy, now tonight, snowy weather.

So hard on the trees, though. The driving.

Getting cozy by adding covers, readying for hibernation, thinking about making pots of chili, soup. Boiling the kettle for tea. Oh yes, keep on knitting a wooly sweater.

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Sunday- Pittsburgh Pirates Win 11-5 PlusTaralli and Fireworks at Saint Rocco Festival

Sunday afternoon my friend Steve and I drove downtown to look for the Toynbee tiles. 

He’d seen a documentary about them but that ‘s another whole post for tomorrow.  I want to read more about them and view the documentary myself before I write about seeing them.  We found three. Stay tuned……

We decided to check out the baseball game and considered getting a last minute ticket.  (Note how full the stands are these days!)

Here is the view of PNC Park from the Roberto Clemente Bridge above the Allegheny River.

Later in the evening we met some neighbors at the Saint Rocco Festival in Morningside at St. Rafael. There was singing and dancing the Tarantella.  We ate a meatball sandwich and looked at the beautiful handmade cookies in the baskets.  I asked the name of the cookies and the woman said Taralli.  I went to my favorite authentic Italian recipe blogger, Chicago John and searched for a recipe for these particular cookies and didn’t find one but I am hopeful he’ll have one.  Here’s a recipe I was able to find for now.

The evening ended in fireworks and lots of smoke.

Some of you may have seem my post of the Festival last year when there was a full moon.  Just clouds this year.

If you want to read about Saint Rocco’s story it’s here

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.

Fountains at the Carnegie and a Sad Sign at Kiva Han Coffee Shop

I love to go to the Museum at night. It was just getting dark when I arrived and you can see the progression by the fountain photos I shot with the iPhone.

The Carnegie Museum of Art has free admission on Thursday nights for February and March. When I entered,the gift shop was still open so I bought a book for school.  I had received an email that photographer Dawoud Bey  would lecture (free) and show his work Thursday night. I am so glad I went to hear him and look forward to seeing his show- I was sorry I didn’t get to meet him but he was mobbed by people getting him to sign his book. I would have told him how I’ve photographed my students but can’t show them outside the school.  His portraits were excellent!

 Silver Eye Center for Photography has an exhibition –

Class Pictures: Photographs by Dawoud Bey until March 10th.

The Fountains When I Arrived
The Fountains When I Left

 

After fifteen years.....

Kiva Han is closed now.  Forever.  Here is the article telling what happened 🙁  A franchise is coming in, The Bagel Factory.  Bummer.

Cantilevered House,View 2, Friday on the Way to School

You saw my photo through the foggy school bus windshield.  Friday morning there was a train going by as I shot this but the cars were flat.  Couldn’t wait for that to change. It was a nice touch, to hear it speeding by on the track above.

I shot this outside the window, not through it and since I was the driver this time, I pulled to the side of the road.  Not a lot of time to experiment or revise on the way to school and no time to get out of the car.  Oh yes, iPhone camera not regular camera.

You read about this home in the New York Times last week.  If you wish to compare the shot from my previous post it is here.

It’s a cool view to see every morning. I watched them build it but didn’t document it. Too bad. One for the regret category.  Since most blog readers are out of town and can’t swing by to see this more clearly and are relying on my view, I wanted to show this unusual home in a nice light. And the school bus was parked.

Morning sun instead of rain and fog, clears up the view.

Eljay’s Used Books is Moving from the South Side to Dormont

I asked why and the answer wasn’t surprising.       “Economics.”

After 14 years on Carson Street.  I bought a James Beard Cooking Lessons volume to read while I waited for a friend.  The fiction section was already boxed up and packed.  A lot of books to move.  A loss for the South Side scene for sure.

Dormont is fortunate. 3233 West Liberty Avenue will be their new digs.

I Love Bookstores

Losing two bookstores in the city.
Just this week.
Borders  with the new books-not open lomg
barely two years
and now Eljay’s Used Books on South Side,
Signs of the times.