Ohio’s flatness is so different from Pittsburgh’s hilly topography.
You can see why one might believe the world is flat. You can watch the weather roll in across the fields. Flat flat flat, as far as the eye can see..
October 15, 2020
October 16, 2020
In 2011 I posted about the City Sidewalk Stairs. And again in July 2018
from July 2018
”Pittsburgh has more public staircases (800+) than any city in the United States. The City’s steps connect communities and provide residents access to transit and other amenities” http://pittsburghpa.gov/
Garfield The Steps to Ft. Pitt School
Sidewalks can be steps, too.
Book by Bob Regan Photos by Tim Fabian 
Pittsburgh topography requires innovation- how to get from the bottom of a hill to the top. And in 2010 the snow covered stairs students climbed to Ft. Pitt School.
Author Martin Aurand’s book describes the formation of the topography of Pittsburgh’s hills and valleys. The Spectator and the Topographical City examines Pittsburgh’s built environment as it relates to the city’s unique topography. Martin Aurand explores the conditions present in the natural landscape that led to the creation of architectural forms; man’s response to an unruly terrain of hills, hollows, and rivers. From its origins as a frontier fortification to its heyday of industrial expansion; through eras of City Beautiful planning and urban Renaissance to today’s vision of a green sustainable city; Pittsburgh has offered environmental and architectural experiences unlike any other place.”
Another shot by Laura as passenger.
We drove a total of 1000 miles from Columbus to Rockford and back.
From her passenger window. Grain storage under a massive blue sky. You can see for miles.
Two roads diverged on a city hill.
I really wasn’t sorry I could not take either of them.
No outlet, squared.
I sighed.
And when the light turned green,
I headed on over the bridge at the bottom of the hill instead of choosing.
Apologies to Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
As part of the WordPress postaday 2011 challenge (I am a participant) there’s the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. I have read the emails with the themes of the week and thought about them but haven’t posted to one before today. This week the theme is COLORFUL. Most of my photos of the day are in real time and what I encounter as I go about my daily routine. I did a stretch of iPhone photography when it was difficult to wield the heavy camera and lens and I have posted from the archives but most photos are from the day itself or a day or two on either side. I guess some are after the fact.
Some readers love the city views, others enjoy the food shots, the varied locations, others get a kick out of the dogs and the family shots and catching the action during movement. Others like architectural details. You know how I am attracted to all things nostalgic and also what people put in the trash- the pink toilet shot, the console televisions, the aquarium. I started the People at Work series and am always trying to improve my portrait photography. I enjoy hearing from readers who tell me they saw something and I came to mind and if I were there I would have photographed it! Sometimes friends send a photo on the phone to show me. I haven’t run out of things to notice and shoot-
but today it’s a simple red pick-up truck parked behind a house on a clear blue sky day!
Some of the past themes of the WordPress Challenge– shadow, one, old fashioned, light, hot, sky, water, Spring, boundaries, refreshing…… Not sure why I haven’t shot and posted to the weekly challenge before but here’s my first response to Colorful.
What I liked about the photo is the tension of the parked truck behind the back of the house. I didn’t see a cement block or a guard rail to stop the truck from going over the hill. Pittsburgh topography; hills and valleys, rivers and steep streets, stairs for sidewalks. You’ve seen these features in many of my city photographs.
