Friday, 5 January 2024
Look at these wee windows all lined up to ogle pedestrians walking by on the sidewalk. Or that’s how it looks to me.
I thought the light on the fence-top loops looked darned special, and tried to capture it…but, nope, in the digital world, it looks just flat and not side-lit curvy lovely.
Thursday, 7 December 2023
Somehow I managed a ten-minute I’m-in-the-city stroll this morning. The sun balanced the cool temp beautifully.
The presentation would have been better if I’d taken the time to remove the keystoning (?: keystone effect), but you get the original.
Monday, 9 October 2023
I walked in the morning, in the old world.
Then, my new iPhone arrived, and I began the transfer. I hit snags, and The Guru stepped in and did the magic with Mint, etc., and it finished.
The new phone means a major camera upgrade. See! Look at that vegetation variation detail!
Sunday, 1 October 2023
This pair of photos is from the beginning of our day…from the hotel portal…oh, and I should add this is an early urban motel, dating to 1957 according to the plaque (right), I kid you not.
…and a view from the bridge crossing the great Ohio R.
The rest of the day was chugging through miles, eventually with a podcast to entertain us, followed by anti-traffic-clog detours in the northern ATL suburbs, and whoosh, we made it home in good time. And home was fine, if a bit dusty and in need of an airing. Relatively nothing as far as problems, in my book.
Thursday, 13 July 2023
The first part of the day: packing and closing the cottage. Then we said goodbye and hit the road.
Next stop (after dropping off garbage and returning library books): pay bridge toll. Lots of work vehicles on bridge, both sides. And we saw a freighter almost under us…exciting, no?
Then on the south side, we made a scenic pit stop. I’d expect these are sumac, but I don’t remember any yellow sumacs…for now, a plant mystery.
Soon we dropped down on old lake bed and logged miles and more miles, in Mich then in Ohio. I’m going to post before we stop, which should be into Kentucky. It’s a plan.
Sunday, 18 June 2023
With our fine cuppsa-joe in hand, we strolled across the Fox River bridge rather early in the morn, meeting these googly-eyed statues of two of the four fox-sons of Papa Charlemagne. The St. Charles (Illinois) Chamber of Commerce website tells the story of Charlemagne’s command to his offspring to take care of the EuroAmerican settlers of the valley. I find it a fanciful and strange tale.
Upriver a short way, we came across this statue, also with rather paternalistic words, although I rather liked the figure’s presence.
We continued up the riverwalk to the older train trestle (green), now with a walking bridge nestled alongside (brown). Our friends said long ago when they were children, the daring among them might cross on the trestle…this was long before the river was cleaned up and the walking trails developed. And condos built and development and resurgence…and gee, it’s great someone spent tax dollars to clean up the river….
In the afternoon, we attended a fine party and BBQ, and still later, we caught the smoke-altered sunset en route to our overnight location in Wisconsin. A great time was had by all.
Friday, 14 April 2023
I began my afternoon perambulation here, as it is close to our hotel.
That’s a Rail Runner Express on the right, with the active track to the right of it. The parked train must be a backup? I don’t know what the deal is with the blue-purple train, decorated in a pseudo-graffiti style from nose to tail.
Feeling like I had “done” the depot area—now a Saturday Farmers’ Market—I proceeded into a residential area…
…and then looped to the central plaza area. This is the Loretto Chapel (privately owned)…
…and this is the active Catholic cathedral basilica.
Looking at the churches, followed by this “Settlers Monument” (2003), by sculptor Donna Quasthoff (1924–2021), I could not help but think about the arrival and “good works” of the Catholic priests and Euro-American settlers, who upended the lives and health and cultures of the people who lived in this area. Notice how the incomers are atop their beasts of burden and invasive species. Kinda creepy and definitely an ethical downer. I’m glad it was sunny and that we had leftover red-chili ribs for dinner to cheer me up.
Monday, 10 April 2023
I arose not quite as early in the dawn sequence as yesterday, yet the golden-yellow tones are lovely.
Still saw a few snow-caps as we motored south, and they tapered off as we continued.
Without a doubt, the most dramatic landscape was at White River Narrows.
After long miles of a downward trending road (which lead to overall mileage of 53mpg, at a speedy pace), we ended up creasing Las Vegas. We saw no meadows.
Yeah, we made a burger stop, which happened to be in the middle of the lunch rush. Wow, what a crowd, including dozens of vehicles in the drive-through lane. They even sent a guy out to take orders from those in line.
Back out in the country, we saw several solar panel fields. This one almost looked like a lake. In contrast, in the city, we passed dozens of housing units, almost zero with solar panels. I can’t fathom the logic.
We did get several glimpses of the reservoir called Lake Mead, and the level is low low low, just as you may have read.
After crossing into Arizona, in contrast to this morning, we drove on a generally rising trajectory (mileage was a hammered 42mpg).
There was roadside rotten snow coming into Flag (much diminished from our westbound leg), but none around the hotel.
Unexpectedly, our hotel had a two-plug electrical charger. The car is now fully charged and moved away from the charger. The other space has a handicapped parking logo on it, so I can’t imagine it gets used frequently.
Saturday, 11 March 2023
“Green, white accents.” That’s what I’d entitle this lovely front garden. The distant chairs look like blobs here; in person, they looked like they had the potential to be mildly comfortable. Pour me a martini!
Sunday, 5 March 2023
For a time, I kept track of this lot. The last time I posted a photo of it, if I remember correctly, workers were finishing the two floors below the (former) ground surface, which appeared to both be parking levels. Now, the apartments far above are being finished, and I’m sure the builders are more than ready to have inhabitants move in, and to start working down their debt load. Or perhaps I’m projecting.
The title refers to the increased pressure on nearby roads and sidewalks and businesses by the new residents of this multistory building, which used to be a one-story artist studio and apartment structure. Sooooo many more residents to come….