Keep your eyes on the (odd)ball.

Oddball with eyeballs. Something’s definitely fishy here!  Looks like a pretty serious conversation.  No one’s keeping a stiff upper lip, but there are certainly some stiff lower ones.

Amazing Saturday!

I saw a Vermeer in our Chicago suburb!

What do you take on the road?

It’s Friday and the alarm will be sounding very early for my 13-hour trip to Philadelphia, with a side stop in Akron, Ohio to take on a chair.  To maximize the possibility of a great trip, there are certain things I have to have.

Thursday Doors…the Alley

I’m moving up a few centuries or more and over a continent this week to feature part one of a post I’ve been promising Dan at NoFacilities for some time.  He told me that when I was in Philadelphia, I should stop by Elfreth’s Alley and I’d find not only history, but lots of doors for Thursday Doors.  Well, Dan, I made it and you were right! Here’s a bit of what I found.

The Alley in old City of Philadelphia is the oldest residential street in the US, but was originally set up as alternative route to the river when the city was becoming overcrowded. Two landowners combined their properties in 1706 to open the cart path named for silversmith Jeremiah Elfreth. As with so many other historic locations, the work of a diverse group of people saved and restored the Alley and, in the 1960’s, obtained National Historic Landmark status, preserving the Alley for all of us.

Between now and Wednesday, I’ll be mostly offline, so have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you then (or maybe before, depending upon my time.)

Wordless Wednesday…Bounty

Upward through history

We’d seen Luxeuil Abbey, sarcophagi, bas relief sculptures, and local art.  But the museum steps wound ever upward and we had to climb them, much as in a fairy tale.  A look through the panes showed us a view of the old part of the city.

Ever onward and upward.  Older people would never be able to climb this steep, narrow stairway.

We emerged at the top of a very high tower to stand on a very narrow area surrounded by a not very tall parapet.  I don’t have a great head for heights, but I managed to move away from the back wall to admire (and photograph) the amazing view from all sides of the turret.

After admiring the view a bit longer and patting ourselves metaphorically on our backs, we made our way carefully down the steps, worn in the middle from many feet over many years.  Time for door photos, coffee/cappuccino, and finding raspberry tarts.

 

 

Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Black & White…from the CIA

Yes, a bit of trickery in the title, but the Chicago Institute of Art IS also known as the CIA.  Here are two shots from it, the second naturally B&W with only a bit of edging added. Stop by Sally’s site to find more beautiful examples of black and white photography from talented photographers.