Dirt Has A New Home

For years, whenever Carl and I drove to Marietta to go to our boat, 

we'd pass through long areas of Interstate 70 as it 

was being revised, repaved and rebuilt. 

I was especially fascinated by the methods used 

to construct the roadbed. Since we went nearly every week, 

I could watch the process unfold but was always 

frustrated because we couldn't stop to explore or ask questions.

Now, the process is going on just outside my door, so to speak. 

I took the opportunity, meaning to take some pictures of the barriers

only and found myself exploring the materials 

used to construct a roadbed. Woo hoo!

The green stuff is ReBar, used to strengthen

and reinforce the concrete. The bent bars resembling

large hairpins, are poked into the roadbed with straight lengths

of the same material woven among them, 

as well as wire mesh resembling fencing.

 The concrete is then poured to a specified depth

 amid and over the pins/rebar.  

Of course, we've all had to deal with these concrete barriers,

which make up the temporary lane dividers as the work is being done.

Sometimes, it feels like passing through an obstacle course, where 

every motorized conveyance from staid limo to mad hooptie

is funneled through a gerbil trail. Here the segments are

stacked, awaiting duty 

All day, dump trucks full of dirt and other debris enter 

this cordoned area about a quarter mile south of home. 

They've created a mountain range of soil which will form 

the base of a new exit ramp. I don't know 

where it comes from, but there's a lot of it.

 I hope they plant flowers and trees in it.

Textured Tuesday: Graphic Colors

There's a store in the neighborhood mall that sells cheap 

inexpensive clothing meant for teen-age girls.

I'm always surprised how much I'm attracted to the bright

colors and graphics.

Signs

In a world of corporate logos and trademarked design excellence, 

it is often refreshing to encounter handpainted, vintage 

and homemade signage. I saw these three examples within

a four block stretch along West Michigan Street. 

It's such a treat to find that the sign for Jung's Red Heart Beer

still appears on the side of the building where it

was painted many years ago.

And here is a homemade treat for a neighborhood

motorcycle shop. I can't decide whether the yellow 

things are two pair of blonde-haired boobies

or the nether ends of a couple flaming dicks.

Oh. Oh, yeah. Well, I guess they're exhaust pipes.

Filling A Hole

One day last month, I was downtown for an appointment 

and found I had some extra time to look for photos. At the time,

the city was more active than usual, preparing for 

the Super Bowl. This group of men was working to fill an area

where some duct work had been repaired. 

The truck driver was carefully spotting his truck 

so as to better aim the concrete into the hole, with the crew

men working to quickly spread the concrete mixture

around and amid the new pipes and base layers.

The Prettiest Part of the Day

I rescued this amaryllis several years ago from my grocer's 

discount bin. It was just after Christmas and the time

for this seasonal bloom had passed. I brought it home and have 

been rewarded every year since with a long stalk or two of blossoms.

The graceful, crimson flowers generally show themselves 

just when the weather is at its most drearand frigid, 

adding a bright spot to my day. 

Sidewalk of Smiles and Stars

On Sunday night in Los Angeles, the year's Academy Awards 

will be handed out to the hard-working people who are

employed in the motion picture industry. In addition to the

actors and actresses who form the front line of our 

consciousness, are scores of people who go unrecognized

by most of us, but who may be among the joyful

few to receive one of the golden statuettes.

While their frozen smiles will not likely make the morning news, 

and their stars will not be embedded into the sidewalk outside Grauman's

Chinese Theater, their pride will not be felt any less, 

nor their achievements diminished.

Here's to the folks who surround the stars, who get the film

onto the screen for the rest of the world to enjoy. 

A Molar Grid

Graffiti reminding me of giant, evil molars have appeared

at various places around town. Had the tagger intended

to leave biting commentary? 

Otherwise, the varied sizes and colors of the bricks

provide the interest in this wall.

In other places, the hidden drunks would have left

their empty bottles shattered in the gutter. Here,

they were capped and left on the limestone sill,

a lonely, empty couple.

Generally, the alleyways of Indy seem to be 

comparatively tidy, with some of them actually being 

little side streets, left over from earlier centuries.

This one may seem longer because of the 

slanted lines of the parking garage 

sweeping into the distance. 

Trembling Light

So light, so fragile I almost missed it, 

this feather clung to a twig.

I was determined to get a picture of it

and this was the only image 

that was in focus.
I liked the way the afternoon sun
shown through the feather,
creating a small spot of trembling light,
shimmering in the cool breeze.

Textured Tuesday: Thorny Issue

Actually, I went out today to find a "blue" picture

to put with this video, but to find blue and

thorns, too, was just about right, considering.

Just keep singin' the blues, guys.

Neutral Colors and the Three Amigos

While deciding what pictures I would use for today's post, 

I realized that the colors of the abandoned nest were

repeated in that of the three Golden Retrievers.

I found the nest among the brush in the Coke Field 

while the Goldens live about a block away,

across the road from the field.

Shiny Things

It's cheap and tacky, glittery and shiny,

but somehow so damn pretty I just stand in 

awe of it's colorful sparkle.

I wouldn't wear it, but somehow

it inspires fantasies that a flash of sequins 

will still, somehow, suddenly make me 

the most desirable woman in history.

Look out world! Cheap rhinestones, nylon and 

polyester lace is suddenly going to restore 

perky boobs and long legs.

What I Saw

I spent yesterday kvetching (bitching) about 

everything being some shade of brown.

Today, I went for a walk with the intention of

stalking the heron I saw a couple days

ago in the Coke Field creek.

The weather was clear, the sky was very blue 

and stems that the other day looked

brown now took on purple and red hues.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw brief flashes

of red and blue, a cardinal and blue jay 

that were flitting among the bare branches.

Out in the field, I heard the calls in the distance 

of a large number of birds. I had trouble locating them,

but very high above, I saw hundreds of them, in a flock

that seemed more like a swarm than the tidy V's

made by geese. They were sand hill cranes,

heading north to their breeding grounds, so far up

in the sky I could only recognize them by their voice.

This flock was far more easy to identify:

a group of teen-age boys spending a nice February

afternoon playing basketball in a driveway. 

And in their shirt-sleeves!

A Brown Wonderland

Brown, brown, brown.

Taupe, sienna, russet and umber.

Straw, dried or sodden.

Chocolate, cocoa, cafe au lait.

Tweedy, slippery, rough.

Leaves, musty, mulched and matted.

Ochre, fawn, and gray.

Subdued, hidden, rainy day.

Torpor, quiet and serene.

Misty sky and clear, cold water.

Inversion, waiting and renewal.

Stalks and stems, hats and coats.

Winter's slumber.

Brown.

Winter Doldrums

Criminy, we've made it this far through winter

with few problems; the weather has seemed to vary

between tolerable to cutting temperatures.

Right now, winter is gray but tolerable.


I startled a blue heron out of the creek bed yesterday. 

He's really quite large and slow, but still too

fast for my little camera. Damn.

I'm going to have to become more quiet

and sneaky if I want more than just a picture 

of his footprints.

Later this afternoon, I am going to meet 
other people who, like me, are conditioning
to run and/or walk the Mini Marathon next May.
I'm definitely in the "walk" division.
We work in the 16-minutes per mile category,
with intentions of improving on that time.
My butt already aches.

Returning to the fitness center, I stopped
briefly to take this picture of Downtown Indy.
We were walking east across the New York Street
bridge crossing the White River.
It was about a quarter to seven.   

Yellow Barrier/Berries

The nearby highway interchange is being widened 

and reconfigured to accommodate the increased traffic.

In the process, Crawfordsville Road is also being 

updated, with temporary barriers installed

while the new lanes are constructed.

While crossing the road last week, I noticed the 

bright yellow bull-nose on the barrier

was the same hue as the berries just beside my feet.

No Joy

Looking through the store window, 

the trunks of the bamboo trees look like bars.

The trees have been strung with lighted hearts

 and beyond there are masses of balloons

and bouquets. None of it for me.

Unless I buy it for myself.

Thoroughly jilted a few years back by a man 

I'd trusted with my life for over ten years, 

I am only now beginning to emerge from the haze 

of confusion and hurt he left behind.

I guess he thought I didn't need him. I didn't.

I wanted him and that's a big difference.

I paid my own rent, dreamed my own dreams

and didn't need another person to "fulfill" me.

What he did leave me with was a better

sense of myself, increased self-confidence

and an odd sort of courage; I am comfortable 

in my own skin, in a way I never was 

before I met him.

I suppose one might say, then, that I got 

the better end of the deal.

Brick Mitten

I try to have my little Canon with me at all times. 

On the occasions I've forgotten it, I've found myself reaching 

into my pocket, then patting all my pockets 

like a driver who's mislaid her keys.

Among the best times to have my camera are when I find

unintended art, such as this patch of bared brick.

The building where I saw it is undergoing a remodeling

and renovation, which evidently includes repairs

to its stucco surface.

I loved the subtle traces of the brick 

underlying the beige coloration of the cement, 

the way the white garage door balances 

the red shape of the mitten. And that one red

brick anchors the mitten, giving it

the weight to stand with the white square.

Waiting for the Bus

Bundled up, with mid-day temperatures 

in the mid-teens, I waited for the bus. 

This stop is a couple miles from home, a distance

I usually walk, but I'm not a fan of the cold

so take the bus it is. 

The stop is just a few feet from a planter 

full of dried flowers and around the corner 

from "Mean Maxine's," a shop specializing

in costumes and footwear for "exotic" dancers.

Until a few years ago, the costumes were

displayed in the store window, their bright

colors and sequins a brazen contrast

to the otherwise modest appearance

of this neighborhood.

Uh, I Forgot ...

With only one month left in the season, 

winter has finally arrived.

The air has been misty with fine snow

all afternoon, and all I've wanted

to do is curl up on the couch

with a cup of coffee and a good book.

It's not so much hibernation as it is a state of torpor.

I just stare into space, waiting for the air

to become warmer, as the Earth and 

myself become rested and renewed.

I'm already anticipating spring.

Linear Winter

On gray days such as we've had this week, 

it's hard to find much color. 

Other than cardinals, even the birds

blend into their surroundings more than usual.

However, the gray sky has a touch of blue in it,

while the trees seem to show tinges of 

red or brown. Well ... maybe.

A Flash of Red Amid the Gray

I just liked the contrast of the feathery grass 

against the rough stucco wall.

And the warmer than normal temperatures 

may have confused the rose bushes 

outside the post office because a few

tiny red leafs seem to have sprouted 

on some stems. I noticed them because

they really stood out against 

the black mulch.

Expressionist Fence

During the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, 

the city enjoyed warmer than usual temperatures, 

as well as sunny days. Today, has been leaden gray

with some snowfall anticipated over night.

I went for a walk, not expecting to find much

in the way of pictures, and was pleasantly surprised

to find beautiful colors in a privacy fence

a couple blocks down the street.

I was also intrigued by the lattice with its

grid pattern backed by horizontal lines

and dark curvy vines woven into

the grid to break up the pattern.

I don't know that it works as well as I

would have preferred, but the notion of what

it might be kept it interesting.