Halloween: Munch in Speedway

The damn thing distracts me every time I've passed it.

A plastic ghoul, it's suspended about 8 feet

above me and, every time I've seen it, I've been

reminded of Edvard Munch's Scream.

This the third of four versions of Scream done

  by Munch. The other three are paintings, held in 

Norwegian museums, while this 

is a pastel drawing the artist made in 1895.

When I look at this, I also see the orange sunset

from Monday night, created by the weather system

that has brought so much trouble to the Atlantic coast.

The drawing, purchased by billionaire Leon Black, will be on 

exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC

for six months, until April 29th.

Sandy's Fringe

The weather maps shown on TV look as though almost 

the entire eastern half of the United States is somehow affected by 

this huge storm, a combination of hurricane meets nor'easter.

 Indianapolis is about 705 miles from 

Atlantic City, New Jersey. We were told to expect 

high winds beginning around 5 o'clock this afternoon. 

They came, almost as if scheduled,

with rain expected Tuesday morning.

I looked up to see a thin cover of clouds, moving

from the east, spreading in a sweeping arc towards

the setting sun. The light to the south reflected lavender

off the cloud cover, but burned like fire in the west

as the sun set.

It may have been just a coincidence, but there seemed 

to be more truck traffic than usual. Maybe a lot of the drivers

had left a little earlier than usual, trying to put as much

distance as possible between their trucks and the storm.

Reflected Glory

The sidewalks in the park were still wet and the sun still bright 

when a patch of gold light shown from a shallow puddle, 

spreading its warmth onto the walk like an aura. 

I looked around and found the tree whose reflection it was, 

basking proudly in the sun. 

Goose Dressing

A while back, oh, twenty-five years ago or so, cement geese 

were the thing to have as a part of your yard decor, 

especially on the front porch. Many homeowners dressed

their geese according to the seasons. They still do.

This Speedway resident adapted a toddler's Halloween

costume to fit her yard mascot. There are a few witches and

even a Frankengoose to be seen in other yards.

For the past couple years, plastic cadavers and body parts

can be seen emerging from front lawns.

There should be a broom sticking from the nether regions 

of this witch, who evidently lost altitude during a test run, and

did a face plant at a home a couple blocks  from my place. 

I figure someone tampered with the evidence 

to use the broom for their own 

Trick-or-Treat ride Halloween night.

Cold and Wet Day, I'm Inside

Leaves are given their beauty by nature, 

they change color, fall into pleasing compositions,

 attracting sequins and light to emphasize

all their best features. 

I Forgot to Enter a Title

By this time Friday evening, the colors will probably all be gone.

Rain is on the way that will beat the leaves off the trees.

I'll have to find all the charm I can in bare trees and sodden

fields. Maybe a sidewalk or two, with interesting cracks.

Ho. Hum.

Mostly Blue and Orange

When I left for my walk last Saturday morning, it was beautiful. 

My first visit was to the catalpa tree just a block away, 
then I walked towards the Coke Field, 
hoping to catch it bathed in the same intense color 
I found when I first got up.

Nope. The clouds began to gather as I approached

the little bridge where I go to look for turtles and herons.

Of themselves, the clouds are not a bad thing; 

perhaps they might make a nice backdrop for sunlit leaves?

No such luck. The sun did not reappear while I was

at the Coke Field. But it did after I was about 

a half mile from home. 

Blue, yellow, and green, with just a spot of red.

Jewel-Like

After having rained all night, Saturday morning 

came up like jewels.The moisture clinging to the grass 

and leaves gave everything an added sparkle.

Textured Tuesday: Bark'n'Fwuffy

This tree seems to be coming to the end of its life. 

Its leaves are sparse and its bark is brittle and peeling.

And the fluffy little dog below was apparently

watching the fallen leaves as they tossed in the breeze

outside his window.

Why We Pay Taxes

It's nearly a weekly ocurrance; a fire engine backed up 

by an ambulance enters my apartment complex, 

sirens screaming, lights flashing, and horns blaring, 

"Get out of my way! Get out of my way! 

Somebody needs help!" Someone in the neighborhood 

must have respiratory issues, because a few minutes later, 

the fire apparatus leaves, while the EMTs remain behind, 

presumably to check on the person for whom 

they were summoned.

This afternoon, however, they all came, 

from the station house about a mile away, 

as well as other stations two or three 

miles distant. Someone had reported a fire

in their apartment, where the firefighters,

clothed in Nomex, oxygen masks, heavy boots,

 and electronic gear swarmed upon the blaze.

Here, a battalion chief dons his turnout gear 

and gathers his equipment, while three firefighters 

from one of the more distant stations, 

walk towards the scene.

Adams, Able, and Ardizzone, stride in step, 

intent upon the task that faces them.

In coordinated, well-rehearsed routine, the men and women

entered the home, the aerial ladder was deployed, hose laid out

and charged. Additional men went to the roof, where they cut

through with a chain saw to get any flames that may have

escaped detection from inside. 

It really was over within a short while, all but the checks 

of the residence, the paper work, and the clean-up.

With a multi-person dwelling, they take no chances, whether

the number of lives involved is one or one hundred;

I have been awakened at 3 in the morning to evacuate my

building because of a blaze just around the corner.

It is a mission. They come when we are in dire need 

to provide medical assistance, to put out fires, 

to save us, our loved ones and our pets from misfortune

and misadventure. They are paid with our taxes. 

There are people who want no taxes to be collected, 

who would be very indignant if no one came to put out 

the grease fire, to splint up a broken arm and take

them to the hospital, to rescue a cat from a tree.

Today, the firemen brought out three red-tailed boa 

constrictors that belonged to the women,

a mother and daughter, who kept them as pets.

It is already happening in communities in our area.

There's no money to pay EMTs, so they are laid off.

Some towns have disbanded their police forces

due to a lack of funds. The bureaucrats are doing their

best to break down our educational system, too.

Money keeps them in office, while they ignore 

the needs of the community that paid the revenue.

"My way or the highway" is not good for people,

but it may just get its narrow-minded self elected if 

thinking people do not vote in the coming elections.

  

A Beautiful Morning

Friday evening was too dreary to take pictures of the 

ragged catalpa tree about a block from where I live.

It's used as a shade tree in the South, where it provides good

cover because of its broad leaves. It also hosts 

a worm that is peculiar to the tree, which is good for nothing

but fish bait. The leaves get eaten, but the tree

readily produces more. It certainly looks the worst

for worm wear now; the remaining leaves are

ragged and the 12-inch seed pods add

to the tree's spooky appearance.

Rainy Friday

Amid a patch of dried, black echinacea, are a few that bloomed 

after their brethren had succumbed to the summer heat. 

I took a slightly different path to the convenience store, 

only about a quarter mile from home. The different route 

got me this picture of a cat, wiling away the afternoon 

watching the leaves dance in the afternoon breeze.

And then there were sodden roses, their bright pink color 

set off against the dark green leaves and red stems.

Black and Yellow

Each fall, this tree produces leaves 

that look like little hearts of gold

 with curtains of black pods.

Monochrome

Surrounded by color, these dried stems and pods in the Coke Field 

might easily have been overlooked. Since they are virtually the same value

 as the mound of dirt where they grew, I almost missed them.

A Sunny Palate

I almost did not go to the Coke Field this afternoon,

but I'm glad I did. It was a beautiful day, the trees are changing color

and the palate at the Coke Field was rich and vibrant.

The animals and birds were hiding from me, 

but the seeds and berries that will provide them 

with food over the winter looked abundant,

and will be ripe for the picking when needed.

Textured Tuesday: All Different

Although tattered and bruised, the leaf seems to glow

against the background of the asphalt, with the

red stems to balance the composition with contrast.

And here are three leaves of different species, 

but joined in the same rite of autumn.

Counties on the Walls

Clad in native limestone, the Indiana State Museum has, 

interspersed among the stones, relief sculptures representing 

characteristics for which each county is known. 

Here are three additional sculptures,

in addition to those I showed last week.

The twining vines above represent the truck gardening

of Tipton County. Prehistoric mounds, believed to have 

been constructed by Native Americans of the Adena-Hopewell 

cultures, are shown for Madison County. The manufacture 

of automobile parts is represented by the 

use of taillights for the feathers.

Tippecanoe County was the home of Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, 

and his brother, Tenskwatawa, also known as The Prophet.

Together they formed a united Native American force they hoped

would drive the white settlers south, across the Ohio River.

Tecumseh was a sophisticated tactician and visionary, whose

intellect and leadership was respected and admired by

the military leaders he fought against in the early 19th century.

The sculptures were designed by 2nd Globe Studios of Indianapolis,

which has studios in Indianapolis and Vancouver, BC.

Yellow and Brown

This patch of ground, just off the Central Canal, lies between the 

Eiteljorg and the Indiana State Museums. Looking west

from the little grove of trees, one can see the main foyer of

the ISM, where a Foucault pendulum sways silently,

back and forth, as the trees change color outside.

"The Wave" on West 16th Street

This is the west side of the new Neuroscience Center at IU Health, 

located across the street from Methodist Hospital. 

I've been watching the progress of this construction since 

early last year, when I noticed a curve was being fabricated into

the building's I-beam skeleton.

Now that the building is completed, it seems the efforts to make it 

attractive are for naught. A highway overpass is just across the street from 

the west end and the trestle for the hospital's overhead tram

passes on the east. There isn't really a clear shot where one 

can step back to just look at the building. Even the design of the

facade faces a parking garage just across the street. 

It's as though a woman has gotten up each morning, bathed, 

styled her hair, put on her nicest outfit and best perfume,

only to go to work with a bunch of non-breeding men;

she does it for herself. Alone.

Merchants Building

The Merchants Building, completed in 1976 was originally 

the home of the Merchants Bank of Indiana and 

the Hyatt Regency Hotel. While the bank has been bought,

 taken over to become the PNC Bank.

The east end is made up of offices, as well as the 

bank, while the west half remains the hotel.

Recently upgraded and refurbished, the building is open, 

airy and attractive, with a lot of new restaurants, the building

seemed sadly empty. The signs on the outside say "PNC,"

but the shape of the building, seen from above,

remains the "M" logo that creates the unique shapes

and lights within its walls.