It's Here! It's Here!

Cocooned in metal and plastic,

I ride to work in a vaguely somnambulistic haze.

The sounds of cars hum and beep around me.

The engines don't roar anymore;

they purr and whirr, almost silent.

It's their tires I hear, sticking and 

unsticking on the pavement.

In the gray haze, I see the colors of the lights 

denoting the corners on shapes,

others signaling the red, green, and yellow

of the intersections.

And yet -- and yet, I hear spring,

sneaking through the industrialized 

sound barrier -- robins chirping and singing

their own joy at the coming of another day.

P.S. A few days ago, I posted

some pictures from my visit to Nada,

a new restaurant in downtown Indy.

They liked the pictures and comments,

so treated me to dessert the other

night. Ahhh. I felt so spoiled.

It's Always Something

I try to always have my little camera with me. 

When it's been left at home on the counter, 

I've always regretted it. There's usually something

that crosses my line of sight I wished

I'd had it in my pocket.

Yesterday was no different.

I was on my way to the store when I saw

these cherry-like berries against

the light gray background of the 

churchyard where they live.

They seemed like drawings to me,

scraggly thick and thin lines

defining the space in which they exist.

And triangles.

Lots of triangles. 

In a way, they reminded me of drawings 

and prints by John Dowell, one of my college professors.

I remember the time he showed his portfolio

to a batch of interested students.

It was a suite of lithographs he'd produced

for his MFA thesis. Based on the theme

of the gradual opening of a triangle, his words

and work has stuck with me for nearly

fifty years. I thought of him when 

I took these little snaps.

One of his drawings, Just A Sign of Soul,

is shown below. I love it. Of course.

Loose Ends

Returning home from swim practice 

at Butler University, the bus 

passes this neighborhood variety store 

on North Illinois Street.

For whatever reason, I really 

enjoy the artwork painted on the

storefront windows.

In an era when the days of 

homemade, hand-drawn signage

is long-gone, it's a pleasure

to see that someone has gone to

the effort to create such a personal array

of images to showcase their wares.

NADA, As in No Worries

A new restaurant opened last week 

in downtown Indy. Called Nada, it bills itself 

as Modern Mexican.

The color and design of the place is wonderful, 

a contemporary balance of coral, yellow, and aqua 

with bright blue to balance it all. 

I was thoroughly taken in by the contemporary 

interior accented with more rustic touches

of texture and tiles. The seating is arranged in groups:

benches and tables along the sides, with banquettes

in the center and curtained booths along

one wall. It looks casual, but it definitely is not.

I loved my meal.

I had an appetizer of chips with salsa

and guacamole, dinner of grilled salmon, and

dessert of butterscotch flan. Yum.

I don't drink much, so only had a glass

of red wine. The food, while spicy, was not 

overwhelmed with heat nor drowned

in cilantro; I was able to enjoy

all the flavors and textures.

The service was excellent, 

almost embarrassingly so. I suppose that

was due to the place just having opened and/or

to my being by myself. I liked it.

I left Nada looking forward to my next visit,

wondering what I would choose for my next meal.

I saw people of all ages enjoying their first

visit to the dining room and a happy crowd 

as I walked through the bar.

I'm not much of a "foodie" but I know

what I like and I liked this place.

Monochrome: On the Way to Spring

I took similar pictures just about 

a month ago of these trees and shrubs.

Yep, they were standing in front of the same 

brownish wall, too. Then, it was the way the light 

reflected off the branches that caught my eye.

Yesterday, it was the subtle variations in color. 

There were bits of red added to the mix,

the buds that told me spring was indeed, in spite of 

the leaden gray skies, in our future.

March Theme Day: Where I Belong

I love the smell of chlorine in the morning.

Practices at the IUPUI Natatorium were cancelled 

because the Indiana High Shool Athletic Association 

was holding the Boys' State Championships 

this past weekend. Instead of swimming 

I volunteered to be an usher.

 Just like last week at the girls' championships, 

I was happy to be in the building, sharing 

familiar smells and sounds with thousands 

of participants and observers.

The boys passed time in the company 

of their team-mates, warming up in

the pool, chatting, and playing card games,

The sounds of cheering echoed from the roof 

of the Nat, as rhythmic sounds 

of the swimmers' kicking added a subtle

background line to the competition.

I wish that sound could be miked and

played during telecasts. Added to the way the 

water feels as the swimmer's arms pull

against it, and the way it looks as it rushes by

one's goggles, people might get

some understanding of the pleasure

one feels as one gets stronger

and more confident.

And feeling this is where I belong.