It Ain't Easy ...

It's rained off and on nearly all weekend,

sometimes a gentle, misting shower, other times

a drenching downpour.

This was indicated by the way the rain

had soaked the utility pole on West 86th Street.

Wind had blown the precipitation nearly

around the pole, leaving a long, dry streak on

its north side. The result was a lovely,

jade green band in the middle of a field of

almost olive green. 

Wire Nuts

The most mundane things can spark my interest ...

These little red berries, sprouted at the ends of wires 

in digital phone lines, hang open to the elements.

They are street-side, near the bus stop 

I use to go downtown. I Googled "wire nuts"

to make certain I had the right term,

but there were none of these little red berries

shown among the images. However, they serve 
the same purpose, connecting tiny wires 
inside a mess of themselves in a small area.

I think they're cute.

It's He-ere!

The Indy area has enjoyed fairly mild temperatures 

for quite some time, but the winter air 

finally made it's entrance this weekend, bringing

with it icy rain and snow.

Here, a bus stop collects the ice and snow 

as it blows in from the south-west.

The leaves on a bush gathered ice chunks

large enough to mix drinks with.

This may seem a bit severe, but it's nothing.

The snows are fairly light, mere sprinklings.

It's the mirage they create, hiding the

slick smooth ice beneath that 

create hazardous conditions. Whoops!

White at Night

"Slow Food Done Fast" is the motto of the little deli 

just outside Eskenazi Health.

The menu posted in the window shows a lot

of vegan and gluten free options.

However, they keep short hours, opening

only for the lunch crowd, so I haven't been able

to try this little store's offerings.

I see it only at night, when it's clean, white

interior gleams softly in the night lights.

@The Bus Stop, 6:30 a.m.

After enjoying a beautiful weekend, 

I awakened to find cloud cover.

Actually, it was good to see. 

Otherwise, the sun and heat 

would soon become oppressive.

It's not yet summer - time enough for that

 misery a few weeks from now.

Instead, the morning sun made its 

presence known more discretely,

peeping through a split

in the overcast.

Morning @ 7

I am pissed. It's almost guaranteed that I will have a pissy attitude 

until late March; it's winter, my skin itches constantly, my eyes  stream 

water, and there seems to be the glare of ice everywhere, 

mocking me as it bounces back from the pavement surfaces 

wherever I walk. To avoid being cold, I got up an hour early 

to catch the first bus downtown, which means I'll have to wait

forty-five minutes for the connecting bus to work.

At least I got to see the Chase Tower lobby, lit up in the early hours 

as people began to trickle in to begin their work days.

I don't know why the lights have such a yellow cast to them,

but it contrasted nicely with the blue lights just outside.

The second image was taken while snuggled inside a corner

of the Tower at a coffee shop with a nice chai latte.

Even though it's about 7 AM, it's still dark outside,

with Christmas lights marking the Season as it progresses

towards the New Year, lighting the way to work for us all,

and making me happy that I am not standing alone 

in the cold at a bus stop, waiting for the bus to work.

Slammed Shut

Monday evening, while waiting for the bus home, 

I looked up at the bank building across the street 

to see it splotched with the orange glow 

from the setting sun. Just a week or so ago,

the sun would have been bathing the white stone

of the building. But now, it seems as though

fall, if not exactly slamming shut the door to summer,

has left the door ajar to allow the cool breezes

to infiltrate, and to only let a patch of the

sun to sneak through.

Workday Scenes

A cloudy morning greeted me this past week when I left for work. 

Downtown, the lights in the buildings and on the streets provided 

whatever twinkle and flash was to be had, lending the only

color to the otherwise drab granite and limestone covered buildings.

The bus stop outside my workplace is near a Hispanic-owned auto 

repair business. Above, the proverbial "junk yard dog," 

who provides security. Accompanied by his mate, a black female 

pit bull who recently had puppies, the two are effective 

deterrents to would-be thieves.

When working during the winter, we generally stay inside all day. 

If lucky, we will be provided the gift of sunlight during 

our journeys home. This bit of glorious purple and orange 

led me home about a week ago, and was gone 

by the time I stepped into my front door.

Back of the Bus

One evening, as the bus I was riding came up to its stop, I noticed this design on the bus in front of us. At first, I thought it was a part of its paint scheme; instead it was from the adhesive-backed advertising design that had been removed.

And now for the ubiquitous utility pole. I'd been trying to make a Mondrian-like grid from the lines and insulators. Between the street-gray bus and the pole, the stares I got from people as I took the pictures were enough to fill a large sack with question marks. 

"Tourist?"

"Nope."

"One of them arty types?"

"Yep."

"Oh."