Aliens in White Shrouds

I walked along the canal on my return downtown 

from the IU Medical Center. It's only about 

a mile, but full of color that changes as the plants 

bloom and fade with the seasons.

I was especially impressed with the white echinaeca,

that looked like hoards of white-shrouded

aliens had camped in the flower beds

to feed the bumble bees with the nectar

from their outlandish brains.

Below is a grouping of purple echinaeca, the variety 

most folks may find more familiar.

Textured Tuesday: Orange and White Triangles on Pointy Gray Stuff

There are acres of open land awaiting development 

in the Town of Speedway. A number of new buildings, 

such as those for Dallara Indy Car, Sarah Fisher 

Racing, and Community Hospital have been 

completed in recent years. These open bits of land

were created by tearing down old, abandoned

businesses that had not been used for many years.

Instead of remaining passive, allowing the

surroundings to continue into dereliction,

the town created a development plan and,

along with other businesses, the ones above are

a part of the efforts to once again have an

active business core for the town, much of it 

related to auto racing.

Parking areas for race spectators have been marked off 

in the lots by the Speedway Police Department, 

creating a decorative chain of bright triangles against 

a background resembling gray boucle'.

Summer Breeze on the Canal

The downtown Canal is always a popular spot for walkers, 

joggers, people rowing skulls or paddling kayaks.

Couples can often be seen pedaling little sternwheel

boats the length of the canal, often guiding their craft around

the occasional Venetian gondola.

This summer, the temperatures are averaging as

much as thirty degrees cooler than last year,

making for breezy, pleasant evenings listening

to jazz at the Indiana Historical Society.

Here spectators can be seen settling in to listen 

to the band, just then in the process of setting up 

for the evening's entertainment.

More, More, More!

For the past several years, I've been looking 

for a good seat from which I can watch the races.

I wander, looking for place where I can see

the cars as they speed by. However, after having spent 

each May for twenty years standing inside 

Turn One to take pictures, I've not found a one 

that equals the view I had there.

To build the road course, the creek inside Turn One 

was covered over and paved, and bleachers were 

removed to create the carousel for the motorcycles.

Hulman Boulevard, which bisects the infield 

north to south, becomes a section of

the road course that can be seen from viewer 

mounds or from concrete barriers

such as the one this little boy and his mother

are sitting on. In fact, the barriers seemed to be pretty

popular viewing spots for children, supported

by their parents, to stand to get a good, close view

of the cars as they enter a series of small turns

on their way back to the main track.

Just behind the mother and boy, the NASCAR haulers

were parked, by order of championship points.

Currently, five-time champion Jimmy Johnson is leading,

so the hauler of his car is first in order, 

on the left. If there are any changes after tomorrow's

Brickyard 400, they will be reflected in the 

trucks' line-up at the next race.

This is the view passers by on 16th Street have 

of the inside of the Speedway. The large building

at the center is the Pagoda scoring and media

center for the track. The scoring pylon can be seen,

poking up from above the main grandstand about 

a fifth of the way from the center left of the picture.

The South Short Chute is just on the other

side of the concrete wall in the middle of the picture.

All one can see of the cars is, maybe a roof top

on a stock car. However, one can see cars as they enter

Turn One from the Front Straight. Whoo-hoo!

By the way, the Pagoda is the tallest 

building in the town of Speedway. 

This was my view Saturday afternoon of the starting grid 

for the Rolex Grand Am race. I love the sound of those cars, 

an intriguing mix of growl and purr that's seductive. 

When I entertain fantasies of driving a race car, 

these are the ones I choose. Every time.

I've always felt that these guys were the elite 

of race car drivers because they were good for the distance,

for their staying power. Conversely, drag racing has

always seemed to be all braggadocio and display

with four seconds of action - Pfft! and done.

And ... more, more, more ... lame.

Wandering

I spent the afternoon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 

watching sports car racing on the road course.

My little camera is too slow to catch the cars at speed, 

so I mostly didn't bother, but here is a group

of corner workers watching over the

Continental Tire Brickyard Challenge,

which was followed soon after by the  three-hour

Rolex Grand-Am Series race.

The bearded man was also monitoring a couple

grandsons, a sort of "free-range child care,"

wherein he did his job while the boys took in the

delights of some manufacturer displays

a hundred feet or so away.

Shown below is a picture of cars coming through 

Turn 11 where the crew was working.

I dawdled around the manufacturers' displays myself. 

They're installed in the parking lot around the IMS Museum

and feature the latest and fanciest models of cars

and engines all polished to perfection. 

I can't afford anything, but I like to dream about 

a particular model of car. In red, of course.

I take that back - I did buy a tiny model of NASCAR

driver Tony Stewart's No. 14 Bass Pro Shops

Mobil 1 Chevy. The box said it is meant 

for children ages 4 and up. I think I can handle that.

A passer-by was kind enough to take my picture 

while I was standing behind a headless cardboard torso

of NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick. Hello!

Finding My Way

I always find this light installation at the Indianapolis 

Museum of Art to be intriguing.

The fluorescent tubes exist both as an artwork

and as illumination in the museum's atrium;

since it was found that bright, artificial light contributes

to the deterioration of delicate works, light in all

the galleries has been substantially dimmed.

This is especially true in the Asian art galleries,

where the galleries are so dark I wonder

whether it's okay for me to be in there.

Grid with Yellow Curve

I was just walking along the street with a latte in one hand, 

my tote over my shoulder, and my camera 

in my pocket, entertaining fantasies of one sort

or another when I saw it -

a grid of bricks with the grid patterns

of a building reflected in a rain puddle -

the medium and its use in one picture with

a nice yellow curve to accent it.

I practically genuflected to get the curve

at a usable angle. Whew.

In and Out

I fell asleep last night with my Blogger page up - 

a picture but no copy.

There's something about being outside in warm, 

humid weather then coming inside to an air conditioned 

environment that just makes me drowsy. 

Add to that the relaxed feeling I have after an hour's swim 

and I just want to snuggle under the covers with 

a crossword puzzle or a book (the right man 

would be infinitely nicer, 

but prefer puzzles to the wrong 'un).
Of course, I fell asleep and did not wake up
until morning.

The day was gray and humid when I took this picture 
of hosta on the grounds of the Indianapolis 
Museum of Art. People wandered the grounds with
their umbrellas to protect from intermittent
showers and the rain dripping from the
lushly green trees, but the place is so beautiful,
no one minded the moisture.

Textured Tuesday: Majestic African Textiles

After leaving Ai Weiwei's exhibit Saturday at 

the Indianapolis Museum of Art, I took a bit of time 

to visit some of the other galleries.

In the Gerald and Dorit Paul Gallery, I found

Majestic African Textiles, an exhibit of 

beaded and embroidered objects, drawn primarily

from the IMA's textile collection.

The exhibit is organized by geographic region, 

representing various ethnic groups, and includes

items ranging from royal and prestige cloths,

masking and ritual garments.

The colors and patterns are wonderful and

strikingly contemporary, with masterfully

balanced shapes that would be the envy 

of any modern painter.

My favorite piece is an intricately

constructed garment, an Egyptian woman's shawl

made in the early 1900s. It is almost entirely

covered in strips of German silver attached to

a backing cloth of cotton netting.

From a distance the scarf almost gives 

the appearance of silver lame'.

I wa-a-a-a-nt one.

Straight: Steel Rebar 2008-2012 (38 Tons)

The tragic reality of today is reflected

in the true plight of our cultural existence:

we are spineless and cannot stand straight.

- Ai Weiwei

I went to the Indianapolis Museum of Art on Saturday 

to see According to What?, a touring exhibition 

of work by international artist Ai Weiwei.

I became aware of the artist through his role in the design of

the "Bird's Nest" stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympic

Games and, more recently, when he was detained

by the Chinese government in 2011 without any charges filed 

(after two months it was alleged he'd committed

"economic crimes," (i.e., not paying his taxes.) 

Ai Weiwei uses his considerable artistic skills

as a vehicle to express his dissatisfaction with the 

Chinese government's practices involving

democracy and human rights.

I had read about and seen photos of a number of his 

works, but I found myself surprisingly moved by

Straight: Steel Rebar 2008-2012 (38 Tons), which was

created in reaction to the deaths of an estimated 

5,000 children in shoddily constructed school buildings 

during the 2008 Sichwan earthquake.

His support of the Citizens' Investigation aimed to compile

a list of the casualties at the schools. A copy of that

list is posted on the gallery wall and, to date,

shows the names of well over 5,700 names of

dead and/or missing children.

Ai Weiwei and his associates were able to obtain

over 150 tons of twisted rebar from the schools,

which they have been able to straighten to near

pristine shape and used to create works to 

commemorate the children.

Thirty-eight tons of recycled steel has been used 

for this particular installation. Each piece was hammered 

approximately 200 times in order to straighten it.

Lying in such order, the jagged lengths reminded me 

of seismic graphs showing tremors that

brought the buildings down onto the unsuspecting

children and their teachers.

Unnumbered Quiet Delights

I went to the Indianapolis Museum of Art this morning 

to see the Ai Weiwei exhibit, According to What?

I then visited other galleries, particularly one

showing African textiles.

Afterwards, I walked another portion of the IMA grounds.

Everywhere I turned, I seemed to find opportunities

for pictures. I wonder, does the creative inspiration I find

inside the museum make me more aware 

of the beauty I see - rainwater collected on a

large leaf or dripping from the backs of folding chairs

set up for an outdoor wedding.  

*Glistening*

It is so hot and humid in the morning that,

 by the time I get to the bus stop 

for my ride downtown, I am "glistening." 

The air conditioning at my workplace, 

as well as most of the buses, is kept well into 

the chilly zone, enough so that I have to

wear a sweater to be comfortable

for the eight hours I am at work.

Yesterday morning, workers at the downtown

bus stop were using a pressure washer 

to clean the sidewalks and pavement.

I often used a pressure washer to clean my boat

and enjoyed the mist from the spray as it 

ricocheted from the surface, back to my face

and my body. So I envied the workers at the stop,

wanting so much to enjoy the cooling mist,

however grungy it may have been.

Pardon me ... while I go spend the afternoon 

just glistening like hell.

Sun Drenched

I see these flowers planted all around.

Their color combination, the contrast of 

the bright pink and purple,

just vibrates in the sunlight.

Helping Hands

Summer temperatures have been visiting us for the past month.

The skies are a beautiful blue and filled with fields 

of puffy clouds that appear, for all intents,

as though they might have been cast for a sappy, 

happy movie. The trees are full of green leaves, 

 a lush backdrop for kids playing in the parks,

joggers, lovers sharing the shade and whispered

phrases as they walk along the lanes.

The gloves lay drying in a driveway, their

presence speaking of a long partnership of shared duties,

this one of summer yard care.

Muse: Smoke Break

Two people, prisoners to their habit,

and otherwise ill-matched, 

stand beneath smokey carcinogens 

entwined above their heads,

neither doing the other any favors

 and calling it love.

Textured Tuesday: Firry Shade

I walked through the IMS RV lot on Georgetown Road 

to visit the trees. Summer has come with a vengance. 

After a winter that didn't want to leave, the heat and humidity, 

while appropriate to the season, are sort of a shock 

to one's system. I made a point of finding 

shade under a tall fir tree where I looked up to see

the hot sun filtering its way through the dark green lace

of the tree's needles, contrasting against

the thick, black lines of its branches.

Sun-Jeweled

I reached the Coke Field around noon, 

hoping to be able to see turtles basking on rocks 

in the creek. However much I tried to be quiet,

my footfalls still sounded like explosions

on the gravel approach to the bridge, while

walking on the grass was almost as loud.

The only part of a turtle I've seen so far is the

backside of its shell as it glided into the concentric

circles made as it dived into the water,

and this time was no different.

I leaned against the bridge railing to look

at the water as it flowed over the rocks in the creek,

looking at each likely looking rock, hoping

it was a turtle. There were none, but the beauty

of the sun as it was reflected by the ripples

was enough to capture my interest.

For whatever reason, I like the colors of the rocks 

and moss. Stray leaves, trapped underwater, 

accentuate the patterns of the creek's flow over the rocks,

with the sun's light sparkling like liquid jewels

on a silken tapestry.

Burning Daylight ...

At about 9 o'clock Saturday morning, 

I was walking to the store when I happened to notice 

that one of the street lamps was illuminating 

the already bright and warm surroundings.

I believe these lamps have little photoelectric

timers designed, ironically, to be energy efficient

 and to save taxpayer money.

The sensor's run amok.

A Subtle Richness

This summer, our landscape is a vista 

of abundant green foliage and 

the lush colors of flowers of all kinds.

On Thursday the day dawned overcast and muggy.

An afternoon thunderstorm helped to lower the temperatures,

giving residents a pleasant evening.

After my swim at the Natatorium, I walked back

Downtown to enjoy the breezes and 

flowers along the Canal .

While Dad Washed the Car ...

After I left work late Thursday afternoon, I saw these 

two boys outside the car wash. They were sitting 

in their car seats, waiting for their father to 

finish washing the family van, 

watching the parade of passing traffic and 

people as they went about their business.

And yes, the little boy on the right

mugged continually while his brother was

the more reserved of the two.

Cracked Slurry

The grass growing up from beneath the asphalt 

provides an accent to the crackled surface 

of the pavement's slurry seal top.

Any patterns were, ironically, made by the 

tread marks of tires, which apparently made the

slurry adhere to the surface.

Where False Titties Come From ...

Only thing ... these toadstool falsies were about 

twelve inches in diameter. Each.

Textured Tuesday: Bead on a Wire

Most of the time, the yard ornaments I see 

are the usual plaster rabbits, gnomes, and deer 

available at any home supply store between 

Speedway and Hanoi. 

Every once in a while, though, I see 

something that charms me and this little tree

was one of them. Apparently, someone wound 

heavy gauge wire around a broom stick and stretched

it out to create the branches for the tree.

They then threaded various sizes and colors of 

glass beads on lighter gauge wire to attach it to the tree. 

The result is a pretty, simple ornament 

that glints in the sunlight. 

White Line Here

Solid white line should look like above sample,

as indicated by arrow,

not the sample below, which does not meet

solid line standards.

Future indiscretions with the paint truck

will be regarded with ridicule, assuming driver

always dribbles before he shoots.

The Big-Ass Bees Are Out

At the Coke Field, the little florets are on this plant 

are hosting the bees who'll spread its pollen 

to the flower's kin along the creek.