Soutache on Limestone

Back to the little waterfall feature at Eskenazi Health,

where the water rushing past the rocks adorns 

them with icy embroidery, creating lovely soutache 

collars and lapels for the blocks of limestone.

Icy Baubles

In the late afternoon shadows of Eskenazi Health, 

the water made lacy baubles on the rocks 

of the water feature. It piled in beads, making crystal 

necklaces around the flowing water.

Bright Spot

Last Saturday, the weather was gray, all day.

After leaving a workshop at the Indianapolis Zoo around noon, 

I wended my way along the Central Canal towards 

downtown, taking pictures. The plants have wilted into

the background, their colors subtle, to match the cold.

Except for the rose hips, so big they resemble little tomatoes.

Their color stood out in brilliant contrast to

the tweedy background, like ruby brooches

on a jacket lapel.

Always There, Unnoticed

I've passed by these items for years without noticing 

their special rough/smooth relationships,

but Saturday the bark of the tree and its subtle

coloration displayed beautifully against

the smooth metallic surface of the vent.

Below, a hand rail flashed its brushed metal

surface as it curved around the retaining

wall at the Central Canal, near the fire station.

Icy Reeds

While most of the snow and ice from this area's recent 

skirmish with the Polar Vortex has melted, 

the splashed water from the water feature at Eskenazi Health 

has frozen on the reeds.

"Oh, Yeah!": This Guy's Good

While the drawings and imagery seem child-like, 

the installation and design of artist Chris Dacre's exhibit, 

"Oh, Yeah!" at the Gallery of the Herron School of Art 

is sophisticated and dramatic.

To me, it is less about war than it is about, 

as the artist states in his remarks about this work, 

how our society, particularly men, 

are conditioned by the near-continuous

onslaught of movies, video games, books, 

and advertising glorifying war, 

inuring us to its murderous reality.

The drawings have a perspective that seems

like those of a child's version of planes.

The kites are printed with profiles of bombers

and fighters, sweeping across the sky.

There's a campground of small tents, backed

by battleground videos. At the other end of

the gallery, a boy's bedroom is shown, his little jammies,

printed with angry-faced men brandishing bayonets, 

lie on bed sheets printed with images of HumVees.

The nightmare is coming through the boy's wall, 

a tank ready to run through and over

everything and everyone. At the window, fatigue-clad 

"soldiers" have cartoon animal heads, but are 

carrying weapons. They are strung like marionettes

so that, no matter who you decide the enemy might be,

you know that both sides are being controlled by

outside interests that have nothing to do

with religion, moral or ethical concepts, or even politics -

just by the desire by someone to have absolute 

control over every one and every coin ever minted.

Like the artist, I am not so naive to believe that war 

will ever be abolished. People will never just 

kiss and make up to live in a Utopia of candy and kindness.

However, we do need to be able to discern between 

a war that's being run for the benefit of arms dealers 

and manufacturers, and religious nuts proselytzing their

particular brand of hatred and bigotry.

Yep, I am a confirmed gatherer of nut and berries,

but there surely has to be a better way

for our men to confirm their masculinity than

by shooting some poor fuck who's been

turned into a convenient caricature of evil.

Inner and Outer lights

I don't know why, but most of the street lighting around here 

casts an eerie yellow aura over everything,

as though we're in a perpetual fight against mosquitoes.

Just before the bus for home came, I looked up

 to see this young woman wearing a bright yellow jacket.

Just twenty minutes earlier, I'd stood on a corner

at North Illinois Street, near the Hinkle Fieldhouse,

bathed in the pale yellow hue of the street lamp,

butting against the window light of this home,

one eerie, the other welcoming.

Frosted Shadow

Even though it was fairly 

late in the morning,

the frost remained, 

following the blue shadow

across the ground, 

melting, sinking into

the dried grasses,

where the moisture would wait

for spring and, once again,

turn the world a vibrant green.

Feathery Ice

I walked to the store late this morning,

 the bright sun moving in on the frosted lawns

and pavement. Here, the ice feathers around

the corner of repaired asphalt,

bringing a bit of brief beauty to the grayed

surface of the parking lot. 

A Little Break

During the past week, there was a break 

in the frigid temperatures. 

A lot of people took the relatively 

warmer weather as an opportunity to enjoy 

the downtown sites. Visitors and 

workers in the downtown area 

often stop for lunch in the Artsgarden, 

a glass-enclosed pavilion situated above 

the intersection at Washington 

and Illinois Streets.

Pin Lights

One might think this display case at the Herron School 

of Art is empty. Not so. The LED lighting and 

pushpins created their own art display, casting shadows 

on the neutral gray board.

Snowy Grasses

At their full growth, these ornamental grasses are tall, 

topped by feathery plumes of seeds.

Now only about a foot tall, they catch the snow and leaves 

as they wait for spring and new growth.

More Pretty

Walking towards the entrance to the Natatorium 

late Tuesday afternoon, a crystal glimmer caught my eye.

I turned to see twigs covered in icy bangles.

The warm air, vented from inside the pool,

 had condensed on the ground cover, 

enveloping the twigs and remaining leaves 

in sequin gowns. Little sweaters, really, to protect 

them from the chilly air.

Looking for Pretty

After swimming practice Monday evening,

some of us were griping about the cold, dreary weather,

myself included. However, I had been downtown 

earlier than usual, and took the opportunity 

to walk around, determined to find something pretty 

to make a nice picture. I found browned 

hydrangeas, blood colored berries, 

and russet brick walls.

I am not a fan of brown, but the colors were 

rich when paired with each other.

Today, I will share the berries,

deep and shiny against the siennas

of the brick and mortar.

Waiting for the Ice Storm

I finally crept out of my burrow this afternoon 

to go to the store for some milk, popcorn, and a cheap pizza, 

stuff intended to tide me over until tomorrow, 

when I'll make a more massive assault 

on my grocery budget. A lot of people had the same

notion because the lines at check-out showed

that pre-blizzard frenzy had set in.

For days, it's been miserably cold, with sub-zero

temps and wind chill forcing people, like me,

to dig deep into their larder, until all that was left

was a jar of sauerkraut and a tin of sardines.

The weather was not as cold and people came out

to go get their own provisions before the

icy rain started. Milk, bread, and stick-to-your ribs

goodies were the order of the day.

Then everyone went home to watch the 

football game, Colts vs Broncos.

Pale Cold Light

At the end of the year, the pale sunlight 

broke through the cloud cover just long enough 

to shine a ray or two on Christ Church Cathedral.

 Opened in 1857, the cathedral is the oldest religious 

building in Indianapolis in continuous use.

As the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese

of Indianapolis, the structure has been a part of

the city's growth, as well as having long ago

been dwarfed by surrounding structures.

To it's credit, in a time when many religious and 

corporate organizations seemed to have 

lost their mission and morality, 

this church has remained stalwart,

 reasonable, and humane.

Frosted Edges

The sun's out. Yippee. 

That's as far as it goes because there 

is a windchill warning for our area, 

in effect until tomorrow.

I don't like being cold, so remain

under my favorite blankie

until I absolutely need to go outside.

I want to go to swim practice

this evening, but with temps expected

to be the equivalent of  -20 F degrees

this evening, I don't want to be

stuck at the bus stop afterward, with no 

place to go if the bus is late. 

My coach had me swim for about 75

minutes last night, a slow, pokey 1800 meters.

 I was so happy to not be stuck swimming 

in circles and look forward to the next session. 

It took forever to get my feet warmed up 

when I got home, though, and I've just 

gotten over a cold. We'll see.

"Hole"

There are five or six of these at the corner 

of Pennsylvania and Ohio Streets,

each covering some sort of masonry project 

at the entry to the building.

What these holes are to become, I've no idea, 

but there has been structure added where there 

were formerly only the granite pavers. 

I can't believe all that work has been done, 

only to have hand-lettered signs.

Look for the Sixth Blue Wire from the Center ...

On occasion, I will see a lineman working on the phone 

or cable lines. It is always a mystery to me how 

he knows which of the tiny wires is causing the problem, 

but when he stabs the tangled mass of color 

with his probe, he does, invariably, come up with 

the one that needs repair. Here, however, the entire cable 

had had its transmissions brought 

to a very abrupt end.

Curtain Cat

There, with only the sun to know her identity, 

Taylor Wright lurks in the window.

On the other side, the tweedy curtain projects 

her disguise as Batgirl, the fluffy nemesis

of all wall-burrowing rodents.

Tiny Icy Shrine

As I walked to the store late Thursday morning, 

I found an icy clump in the gutter.

Overnight rain had created a tiny shrine to winter,

encasing a leaf in crystalline forms.

2015: A Year of Promise

At City Daily Photo, the first post of the New Year 

is given over to the bloggers' best or favorite 

photo of the previous year. None of mine stood out

in that regard, but a series of pictures I took

while walking along the White River Promenade

provided a series of pretty pictures of

the surrounding landscape.

As the weather becomes increasingly cold, 

they remind me of the smells of the river, 

and the warmth of the sun.

To see the pictures chosen by other members 

of the City Daily Photo community, 

just click on the above link to be taken

on a New Year's Day trip around the world.