The First of a New Year: My Best

I really didn't have a photo I thought of as my best.

This photo was taken last month, on a cold day.

There were dead hosta, lying gold and 

translucent in their beds. 

Then I turned to see one bright rose,

shining brightly as the late afternoon sun 

heated the limestone block, 

and chill breezes froze everything 

else to the ground.

Gold and Silver

Whenever I see a different color reflected 

from the Federal Court House, I end up walking around, 

my eyes gazing upward, looking for a new angle.

It's the same ol' building I've frequently posted pictures

of over the years, but it's beauty fascinates me.

And Saturday was no different. 

Its limestone facade glowed in the gold

and silver lights reflected onto it 

by the windows of nearby office buildings.

I was smitten. and wandered around it

enthralled by its luminescence.

The Eagle and the Sparrow

While waiting for a bus home late Wednesday 

afternoon, a flock of sparrows flew to my feet. 

Cold and hungry, they didn't startle easily, 

but waited in anticipation of any crumbs that might

fall from my hand to their anxious beaks.

Unfortunately, I didn't have anything to offer them.

Another commuter approached,

startling the flock into flight, up onto the base

of a light stanchion just behind me.

While most of them huddled at the feet of cast iron 

eagles, one of them perched on the head

of one of the fierce-looking raptors,

making it look as though it was wearing

a big fluffy hat.

October Theme Day: Shelter

For the past year, the federal court building has been undergoing

renovation, maintenance and restoration.

Earlier this spring, I found stonemasons grinding out and 

replacing the old grout between the limestone and granite slabs

that make up the surface of the structure.

To protect the sculptures that greet visitors at the main

entrances, shelters have been constructed to protect

them from falling objects, be they stone, dirt, or human.

Family Scenes Seen

These last few weeks of summer are bringing changes.

As the temperatures hang in the 90s, a hot breeze swirls 

in the streets, a welcome relief as the sidewalks 

and buildings radiate the sun's warmth 

onto the passers-by and commuters.

Here people wait for their buses home, 

hoping that they will be able to ride in the

comfort of air conditioning.

Storms are forecast for the overnight, 

bringing a cold front that will provide 

a precursor of fall weather.

Too soon, we'll all be cursing the cold

weather as we stand in snow and frigid air,

waiting for buses that provide a few

minutes shelter in snug warmth.

Taking A Break

One day last week, while on my way home from

a volunteer stint at the YMCA National Long Course

Swimming Championships, I looked up from my latte to see

this group of folk, resting on benches outside 

the federal court building.

As it turned out they were Jehovah's Witnesses,

resting from their shift standing on the nearby sidewalks,

looking for converts. They stand quietly looking

for people who may wish to find some

peace in their tortured and/or lost daily existences.

They've been at it for months and months now,

but I've never seen them in conversation

with people other than themselves. 

The woman in the striped hat had a bruised 

and swollen ankle. She had been hit by

a motorscooter, making standing on the hot

sidewalks even more of an ordeal.

While I wasn't able to bring myself to convert,

I was able to give her some hints that might

provide her some relief for her aching feet.

No miracles here,

 just ice, soapy water and a foot brush.

Overpowered

This picture, taken at around 7:30 a.m., 

shows the exterior of the Federal court building 

reflected in the glass of the Chase Tower.

The building, surrounded by banks and insurance

companies, still gives the impression

of strength and resolve, while the glass of

the bank building, although transparent, manages 

to hide a lot of secrets.

Stone Cold

Looking north from the corner 

of Meridian and Ohio Streets, 

the cold light seemed 

to emphasize the patterns 

created by the windows.

The buildings line the street, 

tartan plaids built of stone, 

belonging to clans of attorneys 

and corporate moguls.

Morning Light: Yellow and Blue

Wednesday morning came up bright, clear, 

and utterly beautiful. I looked around to find 

this new angle showing the Federal Court Building, 

shining yellow and blue, gorgeous 

in the light of the new day.

Just About All the Colors

While the morning sun came up rather pale and listless, 

the same could not be said for these flowers.

They showed a blazing myriad of color, 

the bright flame colors like torches planted in the box, 

while the purple and green below 

complemented the fire.

I Jus' Cain't Help It

I was idling this morning, sitting on a nice bench 

in the shadow of the Federal Court Building. 

I happened to look more closely at the facade 

of the building when I saw these curves,

setting their negative and positive spaces against

each other in a most comfortable way.

Then all the curls and ringlets set off

the straight lines, softening the severity of

the limestone facade.

Waiting for Indygo

Whether it was the pattern of the girl's backpack 

and the way the bright yellow lining 

of her hoodie shown in the morning sun -- 

or that combined with the pattern 

in the man's shirt, I don't know, 

but it sure caught my eye.

Squiggly

The morning sun reflected the fluted lines 

of the Federal Court Building onto the windows 

across the street. The windows are part of a glass-sheathed 

office building, home to a bank and lots of lawyers.

This image may be just as descriptive of the

hallucinogenic state of our country's Congress

and its relationship with corporate interests. The

mind-boggling manipulations of laws 
designed exclusively to their advantage 
is not so much squiggly as it is squirrelly,

and that's insulting to the squirrel.

Yellow Against Gold

Last fall, the ginko tree on the lawn 

of the Federal Court Building glimmered

pale yellow in the sun. 

Flashing its color against a backdrop 

of gold, the tree danced in 

the breeze, adding life to a street lined with 

corporate gray granite and limestone.

Beautiful Green

Standing in front of the Federal Court Building while 

waiting for a bus, I looked up to see a tree 

I'd seen a gazillion times before. This time, however,

the tree stood out sharply from its fog-draped

surroundings, covered in a coat of moss

that accentuated its shape and the texture of its bark.

First Snow

While waiting for the bus this weekend at the Federal Court Building,

I happened to notice the bit of snowfall on the balustrade at the entrance. 

The ruffled bits at the top looked like the pinked edge on a pie.

The bases of the lights all have eagles at their bases,

of which the sunlit guy below was one.

Golden Light

The morning light sneaked in between the taller buildings, 

shining its golden light on the limestone facade 

of the Federal Court Building. In between the posts of the railing,

chrysanthemums looked to have been put in an urn --

positive or negative space?

It's A Party!

Early Saturday afternoon, while waiting downtown for a bus, 

I looked up to see a herd of nicely dressed people 

approaching from across the street. They were being led by

a casually dressed woman carrying a camera.

Given that only one of the women was wearing white and that

the other women were clad in identically colored gowns,

I quickly surmised the people formed a wedding party, in the

process of having pictures taken of the event and

their participation.

The women's dresses had the distinct quality

of not looking like bridesmaids' dresses, those notoriously

hideously styled and colored nightmares of legend.

The bride had also selected a beautiful color combination

for her wedding flowers; they made for lovely

bouquets and boutonnieres

The sunlight gave the Federal Court Building 

a warm aura, making the site a pleasant background 

for the delicate chiffon, silk, and flowers.

Afterward, the ladies picked up the hems of their gowns and,

trailed by the men, the photographer led her

charges back across the street, returning in the direction

from which they had come, trailing a happy mood

and a few moments of prettiness behind them.

Chevrons and Serrated Edges

When I look at buildings, I don't generally see "building," 

I see shapes, patterns, and colors. That certainly was true 

the other night: I happened to look up to see that the familiar 

shapes of the Chase Bank building at the bottom, 

and the Federal Court Building in the upper right corner, 

had become serrated edges against the evening sky.

The building on the southeast corner had 

acquired a deep plum and blue plaid design, 

accented with chevrons

Looking East at the Sunset

Again, waiting for the bus at the corner of Ohio and 

Pennsylvania Streets on Tuesday evening, 

I was sitting in the shadows of the Federal Court Building 

when I noticed the shapes and colors made by the setting sun 

on the windows and marble sheathing of the

Regions Bank across the street.