Textured Tuesday: Winter Rose

I was surprised to find these flowers during my walk last week 

in the IMA grounds. Called a winter rose, it is not a rose,

but a Hellebore which flowers during the coldest part of the winter.

I found them planted beneath trees beside the walkway 

that, during the summer, would provide just the sort of cover the

plants would enjoy. The information about the flower

stated that it "thrives on neglect."

Sounds like my kind of plant.

When I saw these pale pink flowers, they had emerged, 

almost defiantly, from amid brown winter leaves, to add a touch

of beauty to the stark day. 

Buying the Sun

There's just enough snow on the ground to be an inconvenience 

and the skies are mostly overcast. The only bits of sun are provided

by the bright colors from flowers that have been flown in 

from South America, for purchase at the grocer's flower stand. 

This weekend, the cold weather made any warmth provided 

by the TV screen seem more inviting. People only went to shop 

at the grocery to stock up on supplies for their Super Bowl parties, 

and perhaps, for Saturday night's basketball game, 

played by Indiana and Michigan State Universities.

Indiana won last night's game and the Baltimore Ravens

beat the San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl.

While the rooting interest for Indiana basketball should be obvious,

the city has tied to the Ravens because the head coach,

Jim Harbaugh, was the quarterback during the 

mid-1990s for the Indianapolis Colts, which vied

 for the AFC Championship in 1995.

Condensation

As I walked past the Indianapolis Power & Light Company office yesterday, 

I stopped dead in my tracks, I imagine much like the cold air did 

when it came into contact with the windows at the main entrance.

With the mirrors of an art installation reflecting colors, the condensation

added its own interpretive streaks, distorting and spreading the color.

The bottom image I turned on its side because the orbs

and streaks remind me of a sci-fi imaging of the planets' suns

orbiting in a haze of heat and gases. 

A question: IP&L is forever advising its customers of steps 

they can take to lower their utility bills. Why haven't they replaced the

obviously inefficient windows with the double-paned variety?

I Wa-a-ant Them

I found these two couples, closely intertwined, dancing to their own music 

as I entered the dimly-lit lobby of a downtown building.

The metallic wall reflected them, populating the scene even more.

Although frozen in stone, the piece has its own life,

independent of whatever is going on around it;

I heard the music and could see the movement.

For some time, I'd been intending to visit Kuaba Fine Art Gallery.

Located at the corner of North Meridian and Washington Streets, 

the gallery's second floor suite is open and full

of light from windows that look down on the busy intersection.

Contemporary African art forms of various media,

painting, drawing, textile arts and Shona stone sculptures

are on view and available for sale.

The nude sculture above, titled Sheba, 

is by Zimbabwean artist, Gregory Mutasa.

Theme Day: Umbrellas

I can't say whether people are suffering with flu or overcome 

by boredom. Here is downtown Indy at about 5 p.m.

Wednesday afternoon, gray and bleak - and that's the people!

The day started with temperatures in the mid-50s 

and a few patches of sun. Over the afternoon, the weather

became colder, complete with the depressing drizzle

you can see above.

The woman in the green coat has just arrived at the bus stop 

after a hard day fielding calls made to the mayor's office 

by disgruntled citizens. She's tired.

It's my friend Joyce, with whom I've commuted

on the bus for nearly 15 years. She always has an

interesting story to tell. Riding home in the evenings means

she gets to be with her daughter and friends -

a bit of peace at the end of a stressful day.

The monthly theme for City Daily Photo participants is Umbrellas. 

To see their interpretations, click on the link just above.

Take a tour of the pictures, and explore the world through the

eyes of people who live in the many cities represented.

And, like Joyce, may a smile be your umbrella.

I couldn't pass up the chance to use that.*Snicker*

Garden in Winter

A couple weeks ago, I took pictures as I was leaving the grounds 

of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. I returned Wednesday,

making certain I visited the grounds first because, oddly, I found

the gardens, dormant in the middle of  this Midwestern

winter, to be full of curious beauties.

I don't know what they were -- hosta? -- but these

blue-gray leaves, lying among the sienna-colored pine needles,

created a striking arrangement in a garden bed

just outside the museum's restaurant. 

Keep Your Nuts Warm

The past couple days have been a respite from cold temperatures, 

but they will not last. Thunderstorms are expected overnight 

bringing temperatures below freezing. If you did not take the opportunity, 

like this squirrel, to gather additional provisions when we idled around, 

luxuriating in springlike breezes, then you will need to make certain 

to keep your nuts warm during the new onslaught