Bronze Elevator Doors in the City County Building, Pittsburgh PA

Sometimes you see something on the fly- take a quick picture and later you think, oh,

I should have taken a little more time, shot more views or gotten better photographs as you review what you captured.

I left these photos the way I took them- a bit crooked, a partial door- as a reminder to take my time and get the detail, watch the angle,

*note to self– take a few more pictures when you see something magnificent, unusual and interesting. Take the entire door in the frame!

When we hung the art show at the City County Building downtown Pittsburgh, we were getting into the elevators and I took a couple of photographs of the bronze elevator doors. You almost felt like you were in Florence.

Henry Hornbostel was the architect of the building (and about fifty other building that are still in the city) but I couldn’t find who designed and sculptured/cast the elevator doors specifically. They were amazing to see. Figures with earlier government buildings in hand. Definitely need to get to the Carnegie Library for some detailed research but just look at the doors and think about how they don’t make buildings like this anymore. There’s a lot of history in the story of the doors that I don’t have at hand. Details later.

Brass vs. Bronze the difference in the two metals information here

The Wilds, Cumberland Ohio

Mark and Erika called Saturday night and suggested we meet up at The Wilds. Cumberland Ohio. I took the New Concord Exit on I-70.

I said, sure I’ll meet you there! I was excited cause it was unexpected. And who knew this place was so interesting?

It was about 130 miles for me to drive there and they drove about 90. We took a 2 1/2 hour bus ride tour throughout the 10,000 acres and saw lots of wonderful animals. Most are endangered in the wild and this conservation facility(non-profit) gives them the protected place to reproduce. It was a beautiful day.

Bactrian Camels- Mother and Child (Yes, this was photographed in Ohio)

Przewalksi Wild Horse- a female

Sichuan Takin

Zebras- Buck and bray a bit while the one looks on

Bison running away from our bus

25 cents in a machine and you can get food for the catfish. They act like they have never eaten before or will they ever eat again. I know these were Jack’s favorite.

The catfish are not particularly attractive to me.

Rhinoceros family time. Our guide says there skin is really soft. A group of rhino is called a CRASH.

All photos taken with a Canon 70-200 mm L series lens on a Canon 5D

Our knowledgeable guide Rob.

And an ordinary rabbit. Not endangered.

And if you want to travel with us on the bus, Anna captured a two minute segment of the tour! Thanks Anna for the videoing,

Weekly Photo Challenge: Pattern

Pattern. This week I actually took a few photos to respond to the weekly challenge instead of sifting through the archives.

It was a wonderful Mother’s Day with an unexpected trip to meet the family at The Wilds in Cumberland OH but stay tuned for that post. No time for uploading tonight. Using the iPhone camera tonight, looking around the kitchen for patterns. Came upstairs and saw the afghan on the bed. Impromptu pattern photos.

Traffic pattern- coming back from The Wilds we were totally stopped on Interstate 70 around Zanesville.

China pattern. I used to like the idea of mismatched china. Service for 12 in twelve different patterns. It was an idea.

Silver Pattern. My grandmother’s Moonglow and some random pattern in my drawer. Used to be you would select a silver pattern when you were getting married. Lots of couples choose stainless these days.

Knitting, Sewing and Smocking Patterns from yesteryear- another life. I used to do all these things when the kids were small. I still knit.

Pattern in Nature

A Chevron pattern– the crocheted afghan that a coworker’s mother made for my mother. I call it the Good and Plenty afghan.

Pattern in the lid of the jam, sitting on the kitchen table

You can see some wonderful pattern in fellow blogger’s posts for the challenge this week

Waterlilies and driftwood

Light through Glass Block Windows

Roofs in the Netherlands

Carpets Architecture Leaves and Details

Patterns in Lisbon

Patterns in Nature

The patterns of Wat Sene

Beach Patterns

and see Rockaway Six Months After Sandy at Nylondaze

City County Building Hosts Pittsburgh Carrick High School Art Show

Update: 5-13-13

Just added this gorgeous panorama photographed by Instructional Team Leader for the Fine Arts Department -Michael Dean.

The Pittsburgh Carrick High School student Art Show is hung and waiting for the Monday opening reception at 5:30.
Anyone who works in this magnificent building will get a sneak peek during the day. There were ten of us working most of the day Saturday to hang the art and place the tags by each piece.
Awards ceremony is Monday evening at 6:30 PM. Sponsored by CITIPARKS!

How about those Tiffany columns? The marble, the windows, the painted ceiling? And all the student artwork? Wow!

I can’t wait for the students to see their artwork on display in such a wonderful setting.

There will be refreshments at the reception.

Everything looks great!

You have to see it in person to get the full experience.

If you are in the city, please come see the amazing student artwork.
(Parking downtown gets cheap after 5)

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P.S.
Remembering our mothers every day of the year

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The Umpire and the Softball Coach After a Consultation on the Field

I was at the Girl’s Softball game (high school ) last Monday. When I look at this photo of the third base coach walking away from the PIAA umpire after a discussion, it makes me smile, too.

I considered showing the first photo of their discussion on the field but this walking away after they spoke seemed the more powerful and effective shot.

You just wonder what was said.

I was shooting with a 70-200 mm Canon L series Lens and had to keep ducking behind the chain link fence for protection as those foul balls kept whipping towards third base.

Bob Rumba- Ventriloquist, Comedian, Balloon Artist and All Around Funny Guy

His card states COMIC GENIUS*

and the asterisk below statement says *Genius Available by Appointment Only.

When Steve and I were downtown at the Gallery Crawl a couple of weeks ago, we were walking in front of the new Arcade Comedy Theater. Kristy was out front distributing info and invited us in. I told her my daughter Laura was taking an improv class in Columbus.

Free beer! Hmmm. Steve thought that sounded good. There was improv going on in the theatre. Lots of good energy in the place.

We promised to return another time when we didn’t have to be somewhere.

We were on our way home but with the free beer and the man in the window motioning for us to come in, too, what else could we do?Just a few minutes.

Turns out it was Bob Rumba, All Around Funny Guy.

Women outside the Arcade Comedy Theater

Cars Driving Uphill Have the Right of Way

….and so when I leave school and I’m driving down Parkfield Street (AKA the Cow Trail) and someone’s driving uphill, the road’s so narrow you have to pull over to the curb and allow the uphill car passage. Even pulled over it can be a tight squeeze.

Wouldn’t you know it, I got lucky on Monday afternoon and as I’m at the curb I look out the passenger window and see the neighborhood of Carrick and St. Basil’s Church up at the top of another hill. One shot with the window down and then I put the camera back in my school bag and take my foot of the brake and head down the hill as the uphill driver gives a wave of thanks.

Looked up St. Basil‘s story, too.

This shot shows Pittsburgh topography. Hills and more hills.

The trees are full of leaves now. Shot with the Canon 70-200mm lens as I was headed to the Girl’s Softball game.

Not Quite Gilligan’s Island and The Ruins of Something Along Route 28

It was late when I left for home cause I went to photograph the girl’s softball game and

because the Bigelow Blvd. ramp was closed, I had to follow a lengthy detour.

I found myself in bumper to bumper traffic at a standstill on one of the most awful roads- Route 28. It is ALWAYS under construction.

And there I saw this abandoned boat along the busy highway.

It took my mind of my impatience at not being home yet, having to wait.

I wondered how it got there. To whom did it belong?

It’s like being in a coffee shop and suddenly understanding why someone writing a screenplay is sitting there, working. A snippet of conversation overheard. You write a script. You get ideas.

I heard the guy say to the woman at the next table, “You have a certain lyrical unexpectedness.” (inaudible response from her) Him again, ” I played in a bar last night.”

So what’s the story of the boat? And the next scene just a few feet later, a few more car lengths down?

or the next scene when the traffic stopped again. These scenes just make you wonder.

Or if I hadn’t been stopped, would I have seen them?

Divertido – If you Need Russian, Chinese, Hebrew, French or Greek Building Blocks

Divertido means fun in Spanish.

Saturday afternoon I drove down to the Lawrenceville neighborhood to photograph this fun shop on Butler Street. I’d met the owner, Mary Ellen, when she attended the Christopher Jones house concert at my home last October so this had been on my “to do” list for a time. I knew visiting the store, photographing it and blogging it, would be a good project. Six months can fly by before you know it, though. I needed a college graduation card, too, so what better time to go shopping and blogging? The greeting cards are definitely out of the ordinary and this was a special one for my friend’s daughter.

I loved the Uncle Goose wooden building blocks with the different languages- French, Russian, Chinese, Hebrew and Greek were some of the languages represented.

Everything about the store is fun! The front windows with the swim noodles and inflatable swim rings as well as the trophies in aqua displaying the jewelry in a case are designed by Sean L. Miller.

The turquoise trophies took on a life of their own, like an installation art piece.

I took the window designer’s business card from the counter which has the words imprinted –Think Outside the Box. He definitely does and gets you thinking that way, too. The eye catching colors and design were so inviting.

Mary Ellen wasn’t sure she wanted her photograph taken but she graciously consented. Here she is in front of the counter with a cool, antique door on the front.

Thanks Mary Ellen. Another shot for my People at Work series.

You might have visited the store when it was down the street but Mary Ellen has been in business for nine years. And if you live out of town, no worries, she has online shopping at her website and you can LIKE her on the DIVERTIDO page on Facebook, too.

Pittsburgh Marathon Photos – Almost Mile Twenty

I got down early to catch the first marathoners in the wheelchair division. It was a perfect day for a marathon.

There was a street sweeper operating at the intersection of Highland and Bryant when I got down. I knew the wheelchair participants started about 6:45 AM and I calculated when they’d arrive at almost mile twenty down the bottom of our hill. I didn’t have too long to wait.

When I witness their effort, a catch forms in my throat. It’s inspiring. Accompanied by a bicycle escort, they “run” the course with determination and hard work.

I am dividing the post into galleries. The first shots I stood across the street from the local coffee shop – Tazza D’Oro.

DICK’S Sporting Goods flew about 3 dozen marathoners to Pittsburgh from Boston so they could run the marathon. These runners were ones who were unable to complete the marathon due to the attacks.

There were thousands of runners today for the Pittsburgh Marathon so this is just a small sampling of the day. Perfect weather!

Here’ s the first gallery-

The Wheelchair Participants

The lead runners just flew by, almost effortlessly (well, it seemed easy watching them) Soooo fast. So smooth.

There were lots of dogs in attendance today.

And then there were the fun runners, the monkey, the man with the ~~trumpet.~~bugle?, the guy in a kilt and sandals, women wearing tutus who were texting, and some wild hair and outfits. Many patriotic displays and one guy running backwards. A man wore a Chicago Runs for Boston shirt.

One man ran the whole marathon blindfolded, tethered to a co-runner. He did this to raise awareness and to experience what his 7 year old daughter must experience in life- she’s legally blind. To read about his efforts click here and another article about this father’s running the entire marathon blindfolded- here

A few more runners

And all the volunteers and the workers who made it all possible

The street sweepers, the garbage collectors, the police, the paramedics, the course marshals, the volunteers who passed out water and picked up the cups from the course. The bus who came to sweep up the runners who needed to ride for the remainder of the course. All photos shot with a 70-200mm Canon L series lens on Canon 5D SLR camera

And the partiers, the cheering section, and as neighbor Mike coined the term the CHAIR-ATHONERS. for further coverage you can go to the Post-Gazette