men in the snow.

these fellas can be found in pioneer square. the firefighters memorial is lifesize and i often notice people stop to take it in. i know i always do. especially in the snowy night.

and of course, you remember this guy. he never stops.

Through the Woods

I'd like to go on record: Do not attempt to drive from New York to Boston on Christmas Eve afternoon. It was over seven hours, which is tough to achieve over 240 miles unless you're on a burro.

Although it was infested with traffic, the Merritt was stunning (as usual) in the misty, fading winter light.



These below two remind me of calotypes, which were a very early form of photography developed by Henry Fox Talbot in the 1830s. They tended to be a bit out of focus, with soft edges, but they're some of my favorite examples of photography.

red, gold and green.

the 2008 holiday season. gone but not forgotten.

Gray Morning

and streetlamp by day.

by very, very snowy day.


i find it funny, yet well-meaning, when urban architects decide on painting steel or iron or whatever heavy metal, this pale green color to mimic the natural oxidation of bronze or copper. it may not be authentic, but perhaps it adds a little cred.

And Since You Asked

My ersatz ice skates.

Fishwich

I find it repulsive, but the rest of family doesn't- my sister concocted this little fancy taco out of a blini and three different kinds of caviar.


Even if you don't like it, it's one of those foods that it's actually not possible to take a bad photograph of.

Common Place

From a post-Christmas brunch (the best meal of the year) stroll through Boston Common.



I joined many others, all skateless, out on the ice, and managed not to fall once. (Wearing flats helped.)

Primary Plus

Next to the smell, the lights are the best thing about a Christmas tree.

I've spent many hours lying on the floor underneath the tree, just looking up at the lights. Or maybe I was too frozen to move- that's a very real possibility in the house I grew up in.

Noch (Night)

Night, street, lamp, and pharmacy,
A meaningless and misty light.
Live on a quarter century—
The same. There is no hope of flight.

You will die, rise from where you fell,
All be repeated, cold and damp:
The night, the wavering canal,
The pharmacy, the street, the lamp.

-Alexander Blok

Blue Christmas, or Silent Menority

(Look to the bottom right- it wasn't quite time for the menorah to come out yet, so it was wearing a few hats to keep warm.)

Stormy Weather

It's everywhere.

snow day(s)

more cold...

as you may have noticed, the olympics were pink and stunning that cold morning. it was monday.


and it was difficult to keep me exposed finger from freezing off while i snapped some more shots.


but, the bus was a few minutes late...and not on a day when you want to linger.


at least the view was heartwarming.

brrrr...

it's been colder here than i ever remember in my 3.5 years living in this city.


these temperatures definitely warrant doggy sweaters.

deerdozer.

so, if you've got the bulldozer, i mean, why not?

Merry Library

frigid frond.

late friday evening, it snowed here in seattle.


on a f-f-f-freezing cold walk along alki beach sunday afternoon, the snow was still hanging out. with temps topping out at around 29, there's little chance of melting...which i, for one, am happy about. the lovely white stuff can be rare in these parts (in the city, of course, not in the surrounding foothills and mountains).

Christmas Cactus

It's called so for a reason- it can tell time with more accuracy than almost anything in my house, that's for sure.


OK, so it did bloom this past June for the first time, but I took this shot just a few days ago. And now there's three others busting out- pretty much right on schedule, and reminding me to get back to present-making (if my hands don't give out).

Another Sunrise

I know I've shown this view ad nauseum, but I had to get this one because it struck me as so "painterly."

holidaze.

people are always saying things like, "wow, the holidays really snuck up on me." for the most part, they're the same time every year, and there's no mistaking it when they're on the way, just look around, people.

i say, bring it on.


and does that mean that we are living in a void? a dearth of time-keeping devices such as calendars, computers, phones, etc.? if only that were true.

Kind of Blue

Contentment

This may have been the happiest guest at a party I attended this past weekend.



I was pretty jealous.

Honey-Lemon-Ginger

A most delicious hot drink I had recently...


one that of course required a giant cookie on the side.

sacred vs. profane

while typically a mundane task, riding to do ordinary weekend errands this saturday led to be far more enjoyable than imaginable. not only was the company divine, the skies put on a show.

as a one-time student of religion as well as anthropology, several modern social theory concepts have a tendency to pop into my brain, as they (albeit loosely, in the case of durkheim's dichotomy) relate to things i witness, encounter and observe.

once again, awe-inspiring blue behind bewildering cloud structures serve as a kinetic backdrop as man-made monotonous power lines provide grids and parallels. i agree--it's a pretty remarkable combo.

Leonine

I know you'll recognize this one.


It's Fortitude, of course. I didn't realize he (and they) have had other names in the past, though.

I think this and patience are essential qualities to keep in mind, especially right now.

Lichens & Moss

Lichens exemplify one of my favorite symbiotic relationships. A look back in one of my ancient bio books tells me it's actually an instance of mutualism between an alga and a fungus.

And who doesn't like moss? Moss. Even the word alone is fantastic. It might have to be added to the list.

la neige.

on sunday morning in connecticut, i didn't see it falling, but i saw that it had fallen.

my first snow spotting of the season.



and a cardinal!