BOO!

Meeps and I wish you a Happy Halloween! May your bag be FULL of Milky Ways! :)

Merci Genie,  who found the fabulous Meep Widget on the sidebar for me. If you run your curser around it, she'll purr for you just like see does for me!

EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

For those of you with arachnophobia, you'd better think twice about shopping at Interiors Market at the Pepper Place.  But not to worry, it's just some major cracks in the skylight..........or is it???

Ode to Baseball

" I won't be happy until we have every boy in America between the ages of six and sixteen wearing a glove and swinging a bat."  Babe Ruth

Those of you who know me are well aware that my knowledge of baseball might fill a thimble.  I am pretty clueless,  but this shelf full of old, well worn gloves at On A Shoestring, and this terrific bat sculpture at Sloss Furnaces, both caught my eye.  My post today is for my blog friend Mister Earl , who is over the moon about the playoffs or something or other.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE WINNERS!!!

Last Tuesaday we had another "Go Ahead, Write Your Own Title" contest. The judge has spoken:

FIRST PLACE: "See What Happens When You Don't Floss!" Daryl, NYC

SECOND PLACE:  "Call Today For Ridiculously Low Installation"  Mad About Paris
THIRD PLACE:  "Toothday, Twofer One"  Eeyore
 FOURTH PLACE:  A tie - "The Tooth, Nothing But the Tooth" by Yorkshire Pudding and 
  David McMahon
Thank you all for your fabulous titles. I've got a really good photo coming up on PTML soon. Stay tuned.

Dia de los Muertos - Bare Hands Gallery

Next Tuesday, November 2, my Birmingham readers need to be at Bare Hands Gallery (109 Richard Arrington Blvd) for the annual Dia de los Muertos celebration.  This is one of my favorite festivals each year,  but I'll be working the the polls for the election held the same day, so I regret I'll miss it.  I plan to visit Bare Hands on Wednesday before they remove the alters etc. and get a few photos for you.

Aaaaaachooooo ?

Goldenrod, the gift that keeps on giving in the fall.  Actually that's a bad rap.  According to this source, goldenrod was chosen as the official flower of the US in 1893 and later became the state flower of Alabama in 1927.  It was replaced by the camellia because it was widely thought to cause irritation to those suffering from allergies.  Apparently the real culprit is ragweed.  I spotted this last week at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which even in late October continues to be full of lovely flowering plants and foliage.  Our warm (tornado loving ) weather has helped.

THERE'S STILL TIME TO WRITE YOUR OWN TITLE FOR THE PHOTOGRAPH POSTED YESTERDAY. CONTEST ENDS ON FRIDAY.

Go Ahead, Write Your Own Title !

Found at What's On 2nd? 

Downtown Birmingham

I've been saving this photo for Halloween week.  When David McMahon turned me on to his delightful contests on Red Bubble, I knew this was going to be one for my blog!   Go ahead, enter as many clever titles as you wish.  The winner/winners will be announced on Friday.  One of my "independent" judges has decided he wants to enter the contests,  so I'm soliciting another one.  Stay tuned for the results on Friday.  Bring it on!!!

100+ (Little) Strangers Challenge - Halloween Cuties

Stranger #106

Stranger #107

Hilarious Strangers #108-109

Saturday was Family Day at the Birmingham Museum of Art.  Lots of fun things planned for the ghosts,  goblins, fairies, and princesses!  There was live music, pumpkin decorating, arts and crafts and of course cookies and lemonade for all.  Today, the "gratuitous cuteness" as Bob Crowe calls it, is running rampant.  I see you smiling Bob!

Signs of the Season

Taken at the Pepper Place Harvest/Holiday Market ( which runs through December 4th )

I am pleased that Project Alabama, a clothing line,  is featuring my photographs on their new website.
Have a look here!

Orange and Blue

I don't think it can get much more fabulous here.  Birmingham welcomes autumn........finally!  Oh, and it's SEC football season,  a coincidence???

Men At Work

 

I passed these work boots perched on a stone wall overlooking Shades Creek this week during my walk on the beautiful Jemison Trail in Mountain Brook.  Some of the workers had to shed their shoes in favor of big black rubber boots so they could get down and dirty as they work to control flooding issues along the creek.  I am pretty sure they thought the lady photographing their shoes was a nutcase.  BINGO!

The yellow scooper thingy is purely for Wayne's amusement.  That's two "industrials" this week W.  This ought to hold you for a while.  Kittens coming soon!

In the Attic

I wandered up into the attic of On a Shoestring and found a treasure trove of items from days gone by. The attic window illuminated this lovely handsewn blouse.

Tight Squeeze

Sloss Furnaces National Historical Landmark

Curtain Going Up!

It will be a long time before the curtain will go up on the fully renovated Lyric Theater. Built in 1917 as a vaudeville theater, it has been in sad disprepair for many years, but progress is being made.  Today two shots of the original curtain. Back in the day,  when backstage fires were a common occurance, an asbestos fire curtain was something to brag about. How times have changed.

7:30-4 Mon-Fri

Bon Ton Hatters, since 1907, a step back in time.

The Lady

This beautiful piece of statuary was found across the street from Fritz Woehle's  The Garage.  She's surrounded by all types of architectural remnants, old doors, gates, etc. Somehow she seems to have her own quiet spot.

Believe It or Not

We are in the home stretch till Halloween, but here in B'ham, the kiddos ( and a few adults) are still dipping their toes in the clean and inviting streams and ponds at Birmingham's new Railroad Park.  I don't blame them. The water features here are well planned, bio filltered and just too inviting to pass up.  Come on in, the water's still fine in Alabama !

Blog Action Day 2010 - Water

Today bloggers around the world focus on WATER, as part of Blog Action Day.  This year we focus on the lifeblood of our planet.  We only have this one supply of water you know.  How are we conserving this precious resource?  

  My photographs were taken on my walk this week on the Jemison Trail in Mountain Brook.  Bravo to the Key Club at Mt. Brook High School for their efforts to keep this waterway clean for all of us to enjoy.  For more information about preserving Alabama's waterways, check out the Cahaba River Society's great site.

Autumn With a Twist

Yesterday I lugged my camera along on my walk through Jemison Park in Mountain Brook.  This is a photo that wasn't worth much,  but then I gave it a titch of razzle dazzle. I rather liked it then, I hope you do as well.

Tiny Dancer

The Children's Dance Foundation

I've been posting photographs here since June 20, 2008,  870 posts to be exact.  When I first embarked on this fabulous journey, I thought posting a shot each day with a short caption would be a "piece of cake!"  Well it has been for the most part. On the other hand, there have been weeks of sorry weather or when I'm covered up with work, projects etc and I haven't found much to share with you.  The last few weeks I've been training for a new job and well.............I don't have a lot new stuff.  I go dumpster diving frequently, and this week, I found some photographs that I will be honest, I'd overlooked.  I'll be sharing some more from time to time.  I hope to get out and get fresh photos for you soon. In the meantime, I hope you'll understand.

Green Acres

If you're puzzled by my title, let me explain.  I suspect that many of you envision Alabama as one great big field of something or other and all of us country folks are just stomping around barefoot in said field.  Not so much.  s a matter of fact, I've never seen cotton growing in a field except from a car speeding past it on the highway. Always wanted to get up close and have a look,  but never have.  Well imagine my surprise last week while strolling the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Shazam!!! Cotton growing right there. Here you go.  I came, I saw, I photographed and kept my shoes on.

A tune for you today!

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!

Here in my Forest Park neighborhood,  we are thrilled to welcome new businesses.  Today we visit my favorite coffee shop........Forest Perk.  Actually we  have been here  before, but I wanted to do a formal introduction today.  It's independently owned, (not one of those uppity, mega coffee places), for which I'm grateful.  Owner Caleb Kinsaul and his friendly staff are just who you need to see when you stagger in for your first cup of the day or meet a friend and linger over several cups and some of their tasty scones and mufffins.  Friendly neighborhood coffee shop... glad they're here!

A Different View

The historic Tutwiler Hotel seen from the downtown Birmingham Public Library.


I'm pleased to offer my newest calendar:  Blanc et Noir en Paris 2011 through Red Bubble! Of course if you want a Paris calendar in color,  just look on the sidebar, la Boutique!

The First...

but by no means, the last.  I dare someone to buy this gorgeous pumpkin and take a butcher knife to it.

Oak Street Garden Shop

Things Are Buzzing Around Here

Want to guess how many I shot before I got this?  And for the record, I can relate to this busy bee!

Birmingham Rouge - Red Gate

Parkside has changed its image.  It started out as a wonderful  art/accessories/antique shop.  Now it is a charming neighborhood bar in the Avondale neighborhood.  Out back I found this nice red gate.

WRITE YOUR OWN TITLE FOR THIS QUIRKY IMAGE...... and the winner is........
David McMahon's : " After the pool closed, the sychronized swimming team had to train wherever they could."  I had not one , but TWO impartial judges this week. I can't promise that level of impartiality in the future, but good judges are hard to find without a kickback. I thank each and everyone of you for participating.  More to come !

Write Your Own Title For This Quirky Image

I'll confess that I'm shamelessly "borrowing" from my friend David McMahon.  I met David via Daryl in NYC.  David hails from Melbourne, Australia, but was in NYC with his family this summer and he and Daryl had a grand  blog meeting. She hooked me up with David via Red Bubble.  David has been a wonderful friend and helped me learn my way around the Red Bubble community of artists and photographers.  From time to time David posts a photo there and challenges his followers to come up with a zinger of a title. I've been honored to have been a finalist and a winner a time or two.  Let's just say that now I'm getting very competitive and more determined each week to beat out the competition.  Soooo, I'm thinking it might be fun to see what my readers can come up with from time to time.

Here you go ............what is your best title??  You can leave as many as you like in the comments.  I'll get  an impartial  judge and post the winners on Friday, Birmingham time.  In the words of the immortal David......"I'm throwing down the gauntlet,  NOW!!!!"

Exploring Railroad Park

The opening of Railroad Park brought many families out this fine day to have a look around and .. kick up some pinestraw! These little guys had fun in this area made entirely with the original hand cast bricks and cobblestone that were wisely kept during the excavation process.  Throughout the park they have used these  as borders, barriers etc.  Good for you RR Park designers!

COMING TOMORROW:  The first BADP "Write Your Own Title Contest".  Everyone is welcome, enter as many times as you like.  

Have You Got the TIme?

I found this rack of fine old wristwatches at On A Shoestring in Bluff Park.  Don't you love the interesting faces as well as the lovely old worn bands?

Mehndi

A few weeks ago, I posted a photograph of a beautiful yound Indian girl dancing at the Pepper Place.  She along with other Indian dancers and musicians provided a wonderful insight into their culture. An added attraction was a table where you could have the beautiful henna body art, mehndi, applied.  I got lucky enough to find the same dancer getting her hand adorned.

A Walk Through the Artist's Garden

A few weeks ago I took you into Birmingham sculptor,  Frank Fleming's studio here.  Today we go out back to have a stroll through his garden.  Not your usual Birmingham garden,  because Frank has added a few of his pieces to make it more magical.  He's quick to tell you he is a "country boy, raised on a farm".  His love of the earth, plants, and of course art is evident here.

CDP Theme Day - Graffiti

Today City Daily Photobloggers around the world are posting photos with this month's theme, GRAFFITI.  Those of you that know me well, know that I am NOT a fan of graffiti.  I chose this because the message is certainly one I agree with, my problem with graffiti is this:  You want to grab a can of spray paint and express yourself?? Wonderful, I'm all for it.  Go home and be creative all over your own house or your mother's, but don't deface mine or anyone else's private property.

Today you can see how my CDP friends around the world their city right here.