Here's My Treat!

IPC Day School Halloween Parade. Too much cuteness.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hello Kitty!

Oops, pardon moi. I missed National Cat Day yesterday but hope to make up with if with this cute kitty I snapped at IPC Day School yesterday.

Fall Reflections

Railroad Park

Barking Up The Right Tree

 Architecture Works on Birmingham's southside has a wonderful inclosed courtyard planted with these wonderful trees with chairs for their employees to hold meetings, enjoy lunch, or just take a few minutes to enjoy the quiet and relax. What a great idea.

Bamboo on 2nd

Yesterday we visited The Collins Bar on 2nd Avenue North, today we cross the street and have a look at my talented friend Sarah Soule Webb's terrific octopus now hanging at Bamboo on 2nd. Bamboo features not just sushi but Asian fusion dishes.  I am hearing rave reviews for this place.

Collins Bar

Thankfully our downtown is hopping with new restaurants, bars, shops and so much more. Second Avenue North is especially cool right now. Saturday I snapped a few photos from curbside at Collins Bar. The umbrellas hanging from the trees caught me eye, of course. I"ll try and visit one night and report back.

At Last....

My very dear  friends,  Jeff Johnson and Sonny Williams were married last night. Independent Presbyterian Associate Minister, The Reverend Susan Clayton performed the ceremony, at Work Play, as we all gathered to celebrate Sonny and Jeff's 25 year long commitment to each other.  This celebration was a long time coming, but at last.....

Autumn in the Gardens

I love our Botanical Gardens. It's near my home and I pass it almost every day. Sometimes I just stroll around for half and hour with my camera and am reminded always how lucky we are to have this peaceful place.... with no admittance fee!

Stop And Smell The Last Flowers of the Season

Eudora, and her pal Sunshine live amidst Cathy Adams' beautiful garden. Yesterday, the shy Eudora who was hiding from all the luncheon guests, humored me and posed, and posed, and posed.

Light And Shadows

This tranquil spot near the lily pond at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens always draws my eye. The light and shadows of the wrought iron tables and chairs are hard to resist.

Birmingham Rouge - Japanese Maples

Fall is finally showing her stuff in Birmingham although most of our trees are just thinking about changing colors. I did a little walk about at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens this week and found this glorious Japanese Maple at Leaf 'n Petal's garden shop there.

Art Is Where You Find It

Meet my very good friend and well known Birmingham photographer Larry Gay. Larry and I have been friends a long time and run into each other all over town. He is exhibiting his work "Art Is Where You Find It" at The Abbey coffee shop in Avondale.  Stop by and have a look and buy LOTS of prints!

Glass Act

Every October Sweet Peas Garden Shop in  Homewood invites area artists to share their work for an art show in the garden. I stopped by Saturday morning to say hello to some of my talented friends and found Chris Champion giving glass blowing demonstrations. The process is fascinating to watch.

Church Series - Prayer Shawls

A few months ago I had the good fortune to attend a Friday Shabbat Worship Service at Temple Emanu-El. These prayer shawls, tallits, have always drawn my eye outside of the synagogue. 

Bicycles Bult For YOU!

Birmingham is pleased to be the first city in the state to offer bike rentals. This week the ZYP Bike program kicked off at Railroad Park. 300 bright green bikes with over 30 docking stations in the downtown and southside areas will be free for the first 45 minutes. The program is sponsored by Regions Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Alabama Power, Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex and the Community Foundation. For our city, sorely in need of a rapid and reliable transit system, this offers an affordable way for some of our citizens to get around or just enjoy a family outing. Welcome Zyp!

Drummer Boys

High school football season is in full swing and you have to love a good marching band!

Amazing Grace...

how sweet the news! Yesterday preciousGrace who has been a mighty girl throughout her  year long chemo treatments received some good news from her doctors. Her scans show she is clear!!! (You can follow Grace right HERE on Facebook). Those of us who know her and her wonderful family couldn't be happier.

BADP On the Road - Harpersville

Cheating on Meeps. How could I resist Barbara Adkins' sweet kitty in her old wicker rocker? 

5

Mid October and we're still enjoying outside dining here in Birmingham. 5 Restaurant in Lakeview even flung open their door to welcome patrons.

More Tiny Toes

Great photo shoot with a precious little boy. Of course we got some tiny toes photos.

Tell It!

ARC Stories, true stories told live,  have been around town for about 5 years. I attended my first one last evening at the Avon Theater, but it won't be my last. For a mere $10 you can spend a great evening hearing local storytellers make you laugh, cry or as was the case last night, scare you a little.

Meet Matt Layne, a guy I've photographed at the Day of the Dead festivities more than a few times. By day, he works at the Emmett O'Neal Library. His story involved...rodents. I won't sleep a wink.

Tuning Up

The Alabama Symphony, under the direction of Carlos Izcaray, and featured pianist Joyce Yang provided a wonderful evening of Beethoven, Liszt, De Fall and Brahams. We are so fortunate to have the ASO right here!

To Everything - Turn, Turn, Turn

All summer these gorgeous oak leaf hydrangeas bloom with huge white blossoms. Now they die back for the winter. I think they are still beautiful in their own way.

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven

Seger, Sullivan and Peterik

Mighty Girls!

Granddaughter Eva and her sweet, smart, supportive teammates at Advent School's last volleyball game yesterday. Love these girls who have been friends, most from 4K to 8th Grade, and love this school.

Crusty and Rusty

The Garages boasts a plethora of rust. Many of the pieces you uncover are still quite charming.

Going To Seed

It's that time of year when seeds take wings.

Getting Corny

It's fall ya'll and I'm getting corny. Forgive me but there will be more!

Oak Street Garden Shop

115 Oak Street

Crestline Village

Sunday Church Series - St. Symeon Orthodox Church

St. Symeon Orthodox Church recently moved into their new sanctuary on Claremont Avenue. This beautiful mosaic of Mother and Child was moved from the old site to the side of the new church. I pass it almost every day and love it's new location.

Know Thy Children

The Pepper Place Market has it figured out. Families flock there every Saturday morning, the parents love the music, the art, the crafts, the fresh produce, but the kids...not so much. Once they've had a Steel City Pop and run through the mister, they are probably dragging their feet and asking the dreaded question, "When are we going home???" Problem solved at this tent sponsored by the McWane Center and Fruit Shoot. A tub full of Legos etc. to keep kids safe and their hands busy!

It's National Down Syndrome Awareness Month....Yippee!

As many of you who read this blog now, I have had the pleasure of photographing the Bell Center Run at the Mercedes Marathon for the last several years. The Bell Center for Early Intervention provides a variety of support for children ages birth to 3 years who are at risk for developmental delay. Named for their former director Betty Bell, this is a loving place that provides emotional and physical support for their precious children and their families. Many, but certainly not all, are Down Syndrome kiddos, but this month it's all about bringing awareness to this chromosome abnormalities that affects approximately 1 in 1000 babies born each year. Today one of the very excited Bell Runners, there may be more this month!

City Daily Photo Theme Day - Shelter

This bent rebar covered in muscadines provides some nice shelter for this pup who hangs out at Jones Valley Teaching Farm in downtown Birmingham.

Today I join my fellow City Daily Photobloggers around the world who have posted their take on this month's theme right HERE.