Left, Right, Left.....

Today a few more photos from Birmingham's Veterans' Day Parade. My "Yankee" friend Daryl, who blogs from way up there in NYC, especially liked these two photographs when I shared them with her. Here you go D!

Waiting for a Fire

Today a little break from the Veterans' Day Parade, but there will be a few more photos, I promise. You know I like to mix things up a bit, so today a woodpile on my friend Beth's back deck. I love the texture, and it reminds me that here in Birmingham, we're still waiting for some really chilly weather and an excuse to light a fire! Tomorrow it's expected to be in the low 70's, ( 21 degrees Celsius for our friends in the rest of the world) so I guess we have a while to wait to hear that crackle and sidle our backsides up to the fireplace.

A little bird told me that today is our friend Altadenhiker's birthday! Joyeux Anniversaire mon amie!

Honoring Our Heroes

Yesterday after my museum shift, I just walked down to 19th Street and waited for the Veterans' Day Parade to begin. Our parade is known as the oldest and largest Veterans' Day Parade . A lot of great flag waving and cheering for our heroes past and present. Today a few of our heroes past. There will be more photos to come.

For those of you that enjoyed my friend Michael Dulin's great music here on BADP, I want to invite you to his new website here. Check the NEWS section each week. Mike will be offering an original song each and every week .....FREE!

Tutu Cute!!

Oh yesterday I slogged through torrential rains for a photo shoot. At first I doubted the sanity of all that. But when I arrived at my destination, I was a very, very happy photographer. You see, I was invited to the Children's Dance Foundation in Homewood. What a wonderful place this is. They not only offer dance classes at this location, but in their words:

"Children's Dance Foundation's Community Partnership Program provides dance classes to more than 1,500 children each week at more than 25 social service agencies, child development centers and schools in Birmingham. CDF’s vision is grounded by a commitment to empower all children through dance. CDF embraces this important work with the disenfranchised and underserved, providing classes to organizations that serve these students regardless of their ability to pay."

I had the pleasure of photographing two groups of 3-4 year olds. What could be more fun? I'll have to admit I need to hone my "dancing photography" skills. They were a very exuberant bunch. I hope I captured that. Maybe I'll be invited back to visit some of the other sites in Birmingham. Today.........tiny dancers. :)

For those of you that enjoyed my friend Michael Dulin's great music here on BADP, I want to invite you to his new website here. Check the NEWS section each week. Mike will be offering an original song each and every week .....FREE!

The Falling Leaf

It's hard to catch a falling leaf even when they are falling as fast and furiously as they are around here. As I write this, we are expecting Hurricane Ida to blow through here tonight. We should be knee deep in leaves (and hopefully not water) by morning.

Today my very favorite version of "The Falling Leaves" ..... "Les Feuilles Mortes"

by the fabulous Andrea Bocelli. Enjoy

A is for ...

All About Art at the Birmingham Museum. The cleanup crew left this in the Sculpture Garden . I couldn't pass up a red ladder now could I???

HOT OFF THE PRESS (almost)

I am pleased to share that our blog friend and very talented photographer, Kevin McCollister ( -K- ) has a soon to be released book! East of West LA, is a collection of Kevin's fine, fine photographs from around Los Angeles. I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy ( and my enormous commission for this plug!).

Want to order one?.... send ($20 + $2 s/h)

to

Brooks Roddan

1020 Palos Verdes Drive West

Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274

The Calm..........

The Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Vestavia Hills shortly before the 4Kers blew through the door for their program rehearsal.

........BEFORE THE STORM!

Last minute instructions

I'm joining the gang at Aileni's Monochrome Weekly again this week.

Have a look!

Saturday Morning Sax

Pepper Place Market

Pitcher Plants

I took this photo at Aldridge Gardens recently. I was fascinated with the shape and color of these unusual plants. I thought it migh be Swamp Lilies, but a Google search proved me wrong. I sent a pic to my faithful reader and gardener Harriet, and she passed it along to husband Richard, a plant afficianado. Richard declared it a Pitcher Plant. North American Pitcher Plant according to Wikipedia. Merci to the Reavis family for helping me out.

Autumn in Birmingham or in Paris??

This is first on both of my blogs. Today I feature very similar photographs from Birmingham and Paris. I appreciate the similarities between the two places I love the most. Is it Euro Birmingham or Southern Paris? Want to guess?

The Bench

Taken beside the lake at Birmingham's Aldridge Gardens in Hoover.

Dia de los Muertos Festival

Oh this was my second visit to the Bare Hands Gallery for the fabulous Dia de los Muretos Festival ( Day of the Dead Festival). This time we arrived at sunset so the multi-colored lights and candles lighting the many shrines were just magical. There is something for everyone here, crafts for the kids, live music, free food and beverages and the colorful and oh so special altars to loved ones. We missed the parade, but I'm definitely staying for that next year. The very best part you ask? That's the walk through the back hallway of the gallery that is decorated from floor to ceiling with lights and altars and memorabilia honoring dear friends and relatives. A celebration on this day of lives well lived.

( I'm embarrassed to admit my battery died halfway through, and I didn't bring my backpack along. I know, don't say it. I'm full of regret.)

Note: What a grand evening. I met up with some former teachers that I haven't seen since I retired, and a Facebook friend that I had not met in person. We recognized each other immediately! Then once inside Bare Hands Gallery, I met an employee that follows this blog as well. I'll be going back to the gallery for more photos and information about this great place!

We had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with a Frida Kalo "look alike".

Theme Day - Doorways Redux

Oh I'll admit it right here. I was clueless about CDP's Theme of Doorways until late Saturday night when I hopped over to Marley's blog and saw it. Grrrr. How is it I am caught off guard every single month??? As I perused the delightful assortment of doorways that my blog friends offered up, I was taken with Paula's Pensacola DP blog's vintage Mustang door. What a great idea. Awwww I had a great car door in my stash too. I didn't think of it first, but as the copy cat ( copy chat on my Paris blog) that I am , here's my runner up.

This is a grand old car I photographed at the Pepper Place last month when they had a host of fabulous vintage cars. I loved this drive in movie speaker on the window. Oh some sweet memories there!!!

And many thanks to my friend Paula for thinking of it first!

November Theme Day - Doorways

Today City Daily Photobloggers around the world are posting their take on the the theme DOORWAYS.

My doorway is the vintage doorknob of the former Birmingham Realty Building on First Avenue North in downtown Birmingham. The bottom photo is the lovely detail over the office building. I am puzzled that I was unable to find out anymore about this longtime Birmingham realty company in a search. This is as much information as I could find here.

If any of my Birmingham readers have information about Birmingham Realty, I'll be happy to add it to this post.

Want to see more great Doorway interpretations???

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants