The Ugliest Building Ever

Still going through my vacation photos, I suspect it will be a few days before they're all labeled and good ones chosen for this blog.  Here's one shot in Vancouver. It's a lovely city, really, but not this building. Every time we passed it (it was about 2 blocks from my hotel, and next to the subway, so we passed it often), we all mentioned how ugly it was, how it looked like a bunker, etc. Really, this photo makes it look much nicer than it does in person. Interesting thing, Sears in Canada is a lot nicer than Sears in the US. This particular store was closing, and in the process of liquidating all their inventory. I bought six nice sweaters for $80. Maybe once it's closed, they'll tear it down and build something attractive.

Big 'W'

Here's another photo from my recent trip to Vancouver. The W on the right apparently was originally atop that tower seen in the background. I don't know if it has any other significance.

Bike

Street scene, Chinatown, Victoria, British Columbia. Shot a few days ago when I was there on vacation.

Icy Mountain Lake

 I returned home from vacation a couple of hours ago.  Just uploaded all the photos I shot, but haven't looked at them yet. Here's one for now, I'll post more later. This was shot at the end of a 2 1/2 mile hike in North Cascades National Park in Washington. We thought this trail was closed due to snow, but a park ranger said it had just opened. Had to hike through a bit of snow, and a bit of mud, but it was worth it. One of the most beautiful trails I've ever hiked, with this ice covered lake at the end.

Vacation

I'm leaving on vacation in the morning, and will be away for a few days. I'll resume posting when I return home (hopefully with lots of new photos to show).  Here are some shots I made while vacationing last year, in Toronto. These were all shot in the Allan Gardens Conservatory with a pinhole attachment on my digital camera.

See you next week!

Spiny!

This spiny thing (don't know what to call it) used to sit atop a sign advertising a supper club in Flint, MI. We used to drive by it occasionally when I was a kid, and I always liked it. I especially liked it at night, because it was lit up and rotated. Now, it's relocated to a run down old shopping mall in Flint, part of a collection of old signage. I see these pretty often in old photos, they must have been a common design motif at one time.

June 8, 1972

Collage on found photograph.

I posted this, then Googled June 8, 1972, and found that this photo was shot on that day. I'd rather we had gone to Mars.

Op Art?

Interesting carving on a grave marker in St. Casimir Cemetery in Chicago. Shot with my reverse lens Brownie camera.

Chair

I shot this just before the photo I posted yesterday, in my Mom's backyard in Michigan last month.

A Kid Again

Shot in my Mom's backyard a couple of weeks ago. My nieces were visiting from San Francisco, which explains the toys.

Zion

These photos were shot in Zion National Park in Utah in 2001.  It's a beautiful place; I'd like to visit it again.

Hyde Park Indian

I shot this last summer with my Holga camera. This figure sits outside of a shop on 53rd. St. in Hyde Park.

No Parking

I shot this in Hyde Park last summer. I like the dark, rough textured brick on the left contrasted with the lighter, smoother brick on the right. The sign is nice too.

Blue Heads

I kind of like the way hair salon posters turn blue when they fade. I see these more often than you might think, it's probably that I notice them because I think they're interesting.

Happy 4th Of July!

Photo shot in Blue Island, IL about a month ago.

Think Cool Thoughts

I can't tell you how much I hate overly hot, muggy days. We're stuck with that weather for about a week, and I feel like I'm a prisoner in my house.

Amsterdam Shop Window

This antique shop was just down the block from the B&B I stayed in last time I was in Amsterdam. I'm wondering why I never actually went into that shop. The window is full of cool stuff.