Pittsburgh and points west

I went downtown to the scene of my terrible accident and found it all changed. I had this terrible dislocated feeling: was I dreaming; did I dream my fall; how did they manage to totally change the area in slightly over a month? I know I didn't dream it. I have the bills to prove it: $50 copay for the ER, $25 copay for the plastic surgeon, badly scratched glasses for probably another $225, finally a notice that I will have a $100 copay for the ambulance. That's what motivated my trip downtown. I want to threaten to sue the city for their bumpy sidewalk. I wanted evidence of the bump. Alas, the sidewalk is completely torn up and now sits behind Jersey barriers and a wire fence. Here's a Google satellite photo showing the area where I fell. It's not an ordinary corner; I could not have mistaken it for another place. The red arrow marks the spot. I tripped on the red brick paving. I was heading toward the busway. You can't get there today. It's completely blocked off and a small sign directs you to another corner to get the bus.

On to better things--I'm still cleaning up the details from the Chicago trip. Finally looked at my photos; I'm not too happy. On my first weekend I stayed on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. That weekend was the air and water show. We could see it from the apartment. Sunday the weather wasn't very good, but Saturday was beautiful. There were lots of boats, many sailboats, anchored out in the lake around the harbor. The beach at North Avenue was so full I don't think another person could fit there. We didn't stay for the show but went down to the Art Institute. The first thing we saw was a 21st century lemonade stand: bottled water and cookies. I think the kids were doing a great business. We saw a wonderful show of gilded Japanese folding screens, then looked at the newly opened modern wing and walked on the connecting bridge to Millennium Park. Here is a marvelous fountain where children play. It reminds me of the Art Institute's famous Seurat:  A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. This is Saturday on Michigan Avenue.

On Sunday we came back down to the Cultural Center where we attended an opening for several of my artists friends and saw a show of contemporary Chinese art.

Monday through Saturday we were up in Door County in a wonderful house on Lake Michigan. Our hostess, Anita, made us very much at home and always had wonderful things for us to look at while we ate all her great food. Here's one of her great table settings. Raja has more, and some wonderful pictures of our trip, including the Garden Door and the lake.

My photos of the Garden Door were mostly details: water drops on a spider web;


the lotus pond;

planting in old purses

I forgot what this is, but I like the look of it against the sky.

Sitting at that dining room table I spent lots of time looking at reflections. The water is behind me but there it is in the glass. On a day the waves were high it looked like the water was flowing around the trees.

On our last morning the lake was gray and dull; sad we were leaving.

Comments

[Mage Bailey]

Oh lovely. I'm sitting here just smiling away at all but your fall. If you are going to sue, you will need photographs of that area behind the barricades. I'm so sorry.

[Mage Bailey]

....PS: and I forgot. That second photo up. If you crop it just above the rail, you have a magic reflection with no reference point. Rather interesting.

[Alice]

Pgh is messing with your mind, Ruthe! :)
Like the photos, especially the yellow flowers against the blue sky and the waterdrops on the spider web.

[Roxanne]

I really liked the last photo.