Lights

Lights at Christmastime are magical. They cast a spell on the night - and on my balcony.

Hide and Seek in Key Largo

So I've been hiding a bit from creative pursuits, but apparently I found myself again today. It was my thrill to serve as matron of honor at a friend's wedding in Key Largo and WOW! it was good to just get away. We ate at Doc's Diner and met the family. We hung around the pool with the wedding party. And of course, I managed to find a few spare moments to wander about the resort. With a camera, of course.

 

The lines and color just drove me dreamy. I fumbled around for some pictures that might play with texture, but, um, they didn't work out so well. So all you get is this picture-perfect poster of paradise. Every time I see this picture I'm back there floating in the salt water, chasing down iguanas, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.... and walking in weddings!

Whispers of Wealth

Charles Hackley was a lumber baron in Muskegon, Michigan. But he did not leave behind your ordinary wonderworks. This guy had taste. And this library is special. Gaze upon those old fashioned, elegant bookends. Delight in the lovely hardwood floors. But don't miss a peek at the ceiling. That is not just a line of fluorescent bulb you see, but thick panes of glass to the second floor. The book cases run right up through the glass ceiling. If you are going to be a philanthropist and give something like half your wealth away, you might as well do it in style. I can't wait to go back!

Wiggles and Giggles! Shhh! Indianapolis

I was across the street. I looked over. It started giggling, and then wiggling. And it didn't stop. So I took a picture. So you would believe me. The sturdy sign. Erect and unmoving. The neatly lined glass doing its best to keep everyone in line. And yet. It wiggles. Maybe they were my giggles.

Puddle Jumping

Who doesn't love to splash in a puddle? Maybe at the end of the hopscotch you just take one more hop into the water? Because there's not much water in Indianapolis this summer. You'll want to get wet when you can. But first. What's that? A church!

Indy Stretching

Cmon! Could you have resisted this shot? It's so... American. Check out my sneakers. And shorts. Even if it is summer. Even if I did walk around for four or so hours. Maybe I'm just about ready to lean in and leap over some obstacle. A gate. A hurdle. I'm so, casual. Against bricks and bars. I'm so, optimistic.

Good Morning Indianapolis!

There are so many benefits to rising early in the city. I spent an entire morning roaming the streets of downtown Indianapolis on foot. I got to watch the city wake up. People trickling in to work. Sleepy, empty streets. Lots of hands holding coffee cups. But the best sights are the shadows. And the sun filtering through all kinds of obstacles, creating all kinds of distracting light and color combinations.

Early morning is distrustful too. If you are not obviously heading to work, and are equally obviously not loitering, then you are out of place. And I was. What tourist meanders at 7:30am? Me. It keeps me alert.

Up for sake anyone?

We had the distinct pleasure of checking out Sushi Shoya, a restaurant in Madeira Beach. Guess what I drank with my sushi dinner? Sake. Not the traditional kind, but the popular kind. The kind that populates the windowsill so very cleverly and colorfully. Yum! Yum! I truly believe we will find ourselves there again. The food was delicious and the service ever so helpful and polite. So right.

Palm Tree Perceptions

As if it wasn't already fun enough to view cartoon-like building reflections, Florida goes on and throws in colorful facades and perky palms!

Historic Rain

Florida rain is dramatic and unapologetic. It comes down so hard, it's practically like driving through a car wash, which is convenient during love bug season. But when you have visitors from out of town, rain becomes a thankless inconvenience. Yet, with a little planning and a bit of luck, it can become a beautiful diversion - especially if you encourage your guests to indulge in some Tampa Bay history and traipse through the Tampa Bay History Center during the downpour.

I love, love, love the way they create exhibits at museums these days. Things to do, fun ways of looking at things and life-size replicas all make it so entertaining that one forgets there is learning happening. Having been through the museum before, we sat at the cafe and watched the rain over coffee and cappuccino. As the sun began peeking, the colors began singing and we put our feet to work once more.

Picnic Perfection

What should you do when your family comes for a visit and the Indianapolis sun decides to join in? If you are the consummate host, you have a picnic! We lounged around, talking, eating yummy food from the grille and luxuriating in the backyard tropical oasis. Ahhh.

Flight Risk

I enjoy stairs. And stairwells. Our condo building was having the elevator repaired. It took days. Some in our building are less able than others to climb up and down stairs. So they put chairs on each landing. The chairs lingered. I lingered. Now you can linger.

Auspiciously Sanguine

The color red. The color of energy and exuberance, life and death. The cash and carry color of life.

Beach Handling

Yup. I'm on the beach again. Only this time there is a wicked, orange, hand-like apparition creeping towards a group of unsuspecting seagulls and royal terns. How could I resist?! It reminds me of some old, B-rated horror movie I watched as a kid. It was aptly named "The Hand" because a disembodied hand went creeping about in the night killing people.

It's Gonna be a Great Night!

Now here's a man who lacks for nothing...except maybe a glass of chocolate milk!

A Flower Blooms - On the Beach

 

So many beautiful things wash up on the beach. This one has been dusted with sand from a chilly, northerly wind. The silly part is that it looks a lot like snow. But maybe that's not so silly, given that if all things follow a circle, two opposites would be so close to one another.

No Hooey at Chihuly

 

My brother was visiting for the weekend so I finally had the perfect excuse to feast my eyes on the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. No pictures allowed, but as it turned out, there was a lovely chandelier by Chihuly hanging in the Vinoy Resort and Gulf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida.

If you haven't seen the artist's work before, this is a decent example. Except that so many of his works are all sorts of brilliant colors, as opposed to all white. Not only did we discover the chandelier, but the Vinoy was a joy to explore. Talk about colors! Very fun. We even returned to have dinner at their restaurant. It was a Wow! for a $19.95 early bird special.

Building Caricatures

I was visiting Orlando, Florida on business recently when my eyes spied this beautiful reflection in blue, complete with the church's cross. Looking up at the building reflected upon building, the height distorting the verticals, I was pleasantly awestruck. But I recovered quickly enough to whip out my handy little camera...and snap a photo or two for you!

Across from the parking lot that was babysitting my car was another silly caricature. Just look at those wiggly, squiggly lines! And the two points poking up from the top of the building reminded me of some bizarre beetle maybe. The layering of buildings with the depth differences and shaded glass resulting in different colored reflections of the same sky is fun, even if it is just a simple grid.