UP ON THE ROOF

Just another of the many Vose Murals that cover our city. This one needs a little touch up. I would offer to help but I am having trouble getting out of my Halloween costume of yesterday. With all his talent, he surely doesn't need much help. On the other hand, I do. This mural graces a hotel on the beach. I would assume it is one of his earlier works since it has some fading and weathering. Still a beautiful piece of work.

TRICK OR TREAT OR ELSE

Halloween is one of the more popular holidays in my neck of the woods. There are many parties and lots of public events in addition to the usual door to door candy grabs. People go to great lengths to outdo each other. They work for months designing the perfect costume. I, on the other hand, just go into my closet and pull out the first thing I see. This is my outfit for the big day. If you see me at your door, say hello. It is rather hard to see out from inside it. Better yet, come out and join me. It should be a lot of fun.

I'M GREEN WITH ENVY

After a long car ride and a sedentary summer, it helps to get out and stretch a little bit. I think it is a wonderful, healthy thing to do. Not for me, you understand. I would rather take photos of people exercising than actually do it myself. The person above, for instance. It is a sweltering 90 degrees and he is the 'picture' of health;albeit a rather stiff picture.

THE AGE OF AQUARIUM

Well Dorothy, we're not in Kansas (Michigan) anymore. We arrived back home to face 87 degree Fall weather. Not a single leaf has changed color and there is no squash of any kind in the grocery store. The land of 'perpetual summer', South Florida, is open for business once again. The above mural, for instance, would seem so out of place in the North. Yet here, in sunny Fort Lauderdale, it is quite common place. I even saw some kids trying to feed the fish.

HAPPY TRAILS

The fire-hydrant has a red flag so it will be visible during the winter. The top of the flag should be higher than the accumulated snow, historically speaking. Last year's snowfall was exceptional. Thus, the new marker to make the hydrant more visible should this year's be as bad. The days are getting shorter and the temperature is dropping. The time has come to head back to sunny Fort Lauderdale and avoid the white stuff. I hope you enjoyed my Michigan summer and some of the beautiful and unusual sights along the way. Will be back with you after the trip south. Hope to see you then.

KNOCK, KNOCK-PART II

Just another of those strange things that people put in front of their homes. Really no story to accompany the photo, just a lot of questions. Enjoy your weekend!

REAL STREET ART

It is more than amazing the things you can see if you just open your eyes. While taking a walk the other day, we happened to look down on the path and found this beautiful chalk drawing. I'm sure it took some effort and time to create. The elements will combine to afford it a brief life. The artist was aware of it. And yet, here it is;preserved forever in digital memory banks. While it may not be of museum quality, it sure gave rise to many different thoughts and emotions within me. Art really is all around us;in museums, galleries, nature, and right below our feet.

MOM, CAN I KEEP HIM?

When you grow up in a city, most of the wildlife you are exposed to are confined to zoos. I grew up like that. This summer has been an eye opener for me in so many ways. Coming in contact with all kinds of animals and birds has been quite an eye opener. This little guy showed up in our backyard the other day. After staring at each other for awhile, it dawned on me that we were both being enlightened. Sort of alien contact;not quite "E.T. phone home," but you get the picture.

GOOD MORNING MR. PHELPS

We were walking in the downtown section of a neighboring town the other day. There were a number of people with fishing rods standing along a small bridge railing. We went over to see what they could possible be doing. Much to our amazement, they were fishing for salmon. This is in a populated section of downtown. These marvelous fish were doing their best to get upstream to do what salmon do. The water was rushing so fast, I did not see one make it up the falls while we were watching. I have seen salmon swimming upstream in the Pacific Northwest but in Michigan? Like I always say, you learn something here every day at City Daily Photo.

KNOCK, KNOCK

I came across this statue on someone's door step. I thought it was rather interesting. I don't believe it once belonged to a tobacconist;too large for that. This area has a large population of Native Americans' belonging to the Odawa Tribe. I have no idea what he is holding in his hand. Any politically correct suggestions would be welcome.

IN 1492, COLUMBUS SAILED THE OCEAN BLUE

This is a replica of The Nina, one of the three ships to set sail for the New World. Most people are familiar with that fact. Few are aware, however, the real name of the ship was Santa Clara. She made landfall in The Bahamas at daybreak on October 12, 1492. The rest, as they say, is history.

TOO MANY NOS

They forgot to add, No Fun!

CAMELOT REVISITED

It's not often the King is seen in public. He is usually absorbed in the affairs of state. There are those times, however, when even royalty has to escape. Given the opportunity, King Gourd likes to get out and mingle with his subjects. The people all seem to love him. He is very approachable. Though his station in life is quite lofted, the people see themselves in him and are pleased. After all, he really is one of them.

BORN GREEN

I am constantly amazed by the sundry things people put in their front yards. I spotted this rather unusual looking topiary while taking a ride in the country. It appears to be a rabbit with some sort of a cowboy Sponge Bob thing on his back. I have no idea of the significance or meaning or anything, for that matter, of it. If anyone has any insight, it would be greatly appreciated. It certainly pays to have a camera with you since you never know what is around the next bend.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY-WHAT YOU MAKE IT

LET THERE BE LIGHT

While walking down the street the other day, I came across this feature on a house. I thought it was rather unusual. I gather it is a mini-lighthouse with a very nice weather vane. Who ever owns the home must get as much pleasure from it as the casual passer-by. It is rather unique and offers a lot of eye appeal. A lovely touch to any roof line.

BILL'S FARM MARKET

The harvest is abundant. There are more types of squash than I knew existed. I hope Fall is as beautiful wherever you may be as it is here. We restrict ourselves to no more than three or four visits a week. We have such self-discipline.

SOMEWHAT UNBEARABLE

I met this family at the airport the other day. They were returning from a vacation out West. I asked them to pose for a family photo before their luggage arrived. Said they had a wonderful time but for one incident. Some little girl with gold colored hair kept accusing them of sampling her food. They claimed it was a case of mistaken identity. After all, they all look somewhat alike. Regardless, next year it will be a cruise. They just wanted to get home now and take a long nap.

THIS IS WHAT CHICKEN LITTLE WAS AFRAID OF

The other day, I had the privilege to attend an introduction to Falconry. To those not familiar with the sport or have only read about in novels, it uses birds of prey to catch game. It is believed to have started in the Far East or in the Arabic world circa 700 B.C. In spite of the name, falcons are not the only bird that is used. One of the more popular birds, is The Red-Tailed Hawk pictured above. He is an incredible product of nature capable of reaching speeds of 120 MPH. While the sport is ancient, it has a strong following. There are about 5000 falconers in the States. It is strictly regulated at the federal level. No bird was harmed in the production of this blog.

CINDERELLA

Gazing upon the footwear pictured above, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Evil step-sisters, a pumpkin coach, and a handsome prince by chance? Let's update the fable and go with the Kardashian sisters, a Bentley, and a rich Rock Star. Sounds kind of interesting. Actually, it belonged to some precocious kid named Cortney who looked at me suspiciously as though I wanted her Croc. Kids have no imagination these days.