Picture window

It is a window, but not looking through. It is the reflection we see.

Door and diagonals

My tendency is to like things straight, level and ninety-degree vertical, but there is no question that diagonals can add a lot of interest to a composition. And here the wide angle lens (24mm equivalent) adds to the oblique characteristics making everything in the picture an angle.

Summer wallpaper

Like most people, I keep a wallpaper image on my iPhone and I like to have it reflect the current season. I shot this yesterday on my iPhone when out on a walk, but have cropped it to my traditional square aspect for this post.

STOP!

I have never seen a stop sign with and exclamation point. Or underlined text.

Peculiar.

Where I used to work

I am going to be retiring in a few months so I think it is natural that I reflect back on my career. I had almost 30 years at Xerox, about 20 of them working in this building. It is a workplace no more and has not been occupied for maybe 10 years. Nature has a way of taking back anything that is abandoned.

Rochester's former two big employers (Xerox and Kodak) both have had tough times. They were the Google and Apple of their heyday. Kodak filed and is now out of bankruptcy but a mere shadow of it's former self. Xerox has done a bit better but is now in the process of splitting apart and maybe the Xerox name will not survive.

I have been fortunate over the last 15 years to have had two pretty good jobs since Xerox.

And so it goes... the natural flow of ups, downs and transitions.

Squiggle

Gingerbread house

Darwin Martin House

The last time I visited the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Martin house in Buffalo NY it was early in the restoration process. Yesterday I was very impressed with the progress and quality of the work being done. Much of the house is in wonderful shape and a new visitor pavilion is also impressive in design and architectural quality (very different but with echoes of the Wright design). A 90 minute tours is offered and I recommend it if you have any interest in architecture, history and design.

As modern as the house looks today it is interesting to note that the original complex contained horse stables, not for pleasure riding, but as the primary means of transportation. Martin did not acquire an automobile until several years after occupying the home.

Mailboxes

Right side-up, and upside down

Can you spot the bird in the photo? If you click to enlarge the picture you will see it hidden on the pond edge near the center. I did not see the bird either until it took flight. The quick shot below caught what I think is a heron, but my lens was too short. The detail is a 100% crop, but still it is fairly sharp.