Corner View: . . .

Car evolution <green version>

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For other takes on ..., visit Fuoriborgo, visit the comments, section and ....

Perfection

"In nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful." --Alice Walker

Corner View: Market

I'm always amazed that there is an entire aisle dedicated to breakfast cereal. How many different ways can you add sugar to grain?

For more views on Market, visit the comments section of Fuoriborgo.

Mediterranean Monday

Oh, sea can you say... . I'm feeling a little landlocked today.

What the sun brought out

It's an amazingly warm, sunny day in February .... which seemed to bring out all the more, ahem, colorful characters in town.  [Note: I was walking down the street, laughing out loud to my podcast of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" so I'm sure I've been added to the ranks of the worthy-of-being-avoided types getting some strange looks today.] Dog and I came across this building as we were walking around:

Pretty much summed up our excursion. Love you, Lawrence.

Corner view: something old, something new....

The brides in my family have an easy time satisfying the custom of wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue on their wedding day. For 100 years now, every bride in the family has worn my great-grandmother's lace veil that she had made for her in Belgium when she married in 1911. I think something like 20 different women have worn it. That covers the something old and something borrowed. The something blue comes from a sapphire necklace from the other side of the family. And the new? Well, shoes usually handle that one.

There weren't any brides hanging around my corner this week, so I thought I'd try to find the something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue in my neighborhood.

Something old. Since the pro-slavery Quantrill and his ruffians raided our town, killing 150 men and boys and burning down all the buildings in 1863, we have very few structures that pre-date the Civil War. This old farmhouse (now, in the middle of an established neighborhood) escaped the attack. It was built in the early 1850s and is beautifully maintained by its current owners. (Dear European Corner-Viewers, please don't laugh at the fact that 160 years is considered old.)

Something new. They tore down an old house and built this new one on my street last year:

Something borrowed: A rental? Does that count?

Something blue:

Hmm. That house looks more gray than blue in the picture. How about this one?

To discover more interpretations of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," visit the Corner View, hosted by Francesca.

February 14

You can find love in the most unexpected places, can't you?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tropical Monday: Snow

In honor of our first (and only?) snow of the season, a little snow for tropical Monday.

My walk to work:

Someone had a "donut" this morning:

Reader Request: House Numbers

Thanks, Reader, for your request for house numbers. I really didn't think that there were that many unusual house numbers in my neighborhood until I went out this morning with my camera. I was amazed by the variety. And now, of course, I am completely unsatisfied with my boring house numbers. Dear Reader, you may have just created more work for yourself.

Most houses seem to feature this look. This company must have had a monopoly on house numbers for about three decades:

A few featured this clean look:

Definitely unique. (Dear Reader, this one also meets your request for mailboxes.)

When in doubt, cut it out:

Love the painted numbers on the transom!

A little tile magic:

They really don't want visitors to miss their address. 

Recycling .... and a whimsical screen in the background.

Made to match.

Up in your grill

Back when they cared about adding decoration to office buildings.

In my building at work! Now that the elevator in the library has stopped working, I believe that this is the oldest elevator on campus.

Charleston, where my love of grills blossomed.

Tropical Monday: hot things

a volcano:

standing sentry in San Juan:

Hot time in the old town. This town has a fish-fry every Friday night, where I imagine it gets very festive:

Water Tower Park

What did you expect to see? A silo?

Some creative genius on the city council must have named this one.

stairs that don't inspire confidence

There's not much about this house that says "Welcome."

Corner View: Light

Some light and magic as the performers have one more rehearsal before the "Descendants of the Dragon" Chinese New Year's celebration.

Well, I didn't stick to my Western new year's resolutions. I broke those resolutions again when I thought I'd try to start over with Chinese New Year on January 23rd. Any chance that there is another new year in February where I can try again? (It's not my fault, really .... I just seem to have misplaced my treadmill.)

I'm looking forward to seeing other interpretations of "light" on the Corner View this week, hosted by Francesca.