changing trees

Already, since we moved into this apartment 2 1/2 weeks ago, the trees have started to change.  Thinned.  We couldn't see the road when we moved in, and now we can.  So I'm thinking of taking a photo from the balcony view every Monday morning.  This is the first one.

And though it is still summer, getting up into the 90s this week, I think, the nights and mornings are cool.  The 50s and sometimes the 40s.  That's winter weather in Florida.  The natives up here love the extended warm days, calling it an Indian summer - though I would think that term would belong to October warm weather.

But things are dying.  I can see it in the weeds.  They are drying and crumbling, seeds dropping.

 

Pittsburgh at night

 

We took the Duquesne Incline up to Mount Washington for the view ...

This is the Ohio River, looking Northwest ...

And this is downtown Pittsburgh ...

yet more PGH photos

Here are yet more photos of PGH taken from the Duck during the tour.  The PPG (Pittsburgh Plate Glass) building dominates downtown Pittsburgh, in my opinion.

Station Square, waiting for the duck boat

Yes, we did a Just Ducky Tour.  These photos are from Station Square, waiting for the Ducks. 

Some photos in front of Joe's ...

And Joe quacking like a duck!

The Pittsburgh Hofbrauhaus

This is for our German friends, Hartwig and Margret.  When we visit them, they take us to the Hofbrauhaus in Munchen - a 500 year old place, with great beer, food, frauliens, oompa bands, and lots of people.  This is the Pittsburgh version.  Not quite as old, but every bit as full of celebration.

Yes, there is a Maypole!

And long tables and an oompa band ...

A Pittsburgh Tour and Birthday

This weekend my sister, FA, and her husband, Joe, came to Pittsburgh to celebrate my birthday.  We showed them the town, or what little we know of it.  Next few posts will show some of what we did.  We had the cake at the Original Fish Market restaurant, which is in downtown Pittsburgh.   We had oysters, in honor of my Dad, who loved fresh oysters.  I had Icelandic Arctic Char.  Great restaurant - a bit pricey, but heck, I wasn't paying.

birthday weekend

more photos coming ...

This post was actually a demo showing my sister how to put photos on a blog.  The present is for me.  My birthday is tomorrow and I will be (gulp!) 60 years old!!  oh gosh.  And that's the last time I'm going to say it!  This is one line that I am hesitant to cross.

45 degrees!

It is 45 degrees this morning ... and it is still August!
(I need to get some shoes!)

the weather and the place

The Autumn Equinox is still a month away, but something has changed around here.  It’s cool, overcast - still dark when I walk Jubilee in the morning.  Even the evenings are different.  No more bright, warm nights where John and I go to bed before it is totally dark.  The lights are on in the apartments when we walk.  No one around here bothers with closing the blinds.  Honestly, it’s about the friendliest place I’ve ever lived.  People of all ages, nationalities, races.  Maybe because most of us are temporary?

Andy Warhol Museum

This was a fun interlude.  (Andy Warhol is a Pittsburgh native, studied art at the Carnegie Art Institute)

Got this photo before I realized I wasn't allowed to take any photos of the art ...

But the sayings on the wall were ok ...

Walked down to the Andy Warhol Bridge ...

Could see down the river the Stadium where the Pirates were playing the Mets this afternoon ...

 

Update:  Andy's funeral took place in the Church of the Holy Ghost (Feb. 1987), one of the churches we passed in Pittsburgh last week.  Post and photo is here.

Misty Pines Dog Park

I had actually seen the turn off for this park one day when I was lost.  I thought it was only a kennel.  But it was the girl who cut my hair (and put the purple streak in it) who convinced me that it was worth going to.

It's really like an amusement park for dogs.  With trails, a swimming pond, and an obstacle course playground.  Jubilee wasn't much interested in the obstacle course, but she enjoyed the walk and swim.

the rednecks in a pickup truck (aka highway angels)

I wish that I had photos to accompany this story but the situation didn’t lend itself.

First of all, my car.  It has 213,000 miles (or something like that) on it and I’m resigned to drive it until it dies, and when it dies, to move on.

On Friday morning, out of nowhere, the car didn’t start.  I thought that it was dead.  I didn’t think it was the battery because the radio and a/c came on.  John came home and tried to jump start it and it didn’t start.  He said that battery was more than 5 years old.  I still didn’t think it was the battery, but lo and behold, the car started sputtering to life.  I drove it down to Pep Boys and got a new battery.

Whew - what if this had happened when I was shuttling around my post-surgical sister last week?!

All seemed to be well.

This morning, after waiting on hold for technical support for a new website I was trying to load, I decided to hang up and take Jubilee to a new dog park (post and photos to follow).  It was about 10 miles away and I took the back roads to get there.  Coming back I decided I would take the interstate, which was supposed to be faster.  It is only 2 exits away.  Just before my exit a guy passing me on the right told me I had a flat tire, and then I started hearing this loud, loud noise.  Man, a major blowout.  The best I could do was to pull over at the beginning of the exit ramp.  I’m sitting there with cars buzzing by me on both sides.  So ... I call John, who was working.  He had ridden his motorcycle to work, but said he’d be there in about a half an hour.  So, Jubilee and I sit there, it’s 90 degrees, with the windows down and the cars whizzing by.  I start listening to a book on my Ipod.

And then they came.

The rednecks in a pickup truck.  This isn’t the first time these angels of the highway have come to my aid.  [ See HERE. ]Two guys pull over, pull out their super jack, remove the luggage from my car and find the spare, and in about 5 minutes flat they have me ready to go.

My gosh.

I call John and tell him I’m on my way. 

Never, ever think that you are not being looked after and cared for, every step of the way.  Those who you think are “strangers” are there for you, every time, to carry you along.

My gosh.  I wish I had had the presence of mind to take a photo of these angels.  I will remember them forever.

Inside weeds

Have had these inside in jars and glasses for 4 or 5 days now, and they still look good!  That last photo, with the rocks and sticks, is really an air freshener but along side the weed I thought it looked like a science experiment.

Highway statues and other Pittsburgh sites

Driving around in Pittsburgh you see some interesting things.  Like these statues that seem to watch over the highway.

More bridge and river photos ...