29 September 2013- City details

My brother recently spent three days attending a local blacksmithing conference. I took the opportunity to art bomb his house. Heh heh. Turned out pretty well, in my opinion, but what's not to like when you have spray paint? 

He had not yet trimmed back the flower stalks on the yucca. Now they look happy!

Took a trip downtown for a stop at TJs for coffee, I seem to be addicted to their pinon coffee. I needed a new set of fiddle strings and other odds and ends of errands. 

The city has changed so much since I left. Several downtown blocks were razed and a big plaza was put in. It has fountains in the summer, ice skating in the winter, and lots of art. 

I am particularly fond of the way this arbor doubles as a water feature with its curtains of rain. The sound is wonderful and it really cools off the area. 

This overhead walkway serves as an entrance to the Gallivan Plaza as well as an artistic (?) solution in connecting a parking structure to the Wells Fargo Building. I'm ambivalent about this. I like the circular shape, but think the two wings near the top just make it look messy.Without the wings you would have a very clean shape.

 In an alley way back behind what once was the best bookstore in the west (Sam Weller's) is a great mural. If this doesn't make you want to pull up a deep leather chair and sink in with a good book I don't know what will.

The books are one and a half stories high. So to speak. 

If you are in the older part of town you'll find some wonderful man hole covers.
The street lights have wonderful decorative bases. 

Many of the buildings have detailing that you just don't see anymore, such as this fabulous buffalo head over the door of what once was a trading exchange.

The top of that same building has lion heads between the windows. In my perfect world, new buildings would incorporate these details as well. 


Wouldn't you love to have this kind of thing on your own house?  Lions snarling on either side of your front door?

Buffalo (or other critters) gracing your chimney where it can keep watch over your yard?  

Another old building detail I like to look for are the building names and dates from when they were built. This once proud brick building has been updated with bright colors that look wonderful against the blue sky. The first floor now is host to a very busy restaurant and bar, and classy enough to valet parking.


Here is another romantic example with the numbers entwined in leaves.     


 
I am also fascinated by the new, but I don't think the new buildings will stand up over time, but check this one out -- it looks like it would blow over in a high wind. 

Actually, it isn't really this skinny. It is triangle shaped, but you can't see the other point from this side of the building. 

A new Federal Courthouse is under construction. I love the new-fangled streetlights in front of it.  
On the other side of the building, this huge sculptured awning marks the entrance to the underground parking lot.

Can't believe that in one more day it will be October. Last year we had our first accumulation of snow in mid-October. Fortunately it did not last and we went on to have a lovely Indian summer. Last Wednesday, September 25th, we had snow in the mountains down to 8000 feet. 

 I do not remember ever having snow in September. I'm not sure if this is just a fluke or a portent of things to come this winter. The snow on the ridge was accompanied by several nights in the low 30s and highs in the low 50s. It got cold enough that I had to turn the furnace on. The cats were grateful and spent most of their time sacked out in front of the registers. 

Sept 30
As a note below, I went out for the paper this morning and discovered that my own painted yucca stalks had been art bombed in retaliation. The top yellow portion has been repainted in metallic silver.  Now they really sparkle in the sun. 

Wonder what is next?  One upmanship is a road without stop signs.