JERRY C, #34 of 100 Strangers Photographs

There's a delightful store that sells shoes and clothing on the corner of 34th Avenue and 50h Street in Minneapolis, Mn, where I recently bought a pair of New Balance sneakers.  Jerry C who retired from Bachman's Florist where he was in charge of leasing plants to individuals and businesses.  Despite living in Cannon Falls which requires a long commute to the Nokomis store, he has been working there since he retired 12 years ago.  i took several photos and this unsmiling portrait of Jerry is the only one that really turned out.  I must learn to take far more photos,  but I was having a good time chatting with Jerry, a very friendly fellow, and I ignored my primary task of taking a good photograph! Now that I have made him famous, I hope he'll forgive me for posting an unsmiling portrait when one in which he was smiling would have been a better reflection of his personality!

What a hat!!

I have often seen this woman having coffee with friends at Lund's grocery store in Highland Village, and just as often have admired her hat because the silver band reminds me of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Today I stopped to chat with Marion, a 78-year-old Minneapolis resident who buses over to St. Paul frequently to visit a 90-year-old shut-in friend of hers. We had a lovely talk about her hat and her 11-year-old grandson who has given her some fashion tips.  She said that she had been a little depressed this morning, but our chat cheered her up considerably. Guess I'll stop to talk with perfect strangers more often!

Good things happen when you meet strangers.
Yo-Yo Ma

Photographers, Jeremy and Joe-100 Strangers #16

"Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times…I just shoot at what interests me at that moment." – Elliott Erwitt

I met these two photographers, Jeremy and Joe, at the dog park which lies adjacent to the Twin Cities International Airport (See yesterday's post). Their cameras and lenses created much envy on my part, and we had a pleasant discussion.

The Greatest Generation

Television has changed all of our lives, or so it seems. The Greatest Generation exhibit at the History Center in St. Paul has artifacts on many different aspects of American life in the 20th Century.. Of all the popular culture objects this seems to have been one of the most influential. My husband's family had one of the first television sets in their neighborhood. Yes, it was a Zenith with a round screen!

"Come Fly With Me"

About two or three times a week, we take our dog, Maggi, to a dog park which is adjacent to the Minnesota International Airport. Maggi likes the freedom, and I love watching the airplanes takeoff and land. Several runways run parallel with one side of the park, and to watch I take my folding chair, camera, water and book while Jim tramps the area with our grateful and appreciative canine. As you know, Northwest was purchased by Delta, which is making numerous changes and eliminating the NWA main offices in Eagan, MN; many employees are being transferred to other locations and the unions are wrestling with the "merger." As a Minnesotan, I'm not happy that there will be changes for NWA and hope that air transportation out of the Twin Cities will not be adversely affected. By the number of takeoffs and landings on the runways we observed, the traffic still looks very robust!

I GOT MY REPAIRED CANON BACK ... FINALLY -- GOOD AS NEW! And I had a field day experimenting with it, snapping the aircraft.

"Weather-wise it's such a lovely day
You just say the words and we'll beat the birds
Down to Acapulco Bay"

Lyrics: "Come Fly With Me" -- Frank Sinatra

Breaking the Rules

On Family Day we trooped out to visit the camp where our 7-year-old granddaughter is happily attending for much of the summer. We toured the camp and was treated to her skills navigating a canoe. Only one problem: while "showing off" she and her fellow camper disappeared around a bend in the lake, out of sight of the counselors which was against the rules. Well on their way to a favorite spot, an Island, a wise parent in another canoe, guided them back to the dock. Lots of mischief, but it sure looked like a lot of fun!

Chloe,the Sloth-Saturday & Sunday Camera Critters

We who live in the Twin Cities are very fortunate to be able to visit the Como Zoo and Conservatory in beautiful Como Park in St. Paul. There are many educational and informational exhibits; on November 17, 2006, the new Tropical Encounters exhibit opened in the Visitor Center. This exhibit is a total immersion experience into a neotropical rainforest and is the first exhibit that combines both animals from Como Zoo and plants from the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. It features over 250 animals including giant river turtles, frogs, fish, free-roaming birds, leaf-cutter ants, spiders, an anaconda and “Chloe” the sloth. Chloe has been featured on my blog before, but this is the first time that I have been able to photograph her face. Cute, isn't she?!
To see more Camera Critters from around the world on Saturday and Sunday, click here.

Postcard Friendship Friday

This large piece of art is located on a landing on one of the stairwells in the Minnesota History Center in downtown St. Paul where we went to see a special exhibit about the Depression and WWII as it affected Minnesotan. I have seen the exact same image you see in the photo on postcards, which, incidentally are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Guess I'll have to start going to antique shops again. Next week I'll show you some photos I took while going through the outstanding "The Greatest Generation" Exhibit at the History Center Stay tuned!!

To see more vintage postcards, click here.

"seriously good preserves"

The phrase, "seriously good preserves" is on the business card for the products sold by the vendor http://www.heathglen.com/. Their display at the Farmer's Market in St. Paul is mouth watering, and these good people provide sample jars of their preserves for tasting purposes: Blueberry Jam with Lime and Mint, Blueberry Lavender with Merlot Wine, Peach Almond, Raspberry Chambord Jam, to name a few. Many of the preserves are even low sugar. Check out their website to see the prices and more selections. Perhaps you'd like to order some?? I'm returning next week to buy several jars for gifts. Good idea, huh?!

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy!

"Strawberries, Strawberries! Oh, deh's so fresh and fine, and deh's just off the vine! Strawberries, Strawberries." (Porgy and Bess)

Flowers at the Market

Now that there are more vegetables being harvested, the flowers and herbs are being discounted, and are real bargains. Strolling from vendor to vendor, I noticed many, many customers laden with blossoms. Click on the image for a closer look!

Blooming Butterflies #4

Another beauty from the exhibit. Perhaps I should go back and get more photos. It's such a pleasure watching them flit about the area, and it's such a thrill if one of them lands on one's arm and occasionally one's head!

Happy Birthday, Maggi!-Saturday and Sunday Camera Critters

If you have visited my blog with some regularity, you have probably seen pictures of Maggi before. For us she's special and "born on the 4th of July" has special meaning since today is her birthday.

To see more critters from around the world on Saturday and Sunday click here.

LET'S CELEBRATE BECAUSE THE 4TH OF JULY CONTAINS MY 1,000TH POST!

Postcard Friday

Split Lock guided ships along the north shore of Lake Superior from 1910 until 1969. Towering above a 130 foot cliff, it sends a beacon of light 22 miles into the lake, and it is ceremoniously lighted once each year. It is one of North American's most renowned lighthouse that is now maintained by the Minnesota Historical Society. (Postcard photos were taken by Dennis O'Hara and Lee Radzak)

To see more vintage postcards, click here.

Blooming Butterflies #3

Not a butterfly, but some of these giant moths were included as part of the exhibit. I have never seen a moth this large, have you?

Empty-July 2009 Theme Day

"No one ever died from sleeping in an unmade bed. I have known mothers who remake the bed after their children do it because there is wrinkle in the spread or the blanket is on crooked. This is sick.” Erma Bombeck quotes (U.S. humorist, 1927-1996)

A bed empty of a sleeping body. Wonder who just left it? Our grandson is staying with us for four weeks while he is attending summer school in our neighborhood. You never would have guessed that this is how a 15-year-old boy would leave the room when he left for the day. Right?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Blooming Butterflies #2

This "paper kite" (Idea leuconoe) is part of the butterfly exhibit I described on my blog yesterday. Scroll down to see it and another butterfly!

Camera Saga Continues: I won't go into excruciating detail, but I STILL am without my camera and am still using my son's. The painful story began on May 15th when I dropped it for repairs at a local repair shop that couldn't fix it nor were they particularly communicative about their lack of progress; it's now sitting at a Canon shop somewhere in America and I'm waiting for its eventual return, hoping that it will be in good working order!!

Blooming Butterflies

Butterflies live a precarious existence because of habitat destruction, pesticides and collection. Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is doing its part to help save the butterfly by planting native plant species providing food and shelter for butterflies in some of its outdoor gardens. The Blooming Butterflies Exhibit allows people to walk within an enclosed tent and move among the butterflies. The Exhibit which runs until September was made possible by the generous support of Como Friends, and the plants and materials were donated by local businesses: Linder's Garden Center, Monrovia and Interlock Concrete Works. Quite a display, and it's AWESOME!

Support Protesters in Iran-Special Blog Day

To show solidarity with the protesters in Iran, several CDP bloggers are using this special theme day to post photos related to the struggle.We are, in particular, concerned about the whereabouts and safety of one of our own photo bloggers who has "disappeared" after posting some spectacular shots of the protests on his blog.

ADDED LATER-In response to a question re. the photo, I found several on Google images, which I assumed are NOT copyrighted, selected two and superimposed them on one another.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Follow Us!!--Saturday and Sunday Camera Critters

Seen on the back of a truck. To see more critters from around the world on Saturday and Sunday click here.