Memories of A Walk Downtown

It was 85 degrees yesterday! It made me miss my walk to work in downtown Kalamazoo this spring. While I don’t miss the cold weather, the leafless trees allowed a great view of structures that we don’t get in the summer.

I meant to post these images when I took them, but I hadn't really thought about what words to put with them. I still don't have the words, but I like the idea of sharing a little snippet of the things you might see when you visit Kalamazoo.


I called this "duckmaid with dog collar" I've walked by this sculpture for years, and never really stopped to look at it. I was thinking it looked like a duck/mermaid when I took this picture, and I loved that someone had put a red dog collar on it. I took a better photo of it on the way home, but unfortunately, I cut off part of the left "wing" in the composition. When I went to try and retake the photo, the dog collar was gone.


This house was redone a couple of years ago. They pulled off ugly green asphalt tile and painted it in an historic color scheme. It was part of a learning workshop for The Old House Network. I meant to sign up to help, but I missed the deadline. (I've learned a lot from this group — another wonderful part of living in Kalamazoo.) Last year they landscaped the front yard, but that's not visible yet in this photo. It was really amazing to watch the progress.



These images are from a mural on a laundromat. Kalamazoo has a LOT of murals around town. Maybe I'll make a project out of finding and photographing more of them this summer. This one has added 3D "people" that makes it even more fun!







Then, there was this marker in Bronson Park. Something else I've walked by for years and never paid much attention to. I looked up "The Women's Relief Corps" and got a little history lesson. Something I never would have know if I hadn't had that camera in my hand!



That's it for today. I'm finding my first thoughts about writing a blog are proving to be true. Even though I have a list of things to write about, having the time to do so is becoming more of a challenge now that the weather is calling me to be outside. I do have all the images — and a new idea — for my post on East Hall. It's going to be involved — not only from a research perspective, but I get so angry about what has happened to it that I find it hard to concentrate.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALAMAZOO!

Our city turns 125 today! The year-long celebration begins tonight with speeches from city leaders and a display of historic photo's. Stay tuned for more details on our birthday party!

The Irony of Getting Lost in The Past — and How the Univers Sometimes Hears You When You Do

Something ironic came from that trip I took yesterday to the past. I just reconnected with an old friend (through the same friend that connected us in the first place) on blogger. Well, I haven't actually talked with him, but I feel like I did by reading his entry's.

While going through those old photos yesterday, I came across three images of him. He moved away several years ago to pursue his education. He had helped me with an assignment from that "traditional" photography class. The assignment was "panning" and I think you'll agree I didn't ace it, but the photos are still interesting.


I smiled and remembered, and wondered how he was doing, but moved on in my search. He is much younger than I am, but our lives had an intertwining thread back then — his first love.

I'd heard a lot about this love-of-his-life, but I'd never met her. I was at his place one night looking at the many photos he had on the wall. "I know that guy! That's Tony!" I said. "Yeah, that's C's dad!"

OMG! The love of his life was a little girl I once knew. Weird! But like I said, he's young.

I'd met C's mother in college but our friendship faded after a few years. Sadly, I found out that night that she died in a car accident some years before. He and her daughter were each others first love — and I thought, would always be together.

Hilarywho had introduced us, and she's how I heard he had a blog. Apparently while I was going through photo's yesterday in Kalamazoo, she somehow stumbled on his blog from Detroit. (Love irony!)


His entry's (which are sporadic) made me laugh many times. He hasn't been an active writer — other things have been keeping him busy it seems.

It sounds like his life in suburban Pennsylvania is not exactly as planned — as life often turns out for most of us. C seems to be missing from the story. Hope it's 'cause she's in school somewhere — she was a very smart girl.

He writes about a house he's working on, and trying his hand at being a "back to the earther," as we called them in the 70s (he's an old soul, it's part of the reason we were friends). He's raising chickens, growing a garden and fixing up the old (sounds very old) house. Part of what made his stories so funny for me (besides knowing him) is that I too struggle with an old house.

He always was a great thinker, and he had lots of energy (as we do when we're 20 years old). Seems to still have it. I think his blog reflects all that, but maybe it's just the irony that made me think it was great and want to write this all down and put it out "to the universe." Though it seems the universe already knows.

Lost in the Past

This morning I was looking for the architectural photos I took around Kalamazoo about 10 years ago. I remember now they weren’t digital. I shot, developed and printed them the old-fashioned way. I did scan and digitally manipulated a few of them, but they are not on any of the CD’s I have. Sadly, I believe they were lost in a hard drive crash a few years ago.


In my search, I came across a weird mix of images that, at the time, I thought were important enough to save on CD. None of them seem particularly creative or important now. An example of how our tastes and priorities change over the years I guess.


I realized too, that I have a lot of photo’s that are lost someplace in my house — including the prints and negatives of those Kalamazoo buildings. I have a large box of “before independence” pictures, but never took the time to create an “after independence” storage spot. Probably because my photo taking came to a stop for a few years and if I did take photo’s, I just tossed them in a drawer, or closet — or who knows where.

This quest to find my life of the past 12 years has also now eaten up most of a beautiful sunny Sunday! Easter Sunday a friend reminded me a little while ago. Either way, a Sunday that I should be outside working in the garden, but I got lost in the past instead.

April Fool?

This is the scene I woke up to this morning in Kalamazoo. I'm sure our fair City is not the only one blanketed in white. It's April — in Michigan!

Just a couple of weeks ago I had the "spring/fall" patio furniture out and a nice fire one evening. Looks like it will be awhile before I'm out there again.

My Kalamazoo Friends…

are Not from Kalamazoo, and Neither am I.

Claudia — Lansing
Sean — California
Rob — Escanaba
Dorothy — Inkster
Paul — Alpena
James — LaPier
Keanya — Detroit
Joyce — Chicago
Betsy — Illinois
Megz — Edwardsburg
Sterling — Mt. Pleasant (or Grand Rapids, not sure)
Tondala — “The South”
Megan — Detroit Suburbs
Cherie — Chicago
Karalee — Illinois
Gunnar & Renate — Austria and Germany
Judy E. — Texas
Cherryl — South Haven
Sean — Luddington
Meg — Muskegon

I met Hilary (Wyandotte), Janice (Portland, OR) and Alison (Traverse City) here, but they’ve moved away — Hilary back to the Eastside (not by choice), Janice back to Portland, and Alison is in Denver.

Susan, Christina, Judi and Andrea are the exceptions.

I’m not sure if it’s because Kalamazoo is a college town, and those that come here for an education like the City and decide to stay, or if it’s something else. The stories of my friends vary. Some did come for school and stayed, but others came for different reasons. It’s always struck me as funny. And, maybe it’s not “them” at all. Maybe I just attract people who’ve left behind their roots!