Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Clothespin in the Sky


Time for another assortment of random iPhone photos taken on my walks about town. I'm finding that I usually have enough pictures to do these posts about twice a month, so I'm right on schedule.

First, a beautiful cluster of orange poppies, backed by an impressive collection of rubbish bins.


Shipwreck in a planter!


A rather hefty German book, set out for the taking, about the art and culture of the Rhine and Meuse region. It didn't stick around long, so apparently some German art-lover wandered past soon after I did.


Well, that sounds like a fairly serious problem.


I'm not sure which is worse -- rubbish left beside a tree, or a crappy handwritten sign duct-taped to its dead trunk. After I took this picture it rained, and all the ink from the sign ran and eventually vanished entirely. So now it's just a sheet of white paper taped to a stump.


This big discarded photographic print, filthy and peeling off its heavy plastic mount, was leaning against a wall on a street corner. (And still there as of yesterday, in fact.) On the back was a handwritten inscription that read, "To XX and XX: This was one of my favorite places and moments on earth. Losing time and space...floating. We wish you many of the (indecipherable)."


O Great Clothespin in the Sky, we worship thee!


And finally, a discarded birthday card I found on the street. I'm not sure I get it, exactly, or even if there is anything to get!

26 comments:

River said...

I love the shipwreck and I'm thinking maybe I need a pot of bright orange poppies on my porch next summer.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Another great collection of photos. That clothespin in the sky is a brilliant capture. I had the same immediate thought about the tree stump. Rubbish bags might be an improvement. Baby on ROAD??? Seriously?

“We wish you many of the indecipherable.” That’s what I wish for every day.

Sabine said...

I do worry about the baby on the road but hopefully the mighty clothespin in the sky will protect it.

Boud said...

Wondering why the treestump was so offended about garbage.

There were a few of those baby hangtags after people got fed up of the virtue signaling of the smug Baby on Board hangtags. As if it was okay to ram a car which only had adults on board!

Ed said...

I've said it before but you have an excellent eye when it comes to photography subjects.

Bob said...

Ironic that the only rubbish on the tree was the sign about not leaving rubbish.

Jeanie said...

I saw the clothespin as ballet feet! Ha! I hope X and X don't see their photo of the spot they so loved discarded at the side of the road. Love your walk sightings. Mine are never so interesting.

Ms. Moon said...

The clothespin in the sky could be so many things- ballet feet, as Jeannie said, cooking tongues, a woman's head silhouetted in a window. I'm glad that Boud explained the "baby in road" sign. Nice!

Ellen D. said...

But was there a funny punchline inside that card you found on the street? Now I am trying to think of one... You had better go back and look and let me know! :)

NewRobin13 said...

"Now it's just a sheet of white paper taped to a stump...' that sums up life and time so well.
Wonderful collection of photos. Love the clothespin cloud.

Sharon said...

I can't believe those beautiful poppies are growing out of the gutter. And, that baby on the road sounds very dangerous to me. And, I agree about that hand-written sign. That looks awful.

The Bug said...

Those poppies are glorious! And I saw ballet feet too (although it was a little disturbing since they were missing the ballet torso, arms, and head - ha!).

ellen abbott said...

That is a pretty clump of poppies. I wonder what playset that ship is from. I must be a pirate ship, if not, it should be. I'm surprised you haven't removed the paper and tape from around the stump. That is a beautiful and peaceful spot in that print. I guess XX and XX weren't that impressed. And what's with the one big eye and the one little eye on the card?

Linda Sue said...

Random shot round up- favorite posts! Birthday card is a mystery. some folks collect all of that sort of detritus found on the street , bruised by weather, and make art out of it. Sarah is one!

Kelly said...

When I first looked at that print, I wondered who might have looked at it, dreaming of that peaceful location. I guess it meant something special to the person who gave it to XX and XX. Clearly XX and XX didn't feel the same way.

Wilma said...

The cloud and the sun are going to meet the clothes pin at the great pub in the sky! wink, wink!

Marcia LaRue said...

That's what I saw, too, Jeanie!

Edna B said...

Those orange poppies are simply gorgeous! I would love to have some growing in my yard. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

James and Brigitta said...

Thanks for the laugh 'O Great Clothespin in the Sky'. I needed one today!

Allison said...

Those are gorgeous poppies. They're very determined to have a life and carry on.

Mage said...

I really like the orange and green drama in the first photo.

John Going Gently said...

I’ve never seen poppies with such folded heads , they look more like oxalis

Debby said...

I feel sad about the photograph. Obviously the giver was trying to share something he felt was special...and it was not appreciated.

jenny_o said...

I saw the ballet feet in the sky, too! Weird how our minds work. Those poppies are so, so pretty.

Steve Reed said...

River: Those poppies are amazing, aren't they? I think they might be California poppies.

Mitchell: I feel like most days ARE indecipherable on some level.

Sabine: Maybe it's a diaper pin in the sky?

Boud: I thought it was merely strange wording -- intended to mean, "Baby on road in this car." I didn't consider that it might be a spoof.

Ed: Thank you! There's always something weird out there to photograph.

Bob: It's ridiculous, isn't it? Although to be fair that area DOES get some dumped debris from nearby apartments.

Jeanie: Well, that's why I only referred to them as XX and XX. They won't Google that and find themselves!

Ms Moon: I also saw a profile in a window. I hadn't considered ballet feet!

Ellen D: No! Just a handwritten birthday message that didn't mention the front of the card at all.

Robin: And soon the tape will be all that's left. But since it's plastic it may hang around for a thousand years. LOL

Sharon: It's actually a planter, at about chest height above the sidewalk. (The same planter where I found the shipwreck on a different day, come to think of it.)

Bug: Yeah, disembodied ballet legs is a little weird!

Ellen: I'm surprised XX and XX would just throw out the picture, but it looks like it's been damaged in storage or by a flood or something. You know I seriously thought about removing that sign! I might still do it.

Linda Sue: I find SO MUCH intriguing stuff on the street. I can see why Sarah would pick it up.

Kelly: Well, I'm going to be charitable and think that XX and XX liked it but it got damaged beyond repair and so they threw it out. Although I wish they'd put it in a bin and not just dump it on the street corner.

Wilma: That's a surreal pub, a bit like the cantina in "Star Wars."

Marcia: It's funny how different people see different things in clouds!

Edna: I think they need a lot of sun and a relatively dry location.

James and Brigitta: Happy to oblige! I guess the clothespin deserves the real tribute. :)

Allison: They're tough plants. We have some in our garden but not that same kind.

Mage: It's a good color combo, isn't it?

John: But the leaves definitely aren't right for Oxalis and they're too big.

Debby: I think it might have been appreciated initially but then damaged.

Jenny-O: So funny how so many people saw ballet feet! I didn't see that at all!

37paddington said...

That sign is so sloppily taped to the tree stump, too. It totally triggers my OCD. That photograph of the shore is rather haunting, and the message on the back of it only deepens that sense. I love how you notice the world around you, and share it with us.