I am in the thick of it at work this week. We have a steady stream of classes coming in to check out books for summer, and meanwhile I'm trying to collect overdue books from kids (or renew them if they want to keep them). I really do try to have everyone's account settled by the time school ends. We had 356 total circulations yesterday, which may not seem like a huge amount, but it is!
So while I deal with all that, it's time for another round of "Steve's random photos"!
First, I saw this piece of street art in Shoreditch when I went out with Dave and our co-workers Max and Staci a couple of weekends ago. I tried to Google and find out who that kid is, but no luck. Do any of you know? It's kind of a terrifying portrait, mostly because of all the red.
I was walking Olga on the high street a couple of weeks ago when I found this critter near some spilled trash bags at the curb outside a charity shop. I assume they'd cleaned out their stock and discarded some stuff that didn't sell. A massager, I think? I grabbed it.
I guess some passerby, armed with an ink pen, wasn't happy with the position of this rubbish bin. Or maybe it's a confession by the owner?
Another penned rubbish-bin note. I identify with this one. We've had our food waste caddy stolen too. Ours even had a big sticker bearing our house number on it.
More stuff outside a thrift shop, this time clearly a donation (since it's by the door and not by the curb).
I've posted our neighbors' pig figurine before, sitting on their garden wall. When I went by the other day it was almost completely engulfed in ivy. It looked on the verge of drowning. The ivy has since been trimmed, but it's still about waist-high on the pig. (Do pigs have waists?)
This woman was walking in front of me a few days ago and I had to get a photo of her rainbow locks. For Pride Month, I assume?
And finally, just a close look at a single rose petal in our garden. I love the yellow tip, and the way the pink flush grows toward the edges. We have detached petals lying all over the place during rose season and I try to appreciate them as much as the whole flowers!
That single petal. To study the fascinating detail in it...
ReplyDeleteI like the way you rescue "things", and document humanity, ladybirds and pigs on your daily travails. Though some of it vaguely depressing - not that that should stop you; comes with the territory. Rose tinted spectacles will get lost, truth will out.
ReplyDeleteThe hair? Love it, though wouldn't and never have dyed my hair. What's good enough for nature to have endowed me with is good enough for me. And never assume anything (ref. Pride Parade). A work of genius, I have a lacy scarf in those colours. I am not gay, I am not proud, but was stunned by someone passing me in the street (don't ask - I am the approachable type) assuming ... Well, I never. No, I said, I just like the colours. They work particularly well in autumn when walking in the woods.
Having said that, Steve, and I am not proud(!) of myself, I do catch myself being caught in the net of my own perceptions of others. At least I am aware of this happening and, promptly, call myself to order. Doesn't take much to amuse myself.
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I LOVE that Pride hair. I’d do that if I had hair. Your photos and observations are always a joy. I foind that street art to be exceptional and creepy. Aren’t you the fortunate one to have a ladybird massager! Do you suppose the “Please don’t steal!! Thak you” will do the trick?
ReplyDeleteDon't kid us Steve! It wasn't the woman's rainbow locks you were looking at - it was her ass... or arse as we say in The British Isles.
ReplyDeleteI find the 'portrait' rather interesting, not scary at all.
ReplyDeleteI love the beetle.
The pig in the ivy is cute.
The woman's hair is amazing.
YP yes,a very nice arse!
ReplyDeleteA thought about the hair...not Pride, but Rastafari?
He kind of reminds me of Alfred E. Newman, of Mad Magazine fame.
ReplyDeleteYou have amazing streets, and finds. Does Dave wonder what you've brought home this time?
ReplyDeleteI've seen massagers like that, thought I'm not sure how effective I think one would be.
ReplyDeleteSo many great ones, but the Pig In ivy and Pride Hair are favorites!
ReplyDeleteI was able to find a bit of the story about that arresting portrait:
ReplyDeletehttps://londoncallingblog.net/2023/12/25/2023-a-year-of-street-art-graffiti-around-london/
The mural is creepy but I can be too. What I noticed about your last photo was not the rose petal so much, as the vein you have on your thumb. I always check out people's veins. Occupational hazard:)
ReplyDeleteAnd I love that pig hiding in the ivy.
Another great bunch of images. I salute you.
ReplyDeleteThe graffiti and street art in your area continue to amaze me. They let that happen? Really? I am not sure how I feel about it all.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found the cheerful little lady bug. I think she may be a massager. Try it on Dave's back.
I love the lady's hair that you shared with us. A veritable waterfall of lovely color.
I'm jealous of the pride hair. Maybe I can get a rainbow braid to clip into my hair. Is that just for the youngins though? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteI am a great Rescuer of things too. Most of the time I will Donate them to a Chazza if it's nothing we can use or want, I just can't bear to see anything of actual Value that anyone could use being tossed into a Landfill... wonton Waste bothers me in this disposable Society we've come to be. Love the Petal and the Pride Weave.
ReplyDeleteI love your pictures from your walks!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought about the 3D picture was: What a homely kid! LOL
I just don't think pigs have a waist!
I love your random shots. That rainbow hair is great! She has nice long locks to make it a true rainbow. That poor pig does look like he's drowning. Stealing rubbish bins seems like a pretty low thing to do. What a cute little ladybug you found. That portrait is well done but that red is making it look a little scary.
ReplyDeleteYour walks offer lots of views, art, messages and random unusual stuff. City life provides a bit of everything. The rose petal is beautiful with cream moving to rose color. The scent of rose is a favorite.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly live in an interesting city, always something different. On another matter, I went to Debby's blog "life's Funny Like That" and got this message:
ReplyDeleteThis blog is open to invited readers only
http://lifesfunnylikethat.blogspot.com/
It doesn't look like you have been invited to read this blog. If you think this is a mistake, you might want to contact the blog author and request an invitation.
You're signed in as jimdavis625@gmail.com - Sign in with a different account.
I want to keep reading her, and if she has taken it private I would like an invitation to join so I can continue to read her. Do you have her email so I can contact her? Thanks. Jim
Interesting photos! I agree with a prior commenter that the boy reminds me of the one from Mad Magazine.
ReplyDeleteJim Davis ... I got the very same message and not sure why! Also, yesterday I discovered she had removed the long blog regarding the woman who was believing all the lies and conspiracies by the Right!
ReplyDeleteCurious!
Sorry to use your blog, Steve! 🥺
Marcia, thank you! It may well be that she received some hateful comments to that post and decided to take it private to protect herself from trolls. Again thanks, and Steve, sorry to use your blog as well.
ReplyDeleteLove your random photos and your observations.
ReplyDeleteMarcia, I don't have your e-mail, but Jim I sent you an invite. I am Debby_hornburg@yahoo.com.
ReplyDeleteYour random photos are always fun. I think you'll enjoy the ladybug massager! The red boy reminded me a bit of Alfred E. Newman from Mad!
ReplyDeleteGZ: Sometimes it's fun to closely examine a small bit of nature. (Not that that heavily hybridized rose is exactly natural!)
ReplyDeleteUrsula: Well, I think it's perfectly natural to make inferences about each other through our perceptions. That's how our ancestors determined who was friend or foe, right? You're correct, though, that sometimes a rainbow is just a rainbow.
Mitchell: Well, I like that they took the polite approach -- but yeah, may not be that effective!
YP: I deliberately tried to use a photo that did not emphasize her anatomy, but bravo to you for going there!
Andrew: It is a good portrait, don't get me wrong -- especially now that I see who it depicts, thanks to JonBoi's comment below.
GZ (again): I don't think Rasta hair would include blue and purple (which this hair does, on the right, but it might be hard to see in my photo).
Ed: Ha! Apparently he is a real boy, as I suspected. Follow the link JonBoi posted.
Boud: Dave wonders that every time I leave the house!
Kelly: I tried it on Dave and he said it felt great. He hasn't used it on me yet. I wish I could use it on my own back but that would require feats of contortion beyond my capabilities.
Bob: I do love the pig. It looks very snug and happy.
JonBoi: THANK YOU! That link explains it all. I'd never heard of "Background Bob" so I appreciate your research! Did you reverse image-search the picture? That's probably what I should have done.
Pixie: Ha! Yes, I have very good blood vessels for medical purposes, or so I've been told!
Colette: Glad you liked 'em!
Ms Moon: I think in most cases the murals I've photographed have been painted with permission. This one's been up for months so clearly it was permitted by the property owner. Tagging is a different matter. I did try the ladybug on Dave and he approves!
Bug: Hey, you're young at heart!
Bohemian: Exactly! That's what drives me crazy too -- the waste. I just don't get people throwing away perfectly good objects and I can't stand to see it happen.
Marcia: You're probably right about pigs. LOL
Sharon: Yeah, I think the portrait is excellent. It's the color I'm not sure about.
Susan: Yes, the scent in the garden at this time of year is especially nice!
Jim Davis: Yeah, I think Debby took her blog private. I'll reach out to her and ask her to contact you with an invitation.
Margaret: Apparently this boy, "Background Bob," was disabled but he seems to have had a very positive, sunny outlook. So maybe he was rather Alfred E. Neuman-like.
Marcia & Jim: She explains all this on her blog. Again, I'll ask her to reach out to you.
Catalyst: Thank you!
Debby: Oh! You're here! Thanks for leaving your e-mail address. That simplifies things. :)
Jeanie: It's funny -- I didn't think of Alfred at all but a lot of people have made that connection!
The red face reminds me of that kid from the MAD magazine. I like the ladybug and would have brought that home myself if I had found one.
ReplyDeleteThe rose petal is pretty.
Yes, Google reverse image search. Notably, my first try using your whole photo, and my second try using only the red portrait detail, returned zilch. But screen capping the portrait plus the left-hand doorway detail yielded pay dirt. Fun!
ReplyDelete