festival season begins

Beijing opera masks

The occupant is new to the costume, and she needs help with her initial steps.

Gus the photographer waits to picture Eva the Astronaut. Under the trumpsters science is under attack, science can have good public relations.

 

 Several performances showed national traditional national dances.

 Theo the Chicken greets people at this booth.

Festivals bring people to round up customers. Some of the entertaining television commercials come from the advertising agencies pitching insurance. The commercials have little to do with the service, but they imprint name familiarity and positive memory.

'A' is for Animals

This weekend Cleveland has its Asian Festival.  It is the Year of the Dog.  Twelve years ago was the first placement of painted fiberglass statues around St. Clair and Superior.  To-day, and to-morrow they would have been installed.  I looked forward to it, and began to photograph them.  They have made their circuit complete...too bad.

Well, Old Brooklyn (or Brooklyn Center) has replicas of four cement casts of animals placed in the neighborhood.  The originals were made by the Works Progress Administration. [See click.]  Land Studio and the then local councilman, Brian Cummins, had some squirrels, bears, a frog, and walrus placed in the area.  On Fulton, near the zoo, across from one of the squirrels, there is a red plastic elephant strapped to a too small pedestal on a cement rectangle.  It is wobbly.  You can pass it by on the exit ramp of I-71 North.

This plastic elephant was made in Milan by Cracking Art Group, there was only one; but hundreds of other plastic animals were placed about town by Land Studio [see click].  They were there just for the summer of 2016, and the red elephant was a nod to the evil that convened in town for a week. I am wondering who placed the exit ramp elephant, and why.

1st Sunday in May, Rockefeller Greenhouse

Tulip bulbs are supposed to blossom from early April to mid-May, dependent on weather. This tear here, March was colder than February, and April was not much better. Three of the first  four days in May were 80 degrees plus. Most of the tulips did not stagger as species specific. They practically all popped at once, and are now past peak. No savoring, or lingering, on the many colors, and different varieties. Catch them before they blink.

 Magnolia blossom petals fall on a hedge next to double tulips.

Cleveland Rockefeller Greenhouse is under appreciated, and few people visit. Of course there are those that love flora, and people who like taking pictures.

One of the few places in North America where you can find citrus fruits, and bananas growing.

 

Kay was on break, and she was willing subject for a foto.

Magnolia petals are in the Mayan statue's head dress.

The flowers make a colorful background for First Communion pictures.

Pretend it is Lourdes.

photographs of abandoned places #17

 Daffodils

In the past, the place where a home had been could be found by daffodils. There might be little of the building remaining, but every spring the daffodil bulbs would sprout. Some years ago, people lived on Forestwood, Midvale, and nearby off of Rocky River Drive Cleveland.

Aeroplanes would fly over the treetops, hundreds per day. Since then the aeroport has been less busy, but the flight paths are the same. The houses were removed, as well as the telephone poles, and other. Some trees remained, some driveway aprons and sidewalks remained. The driveways, and buildings are gone.

Some years ago, i drove by and saw the aprons and the flowers. There were few daffodils to be found to-day [supra muscari, and tulip leaves can be seen]. I think the lawns were sprayed and killed most of the spring bulbs. Dandelions replanted themselves.

Beatitudes

The Sermon on the Mount is spread over three chapters in Matthew. It is the longest stretch of the quotations of Jesus. This is what is central in Christian ethics and morals. One part is the Beatitudes. Below are the panes in a two panel glass. Each contains a biblical episode that illustrates one of the Beatitudes. These were privately commissioned, and are in a personal residence. I spoke with the owner, and if my memory recall is sharp enough, he said the designer of the cartouche is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Parable about the Prodigal Son
And rising up he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and running to him fell upon his neck, and kissed him.Luke xv. 20.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. Matthew ix. 20.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
And I went down into the potter's house, and behold he was doing a work on the wheel.  Jeremias xviii.3.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
There cometh a woman of Samaria, to draw water. Jesus saith to her: Give me to drink. John iv.7.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Parable of the Good Samaritan
And Jesus answering, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead.  And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by.  In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by.  But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him; and seeing him, was moved with compassion.Luke x. 30-3.

Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
And she catching the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out. Genesis xxxix. 12.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.
If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee; Leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother: and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift. Matthew v. 23-4

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. 
And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his death. Acts vii. 57-60

2018 Miscellany #5

does my bear butt look big?

Old Brooklyn has several animal statues scattered around the neighborhood. This one, and a walrus, was at the Brookside Metropark. Cleveland Zoo is close by, and used to be called Brookside Zoo.

 Yesterday was Earth Day. People were cleaning up the Cultural Gardens.

Years ago, i was involved in taking down (and putting back up) this neon cross on top of St. Malachi. It needed to be regassed.

house organ

Aeolian Skinner organ console

I heard an amazingly good concert at a private residence. The house contains the third largest organ in a private home. Pierre DuPont had a larger organ in his estate. George Eastman had a smaller one. This organ is beautiful to look at, and to listen to. It is in Bratenahl Ohio, which is surrounded by Cleveland and Lake Erie. [see]

 

 some of the 7,406 pipes

The central portion of this house is the organ.

These pipes are called the crown trumpet.

2018 Miscellany #4

This statue of Bob Feller is posed to throw at the Daily Planet Building.

view from Erie Street Cemetery

The Cleveland Art Museum has a work studio at West 25th near Detroit.

top of the dome, at Park Synagogue Cleveland Heights

Easter lilies hanging out in the cry room of Our Lady of Mount Carmel West

Parma in April

on the official Polish street, Ridge Road

On the official Ukrainian street, State Road, for the Orthodox, to-day is Good Friday, Easter is still coming.

herons in Ridgewood Lake

we have had some gusty days

Easter Monday - Cleveland Style

Man parties with a Bobby Vinton picture, the Polish Prince of American pop music.

In most of the non-Mohammedan world, Easter Monday is a holiday. In Poland and some neighboring lands it is celebrated with throwing water at people, and hitting them with pussy willows. Some places the boys do this Monday, and the girls Tuesday. The girls usually have the willow branches. The Polish name of the day, comes to English as Dyngus Day. An American city-wide celebration has long standing in Buffalo. In Cleveland, it is still new, and is a vehicle for merchants.

 

Chardon Polka Band played before noon, and began with the national anthem of Poland, before a string of happy polka music. These plastic bowling pins waved through "Grab you balls, we're going bowling".

 The black horse is "Breeze", and the brown "Jafar". Beautiful and calm horsies.