Atlanta - Inman Park

Converted warehouse - Loft offices/studios

Old lock-up box for paddy wagon pick up!

Porches galore

CHURCH (it's a bar!)

Such a cool, walkable vibe here.

We enjoyed Irwin Street Market around the corner from our B&B -- it's 3 or 4 (or more!) little stores in one: a bakery (homemade bagels) & coffee shop; a soup & sandwich shop; an ice cream/sorbet counter. All surrounded by ingeniously arranged couches and armchairs, with accents like old cupboards and a few pieces of funky china. Decor was great - a simple and eclectic combination of burlap and chintz, Victorian and cottage-y. Delicious hot chocolate and strawberry mojito sorbet.

There's Lotta Frutta where you can buy deluxe fruit cups and fresh, in-season smoothies.

Both locales have chairs and tables outside.

I took a guided city tour with ATL-Cruzers, after trying to find a similar kind of trolley (they no longer exist) or bus tour. This little 6-seater electric car was a fun option. With the plastic sides rolled up because of the nice weather, the views were perfect. Stephen our guide, had animated, informed city history and trivia to tell us during the ride.

The tour highlighted the Inman Park neighborhood. So several of these photos were taken en route.

The open car and driver invited waves and shouted conversations throughout the tour.

At one point a man also with some kind of electric sports car pulled up alongside us and exclaimed about our similar modes of transportation. His license plate : SHOCKING.

Stephen was good-natured and accomodating when I couldn't easily find the point of departure above the Underground Atlanta station downtown.

The reservations young woman had given me an emergency number in case I had trouble and so I was able to call and get help with directions.

After ... asking a man at a bus stop; then several people on the bus chipping in to try and help (I'm afraid it was a commotion, yes - my kids would have been mortified - I did not have exact change). Then the kind and friendly Rebecca (sp) -- thank you again, Rebecca! -- helped me onto the MARTA going the right way. That is, after I "tapped my (newly acquired) Breeze card."

Comic Book Artist

Steve Rude "The Dude," famous comic book artist, listens as one of those present introduces themselves at a workshop/lecture coordinated by Mike Jones, Dean of the Art Department at Hardin-Simmons University.

Boots & Boot Pullers

Here's whatcha do: put your heel into the u-shaped groove of the puller, and then ease your foot out of the boot. You know, kind of like when you step on the back of one shoe with the other one, to help get it off. Nice, eh? "Saves your back." Who knew?

Check out all the designs and colors of the boots. Different kinds of leather, heights of the tops, shapes of the toes - I guess square is popular right now. Crosses are common icons for decoration.

Abilene's Stonehenge

Okay, it's just the remains of the braces for some kind of aqueduct-thing, but it's ended up looking like a kind of cool sculpture cutting across a section of Will Hair park. The name of the park there is not a typo, that's really the name of the park - which is a pretty nice one with baseball fields, a good-sized playground, a disc-golf course and plenty of open space.

Ag

If you're from a city you don't really think about where your meat comes from. What do you mean, where does it come from? It comes from the meat section of the store, wrapped in plastic! That's how I thought until we moved to this part of the country, where real people raise real animals, for real eating - cows, goats, pigs. This is a process. The animal is born, fed, then sold and prepared. While it's being fed and taken care of - exercised, groomed perhaps for show - people can't help but get somewhat attached to the creatures. Or at least have some experiences with them.

Ornery is really the word for goats. I think it's possible that particular word might've been invented at the same time as goats were. They practically own the concept (see the personification I'm beginning). They butt, they try to chew or eat everything, they bash into things. They each have a kind of personality.

Now, if you're thinking at all that I'm getting around to advocating vegetarianism, I'm actually not. But it's all interesting and made me think more recently, about how the Native Americans had some kind of ceremony after each animal was killed for food. They would pause and be thankful for each part, for the sustenance, for the successful hunt. Expressing gratitude for the gift. So I guess I am advocating, or at least thinking about less consumption and more appreciation.

Medical Murals

Who does this?! I don't mean who paints murals, I mean who thinks of commissioning murals for stairwells in a medical building on an Air Force base? I know who actually, and hope to sometime get a photo and interview with him on here. The man who made this and much more happen was the Facilities Manager for the building for a number of years. He slowly transformed the place over his tenure there. Every floor, every waiting area and the grounds are all strangely and wonderfully transformed from blank and clinical to warm and beautiful. Out of place for a military base where everything is usually bland and non-descript. He added plants inside and out, art on every wall. Everything is freshly painted, renovated, clean and repaired. He did this within federally-approved budget standards. Yes, people these success stories are possible! I love to hear about them occasionally, to counteract the all too-prevalent apathy and excuses. I'm sure there were some problems and challenges accomplishing the final result. It took a lot of patience and hard work over time. Now employees and customers (patients) are encouraged and comforted by their surroundings. In the main entry, there is even a waterfall feature. The wall behind it is painted to look like a garden in Tuscany. Scattered outside on all sides of the four-story, long building are benches and sculptures. Usually on a military base one can't tell the difference between buildings. They look exactly the same, inside and out. It could be a bowling alley or the command headquarters you're looking at, hard to tell. Every one surrounded by a flat expanse of ground. This one breaks that mold.

Royce Brooks Garage

AKA "Bobby's" - which is how one woman I met writes it on her to-do list when she needs to get her car fixed. I actually look forward to having our cars worked on because it means I get to go and bring my work and wait in the waiting area at this garage. First of all, I like it because it's cleaner than my own house. You can practically eat off the floor. Yes, I repeat, it's an automotive repair place. Next, there's no T.V. wedged in front of clientele to shut them up. No squawk-box blaring in front of the small number of chairs, forcing you to listen to murder & mayhem. Just a steady stream of customers come in and out, often chatting about one another's lives. Good work is being done all around you. I find something both relaxing and inspiring about the racks of tools and the lifts moving up and down, and things being fixed. The whole place is clean and Bobby is really good with people. And cars. It's a well-run place.