Can't Go Wrong With A Sunset

Love sunsets--I do enjoy sunrises too, but they are the province of those who are truly awake in the early morning. I leave them to the early risers.

The Country Club Plaza

Leading off: Iconic Plaza Spanish tower--home to the Cheesecake Factory among others.

Blooming trees in front of the Balcony Building. The building, on 47th and Broadway, and the apartment complex behind it, apparently will remain as the law firm decides to build elsewhere.

Small fountain with funny faces. Blue, blue sky and buildings frame the shot rather nicely.

JC Nichols fountain with Seville tower in the background. Typical diverse crowd: homeless guy, touristy types, walker.

Outside seating area at street level, taken from above.

Snow on My Spring

For about a week it's been quite chilly here in Kansas City. On Sunday, it culminated in this...

Yup, those are the same branches as in the previous post. Just some snow added. Thankfully the blooms are still on the forsythia. The local daffodil population survived also.

Spring Potential

Forsythia buds featured just a glimpse of yellow in this photo...

By Monday, they were almost fully opened. The bushes looked bare just days ago, then the colorful buds, and now flowers.

Spring may just be springing.

Neon Lights

Awesome downtown parking sign features neon!

Cosentino's at Dusk

Downtown's grocery store looks very different from anything out here in the burbhood and looks especially cool in fading daylight.

Who can resist neon lights? Not me!

Bartle Baubles

When you are driving, you often see scenic shots you'd like to get but you can't because, well, you're driving. Today, I was on a bus going downtown. So I was able to shoot this photo with the Blackberry of the Bartle sculptures--the Bartle Baubles are what I call them.

Many call them the hair curlers.

I love the sky in the picture. I tried cropping some of it out, but I didn't like the photo as well. This is an uncropped shot.

Locomotive Power

This was one of four diesel locomotives pulling a freight train through the Red Bridge Road crossing this afternoon. I was there shooting photos documenting the progress of the new bridge but couldn't resist the chance to try again for the "ultimate train picture."

Christmas House

This house reliably decorates for every holiday, including Easter and Halloween. But it's Christmas when this home owner really lets loose.

There's so much to this yard--some of my shots didn't turn out very well--so this is just a taste of what's going on here. If you know the neighborhoods of south Kansas City, likely you could find this house.

I do appreciate that among the gifts and Santas and penguins and trees and lights, there's this little nativity scene, tucked away in a quiet spot, kind of like that first Nativity.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Sunset, November 28th

I hope you got a chance to see the sunset Sunday night. It was beautiful! It also had staying power...

From the Martin City area of south Kansas City, MO...

...to the UM Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS. Most sunsets don't stay good that long!

Photos with the trusty BlackBerry. Some cropping and color, contrast and exposure enhancement done with Windows Photo Gallery, just to make them even better. I could have published them unchanged and they still would have been pretty good!

Need To Visit This Site...

At one time, I lived in a neighborhood full of these wonderful stately three story homes. I lived in the one with the "A" on it in this Google Street View shot, on the third floor. I included the neighbor's house to one side, because it has that wonderful turret thing. The other neighbor's house had a large porch with columns--big round columns. Out the back was a great view of the nearby lake.

Hyperblogal has photos of wonderful Kansas City homes dressed up for the holidays, including houses like these. Please check them out as they are wonderful...

http://hyperblogal.blogspot.com/2010/11/pendleton-heights-holiday-homes-tour.html

A Couple of Weeks of Cell Phone Photos

Train at the crossing. I keep trying for the perfect train photo!

The neighbor's surprise lilies--so called because they just spring up and bloom. They have no associated greenery with them. It's been a good year for surprise lilies--they've been popping up all over!

Dozing BoyCat--so good to have him back healthy again.

No more ugly detour signs! Interchange to I-435 West is open again! (Yeah, poor quality photo, as I used the zoom function, but I am so glad to get this interchange back, I just want to celebrate!)

This display of, ahem, condoms caught my eye the other day with this juxtaposition of labels

1963 Chrysler 300J convertible exterior...

...and interior. I must say, this is one of the best interior shots I've ever gotten!

I had the chance to play with the kittens at the Ward Parkway PetsMart as a volunteer with Tara Animal Rescue was doing some cleaning. These are just a few of the cute photos I was able to take.

Note the little orange Photobomber!

Roses

Roses on display at the local Hy-Vee.

Cell Phone Downloads July 15-July 22

Pictures that I downloaded off my cell phone this past week. A particularly eclectic bunch...

Polydactyl kitty at Wayside Waifs.

Worship Leaders Conference check in day.

Church--view of the north entrance of the west building.

Israel and New Breed in concert on the last evening of the conference.

Sunrise. Rare shot, since morning is not my thing.

Daisy patch blooming.

Butterfly

Just as I was leaving the house today, this butterfly flitted by. I was able to catch a photo of him with my BB.

Phlox

One of my favorite perennials, phlox are good bloomers, and have a wonderful fragrance. I'm glad I snapped photos of them, since the hail storm we had this past Sunday pretty much did them in.

The photo really does need "smell-o-vision" though...

Monday Sunset

The next day, Monday, again blessed us with an amazing sunset, this one more orange than pink. (Photos taken 6/28/10)