Frozen Pipes - Missoula, Montana

Three days running we woke to a skiff of snow in the valley, with active snowfall continuing this morning! 

I'm trying to recall what early March was like, wondering if the we held true to the maxim "in like a lion, out like a lamb", since it's been rather lion-ish this past week.

(But, thankfully, today's photo was taken a couple months back - & rather fittingly in the alley behind my fave ice cream scooper, Sweet Peaks, which, by the way, ships their handcrafted deliciousness out into the wider world.)

Green Door, Circle Square - Missoula, Montana

In the lore of various cultures, 
doorways are significant, as well as their colours.

When I was a kid, the Polka Dot Door was an important part of my Canadian cultural experience
(along with the Friendly Giant, Mr. Dressup, LambChop, & BatFink!).

Today's portal fixation is a Missoula green door at Circle Square Second Hand's side entrance, mainly because it stands out so brightly against the aged alley brick.
(And what about that retro lantern?!)

Staircase And Storytelling - Missoula, Montana

"As we get older, we demand stories that go somewhere. ...Storytelling isn’t an Escher staircase."

 - Dave Morris, from an essay published 4/18/2015 here at  The Bookseller 

Leand(e)r - Downtown Missoula, Montana

"...Vail'd to the ground, veiling her eyelids close; 

And modestly they opened as she rose. 
Thence flew Love's arrow with the golden head; 

And thus Leander was enamoured. 
Stone-still he stood, and evermore he gazed, 

Till with the fire that from his count'nance blazed 

Relenting Hero's gentle heart was strook: 
Such force and virtue hath an amorous look. ..." 

- from Hero And Leander by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)

Writing On The Wall - Downtown Alley, Missoula, Montana

"I take literally the statement in the Gospel of John that God loves the world. I believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, insofar as it is redeemable, it can be redeemed only by love. I believe that divine love, incarnate and indwelling in the world, summons the world always toward wholeness, which ultimately is reconciliation and atonement with God."

- Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays

Bolt And Bricks - Polson, Montana

"If I could only remember that the days were, not bricks to be laid row on row, to be built into a solid house, where one might dwell in safety and peace, but only food for the fires of the heart."

- Edmund Wilson (1895-1972)

Reserved Parking - Missoula, Montana

"You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen, it said 'Parking Fine.' So that was nice." - Tim Vine

Short-sighted Prognosis - Missoula, Montana

Ahh, the perceived wisdom strewn amongst rooftops and back alleys! And then there are those glass-half-full brand of folk who insist the future's so bright, as they put on their shades in faith. 
Me, I just find that daily thankfulness for small niceties- say, adequate food and shelter and clothing - puts a whole new spin on things. (Repeat as needed.)

Brick and Branch, Missoula, Montana

Recent settings have had me taking photos of things above my head- odd wall outlets, fantastic moss, tree branch patterns. Since I routinely take 10-20+ shots of a subject, full reach extension has been a regular workout, kind of like holding the plank position for core strength. Good thing serendipitous subject matter was interspersed with a fair bit of walking or I might have ended up with Popeye arms! "Ah-guh-guguguh!" (which is supposed to be Popeye's distinctive laugh, not me desperately requesting a Heimlich manoeuvre.)

Privacy Wall, Hamilton, Montana

I have a slightly unusual preference for walking down back alleys to get where I need to go, albeit when in a safe small town. Alleys show more of life's serviceable side, and occasionally reveal delightfully chatty people in their back garden. This functional "Private Parking" signage, with the mellow bricks & contrasting angles of pipe and shadow, was featured in my journey from the Bitterroot Brewfest to the Public Library in downtown Hamilton, Montana.

Brick Wall, Missoula, Montana

Ummmm... just realized today is Mother's Day in the United States & Canada, and some might wonder, "What's with the bricks on Mother's Day?". Well, maybe the song "Brick House" was running through my head? But maybe I'm reaching....