Doggedly exploring

Elaine, Doug, and Ian left on Friday for Long Island, and are gone through New Years Eve, so I am here in charge of the dogs. I have been trying to provide them with long and enjoyable walks; 45 minutes of feeling wild again. Of course, this has the potential to be tedious because there are two of them, and I find it best to take them separately.

To make it enjoyable for both man and beast, I have been selecting our routes to cover as much new ground as possible. Because the area is so diverse, it's been really interesting to explore the neighborhoods. Within a mile radius of our abode, there are huge houses, tiny houses, projects, signs in english, signs in spanish, signs in graffiti, public schools, montessori magnet schools, black people, white people, litter from fast food, and litter from organic food. It provides residential areas with an interesting skyline to have such a mixture. I almost feel as though I could buy an empty lot and build a cob cottage without it being too out of place.

In any case, one of my favorite finds was the gem below, tucked cozily behind a street of mundane brick projects. I love the shapes and colors: the cut-out profile of the porch with chamfered corners; the orange frames of the first-floor windows balancing the orange door - so often you see a bright door all alone and it's with good intention, but poor result because it's got no other elements to vibe with; the stained wood sheathing; the shape of the second story windows; the gently chopped-off ridgeline.


The Prius is just icing on the cake.