Colors

November 19colors,pots

I am thankful for colors. I do love black and white photography. It does a great job of isolating a subject matter and emphasizing the shades of light. But color really does it for me. Colors add zest to those shades of light. Color is like whip cream on top of the sundae.

I was taking photos at the Brec's Botanical Gardens on Independence Boulevard in Baton Rouge when I walked around to the back to take a look at the new library construction. These multi colored pots were stacked there neatly. I think they were what the plants for the botanical gardens came in. I thought they were pretty cool.

colors

colors

cool pastels

or vibrant

and bold

colors

rich textures

rainbow bright

muted cold

colors

intertwining

blending wonder

behold.

© rt tulley

Cars

November 18cars,austin-healey 3000

I am thankful for cars. Cars are practical in that they provide us with transportation which gives us independence and the ability to span a large number of miles in a relatively short time. At the other end of the spectrum, cars can be beautiful and provide a sense of pride for its owners. Although there are negatives about cars: a tendancy to put us in dangerous situations; the amount of gasoline required to run most of them; their preponderance to break down, and their ability to maim, injure, or kill people. In spite of these things, overall, I enjoy cars.

This is a car that I was riding behind one day this week and since I had my camera handy, I shot this photo through the front window of my car. It is an Austin-Healey 3000, a sports car made by the British Motor Company between 1955 and 1967. It was a very popular and successful automobile.

car

i had a friend

who had a vintage car

kept it covered up

and never drove it too far

or too often for that matter

he had to keep it nice

never wanted it scratched or dirtied

never wanted to pay the high price

to have it fixed

brand shiny as new

so  he had a car which was

only good to view.

© rt tulley

Rejuvenation

November 17rejuvenation,coca cola sign,baton rouge.flroida and 3rd street,coca coal umbrella

I am thankful for rejuvenation, those times when you can collect yourself, relax, and become young again at heart. Technically, rejuvenation refers to reversing the aging process. At this time, we cannot do this physically. But we can do it mentally, psychologically, and emotionally. That is why it is good to stop and take stock of things and look at the positives in our lives.

This is a photo of two different means of advertising Coca Cola in Baton Rouge. They can be found at the corner of Florida Boulevard and Third Street. From scant records of its history that I have been able to dig up, the Coca Cola sign on top of the building has been there possibly since 1946, which makes it 67 years old. It is also one of the few remaining neon Coca Cola signs still functioning in the US. It is on top of the Richoux Building, the location of the old Liggitt Drug Store. The building has been sold and will soon house a Raisin' Caines Restaurant on the ground floor and a beer garden on the second floor and roof. The umbrella with the modern Coca Cola logo is on the sidewalk outside of Schlittz & Giggles pizza restaurant.   

You are probably wondering why I used this photo with the rejuvenation theme. It is because on top of the sign you will see the slogan: Pause...Refresh, which was the slogan used by Coca Cola between 1924 and 1947. The words pause, refresh make me think of rejuvenation. A little more digging up of history of the old sign led me to discover that the sign was damaged by Hurrican Andrew in 1992 and had to be restored. It now stands as a proud reminder of Baton Rouge's historical legacy. With the renovation that is taking place here, the word rejuvenation also applies to the old Richoux building.

pause, refresh

every now and then

life gets to be hard

so we need a way to recycle

and relax our guard

pause, refresh

and we can go on

pause, refresh

bring a brand new dawn.

© rt tulley