The Brick Sidewalk

        Monday, July 9,2007 -Last evening after a long day of rain, the sun came out about an hour before sunset. I immediately took advantage of the situation and headed out the door on a long walk, that took me to the video store, where I returned some DVD movies, and then continued my ramble onwards to the Maine state pier and the adjacent waterfront. From where I live, all the way to the downtown area, the streets are edged with brick sidewalks, such as you can see in the picture above. Only when one approaches the waterfront, does one encounter the concrete walkways, that dominate most cities in the US.
       It was near the downtown center, that I found the bank building reflected in a pool of water, that had collected on the bricks. The contrast in colors and the conflicting angles of the bricks with the high-rise building, combine to bring this picture together. It is also a tribute to the city, who is willing to make the sacrifice to maintain the vast maze of bricks, that cover a substantial part of the city. The winter snow pack does a number on the brick pathways, yet every spring crews will be out as soon as the snow melts away, to replace or repair any section of walkway, that might require such work.
       The miles, that I have walked along these corridors of baked clay, adds up over the many years, that I have lived in this beautiful city by the bay. Only last night did I fine or attempt a picture, that in some way displays, one of the unique attributes of the place where I dwell. My feet are also grateful for the more gentle steps of passage, as I frequently forgo the comfort of motorized transport and partake in the age old way of bipedal locomotion.
       Today it rained again, and I walked the 20 minute route downtown to the camera store,where I dropped off some old negatives, that I had just found and long thought missing, and then visited the library. I felt pretty good, because I had finally found a buyer for my car, which I am reluctantly selling, so that I may continue my artistic pursuits, without resorting to a full time job. Still, if I do not much artwork, a part-time summer job may be in the very near future.