hydrant 

Swede Hallow Cafe

I spend a lot of time on the internet but as a Realtor, writer photographer and occasional software quality assurance tester of apps and web sites most of my work is on the internet.   

Pinterest is kind of 2010 but it did not really gain traction until last year.  I was able to mostly ignore it until a couple of months ago.  Pinterest is about curations or collections or maybe a form of digital hoarding.

 There are pin boards and users can pin, which is mostly about linking to  photographs.  There is a bookmark available for most browsers.  Click on the bookmark and pin a picture.  Pictures can also be uploaded onto the site but that isn't really what curation is about and we have Flickr for that.  Pinterest boards can be collaborative so that more than one user can contribute.  

I have several pin boards including one dedicated to porches.  I have one that isn't shown here that I call "Red" it is pictures with red in them.

One of the reasons I am writing about this is that I think it would be a great place to collect decorating or remodeling  for a home or it might be useful for house hunting.  A collection of pictures of house styles and rooms that you like and can share with your Realtor so she has a better idea of what you like. 

Looking at your own pin board may surprise you.  My photography board has a lot of photographs of trees on it. I must like to photograph trees.  I never really thought about it.  Pinterest is social and as I follow friends and look at their collections I see a new side of them.  

Pinterest is still invitation only but it isn't hard to find someone you know like even me who will send you an invite.  

The holiday flower show at Marjory McNeely Conservatory is always a treat.  I stopped by last week.  There is an artists event tomorrow, 12/11/2011 from 8:00 to 10:00 AM.  The artists events are held every couple of months and it is the only time that easels and tripods are allowed in the conservatory.  Cameras are allowed inside anytime but professionals that are photographing others need a permit. . . and there are some other rules. 

Como Conservatory

[click on picture to enlarge]

Alexander Ramsey House

Alexander Ramsey House

 On Monday we went to the MPR's  Fitzgerald Theater to hear Larry Millet and Garrison Keillor talk about Millet's new book Once There Were Castles.   Like his Lost Twin Cities book Millet writes about what was.   

There were homes in the Twin Cities that had 20 to 30 thousand square feet of living space.  Most of them are gone now.  The Alexander Ramsey house isn't as grand as the missing mansions in Millet's books but it is still here and open to the public. 

Can you even imagine how much it would cost to heat a 20K house during a Minnesota Winter?  

 I try to take pictures of light rail construction on a regular basis.  Here are some photographs of completed light rail in downtown Minneapolis.  It will be well worth the road construction and the mess.  Have you ever ridden the light rail?  Easy to do and not very expensive.  A single ticket is good for two hours which makes it possible to go to and from a destination on one ticket.  The trains are fast and clean and there are bike racks on board and at the stations. 

LRT Station Minneapolis

LRT Station Minneapolis

window washers 

Window washers in downtown Minneapolis.  It was windy that day too.  I hope they are well paid.  

It is Friday and Fridays are for fun.  We all have choices on how to spend our time this weekend.  

Fall Color

got paint?

Choose wisely.