I HATE LEAF BLOWERS

Autumn is called 'fall' in many places and of course that's when deciduous trees lose their leaves.  As a kid I loved to hear the 'scratch, scratch' of my grandparents taking leaves. It was work for them, but I always wanted to do it myself just to rejoice in that sound. My grandparents and I would form huge piles of leaves for me to jump into.

However, along comes efficiency, which in itself isn't a bad thing, but I absolutely HATE leafblowers (the machines, not the people!). Loud, stinky, and in short, disruptive. I think anyway the leaves have to be arranged in piles anyway. I know they're faster, but at what cost?

AS THICK AS PEA THOOP

 SYLVESTER J. PUSSYCAT, SR.,  the Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies Tweety-chasing cat, spoke with a pronounced lisp. One of his better-known expressions was 'as thick as pea thoop,' which is what today's fog is, seen from my window. I like pea soup and fog as well!

INDECISION

I was going to entitle this photo SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO? from The Clash's 1981 song with the same title, but the lyrics don't really have anything to do with the picture. "Indecision" is better. This elderly gentleman was speeding along, aided by his walking sticks, and then at the benches he just stopped. I waited a minute or two at a distance to see if he'd sit or keep walking. He did the latter and so did I.

GREEN-HAIRED BOY

 I really wanted to do this kid's portrait with his permission, but he was shy. So I sneaked a shot. I love his hair.

LOST IN HER THOUGHTS

 Her mind is elsewhere, like so many other commuters.

IT'S HIS 'CAW'

I had never seen a hooded crow until I moved to Europe, way back in the early 70s. Where I grew up in the US, we only had the black kind.

Due to a couple of negative experiences with black crows and the hooded ones, I am wary of them. They've swooped me, pecked my dog, and screech at me/us. I honestly don't know what we could have done to provoke them.

In any case, it's the crows 'caw' and he knows it'll be in his favor. My dog and I give him a wide berth.
 

BIKE BY THE SAVA RIVER

 A bike parked on the quay by the Sava River. I am currently trying to edit some photos from a recent trip, which is a bit of a learning curve to 'master' (ha) the latest edition of Photoshop  plus getting used to a new laptop.  You can see here that I have not yet removed the electric cables or at least those in front of the trees. Getting there.

PROTECTION FROM THE RAIN

 A well-fitting beret can protect our heads from the rain and the umbrella protects THEM from the rain. Seen in Lyon, France, and no, I didn't buy one.

FINALLY FALL

 Not sure exactly what kind of tree this is in the park downstairs, but it certainly screams 'fall'. Better late than never. 

BACK IN BELGRADE

 Back from Lyon where it was chilly and fall-ish. Here now it is warmer (went out today just with a light jacket, and it was too much). These leaves caught my attention. I enhanced the photo with a 'warmth' setting to fit the occasion.

BRUTALIST STYLE MEETS COLOR

 Belgrade has a fair mount of  BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE that you can read about RIGHT HERE. This style is known for its strong lines, no-frills appearance, and no paint, just concrete. I like how the building in the background is 'conplimented' by the colorful new surface on the basketball court.