What's an Adventure Without Friends?

They were in some of the previous South Side Slopes pictures, but this post is more specifically about my travelling companions in this journey, Vijay and Rachel. Vijay introduced me to the spot on the South Side Slopes, then we just drove randomly up narrow winding hills where you even have to go up steps to get to the sidewalks and there are tunnels through houses to get to the backyard. Here's one of the two of them:



Good thing they were there too, they picked me up when I fell down:


And they humoured my love of trees:

Here are two pictures that Rachel took-- I think she has a good eye for photo composition, don't you?:





Where does this road go?


Onto other places to explore:

South Side Slopes Photos 2

South Side Slopes Photos 1

There are still too many photos to post from my adventure in the South Side Slopes, but here are a few more. From a quick google search, I'm pretty sure this was at the South Side Park. The Getting Outdoors Website says it's:

reached from Quarry Street (18th Street to St. Patrick to Quarry). The park features 65 acres of ballfields, walking trails, a playground, and a former ice arena. South Side Local Development Company and South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association recently convened a task force to plan park improvements.

Highland Park is Cool (cause they have SnoCones!)

I found some interesting (and some not so interesting obviously created by seventh graders) grafitti around the resovoir at Highland Park. Nancy said I should make postcards from the pics. Here are two of my favorite.

After the picnic and another lap around the resovoir I spotted an old fashioned SnoCone vendor. I had the dollar size cone. I was so thrilled at the possibilities of combining flavors. The man said I could have as many as I wanted, but that he didn't guarantee that would taste good. I got all the flavors EXCEPT banana, grape, and cotton candy. I mentioned to them about the sweetened condensed milk they put on top of the snocones in Trinidad. He said they have some marshmallow cream sauce they like to put on. It was awesome. And didn't cost a penny extra. Oh, sweet gooey goodness. He said if he didn't make another sale he'd still be happy because I (in my ebullience) had made his day.
Here is the ARTIST who created this MASTERPIECE, along with a comparison of the Highland Park cone and the San Juan Hill, Trinidad cone.

The multi-flavored-marshmallow-cream-topped-Highland Park cone

^^Trini cone *a mixture of only TWO flavors* with sweetened condensed milk ^^

The Never Ending Weekend of Service Extravaganza (but it wasn't all work and no fun!)

Rachel and Sarah before the GED Graduation Ceremony

It has been a long weekend. I am almost astounded that I made it to this Sunday night. Friday I had the GPLC GED Graduation Ceremony to attend and take pictures at (in addition to two appts, and Moshe's art opening at Beleza), Saturday I did the Story Walk at Frick Park then the Jazz/Poetry Concert by City of Asylum in the North Side--was at Frick from 7:30 am until 1:30, was setting up for the concert at 2:30pm, there til after 9:30, then today was the GPLC Run/Walk for Literacy followed by the GPLC Anniversary Picnic with a special performance by Machete. I had my trusty camera with me all weekend (much to everyone's chagrin). I'm posting some of the better pictures here now, and there are more up at my flickr site.

Vijay and Rachel have an animated discussion

Moshe and Ron guard Sampsonia Avenue on the North Side

Nancy's third eye

Machete performs

A Tree as Lovely as a Poem

This past weekend, my Grandfather moved into his new house. The first thing I noticed about the new house was the tree in the front yard. "That looks like a climbing tree," I thought to myself. "Can I climb your tree?" I asked my grandfather. "As long as you don't break any limbs" (mine or the trees?). My Dad assisted and documented the adventure. I tried another tree in the backyard, but the bark was rougher and I was in shorts, and after I started bleeding, I decided to discontinue the attempt for the time being. Next time, pants, and...the tree!

Dad ("i've been climbing trees since before you were born") couldn't resist taking a turn!