This week, Ann-Christine asks us to focus on stripes and checks in our images. As it happens, I found a single image in my archive that features both. This diner is located in Smithfield Virginia. The red stripes on the awning over the counter and the booth seatbacks appear above a black and white checkerboard floor. I’m sorry everyone, but this image alone wins the challenge. >grin<
My hubris set aside, you can view her challenge post here. Mother nature sometimes works in patterns. Stripes are fairly common in rock strata, mostly horizontal, but occasionally vertical as in the image below.
The sandstone monolith above displays a beautiful natural sculpted surface of vertical stripes. The terrain around the city of Page provides many examples of striped sandstone as it is so easily eroded by water.
If you have the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital, walk up the steps of the Supreme Court building and marvel at the sixteen vertical columns supporting the pediment over the main entrance. Then turn away from the front to view the U.S. Capitol. For the purposes of this challenge, there are vertical stripes in the near columns, and the columns on the Capitol building give the seat of our democracy a distinctively striped appearance.
Walk a few blocks north of the Supreme Court Building and you will find yourself at an intersection with a stripped crosswalk that will lead you to Union Station, the iconic and beautiful rail transportation hub for both the Metro subway system and Amtrak.
Near the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore is a unique structure called the Scarlet Place Condominium. The unique design of the building features a checkerboard window appearance in combination with a tiered design topped with terraces and pediments that make for a truly unusual appearance. I highly suspect these residences are priced out of range for this retiree on a pension. >grin<
Near downtown Nashville, Tennessee, a tall skyscraper is getting its many windows cleaned. So it’s not strictly a checkerboard window pattern, it does feature both vertical and horizontal stripes that are the essence of a checked pattern.
What I find most interesting about the image is that the cloud patterns reflected in the glass near the top of the building are similar to the cloud patterns in the background of the photo making it appear that the building is almost transparent.
My last image is just for fun. The brick stripes in multiple shades put my feet in a unique location. I am standing in the center of the International Peace Garden near Dunseith, North Dakota. My left foot is standing in the United States, my right foot is in Canada. At this moment, I am a man in two countries at the same time.
Thanks again to the team who works hard providing these weekly photo challenges, and thanks to Ann-Christine for this week’s project!
John Steiner
Flare Legend Adventures
I liked the diner image!
Thanks. It was fun to drain all the color but red out of the image. 🙂
That last image, no striped pants, eh!? 😊
If I’d have only known I would be using it for this challenge. 🙂
Well done as always John – loved your opener of course…..a prize winner indeed! Also loved your comments about the transparent building and finally the country straddling. How fortunate that the pavement was perfectly patterned for the challenge 😊. Great job this week!
Thanks! Whenever I look at that image of the glass reflections, I am amazed how the cloud patterns seem to join at the edges. 🙂
A good friend’s mom used to live at Scarlet Place. Not enough money in the world to get me to live in that city.
Interesting! Being a tourist at the Inner Harbor, only there for a business meeting, I have a myopic view of the city. I have talked to several others who share your opinion.
Sorry to be crass, but Baltimore is basically a cesspool.
More than one prizewinner…Well done as usual, John! Love the diner and the Scarlet Place Condominium especially – and glad you are mostly residing in one country only…
Thanks! We are glad to be a resident in only one country… however, we are sorely missing the ability to visit other countries. We had big plans for 2020… we’ve moved those plans to 2022. I hope they stay on track. 🙂
About the same for us. 2021 is lost as well.
We are hopeful and have plans for January 2022. We shall see if they come to fruition.
We can only hope.
Wow. Great examples John. Love the framing of the Capital Building between the columns. Excellent work accenting the red in the old diner. Definitely retro.
Thank you, my friend!
Do you mean to tell me that that diner exists?! I have said so often how much I miss an old diner – always the best food!
It does indeed. It’s located in Smithfield Virginia. I don’t know how they are doing in the wake of the pandemic, but as of about three years ago when that photo was taken, they were serving up the best hamburgers!
Ah, that renews my faith – Thanks!!
Good pics. Especially like the diner.
Thanks!
Welcome!
clever photo with your feet 🦶 divided in canada and US
and thanks for the note about the building – it does look translucent and i would have missed that
Thanks! I am just glad I don’t have the job of washing the windows. 🙂
oh i know
Great choices, John! The nature texture is a cool image. I really like the Supreme Court Building capture!
Thank you! I had a shot between both rows of eight columns on the pediment, but decided to forward cus on the Capitol building. I am afraid, my next view from there will be partially hidden by barricades. Sad.
A great collection, John. I especially love your use of a selective color to highlight the design in your first shot. And the last one was simply fun!
Thanks!! Fun challenge!
Diner is my favorite, Scarlet Place in Baltimore. Had some most excellent times in Baltimore Inner Harbor. Great entries for the challenge John. Thank you. All my best to you. Stay safe.
Thank you for the follow, and for taking the time to comment!