Stop

Here's a little sign at Sam & Zoe's Coffeeshop in Berry Hill to emphasize the one-way drive. What I have discovered about posting daily photos from Nashville is that, for the most part, because of the way that my daily life unfolds in the particular set up of this city, I must spend considerable time planning, driving, parking and hunting to capture a worthwhile subject in an acceptable manner. The light in this region is another matter (challenge) and I find that I want to photograph outside at times when I need to be working in my studio or on other things. My other commitments are suffering as a result of the Daily Photo involvement and I have not even had time to explore all of the other wonderful photographers out there. You're all doing such excellent work and I truly enjoy visiting your sites. Maybe now I'll have more time to do so! From here on in, I'm going to park myself in the city section and see if I can keep up with that. For those of you who may not have noticed, in deference to Music City, all of the titles of my posts are song titles.

For All The Cows

Not in Metro Nashville proper but driving home from Belle Meade along Tyne Boulevard on the edge of Forest Hills we have a grazing spot. Sometimes there are horses, too. On this rainy day, just a lot of wet cows.

Alley Cat

One nice thing about many Metro neighborhoods in Nashville are the alleys that run between the backs of properties. I passed this alley on a constitutional through the Belmont district this morning.

Blue

A Great Blue Heron considering the change of weather at Radnor Lake.

Sunday Morning

Although I took many, many photos of the changing leaves around Radnor Lake this morning, there was no sunlight and the images are very, very subdued. At one point, I found myself between two other photographers and we all had the same, exact camera! This image is from the car travelling away from the lake on Otter Creek Road.

I Crisantemi

It's the season of the Aster family and here's a nice carpet full of Chrysanthemum's at the Flower Mart. Sunflowers, Zinnias, Marigolds have been at the height of their glory. I'm hoping they'll last long into November but we'll have to see what the weather brings.

Slippery When Wet

Weather report: Today Showers likely and a chance of thunderstorms in the morning...then rain and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Check it out

The sun peeked out for only a moment here and there yesterday and the only time I had my camera in hand was at the Green Hills Public Library where the landscaping is thoughtful, subtle and effective. Here's a patch of ornamental grass, River Birch, laurel and Nandia by the front entrance.

I've Seen That Movie Too

The Belcourt Theater , the best art and alternatvie film house in town (the only?) is located on a side street off 21st in the heart of Hillsboro Village just a few steps away from Fido. This weekend, they're featuring one of my favorite films of all time, Days of Heaven with cinematography that demands a large screen. The Belcourt also features fine concerts in a relatively intimate setting.

Gimme A Smile

It's getting to be that time of year! I picked a nice plump pumpkin from this patch on Hillsboro Road in Green Hills for my front porch. It shows off the new paint job on my house. Too soon to carve but Halloween is just two weeks away.

A Place the the Sun

Although I went after the changing colors at Radnor Lake this morning, a much more amazing sight after a few nights of near freezing temperature were these fourteen turtles catching some rays together. Other logs, other turtles, but not quite so many.

Shock the Monkey

Inside The Frothy Monkey. Another fine, independent coffee shop on 12th Avenue South — a more recently renovated and hip neighborhood on the West Side.

Hello

Farther south on Music Row we find Bobby's Idle Hour Tavern. A famous site within the music city limits. Click on the establishment name for a good blog look inside.

The Big Brass Ring

At the top of Music Row, in the middle of a traffic roundabout, sits this large statue called Musica When it was installed a few years ago, many Nashvillians were extremely upset by the nude forms and created a great controversy, calling for censorship. The statue aptly symbolizes the emphasis in the Nashville music business on the importance of reaching Number One on the song charts — catching the brass ring.

Les Feuilles Mortes

My slighty belated autumn leaf report from Radnor Lake. Rain, rain, rain today and tomorrow plus a cold front coming in promises more dramatic change for next Sunday's report.

Back On The Street

Frankly, all the insides on Broadway at night look more or less the same. Men with guitars on stage with their backs to store front windows playing for drinkers and dancers in dark barrooms. So we'll take one more look outside at what's parked in front of the main drag.

The Wettest Shoulder in Town

Inside the legendary Tootsie's Orchid Lounge packed side to side and front to back with bodies hoisting some drink or other. It was all I could do to squeeze in, find a spot to hold my camera above the heads and shoot something relatively acceptable.

The Heart of Saturday Night

I can't seem to upload my Radnor Lake autumn leaf report photo so I'll save that for later. Here we are in the middle of the downtown tourist district, on Broadway. We'll take a little look around inside over the next few days.

Refugee

This week, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) set up a refugee camp in Centennial Park. Physicians and other medical personnel who have personally served in varieties of refugee situations around the world each take a group of 20 visitors on a 45 minute tour of the camp as if the visitors were refugees themselves. Each exhibit demonstrates how the basic needs of the refugees are met. Where will I live? Find water? Go to the bathroom? Find food? What if I am malnourished or sick? And so forth. For your very own tour, go to doctorswithoutborders.org and double click on the Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City photo. There is a large, varied and growing population refugees living in Nashville.

Coffee House Blues

One of the regulars at Bongo. But enough of the coffee house tour for now. I'll save room for more great coffee houses later on.

Cigarettes and Coffee

A favorite morning haunt of many writers and musicians, Bongo Java sits across from Belmont University campus. Bongo roasts its own beans, features an upstairs after hours theater, and may be best known for the Nun Bun.

40 Cups of Coffee

Inside the first coffee house on our tour we find, by the back door, the Fido Hydrant! An important stop after too many cups.

Black Coffee

Because I am on my third day without coffee, I thought I'd give a little tour of coffee shops this week on the west side of town. I want to test my mettle as much as anything, but these are central locations for meeting and greeting and getting the daily fix. We'll be heavy on the dogs and begin with Fido on 21st in Hillsborough Village at the bottom of the Vanderbilt Campus. Fido preserved the original sign for the previous, lomg-time occupant.

Downtown

A quick glance up from the bottom of Broadway in the heart of Downtown Nashville.

Changes

As I could not find any taxis worth joining the monthly Daily Photo theme (they are relatively rare in this city), I've decided to make a weekly show of the changing leaves at Radnor Lake. Each Sunday, I'll update you on the color. Compare with last Sunday's photo.

Greece is the way we are feeling

No, you did not click on AthensDailyPhoto by mistake! Here we are at the Parthenon in Nashville. The weekend's crafts fair in Centennial Park turned out to be not very photogenic. The Parthenon, on the other hand....

Through the rain

Behind the Cheek Mansion, over the soggy hydrangea blossoms, looking south east over Percy Warner Park.

Down By the River

Downtown on the Cumberland River, a peek at the Gateway Bridge that connects East and West Nashville.

Do wa diddy diddy, dum diddy do

Well, there she was just a walkin' down the street on her way to Broadway, downtown at dusk. I could not resist. After our pose and shoot session, her adult asked, "Did your Mother teach you to do that?!"

A Certain Shade of Green

Benton Chapel is part of the Divintiy School at Vanderbilt University. William McDonough spoke at the chapel this evening on "Building Toward a Sustainable Future".

Freight Train

Night train to Nashville. Four blocks up from my house is the major train junction for Nashville. All night, I can hear the horns blowing, the cars hitching and unhitching, and the rumble of the wheels on the tracks. Fine by me. I grew up along the Main Line, outside of Philadelphia, always within earshot of the Paoli Local.

Lake Walk

Radnor Lake under a blanket of duckweed on Sunday morning. The leaves are on the brink of change.

Is it rolling, Bob?

Nashville Skyline

Now Open For Breakfast

A little local color on an overcast day.

Garden Portrait

For the Fall term, I am teaching a weekly basic drawing class at Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art — a real Nashville treasure. This glorious morning, we worked outside in the Shomu-en (Japanese Garden) where I snapped a portrait of this little statue with my brand new camera. It will take a while for me to become familiar with all the settings and potential, so I'll post the best shot of the day for now. Thanks for the warm welcome! It was a delight to wake up to your comments!

My Own Back Yard Part 2

The previous photo is how I found my place when I first arrived, one year ago. Here is what my back yard looks like today. Nashville, at large, is undergoing similar changes. I'll be seeking out shots of the old of Nashville amidst the (sometimes) shock of the new.

My Own Back Yard

Where to begin my Nashville Daily Photo blog? How about in my own back yard. One of the beauties of Nashville is it's residential quality. Here, in this seemingly rural setting, I found a spot to call my own where I am ten minutes from almost everything in Metro Nashville. From here, I'll explore and share glimpses of what I find of note on my excursions. Stay tuned!