A Living Magazine - Day 123 - Iwaulkee Photo Fest

NOTE: I am under a serious time constraint due to rain coming at about 1:00 pm. Therefore, this post will not involve a lot of text. It will rain for the next two days. For once, I have a tent that is supposed to be waterproof. We will see. Regardless, I need to head back to the spot shown at the very bottom of this post in the early afternoon to set up the tent (hopefully) before the deluge.

I plan to buy some supplies - enough to last two days - and live in the tent through to Sunday. It could be successful, but my instincts are telling me the probability is bending toward a cold, wet misery. I am short on funds (as usual); trying to budget $10/day is a ridiculously large amount to expect apparently. Still, I will keep writing, taking photos and doing the things that people want to see here on this blog.

Most importantly, I need enough to buy a ticket to Indianapolis for Wednesday of next week, or there will be three days of rain to withstand (meaning, no pictures, no writing, no money). I thank you for keeping me in your prayers and sending good vibes, even if you can't afford to send financial gifts. this is a rough city. I'm already well-acquainted with the area. I've been begged (of course I can't give anything) more here than in any other city. To walk by and live very near such poverty and desperation is an extra burden that I carry and see images of at night when I try to sleep.

I think that I've made this look too easy and people assume that I've got it all together. God knows I try, but every single second of these travels is a struggle. Sound like a cliche, unless you are the one living it. With all this in mind, please remember that I actually have it better than all the rest of the people I see day and night. There are folks like yourselves who love and care about me, follow these posts, and give whenever you can. That thought cheers me when the rain falls down. THANK YOU.

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I woke up at 5:30 am and immediately packed to walk back across the 27th Street Bridge into town... My back hurt a bit from sleeping at an angle. And a heel pain was working its way into my left foot, causing some discomfort in my left buttocks and hip.

Once over the bridge, I saw the first light of morning touch the sky...

Milwaukee Sunrise.

Interesting, that they keep the sewer lights on all day.

The overcast quickly burned away and a brilliant blue sky covered the city with clarity and brought out the colors...

The square at "Milwaukee Center" (the building on the left).

I love the face on the pylon.

Strange and beautiful equations.

Corner of the Milwaukee Center Building.

Rich people eating brunch and watching the strange little man in

the blue shirt and the camera, from their tower of glory.

The Hilton. From the Starbucks on the bottom floor, I write this post.

I love the blue of this building.

Cool! Reflection from the morning sun, off the blue building, onto the building beside it.

A walk through the Milwaukee Center Building...

Frank?

Escalator to the second level.

A look back.

Escalator to the third level.

Third level.

Carpets.

The building was filled with variated angles, and wonderful geometry, as was the whole layout of the downtown...

Window acid etchings by a local artist. 

This is taken as a panorama. It is actually a flat wall.

Pretty view through a dirty window on the skywalk.

The other side was clean, for a good view of the Panther Arena.

Back outside again...

Kind of flower vine?

Outside Panther Arena.

Upcoming events at the Milwaukee Theater.

Great metal work around the edges.

I'd love to see this show--talk about booking acts early!

The Milwaukee Courthouse Building.

I turned around and headed back toward the Milwaukee Center Building, and then under it...

Ha! Wait for no traffic? Always fun.

One of the best pictures I've ever taken (imo).

I walked out through the tunnel to the other side...

The architecture in this town is a photographer's dream.

There are old school buildings when ornamentation was a key ingredient. 

Statue honoring mail carriers.

Ah! Heil to the Vaterland!

This is what I meant by the great angles.

A strange optical illusion makes this building seem larger at the top.

More reflectivity.

MAN! I wanted a Milwaukee dog, but not for $4.50.

When I'm rich and famous I'll be back. [wink]

I love the river area. Reflections, stone, glass, round, square... Ahhhh.

You belong... behind glass.

The pictures above were taken during three breaks in between writing my two posts. I had to go to three different places to finish writing. One was the library, which - it figures - closed early for a special paid event...another thing missed by not having money. 

I returned over the 27th Street Bridge to survey the Mitchell Park in the daylight. And, I'm glad I did... 

I had to find a new sleep spot, one that I could safely wait out whatever rain was coming. But, I could not resist taking plenty of pictures of The Domes around the conservatory, especially in the evening light...

An adjacent stage, looks unused for years.

Evening sun reflecting of the building across the other river.

I remembered that I'd left my Mucho Mango juice at the last sleeping spot, so I returned to grab it and see what the area looked like in the fading daylight... 

I slept on that incline. And, there's my juice, patiently waiting for me.

It was back to The Domes and then off to explore the woods... 

Human sundial.

I wandered around the woods, half-sneaking down a path that ran beside the foot/bike bridge. There were quite a few places that would be acceptable. When I chose the best one I could find, I did my first tent set up--as literally, a "dry run" for the rain of the next two days. It worked BEAUTIFULLY!

The orange of the rain tarp is such that it completely disappears in the dark. That, at least, was encouraging for staying out of sight. Inside it was warm, airy and had plenty of space. compared to the old green tarp? It was a mansion...

See the burdock on my right boot?

Well, I didn't and it ended up in my sleeping bag later. 

Even in a flash, the orange is difficult to see.

In this shot only the blue of my drying shirt is seen at the left.
The tent is on the right. I cleared the path you see,
so that I wouldn't be crunching through the leaves whenever I was there.


I covered the tent with leafy branches, and surrounded the area with large sticks, so that anyone tromping through would have a VERY difficult time. I was now so confident about my sleep spot and tent that I decided to calm my rumbling stomach by walking back across the bridge (backpackless) to the McDonald's there, to my a cheeseburger. As I crossed I looked back at the area where the tent was. Dark is my friend. I am most comfortable when it is dark...

I got back to my temporary homestead, and munched down on my cheeseburger, washing it down with mango juice. I looked forward to a more restful night.