Monday Mural: courtyard paste-up

There are several pieces of art in the beer garden courtyard of Telegraph, an Uptown joint that serves artisanal sausages.  This wheat paste image is done by Colla.  A new piece was going up on another wall and the artists were totally copasetic about my taking pictures.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.

Monday Mural: Taquería Vallarta

Walking around the Fruitvale District today, I spied several murals.  This one seems to match the recent warm weather we've had.  Can you feel the ocean breeze and taste the margaritas?

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.

Temescal Creek

Temescal Creek runs down from the hills and eventually flows into Lake Temescal, featured here.  This spot is in the Thornhill Drive neighborhood mentioned in this week's Monday Mural.  Most of the homes along the creek look like they were built in the 20s and 30s.  Hard to believe that this house is only two blocks from a major freeway.

Monday Mural: Thornhill Pet Hospital

Thornhill Drive follows a canyon carved by a creek running down from the hills.  It is characterized by steep, wooded, narrow streets.  Just east of the Warren Freeway, Thornhill has a small cluster of businesses and a church.  On the wall of the local pet hospital is a mural done in 1997 by Stefen.  It is still bright, cheerful and fun to look at.  Don't forget to notice the parrot above the left door.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find

Weekend Reflections: Lake Chalet

The Lake Chalet, a relatively new restaurant, sits in a beautiful spot on the shore of Lake Merritt.  On a morning walk around the lake, we popped into the bar just to have a look.  The silver balls immediately caught my eye et voilà.  Then I noticed all the other reflections at the bar!  I hear it's a lively spot during happy hour.  It would be a pleasure to sit on their dock at sunset as the Necklace of Lights begins to shine.

Skywatch Friday: roof lines

The gray sky before the storm.  Thunder and lightening tonight after an intermittent cloudy day.  These  roof lines illustrate the architectural diversity of downtown.  And a ghost sign is thrown in for free.  For more sky shots, visit Skywatch Friday.

Taphophile Tragics: shh!

Walking around Mt. View the other day, I spotted this grave marker.  I was attracted by the hearts and musical notes which I haven't seen anywhere else.  Then I noticed Eleanor's heart.  She must have made it very clear that she did NOT want her birth year made public.  The way it was handled is like a wink and a laugh from the grave.  I bet she was a lot of fun at a party.  I found no information on either her or her husband.  For more cemetery wanderings, visit Taphophile Tragics.

Monday Mural: lawn bowling

The Oakland Lawn Bowling Club, established in 1903, is now housed in Lakeside Park along the shores of Lake Merritt.  Too bad no one was playing the day I walked through the park.  But I took advantage of the sunny day to snap the tiled murals that decorate the clubhouse.  This mural is signed R. Howden, whom I believe to be Robert Howden, owner of the early Oakland tile company previously featured here.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You get to decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.  I'm out of town for several days but will do my best to leave comments.

Weekend Reflections: Lakeside Park

Lake Merritt is the country's first official wildlife refuge, designated in 1870.  It attracts many bird species who use it as part of their migratory flyway.  Lakeside Park is one of the lake's features and is where many birds come to be fed.  If you squint hard you can see a water reflection in the background.  For more reflection photos, visit James' meme, Weekend Reflections.

Taphophile Tragics: Qingming

This weekend Mt. View Cemetery hosted Qingming, a traditional Chinese festival where families honor their dead and tend their graves.  Many families were at the cemetery cleaning the grave sites and leaving offerings to the ancestors.

I saw family groups lay out food, light incense, and perform ritual bows and prayers.  While I would have liked to photograph these ceremonies, it would have been too intrusive.  Instead, I offer these as witness to the families' devotions.  For more cemetery wanderings, visit Taphophile Tragics, hosted by Julie at Sydney Eye.

Monday Mural: Key System Mural

This mural is located downtown at 11th and Broadway.  It was done in 2008 by Rocky Baird, a well known local muralist, who has previously been featured here and here.  It is 20 x 80 feet long and decorates the building that was once the headquarters to the Key System, an intricate system of trains, trams and buses that ran between San Francisco and the East Bay.  The system was closed by 1958 to be replaced by buses and BART.  The building was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and has been empty ever since.  The mural was sponsored by many organizations including the Oakland Heritage Association.

It remains to be seen when the building will be renovated and used again.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You get to decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.  I'm out of town for several days but will do my best to leave comments.