This week's photos from around Columbia...
(Click/tap on photos for larger, clearer images.)
"The Returned Soldier" at Locust Street Park
Some folks incorrectly call this statue "The Unknown Soldier."
The statue of a World War I doughboy commemorates "the patriotic spirit, valor and heroism" of local participants in America's wars, but the sculptor slipped in an anti-war message by showing some effects of war: the head wound and the thousand-yard stare.
So, who does what here?
Nobody home again?
Garland-festooned wrought-iron fence on South 2nd
And a little further down the block - these guys are ready for the season.
Here's a close-up of one of them.
A new sign at the traffic lights at Front and Walnut
These guys were working on the lights there this week.
Apparently synchronizing them
Yep, red on one side of the tracks, yellow on the other
Believe it or not it works better this way by helping to keep vehicles from getting stranded on the tracks.
Yellow hearse
Notice the sign on the hearse. The vehicle has reached its destination.
Saviors don't abide by earthly laws. They sometimes ignore permits and HARB rules, too.
Mausoleum at Holy Trinity Cemetery
Androgynous angel with cloud emanating from its hand
MOOSE!
Blocking the 300 block of Cherry
(Submitted photo)
Tree all agleam on Chestnut
A closer look
Wreath on historic door on the 500 block of Walnut
Rube Goldberg was here!
What could possibly go wrong?
Watching the watcher watching
"Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a raise it's no surprise that they're
Giving none away, away, away"
- "Money" by Pink Floyd
Looks like something that could be posted at he US-Mexico border.
Fallen star
Illegally parked
Old-fashioned cellar doors
Night lights in the day
Night lights at night
Hope they're yard-trained
The borough is considering paying several thousand dollars for a parking study, but here's a free study of some random samples:
No vehicles on the 300 block of Locust this past Friday night.
None at the public lot at the bottom of Locust
Saturday morning: the 400 block of Locust
And the first block of North 4th
Conclusion: No additional parking needed
Conclusion: No additional parking needed
Down at River Park: frosty leaves
Hopper garage
Looks like Santa's about to hatch.
Does that mean he'll be born again?
Manor School datestone
Manor School - now apartments
Right behind those windows was the office of the principal, Mrs. Hardnele (prononunced "HARD NAIL"). An apt name for a principal.
Atop the one peak is some sort of finial
Close up
If he looks anything like that, get out of there, quick!
Ghost rider on the trailer?
Brett Kavanaugh was here.
Possibly the coolest garage in town -
(Of course, everyone knows the Dirty Harry line.)
Progress at Florence and Manor
Sidewalk seats for watching the cars go by
Some of the older folks will remember a spider monkey that lived in the back part of this house on Manor Street.
Hooked and wired
The National Guard stored its vehicles here on Manor Street back in the day.
Old-timey car ornament on South 4th
Convertible
That's a lot of ODs.
A rooftop "thumbs up"?
Periscope on rooftop?
Informative apartment building plaque
Hermansader's Victorian Mansion
Second floor herringbone door
New door, not HARB-approved on North 3rd
So there's that missing grocery cart.
CHiPS bell tower
300 block of Locust
Close-up of one of the rosettes
Columbia United Methodist Church
Back on Walnut Street - the 500 block
This section was poured last Thursday and covered with plastic.
Friday morning it was still not completely dry, as can be seen from the footprints and tire marks.
About those tire marks: A witness reported seeing a man in a wheelchair doing donuts on the concrete Friday morning.
Later, the witness heard a Pennsy worker saying, "They forgot to use accelerant" for the concrete.
Female downy woodpecker ready to peck
Overspray on Walnut
Here's the dilemma. Certain borough officials want citizens to pick up trash around town when they see it. But if you pick up this bottle, you'll be charged under the open container ordinance.
Shadow of reality
This may have been posted before.
Notice the face on the handle.
No, we're not cleaning this up.
Ditto
This just can't be right.
All spiffed up -
Shiny new fence behind Hotel Locust
At the former Masonic Center
Coming up at St. Paul's Episcopal
Out for a jog
Oh, there's Santa now, stocking up with flowers at Royer's.
Unfortunately, he won't be making deliveries any time soon.
This was a common sight on Walnut Street recently.
The beauty strips on the north side of the 600 block were filled in with concrete. Here's the work in progress.
A few sinkholes opened up at 647-651 Walnut during the project but were filed in with concrete.
Another look at the not-so-beautiful strips
Looks like the strips on the other side of the 500 and 600 blocks will remain grass.
About to fill 'em in
Filling in the strips with concrete.
By the way - safety cones? They got 'em.
Let's continue.
Almost done
Digging up down the block
Pretty close to that gas line
Sawing the sidewalk
Still there - a beauty strip in need of beautification on 462
Weed-enshrouded gate over garage door
At Mount Bethel Cemetery, the Statue of Hope is pointing to the sky.
But why?
There's why. A C-130 - citizen of the sky.
Overhead
And flying away
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," but a broken down mail truck might.
