A clear spring morning and tulips at the Dane County Farmer's Market

A day at the Dane County Farmer's Market.

A view of downtown Madison from the farthest edge of Lake Monona.

Majestic

Morning Lights

A swirl of freshly-furrowed earth and a blank wall ... all that's left of St. Raphael's cathedral.

Ivy-Covered Halls

Madison Area Technical College on Carroll Street, downtown Madison.

The trees are finally leafing out along the top of State Street.

Ducks on cap square.

Sure, that looks safe ...

I spotted this guy on Carroll Street yesterday morning, giving a whole new meaning to "double parked."

I pass this East Wilson Street building every morning on the way to work,
and every day I've wondered why there's a sign that says "toast" on the door.

I tried googling it, but all I could find were restaurants.

So I simply barged in yesterday and asked the guy behind the desk inside.
He said the sign is the logo of Square Toast, a computer system sales company.
When I apologized for interrupting with my stupid question,
they said they get quite a few people dropping in to ask.

And now we know.

The Marina's one of the newest condos in downtown Madison.
Hugely swank, just off the shore of Lake Monona,
an apartment there sells for gazillions.

I admit, it's got some Jetson-esque qualities I like...

... but overall, it's a box, and I don't like boxes.
I like the corrugated siding even less.

The cathedral rectory of St. Raphael's has stood empty for as long as I've lived here
... since July '05, anyway.

The design is clearly meant to evoke a cathedral's wide apse flanked by narrow galleries.

The brassy screen across the front keeps the entrance shady and cool
without blocking out light.

I don't know what this architectural style is called,
but the American 1960's was lousy with clerestory windows and these plain, clean lines,
particularly public buildings and institutions like this.

Slender columns soar over the entrance.

A heap of rubble at the back door betrays
the rectory's either undergoing renovation
or not long for this world.

The Suhr Building's distinctive prow marks it as one of the city's "flatirons"
a term that gets overused. I like "wedgie" myself.

As unusual as its shape may be,
the old wedgies are getting lost in the growing skyline of our fair city.

Even with its sandstone flanks glowingly lit by the noonday sun,
the Suhr tends to shrink under the towering Tenney building.

But on her own, she still stands out as obviously very special.

As usual, it's the details that make all the difference.
This little sprout is shooting up from the cornice,
barely visible in the photo above.

The gray skies over yesterday's farmer's market
lent just the right hue to the new office block at 33 E Main St
and the stainless steel shingles arcing over Walgreen's.

A few odds & ends from
Art Fair On The Square
in beautiful downtown Madison

A tiled floor at the entrance to an old State Street building.

Are they, now? And which carpenters would those be?
John Carpenter, the film director, and his family?
Karen and Richard Carpenter, the singers?
Carpenter ants?
I have no freaking clue.
It's in the window of the Haus Building on the King Street side, if you're interested.

This way to the Asian!

Going Up

Sited at the top of the ridge along West Wash, Capital West is taking a place of prominence on Madison's skyline.

I'm a sucker for construction sites, so I strolled up there to take a closer look at how construction has come along this week.