4th Avenue Traction

Baby Bird

Walking to the 4th Avenue station I looked up and saw this little sparrow, looking fabulous against violet. I think it's a baby because it's so fluffy.

Here's one of the many that outmaneuvered gravity. Something to feel good about.

4th Avenue Burner and Heating

Honestly I will be very happy when I can get by without a car but that time is not now. Luckily I am finding things to love on those somewhat desolate and overpowering avenues that bear fuel stations, Coney Island Ave. and 4th Ave.

Driving down 4th Avenue on Monday the sun was striking this sign that I had never noticed before even though I have actually written about things on the same block. I was listening to a segment about power shortages in Iraq, specifically, an incident in a place called Amarillo where 3 hospitalized children had died because the power was off at the hosptial for three days even though it was supposed to be turned on every other day. Apparently an official had demanded power for a meeting he was having so the hospital had to compensate for that usage. This is the story I heard on NPR moments before filling up my gas tank entirely at the Hess station.

I learned from the 4th Ave Burner manager Joe that the sign was hand painted by David Smirnoff of David Signs, located on Coney Island Ave, a little over 10 years ago. It seems older than that, have styles changed so much in such a short time? Housed in the front window of the store is a vintage drill press from the retooling outfit they used to have in the back for rehabilitating burners and heaters, back in the days before the disposable economy held sway. Note the umlaut over the o in the word Buffalo on the drill, is that word German? At least it's got only 2 dots.

We have it good here, no matter what pretentious things people want to do with umlauts, now or back in the day.

Citgo on 4th Avenue

Not only is my lifestyle petroleum dependent, but this logo is crack for my eyeballs. What am I gonna do?

The arrangement bears some similarities to this Marsden Hartley painting from 1914, Berlin Abstraction.

604 Perfect

This place is just off 4th Avenue, the avenue where the slope stops sloping.

I wonder what they make at Perfect. Seeing that compass and ruler on the building gives me a thrill. I used to play with things like that at my dad's office when I was a little girl, they seemed magical. I'm not sure what he was doing with them because he worked as geologist then, but he had an interest in making geometric art for a time so I guess the instruments came in handy.

I wonder about Raul. What was he like? Was he perfect? Has that mural really survived for 33 years?

4th Avenue Triangles

So many logos incorporate triangles. I'd love to see them all together for a family picture.