Courthouse Rooftop

Courthouse Rooftop

Memorial Day weekend 2011 begins in Scranton with a little sunshine.  The blue skies will likely be replaced with more rainclouds and thunderstorms by late afternoon.  With a few weeks still to go before summer, this is already the third wettest Spring on record in Northeast Pennsylvania.

St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church

This glittering gold dome at the top of St. Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church in Freeland, in the Poconos, is a real eyeball-grabbing attention getter on brilliantly clear, sunny days.  

Shiny Domes in the Distance

These golden church domes make a bright contrast to cold and bleak winter days.

Sambuca Grill Bar

 I have not had the opportunity to appreciate the gourmet Italian dining at downtown Scranton's Sambuca Grill Bar, but I do get to appreciate the splash of color and un-Northeastern Pennsylvania  look of this restaurant every time I pass by.  

Scranton Municipal Building

  This view of the Scranton municipal building shows off its old world charm.  With that architecture, the stonework, and once again a gray, cloudy sky, I can easily imagine myself back in England.  Someone once said to me in commenting about English weather that they could not understand why England was even inhabited.  One could easily say the same about Northeastern Pennsylvania.  According to one meteorologist from the area, this is the fourth most cloudy region of the country.  With the long, cold, and gray winter just getting started, can you say, "Seasonal Affective Disorder?"

Patriotic in the Poconos

Outside of Scranton near the town of White Haven is a small house with bold paint.  Patriotism or just attention seeking behavior?  Whatever the motivation behind it, I appreciate it for being unique and unusual.  The building is a stark contrast to the rural scenery, and when you come around the bend and first see the house it jumps out of the scenery, grabs you by the eyeballs, and demands your attention.  

Castle in Scranton

 

What better place to keep your soldiers than a castle?    It may be an anchronism, but it certainly is not  boring.   This formidable structure is plunked right down in the middle of a residential neighborhood.   I suppose the zoning ordinances explain the disappointing lack of a moat.

Elm Park United Methodist Church makes a visual statement next to the entrance to the University of Scranton.

Sundown at Roba's Family Farm

T.G.I.F.

Cinemark Theater on Montage Mountain

I don't know what inspired the architect, but I always think of the Titanic when I see this movie theater.

(f/5, 1/125, ISO 80)

Since a movie theater is all about visual art, I tried a second shot of the theater using monochrome mode to see if it would give the photo a more artsy appearance.

(f/4.5, 1/200, ISO 125)

Different Worlds

I think this picture is a poignant contrast of the vastly different world views of children and adults.  

Reflective Nook

Walking among some downtown buildings crowded together, I happened to look up at the right moment to see this reflective nook.  A city may be big, but it is often the little nooks and crannies that offer the most striking visual images.
(f/6.3, 1/320, ISO 80)

The Courthouse Clock Tower

This may be a lofty subject, but I think it is high time clock towers get a greater  degree of the attention they deserve,  especially a courthouse clock tower that presides over the doling out of time.

Lackawanna County Courthouse

The county courthouse sits right in the center of  downtown Scranton.   Lackawanna county is one of 67 counties in Pennsylvania.  The building has a weighty physical presence that harkens back to the days when coal was king and Scranton was an important hub of the anthracite coal industry.