Alley

Sealed up window and dark passageway, delicate Victorian decorations and crumbly brick walls. Walls that have been here a very long time, and have their own secrets.

To see more of the world in monochrome, just click over to The Monochrome Weekend, presented by Aileni.

Dancing Goddess

This very large ceramic figure inset into a brick building dances high above the intersection of Main and Michigan in Three Rivers. The building is now a church, although the image suggests that the building was formerly something else - but what? She carries the caduceus (snakes on a stick with wings thingy) in her left hand, like Hermes, messenger of the Greek gods. In her right hand a torch, perhaps symbolizing hope, is held up high. The caduceus is often seen as a symbol of something medical as well as a symbol of a messenger. Symbolic messages like this were quite common a hundred years ago, and everyone apparently recognized what they meant; but it's lost on me today.

Ironwork manhole cover

Three Rivers' iconic lighthouse appears on its manhole covers, little works of art on their own. "East Jordan Ironworks as been manufacturing construction and municipal castings since 1883..."

Weathervane

An unusual weathervane tops a restored Queen Anne Victorian on East Street.

Outside the Carnegie

Showing the beautiful granite and the wood details. Even the mortar between the stones is beautifully done.

Lowry's building

The architectural details on the old buildings downtown are amazing. I wonder who this bearded fellow is?

The building he is peering down upon houses Lowry's Bookstore, a world-class independent bookstore. I know, because I'm a big fan of bookstores around the country, and this one is unbeatable.