Walking around S. Congress Avenue today reveling in the sub-90° weather. First time in weeks and weeks...

I'm doing this post as a stream of consciousness caption fest. Just responding to each frame as I saw it or worked it or whatever. Come along for the ride. I'll take the mystery out up front: All of these were done with the Leica SL2 sporting the Voigtlander 50mm f2.0 APO Lanthar lens --- in an adapted M mount. 

Up one side of the street and down the other with a stop for coffee at Jo's in the middle. 

I was walking on the east side of Congress Ave. heading south. I saw this guy with his incredible bucket hat and immediately stopped him and asked if it would be okay if I made a photograph. Since I was wearing my less pronounced bucket hat I knew he would be comfortable with the ask. Destined to be the height of fashion in a few more years. 

Cooling an outdoor market. I stepped back off the sidewalk to get more of the scene in and blazed away. I'm not very shy so there's no impulse to hit and run. I just shoot with that darned camera up to my eye until I get what I want and then I smile at anyone who has noticed and head off to find something else fun to shoot. Vintage clothes. Not a bad idea. Big fans and little fans; a better idea.

I came upon these two women as they were finishing up taking selfies. I didn't get the photo I wanted to I stepped right over to them and asked them nicely if they would be willing to shoot some more selfies so I could document them. They were certainly game and played along till I got what I wanted. Then they asked me to photograph them with one of their phones. And to get the store logo in the background. Turns out they work at one of the stores behind them and were shooting for social media. For the store. And now I have contributed to their campaign. Sweet people.

Window at Home Slice Pizza. 

When Home Slice first opened Ben and B. and I used to go there and get their great pizza. It was always busy but always moved fast. It was a lot of fun. Then there came the time when the restaurant got so popular you'd have to wait an hour for a table. And more time for a pizza. And anyone who is willing to wait with a small child for an hour, for a pizza, is either highly pizza deprived or insane. Still, it's darn good pie...If pizza is the "queen of pies" is the king of pies pecan?

When your utility box is down the street from the Hermes store it's got to look good. Sorry. Life is quick. Not time to correct for parallel sides.... Get over it.

Today was mother-daugher day on S. Congress. There are dozens and dozens and dozens of shops. And oh so much fashion. They were moving fast. Heading toward their next destiny with charge cards. 

no caption. But is "no caption" actually a caption?

At the Nike store. Question: If my legs exhale while I'm swimming will they create a trail of bubbles in the water? And if they do create a trail of bubbles in the water what would differentiate these bubbles from generic flatulence? Seems like a bleak trend to me...

There is one shop on the entire street that's chosen a different path from the tired, mannequin driven window displays. I don't know what they sell but they have the whole front of their shop decorated in sweeping trellises of fun flowers. I know the flowers are artificial but they are "good artificial" and that makes it all okay. I came by once at Christmas and the shop had done a great job of intertwining lights and ornaments and small figurines into the mix. It was visually delightful. I hope you click on this to make it larger and then look at the detail in the big flowers....

And now for the march of the Sugar Plum Fairly mannequins. Some good and some boring. But that's the current style in window decorating in Austin. 

this mannequin has a flower covered, fabric head that goes well with the flower decor all over the front of the store. It's the store I mentioned in a caption above. It's more interesting that "blank face." 

Steam Punk eyeglasses shop. Mannequin heads with cool glasses all over the front of the store. Interesting. The interior? Less so...

A comforting message and a well run motel adapted to modern hipster standards. And right in the middle of the most popular venue in Austin. Swimming pool included. 

this is a nod to the time when Austin was much, much smaller. Much, much hipper. Much, much cheaper and so far to the left that it would be unimaginable to modern inhabitants out in the far flung suburbs. I remember the Armadillo Headquarters (referenced on the micro bus). B. and I saw Devo open there for the Talking Heads. Tickets? Five bucks. Beer? Fifty cents a bottle. Parking? Everyone walked or rode their bikes because....there was no traffic. Saw Duke Ellington's band there too. And Joe Jackson. And the B-52s. Along with all the Austin regulars like Waylon Jennings and Willie. A different time never to return. 

The prices at Jo's have gone up. I can't blame them. But they still make a great cup of coffee and they've maintained their dressed down charm over the years. Hope some big restaurant group doesn't buy them out and start selling twenty dollar coffee and thirty dollar pastries. Un-progress is sad. 

An anthropologist once observed that only the richest and poorest communities have no litter in the streets. In the poor areas the people are forced to use, recycle, repurpose every scrap they can get their hands on while the rich communities can and will always hire people to clean up after them...

A chair back at Jo's as seen by a 50mm lens used wide open. Spicy. 

The bars and restaurants no doubt make the most money on S. Congress Ave. but I'm betting that hats of all kinds are a close second. I was going to buy a cool, Stetson Open Road, felt hat until I realized that they cost something like $285 for the legit version. And it's not even a bucket hat. Gosh, you can even get Tilley hats for less than that... $285, why that's the price of a Leica camera battery!!!

Important messaging for out of towners. Not every alternative shop sells the blood and organs of small children to rabid, cannibal politicians. Not matter what they tell you on Truth Social....

This sign existed without context in the middle of the sidewalk. That seems pricy for wine glasses. Maybe I just say that because I break them routinely (not purposely) and I'd hate to replace them often. Tip: Don't pull hot wine glasses from a dishwasher and fill them with frozen daiquiris. They most likely will explode...

Waiting for Godot. Or waiting for Fred to finish in the barber shop. 

Man fixing neon on a big boot. Signage is critical.

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