On my walk today through Gage Park what originally caught my eye was about a dozen of Topeka’s finest on their bicycles in the middle of the sand volleyball pit! I was completely intrigued (nosey) about what was going on. We’ll I missed that scene but I did capture some other great footage of the Topeka Police Bicycle Patrol training class today.
They were very nice to let me stand there and watch them train and even to take some video of it all. I tried riding my bike once as a kid up some stairs but it wasn’t met with much success and more than likely ended with a bruised up knee! Criminals need to know that these guys are very quiet and they are able to give chase either up or down stairs, over curbs and through sand!
Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys for a short time today!!
Trumpet as he calls himself has become a sort of a local legend. Dancing on the street corners year around. All you have to ask on FaceBook is “has anyone seen the lamp dancer today” and you will get 10 or more replies as to where he had been spotted around town that day. I had talked to him on another occasion and found out that he was a really nice guy. So many people wonder why he dances around town so I thought I would just ask him!
I apologize for the windy conditions! I was just driving by and saw him and had been hoping to see him for the last couple of weeks so I thought I had better take advantage of the opportunity wind and all!
On Wed. of this week I stopped in the Blue Planet Cafe located in beautiful downtown Topeka,KS for lunch. Blue Planet is Topeka’s only vegan restaurant and coffee shop. For you carnivores don’t worry though because as I understand it they have a great turkey or roast beef sandwiches in addition to their meat free options. The Blue Planet is quite laid back and the staff are friendly and helpful. I sat at the counter and passed the time of day with a nice gentleman at the counter which I later found out that he was the owner of Gizmo Pictures and his wife is the owner of the cafe. After my soup (Samosa soup – featuring potatoes and peas swimming in a mild, balanced curry broth) and fresh salad I looked around the cafe a little bit. In the back there is a beautiful meeting room that is available for rent.
As I was looking around the cafe and taking a few photos I met an interesting man named Brad. Brad was standing there ordering his lunch with his full white beard, suspenders and hat. I said to him “can I take your picture?” and he said sure “you want to see my compost pile?” a little taken back (very briefly) I said that I didn’t think I did! But after learning how passionate Brad is for compost my interest was peaked and after he had finished his lunch we proceeded to his compost pile in the alley behind the cafe. Take a look at the little video of Brad talking about compost and also notice the image I took of the thermometer in the compost about 130 degrees! Brad was very pleased with the reaction that was occuring!
This little outing today was truly a Topeka serendipity. I had a great experience at the Blue Planet Cafe and got to meet several new friends Brad, Timothy the barista and Jeff the owner’s husband, fun afternoon!
One of the great things about living in Topeka is that the city is big enough to have many of the conveniences of a bigger city but when there is an event like a parade you find yourself running into many people you know!
If you are looking for your image that I took at the parade you can find all the images posted on our Harrington Photography,llc Facebook Fan Page by clicking here. Feel free to tag yourselves and the images should be of a high enough resolution so that you are able to download the image(s) and have them printed into a 4×6 so you can remember the fun of St. Patrick’s Day 2011!
About: Tom Harrington is a photographer and co-owner at Harrington Photography,llc Topeka, KS. Since 1993 Harrington’s has been “Capturing Life’s Memories” of the people in Topeka and Northeast Kansas. Our photography studio is located at 806 SW 12th St. Our phone number is: 785-233-3827. Harrington’s specializes in weddings, families, children and senior photography (the milestones in people’s lives).
