Can't Fly, Can't Stand

WHEN: April 2009

WHERE: Bloomfield, Pittsburgh

PHOTO: Lydia

Perhaps not this guy's best angle, though there's no mistaking he's a genuine Ty Beanie Baby.

Rear View

WHEN: November 2008
WHERE: South Side, Pittsburgh
ADDED PATHOS: Rain

Dora could survive getting wet, but the fact that her head is now facing backward is not a hopeful sign.

Bee Is For Balloon

WHEN: March 17, 2009
WHERE: Wilkinsburg, PA

Not only has this balloon died, but its collapse -- against the window of a dead store -- has taken a bee with it. That black dot above the UPC code is a former buzzer, trapped.

Gas-n-Go

WHEN: March 2009

WHERE: Strip District, Pittsburgh

Hey, it's one of those new-fangled cars of the future that runs on natural gas!

Frogger: Fail

WHEN: December 2008
WHERE: Homestead, Pa.

Here's one frog that didn't make it across the road.

Tis the Season

WHEN: March 2009
WHERE: South Side, Pittsburgh

It's 70-plus degrees and flowers are blooming, so it must be hockey playoffs. Not for this forlorn and busted stick, though.

Mmmmmmmm ... Donut

WHEN: March 2009
WHERE: Bloomfield, Pittsburgh
PHOTO: Lydia in Pittsburgh
What is tastier than a green plush donut lying on the sidewalk?

Spider-Man: Parts 1 and 2

WHEN: April 2009

WHERE: Braddock, PA

PHOTO: Larry in Pittsburgh

Sometimes, no words are needed. Ouch.

How Much Is That Bear in the Window?

WHEN: March 2009
WHERE: Wilkinsburg, PA

Two bears wait ... and wait ... and wait in the window of an shuttered flower shop.

Study in Pink: Wheels

WHEN: March 2009
WHERE: Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh

One last pink toy: I'm not exactly sure what this was in its prime, but it's in the gutter and allllll messed up now.

Study in Pink: Twisty Balloon

WHEN: March 2009
WHERE: Friendship, Pittsburgh

Another cheerful twisty-balloon creature dumped unceremoniously in the garbage. Today's ponder: Why not pop it first? As it is, it's taking up the whole trash can.

Study in Pink: Doggie

WHEN: March 2009
WHERE: Friendship, Pittsburgh

This little guy was part of a huge pile of lady-trash dumped on the sidewalk. I say "lady-trash," because it was make-up, headbands, some clothes and the pink doggie.

Study in Pink: Doo-Doo Bucket

WHEN: November 2008
WHERE: Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh

Halfway up a steep hillside, I found a sandbox bucket, neatly filled with some kind of animal turds. More questions than answers here ...