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November 29, 2014 by tomdalzell

Fences (and maybe a wall)

1101620831_400 1553-1259462794-8da893a7712f5329ee072118aab18323

There are several great images as candidates for illustrating a wall.  Fences are tricker, but I think that there is one obvious choice:

ifrostr001p1

The poem is, of course,”Mending Wall” by Robert Frost.  He uses “wall” and “fence” interchangeably, with the truly famous “Good fences good neighbors,” a dogma of his neighbor which he challenges.  Why do they make good neighbors?

Collected here thematically are photos of fences and maybe a wall or two, all of which struck me as quirky when I passed them.  Somebody thought about what the fence or wall would look like, and it took effort.

545 Santa Clara

545 Santa Clara

545 Santa Clara

545 Santa Clara

545 Santa Clara

545 Santa Clara

1641 Lorenso

716 Colusa

716 Colusa

1826 5th

1826 5th

328 10th

328 10th

2102 Shattuck

2102 Shattuck

1338 Shattuck

1338 Shattuck

1338 Shattuck
1338 Shattuck

3102 Shattuck

3102 Shattuck

3102 Shattuck

3102 Shattuck

About these, Irv Staats wrote: Check out the beautifully carved fence at Tharp woodcarving at 3102 Shattuck. Each board is signed and dated on the back by a student.”

1781–­1851 Spruce

1781–­1851 Spruce

3102 Shattuck

3102 Shattuck

Webster Poolside Apartments, 2321 Webster

Webster Poolside Apartments, 2321 Webster

1919 King

1919 King

1522 Virginia at Eola

1522 Virginia at Eola

1640 Spruce

1640 Spruce

2451 West

2451 West

1936 Haste

1936 Haste

2417 Prince

2417 Prince

1541 8th

1541 8th

1541 8th

1541 8th

Fairview and Ellis, (denuded of ornament in November 2014)

Fairview and Ellis, (denuded of ornament in November 2014)

1884 San Juan

1884 San Juan

1867 San Juan

1867 San Juan

Who knew that fences and walls could lend quirk.  They do.

My friend sometimes has space issues, and even an innocent photograph of a wall or fence can get him edgy.  Not these though.  He was pretty cheerful about them.  In fact he was outright chipper when he told me that I missed the most obvious fence allusion possible.

bing-crosby-dont-fence-me-in-d32

He was anxious to show me some photos and postcards that his youngest brother had sent him from a family trip to San Francisco in 1957.  I said I’d look at the cards and photos once he let me know what he thought of the quirky fences and walls.  He did:

IMG_3677

 

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