Author Archives: KristiV

Not Following Directions in London: King’s Cross to Calthorpe Street

Posted on February 23, 2011 by KristiV

The surprise arrival of a package, containing a Red Nose Day T-shirt from my friend Dr. P.M. of Cambridge, reminded me that I have yet to write up the impressions from our medical history perambulations from February 2009. The idea … Continue reading →

Posted in urban public health | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Windfall 1. Crape myrtle and Spanish moss

Posted on February 6, 2011 by KristiV

With several days of freezing temperatures and brisk winds from the north last week, many things were blown from, or out of, neighborhood trees and shrubs. I decided to document some of the windfall that I pick up on long … Continue reading →

Posted in art journals | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Van der Volkswagen Forces

Posted on February 6, 2011 by KristiV

Pro football (US version) has never seemed as fun to watch as college football, and for me, the number of rats’ arses given about even the latter has declined significantly in the last decade. But this is one cute SuperBowl … Continue reading →

Posted in American culture | Tagged , | 1 Comment

City at a standstill …

Posted on February 4, 2011 by KristiV

… because we aren’t at all prepared for even small amounts of snow and ice. We had freezing rain late last night, followed by less than an inch of snow overnight, but that’s enough to wreak havoc in a southern … Continue reading →

Posted in urban infrastructure | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Wind Power for City People

Posted on February 1, 2011 by KristiV

In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama proposed a goal of 80% clean energy sources in the US by 2035, a mandate that would include a 700% increase in the generation of non-hydro renewable energy.  While solar … Continue reading →

Posted in renewable energy | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Country Birds: Northern Cardinals

Posted on January 26, 2011 by KristiV

Last weekend, the weather here was cool, but dry, so I decided to go riding at my friends’ ranch west of the city, where I keep my horses. After our ride, I was drinking some juice at the main house, … Continue reading →

Posted in art journals | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Urban Wildlife: Virginia Opossum

Posted on January 17, 2011 by KristiV

Nothing infuriates my Labrador retriever quite like a cheeky opossum (Didelphis virginiana) in the backyard, or a spooked one running off to hide under a shed or in a rocky embankment in the park. She will give chase if possible, … Continue reading →

Posted in urban wildlife | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Yarnstorming in the city limits

Posted on January 15, 2011 by KristiV

Or should I say, “knitty limits.” Yarnstorming, or yarn bombing, is a relatively new subgenre of street art, characterized by installations of knitted or crocheted pieces in public places. Although yarn bombs are intended to be non-permanent, and can be … Continue reading →

Posted in street art, urban landscape | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

The End of Cities?

Posted on January 8, 2011 by KristiV

Whether I remember them very well or not, I’ve lived in large cities most of my life: Boston, Minneapolis, Houston, London, Dallas, New Orleans, and now, San Antonio. Although Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas rank fourth, seventh, and ninth respectively, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments