This weeks WordPress photo challenge is ‘threshold.’ That’s an intriguing idea. I checked the definition and found:
“A strip of wood, metal, or stone forming the bottom of a doorway and crossed in entering a house or room.”
And:
“The magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, result, or condition to occur or be manifested.”
Huh. How exciting can a strip of wood, metal or stone at the bottom of a doorway be? And how do you photograph intensity exceeded?
I also found:
“Any place or point of entering or beginning”
This seemed more workable. Sunday morning I headed down to Ann Arbor because I remembered a plaque on the steps of the Student Union commemorating the spot that John F Kennedy stood when he announced the beginning of the Peace Corp. I thought that it would be a fitting interpretation of the beginning of something significant.
As I drove past the main university campus I noted that the roads ahead, in front of the union, were closed. So I found a parking spot and walked the few blocks. I soon found why the roads were blocked as there was a road race going on, right past the Student Union!
Once I was able to get across the road I eagerly climbed the steps and searched. The plaque was gone! It has been there for years and years and years and I thought I must just be missing it…but after a through search I had to admit it was gone. And so was my idea to represent the concept.
So I wandered back across the street and through the law library with it’s Gothic doors…
and courtyard…
…and towers.
It’s beautiful, but really…not thresholds. This is the best I could find, down two levels in the basement of the law library building.
Not very interesting. But the prettiest threshold I could find. So I gave up and drove cross country on pretty back roads to my favorite park where I enjoyed sunshine, lots of birds, blue water and a good book.
But that’s another blog.
Will I have anything at all for this week’s photo challenge?
I don’t know. There’s one shot I’m thinking about, but it would be a stretch. I’ll decide later in the week. Maybe I’ll keep looking, but I don’t have much spare time this week, and I have no inspiration.
Stay tuned.
April 7, 2014 at 7:07 am
Geez…now it’s going to bother me all day~where’s the plaque and why would they take it down?
What a beautiful campus!
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April 7, 2014 at 8:52 am
I visited the campus in Ann Arbor many, many years ago. It looks as beautiful as I remember. I think you covered a couple of the meanings of threshold in this post. Maybe all of them, with the race. 🙂
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April 7, 2014 at 8:54 am
It does seem odd it would just disappear – maybe they are cleaning it or something.
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April 7, 2014 at 10:01 am
Too bad you couldn’t find somebody official to ask what happened to that plaque! “Threshold” is a hard concept to depict — you’ve given us some good options, though, and I know you’ll choose just the right one.
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April 7, 2014 at 10:30 am
Threshold is such a strong word. The pictures are all good examples. What about the human or canine approach to the word—Katie just before she pounces, a toddler holding on to a table and taking those first few steps. A pregnant women in her 9th month. . .On the threshold of coming or going—hugging at the airport. A plane coming in for a landing. I don’t know but I like your challenge. :-D.
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April 7, 2014 at 10:52 am
Perhaps not what you were seeking, but lovely nonetheless.
Sent from my iPad
>
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April 7, 2014 at 11:30 am
Now that’s a beautiful threshold
Lily & Edward
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April 7, 2014 at 11:41 am
Love the new crane photo!
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April 7, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Just thought of another ‘threshold’ definition used all the time in fearful dog training land…..dogs being ‘over threshold’ means the “point where a stimulus is at a strong enough intensity to cause a reaction”….so maybe Katie barking at a squirrel (or garbage bag) could count 🙂
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April 7, 2014 at 10:07 pm
Good ideas you guys!
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April 8, 2014 at 10:01 am
The mystery troubles me, too: why would the plaque be removed? But I love, love, love your banner with the sandhill crane! Heard a pair over our farmhouse late yesterday afternoon, after looking in vain for a pair I’d hoped would have returned by now to south Lake Leelanau. Nothing like them!
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April 8, 2014 at 9:22 pm
How about a graduation picture ?
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