Trip #205 Owl Way, Southside Slopes, Pittsburgh took place on October 18, 2018, and was published on October 29, 2018.
There is truth to the expression “a rolling stone gathers no moss”; moss is slow to develop and requires an environment free of friction. But I’d like to propose that “gathering moss” doesn’t have to mean stagnation and sloth. I say this because moss is one tenacious badass plant. With close to 12,000 species scattered throughout the seven continents, it grows in all climates and sun exposures, from the blazing desert to the inner depths of caves to the frozen world of Antarctica. Once moss has found a home, it figures out a way to stay and keeps growing! Mosses are flexible, so unlike other plants, they don’t need protection, they can be stepped on and compressed and bounce back with minimal damage.
The slow perseverance of moss has the power to transform and create a soft gentleness in a world full of hard edges. Moss turns our grey to green and brings peace and serenity to a world and people who so desperately need it. Whether we’re rolling or standing still, let’s learn something from this ubiquitous plant and bring those lessons into our hearts.
Field Notes: Quaint flight. Lots of moss covering everything. This flight doesn’t connect to Hartford through (as it indicates in the book) but rather a narrow side street that runs parallel to it but a little down the hill.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
