Trip #591 Leolyn Street, Carrick, Pittsburgh took place on May 20, 2021, and was published on May 28, 2021.
The sun is blazing. I relax into the humid heat and feel my reptilian nature awaken. A person can achieve serenity through many different means, but for me, it doesn’t get much better than this. I could sit on these steps for hours, soaking in the warmth, watching the knotweed unfurl, listening to the shrieks and shouts and laughter coming from the nearby playground, and observing dog walkers and wandering cats through my sleepy half-shut eyes. It’s quite a luscious sensation, and revisiting the moment as I write about it makes me smile contentedly. But while a lizard or a snake can go days without water, I cannot. And as thirst intrudes, it replaces my calm complacency with growing agitation—and the time comes to transition from a human be-ing to a human do-ing.
Field Notes: This flight has an original (or older) bottom half but a more recent top half. Seems like a smart way to make repairs but keep costs lower. It was a very hot day and despite setting the Spectra to the darkest setting, that blazin’ sun still took over.
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Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
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.
