Now that Ann has finished ISU, I expect two things: solicitations for donations will start, which she will probably deal with by ignoring them, and it will be much less likely that I will go to Bloomington-Normal, just as I haven’t been to Champaign-Urbana lately. With that in mind, I suggested a post-brunch visit on Saturday to the 400 block of Main Street, downtown Bloomington, home of 2 FruGALS Thrift.

The block is also home to Ivy Land Bakery (we bought cookies there once, and didn’t regret it), Exquisite Body Arts (I didn’t get a tattoo there, and don’t regret that either), the Velvet Daisy Shoppe, Merlot and A Masterpiece, That Dapper Pet, Megli Voice Studio, McLean County Democratic Headquarters, Wilson Cycle, Crossroads Fair Trade Goods & Gifts, and Bobzbay Books.

Nice book store, but no postcards that I could see.

While everyone else was poking around 2 FruGALS, I spent some time capturing black-and-white images. On a whim.

Some buildings.

Some details.

I noticed that the metal relief above 418 N. Main is still there, though the business I saw in 2022 is gone. Ayurveda for Healing moved elsewhere; now Jan Brandt Gallery is there, along with Sync Mind Body Pilates & Reiki.

The relief is called “Meditation on a Ball of String” (2021). I know that because a sign has been added sometime in the last three years to describe it. The artist is Herb Eaton. His studio isn’t far away.

Details.

Fine whimsy. Downtowns ought to have more public art like that.