Musings

Actually, I saw far more yard-art on today’s neighborhood hike, but here’s an unusual mailbox. I was confused by all the middle-school-aged young women doing Halloween-themed yard-decorations…until I spotted a sign that indicated there is a local competition underway.

Call me crazy, but I liked the faded orange cone and the sideways blue cowboy (lower left), along with the gator, better than the blow-up spiders and other creatures (no doubt tagged “Made in China”).

Posted at 9:30 PM | 1 Comment »

I did get out for a neighborhood stroll-adventure, and about half-way along, I walked into spitty, light rain that came and went. Fine, I thought, I can deal.

Then it got just a bit more rain-like, and I sent a text…raising my rescue crew. Nice. I wrote, not bad enough yet, but thanks for standing by. I kept going. The rain level returned to almost nothing…then spitty again.

With a minimum of ten minutes to go (tyranny of the Fitbit), I thought, yippee! I can make it, and I did, scooting in the door just before the rain commenced. It must have been a victory lap (anthropomorphizing here), as a minute later it went back to spitting.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Fiction based on fact

All good things must come to an end…says a cynic-pessimist. I say: let’s not look for ends, but instead for continuity.

In the continuity vein, we made a transition. And while airborne, I created my own Delta-bar. The Guru conjured up drink tickets, so I had a little pseudo-gimlet to accompany my standard-issue pretzels.

And, I report the usual combo: very good and slightly bittersweet to be home….

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Whatta week

I do love fountains. And HDR means they can look stupendous in digital images. This one’s in Bryant Park.

On north, way beyond Yankee Stadium and the Harlem River…the longest subway ride I’ve ever taken (below ground, not just urban train)…to the New York Botanical Garden…some 250-ac of plants—trees, flowers, grass, even a few stray weeds on land straddling the Bronx River.

And, indoors, a Frida Kahlo exhibition (no photos allowed of her displayed works), emphasizing the natural world, especially plants, in her paintings. With examples of the plants highlighted in the conservatory.

Posted at 9:17 PM | 2 Comments »

Lobby light show: Museum of the City of New York. (Yes, a mouthful, that name.) Liked that the space was just topical exhibitions, no dutiful historical summary gallery, growing increasing stale over time.

Then, we walked south through Central Park, past hissing sprinklers, many joggers, strollers (people and contraptions), and dog-walkers.

After that, major excitement that began with a lot of waiting, standing-waiting, one foot followed by the other. Then, we got to showtime! And our seats….

Stephen, tada! With guests Gina Rodriguez (of Jane the Virgin, new season starting next week), Ben Bernanke (new book, his memoir of the recent financial crisis), and musical group Tame Impala.

Nightcap at the Algonquin, where the round table was sadly empty, and the Manhattans were stupendous.

Please note that while most of the day is afoot, we also enjoy the subway.

Posted at 10:51 PM | Comments Off on Foot-touring, continued

We took the train to the south end of Manhattan, at Battery Park. This statue honors Merchant Mariners. That’s Lady Liberty off on the left edge of the horizon.

The guys trying to save their comrade now face The Sphere, a 1971 Fritz Koenig piece that stood between the two centers of the World Trade Center, and was damaged by the debris that fell on 9/11.

Yeah, today was the day for outdoor sculptures, as we walked from the Staten Island Ferry terminal at Battery Park up all the way to Grand Central Terminal. Not directly…so many, many steps (devices differ on the count, but all indicate something like 20K).

We found crowds of Asian tourists and a few others at the Charging Bull (Arturo Di Modica, 1989). They posed next to the head, often holding a horn, and grinned for their photographer-friends. The other end of the statue they also photographed, but from a distance and without touching the bronze surface or posing next to it. Interesting.

Buildings are also sculpture, right? Daniel Burnham’s Flatiron Building was completed in 1902. I suspect the interior space is difficult to use, especially those nose-rooms. From the ground—compelling.

Posted at 10:04 PM | 2 Comments »

Pretty compelling golden light coming across the Hudson. This is just inland from where Captain Sullenberger’s Flight 1549 drifted to after the emergency landing. That was 2009. The view is from the High Line; this is the south end, the first part that opened. Also in 2009.

Posted at 9:13 PM | Comments Off on “you’ll see”

Went over the top at the meat counter today, and got spectacularly tasty lamb chops (organic, halal—the latter just happened—I found it on the label when I unwrapped them). To go with the glorious fresh mint I got the other day….

Probably should be a knife to pair with the meat-photo…however, this is what I have.

Posted at 8:20 PM | Comments Off on Celebrating early

We were going to take a steam-train today. Then, the weather looked worse today than tomorrow, so we switched to Sunday.

Then, the train people cancelled—too much rain expected along the tracks. And it’s supposed to be worse east of here, especially in South Carolina—and that’s without a Joaquin landfall. We’re, of course, hoping the wind stays…minimal.

Love the unexpected color of the beauty-bush berries.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Looking out

We made a late-afternoon, spontaneous drop-in trip to the BotGarden, and found rain lilies. At least, I think I read the label that corresponds to this flower. Looks like a spring bulb-bloom…but it sure isn’t spring! (It’s a Zephyranthes spp. in the Amaryllis family.)

The autumnal season is confirmed by the lineup of Halloween creatures just inside the drop-gate at the garden…ready for distribution throughout the display areas. Not sure what this one is. They often have clever names; we’ll have to return and find out what this one’s is.

Posted at 7:14 PM | Comments Off on Incoming call