Sunday, May 31, 2009

walkin' the dog



Well, actually, this pooch is riding in style.
I've never ridden in a hansom cab myself,
and probably won't.  Must admit that I can't
stand seeing these horses out here if the
weather's very hot or cold—but it does seem
as though that happens less these days.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

up on the roof



Any evening after work, they can just grab
a couple of beers and some folding chairs and
chill up on the roof (aka tar beach).
Who needs a backyard anyway?

Friday, May 29, 2009

Skywatch Friday



The sky above and the sky below, reflected
in the Arno.  I think everyone who goes to
Florence takes some version of this shot—
from the Ponte Vecchio, looking west toward
Ponte Santa Trinita and Ponte alla Carraia
beyond.  I'd like to be there right now!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

It's all happenin' at the zoo


I believe I told you a while back that there
would be polar bears and monkeys. Wouldn't
want to break such a promise, so I made a
little visit to the Central Park Zoo.
The bear is Aida—she's 22 years old (the
keeper told me that polar bears live about
15 years in the wild, but more like 25 in
captivity) and she weighs 500 pounds.


And these are snow monkeys; the little one
was being a real pest, so one of the adults
finally turned around and told him to get
lost (in so many words).

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

abc Wednesday — S is for "sun, surf, and sand"



This is Emerald Isle, North Carolina, 
gorgeous spot at any time—even during
hurricane season, and we got slammed
about two days after I took this picture.
Still, it sure was nice while it lasted.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

public safety



Not exactly sure what this officer's function
is supposed to be, but I'm not too impressed.
I mean, come on!  She couldn't even catch 
these blatant jay-walkers!

Monday, May 25, 2009

dunes



. . . out in Montauk, where I went to
hear the Lone Sharks play yesterday
at Nick's on the Beach.  And what did
you do this weekend?

Sunday, May 24, 2009

friends in high places

Found this friendly window washer hanging
around the 32nd floor of the Hearst Bldg.,
where I used to work (think I've mentioned:
don't miss the job, do miss the view).


He'd better get busy, though—that's 
a lot of glass to keep clean!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

peek-a-boo



Last weekend, I went to see friends
who breed, raise, and show the most
beautiful horses—even their 
barn is gorgeous.

Friday, May 22, 2009

skywatch Friday



Took this while riding home from the
airport this week.  The cabbie offered
to pull off the road so I could get the
picture—but what's the challenge in that?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

fog



This is Prospect Park early in the morning,
before the fog has lifted—my favorite time
of day here.  I also love it because before
9 a.m. dogs are allowed off their leash
and have the run of the mead (the huge
meadow that makes up the center of the park).  
The pups look like they're having
so much fun—running around, greeting
their friends—it almost makes me want
to have a dog (almost!).

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

abc Wednesday — R is for "Rockaway"



The western end of this peninsula is a nice
place to live (if a bit of a commute from
Manhattan and definitely lacking in
diversity), and the eastern end has become
kinda sad in recent years.
The beach is great.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

the national debt



. . . as of 5/3/09 at approximately 2:30 am.
Before 2000, this clock on a building facing
Union Square was counting down the minutes
until the millennium.  Now it's tracking the
national debt.  I stood there and watched for
a bit, and I didn't see the numbers going down!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Wisteria sinensis



If I had a house with a yard, the whole
place would be dripping with wisteria.
I've seen houses where the vines
brought down the porch, and thought
it would be worth having to rebuild
if you had these flowers blooming for
even a week or two every year.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

pointy-topped doo-dads



That's what they are now.  Not long ago I thought they 
were just (yet) another new bank building, and 4 Times Square 
peeking out from behind. 4 Times Square is the Condé Nast Building,
home of Vogue, Vanity Fair, Gourmet, and The New Yorker 
(where I was offered a job on two different occasions and had to turn
them both down because they paid bupkis—broke my heart). 
Anyway, now I see these buildings (and lots of others) in a whole new light.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

lunch "break"



These guys were entertaining the lunchtime
crowd hanging out on the steps of the
 library one day this past week.
I hope they made a few bucks, because 
they were giving it their all!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Skywatch Friday



Am headed to Virginia tomorrow for
the weekend (took this from the plane
on another trip to VA).  I'm always glad
when I get on the plane and discover
that a) it's a prop plane and b) my seat
is right here, where I can keep an eye
on things. I have a bit of a love/hate
thing for flying. How about you?
[P.S.—have posted ahead and may or
may not be able to comment.] Enjoy
the weekend.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

I could drop some bucks here



If I had it to spend, I wouldn't head
for Tiffany or Saks Fifth Avenue.  
I'd go here to B and H, the huge camera 
(and more!) store at 9th Ave. and 34th St.
Just got their catalog in the mail and
it's about the size of my Yellow Pages.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

abc Wednesday — Q is for "Queens Midtown Tunnel"



. . . which runs under the East River between
(duh) midtown Manhattan and Queens. After
I stood there snapping pictures in full view of
the little police box across the way, I turned
around and saw a big sign that said "NO Photos!"

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

rule of (green) thumb



If you're going to plant some flowers
(like these gorgeous grape hyacinths,
for example) don't hold back—go
ahead and plant thousands of them!

Monday, May 11, 2009

fashion forward?



or fashion faux pas?
I honestly can't
decide. So does
this make me
fashion feeble?

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Prospect Park station

One of the Brooklyn subway stations that's
below street level but not underground.


Since the trains run 24/7/365, I do feel a bit 
sorry for those folks who live directly above.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

art in the park

Went to Central Park, and just on the short
walk from the SE entrance to the zoo, I
saw all of these people drawing,
 sketching,


or painting something.
(My friend Shell
would have fit right in!)

Friday, May 8, 2009

Skywatch Friday



A storm blew in over St. Peter's Square
and quickly flooded it. Then the sun
came out, and an hour later it hailed!
It was a whole day of crazy weather in Rome.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

truly?



Because I believe that if I put my mind to it 
I could think of a few Indian things they 
might not have.  This place is in a neighborhood 
(Lexington Ave. in the 20s and 30s) that's 
filled with Indian stores and restaurants.
(When I was 2-plus weeks past my due
date with Lila, we came here a few times
so I could eat vindaloo.  I guess we
were hoping to smoke her out!)

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

abc wednesday — P is for "pyramids"



and also Paris, since these are the ones in
front of the Louvre.  I know they were
controversial at first, but I've 
always loved them.  How about you?
(Thought I took this picture, but now I see
myself in it, so credit goes to my daughter Lila.)

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Hanami*



* which is the Japanese tradition of
viewing and cherishing each moment
of the cherry blossom season.
Had to show you the cherry blossoms
in the botanic garden in their full
glory. Here's a time-lapse video of
last year's bloom.

Monday, May 4, 2009

the view from my yoga mat



. . . at my fave yoga studio, at my fave
yoga class, taught by the lovely and
talented Kevin, who would love to be
in Varanasi (and so he turns off fans
and turns on space heaters, even
though the temp is 93°F!)  That's
okay—we're schvitzing for Shiva.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

pensive bride

Is she getting cold feet?
No, see—she's perfectly happy on her big day.
  But speaking of feet, I predict she'll 
jettison those high heels ASAP!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

making friends at the greenmarket



The only flowers at the Saturday market last
week were daffodils and almond blossoms.
Won't be long before there will be so many
choices I won't be able to decide and I'll wind
up with flowers in every room in the house.
This little guy was much more interested
in getting to know every dog he encountered.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Skywatch Friday



This was taken from the Hearst Building
(where I used to work), looking southwest
across the Hudson River and over New Jersey.
My mother has an expression that she hauls
out to explain any otherwise inexplicable
phenomena: It's all done with chemicals.
I believe it applies here.