Friday, April 30, 2010

Skywatch Friday



This should probably be called "Smogwatch" Friday!
Took this from the Brooklyn Bridge early on an
overcast morning.  Made me want to hurry to my
airless office—or buy an oxygen mask.  We're
no doubt breathing this stuff in every day—scary!

[See more—and possibly healthier—Skywatch pix here.]

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Face It



Want to play with your face?
Go to photofunia.com and insert a current
(or not so—in my case, this shot dates 
back to the dawn of photography) photo of your
mug into one of more than 150 effects.
Loads of fun for the whole family!

[If you want to see how others met the
"Thursday Challenge: Face," or play
along yourself, go here.]

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

abc wednesday - O is for "open"



Yes, the gate is open, but the good
people of Vernazza in Italy's Cinque Terre 
are probably in no hurry to get
in . . . even though their little cemetery
at the tippy-top of the town truly has

[See how others interpreted "O" here.]

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

That's My World Tuesday



The brick buildings on either side are part
of the Governor Alfred E. Smith Houses—12 
buildings on about 22 acres, with 1,931 apartments 
and almost 6,000 residents.
This may be the projects (council houses),
but with the Brooklyn Bridge close by on one side 
and that tall-ish building on the other, 
they have some million-dollar views!

[Go here to see more of the world.]

Monday, April 26, 2010

Mellow Yellow Monday



I'm taking it quite literally this Monday—
just because I can!  Love this 
time of year, when it seems as though 
absolutely everything is in bloom.

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Sunday, April 25, 2010

shadow shot sunday



This picture was actually taken many,
many years ago, in Antigua.   It didn't take as 
much nerve as you think (in fact it's 
taking more now to show those
un-pedicured toes).  Rather than risk finding 
him in the bed later, we emptied an entire
 can of bug killer on this poor arachnid—
this is his post mortem.
(And, yes, I'm sorry now to have done that.)

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Photo Hunter — "addiction"



Could have posted chocolate, or ice cream,
or cigarettes (kicked that one, fortunately).
I don't have a garden—or a green thumb—so I wait 
all winter for the flower people to return
 to the greenmarket so I can feed my addiction 
for fresh flowers.  (If you think of them as 
food for the soul, it hardly even seems like an indulgence.)
Well, the flower folks ARE back—last week, daffodils; 
this week, tulips; next week, lilacs!

[See more "addictions" here.]

Friday, April 23, 2010

Skywatch Friday



They're out in all their glorious
"pinkitude"—I'm grateful every year
when the cherry blossoms are at
their peak and the weather is
gorgeous too!

[See more Skywatch here.]

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Thursday Photo Challenge: "Food"


They were in a tank, in a food store in Chinatown.

But I always thought of these fish as
strictly ornamental.  I'm confused.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo Challenge, go here.]

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

abc wednesday - N is for "narrow"



This VERY narrow street is in
Bordeaux. You can almost
stand in the middle and stretch
your arms out to touch the walls
on either side. (A slight exaggeration,
maybe, but I love this quaint old town.)

[See how others interpreted "N" here.]

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

framed



As you know if you've come by lately, now
that the weather is nicer I've been interrupting
my subway commute with a walk across the
Brooklyn Bridge on my way to work—and home.
• A monthly subway pass = $89.
• The iPod on which I upload free NPR
podcasts of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"
to listen to as I hike the mile+ over
the bridge = $150.
• This incredible view of the Empire
State Bldg. framed by a stanchion of the
Manhattan Bridge = priceless.

[This post is part of That's My World Tuesday.
See more of the world here.]

Monday, April 19, 2010

Mellow Yellow Monday



Probably the most famous NYC meeting spot was
"under the clock at the Biltmore." It's where J.D. Salinger 
used to meet New Yorker editor Wallace Shawn 
(and he took Holden Caulfield there too). But
since the Biltmore is no more—gutted in 1981 despite
its landmark status—we'll just have to meet here in the
Center Lobby of the Waldorf Astoria, under this beautiful clock,
 instead. It was created for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, 
stands 9 feet tall, and weighs two tons. Around the
base are likenesses of Washington, Cleveland, Harrison,
Lincoln, Grant, Franklin, Jackson, and Queen Victoria. Every
quarter hour, the clock sounds the Westminster Chimes.

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Photo Hunter — "covered"



Here's the Hotel Raphael, in Rome
(can't afford to stay here, so I drink
here before dinner instead). The entire
front of this place is covered
 in flowering vines—how beautiful!

[See how others interpreted "covered" here.]

Friday, April 16, 2010

Skywatch Friday



If you're in the right place at the right
time of day (early evening, looking
southwest from the Brooklyn side of
the East River), you may get this
view of light reflected in the water.

[See more Skywatch here.]

Thursday, April 15, 2010

New York at Night (6)



This is one of Apple's three stores in
Manhattan—the one downtown in Chelsea. 
 Wonder how many iPads
they've sold since Apple came out
with their latest toy last weekend?
To find out, see here.
Can't afford it myself, but then again,
I don't have an iPhone or even a
Blackberry (and don't feel lost without
either—go figure).

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

abc wednesday - M is for "Murano"




Murano is the island just off Venice where
the glassblowers had to relocate (in 1291)
because of the very real risk of fire. They're still 
"doing their thing" here (love those
chandeliers) more than 700 years later!

[See how others interpret "M" at ABC
Wednesday, here.]

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

That's My World




Still walking across the bridge after work,
and still taking photos (for myself and also for
 the many, many visitors I encounter who are 
holding their camera at arm's 
length as they try to take a photo of
themselves)—and if I see these T-shirts again, 
I might have to buy one (and will
probably feel compelled to explain that,
no, I am NOT a tourist.

[Check out the rest of the world here.]

Monday, April 12, 2010

Mellow Yellow Monday



Unfortunately for Mellow Yellow purposes,
International Waffle Day (March 24) was on
a Wednesday this year. These waffles are Belgian, 
but IWD originated in Sweden.
("God dag, Sven—let's have some waffles and 
celebrate the end of that long, dark
winter!") So if you figured out where this
truck would be (that day, it was parked on 
46th Street between 5th and 6th Aves.) and you wore
 something yellow, they'd give you one
 free waffle.  Nice PR, eh?

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Shadow Shot Sunday



Watched this tough-looking bulldog
cross Broadway at 23rd Street—and as the
 dog's owner stopped near me,
I heard him say, "Come on, Buttercup,
there's a good dog."
Excuse me—Buttercup??

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

Saturday, April 10, 2010

photo Hunter — "vertical"



New York has some pretty nice ones
and Venice boasts one with bells.
But, seriously—for this, what else could 
I choose but my number-one
all-time-favorite vertical thing?

[Catch more "verticals" here.]

Friday, April 9, 2010

Skywatch Friday



Spring has sprung here at the Brooklyn
Museum, another great Bklyn institution
that's +/- five minutes from my house
(lucky me). This museum has an amazing
Egyptian collection and right now they've
added to it with this exhibit.

[See more Skywatch pix here.]

Thursday, April 8, 2010

New York Then and Now




These houses on Gramercy Park have hardly
changed in 75 years (aside from some missing
shutters, new windows, and gates, they're pretty
much intact). This pleases me immensely, 
because in this town even buildings with 
Landmark status aren't necessarily safe.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

abc wednesday - L is for "lagoon"



And here's my all-time and forever fave:
the beautiful Venetian lagoon. Are you one of the 
lucky ones who has seen this beautiful sight in person?

[Find more "L" pix here.]

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

another balloon boy



Caught this one (and he caught me catching
him!) recently along Gramercy Park North, on one 
of the first beautiful spring days we had
after more than our share of snow followed
by more than our share of rain.  He did remind
me a bit of this guy.

[See more My World Tuesday posts here.]

Monday, April 5, 2010

Mellow Yellow Monday



The forsythia shows up every year and lasts
for about 12 seconds—but it sure is pretty
(and oh so yellow!) while it's here.

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Shadow Shot Sunday



Downtown Manhattan—seen from 
the (vehicle) approach to the 
Brooklyn Bridge, here's a shadow 
cast by one of my fave NYC landmarks: 

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

Saturday, April 3, 2010

photo Hunter — "sweet"



This is the coconut birthday cake that
my sister-in-law (hey, I helped!) made for
my mom's 90th birthday. Here's the
recipe for anyone who wants to ingest
4,000 (absolutely worth it!) calories in one
small slice. This was taken after she blew
out the 9 (no, not 90) candles.

[See more takes on the "sweet" theme here.]

Friday, April 2, 2010

skywatch Friday



Well, there's not a whole lot I can say
about this one, except that it was
taken at the end of a beautiful summer day in
 Virginia, part of why I keep going back—
that and the relatives who live
there (and since you can't choose your
relatives, I am so lucky to have the ones I do).

[You can see more Skywatch images here.]

Thursday, April 1, 2010

more terrace envy



And these are in Rome. To the best of
my recollection, this place is on via
Gregoriana, near the corner of via le Case 
(just in case anyone else is as
addicted to Google Earth as I am).