Thursday Challenge–"rippled"

I've shown you this newest Frank Gehry
building before. Now it's completed and
a good choice, I think, for this challenge for
something curved, bent, rippled . . .
I think the design is brilliant. How about you?

[To see more things that are curved, 

bent, rippled, twisted . . . go here.]

abc wednesday —X is for "x-ray"

I guess if you do ABC Wednesday long enough,
it's inevitable.  This is my colleague Sharon's
rotator cuff (it's all better now). 
[To see how others interpreted the letter X
(without resorting to the obvious), go here.] 

They do!

Given the historic legislation passed last week, Sunday's Gay Pride parade 
was one big celebration—and it was huge!  (And forced me to be 
uncharacteristically pushy to get these shots.)  I loved those guys 

with the sign that read, "Thirty Years Engaged. Let's Get Married!" 

They got a wonderful, warm response from the crowd.
[I'm linking back to That's My World. To see more of the world, go here.]

No, I did not take this photo.  A lot of people
thought this was done specifically after the
passage of the Marriage Equality Act—
but the Empire State Building was lit
up like this all week for Gay Pride.

bzzzzzzz

A shot like this is a real challenge, and I always
appreciate it when the bee stays still long
enough for me to take the picture—and doesn't
sting me even though I'm up in its face.
[Hey, it's Mellow Yellow Monday and Macro Monday.]

The Jewel in the Lotus

Om—one beautiful lotus flower in full 
bloom.  And who needs more than one?


[To see more shadows, go to Shadow Shot Sunday. 
And to see more flowers, go to Today's Flowers.

photo hunt—cards

For me, impossible to choose between Paris and Venice.
Where would your favorite postcard come from?
[To see more cards, go to tnchick's photohunter meme.]

Skywatch Friday

You don't see this every day in New York.
Caught this rainbow over the 59th Street Bridge
last week with my iPhone. (Also took some shots with my 
camera, but the phone caught the mood better—go figure!)
[To see more Skywatch, go here.]

Challenge: Walk in the Street

They set up a block party/street fair near my office
last Friday (kind of unusual for a weekday
in midtown).  I was surprised to see people lined up
for fried Oreos. (Might possibly be delish, but . . . seriously?)
So what's your favorite forbidden food?
[This is my walk in the street. To see more, go here.]

abc wednesday —W is for "Whoopi"

And also for "wax"—because this Whoopi is
not the real one, but her Madame Tussaud double.
Makes for a nice photo op on 42nd Street though.
[To see more ABC Wednesday, go here.]

Happy Hour! (or not)

 Actually, I took this picture at a little past o'dark-thirty
in the morning.  I'm sure that when Happy Hour
rolled around for real, the joint was jumpin'.
One thing I love about Paris café culture:  It's
not just a "tourist" thing.  (You even see
locals at the Flore and the Deux Magots.  Still.)

[This is part of my world—sometimes.
To see more of the world, go here.]

Focus in

Who doesn't love a peony—even
at this stage of its life cycle?
[This time, today is Macro Monday.
To see more macros, visit Lisa's Chaos. ]

Today's Flowers

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  *

Loved the tulip display at the Brooklyn Botanic—these are just 
some of the thousands of colorful blooms the visitors were treated to. 
Just as I took this shot, another photographer (one of many) asked me, 
"Where's your tripod?" (Actually, hadn't occurred to me 
to bring one—but I think this worked out okay.)
[To see more flowers or post some of your own, go here.]

the mermaid parade

Today's the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade.  Unfortunately,
I'm missing it.  But fortunately, I have these shots of last
year's parade (stolen borrowed from my talented daughter Lila—
who's also marching this time & I hope someone gets a picture).
One of these years . . . (but as a spectator, not a "mermaid").

Skywatch Friday

Here's a Skywatch that's pretty much just a
big ol' Massachusetts sky. I was in a car but really
wanted to be in that plane creating the contrail up there.
So what's your favorite mode of transportation?
[To see more Skywatch pics (or post one of your own), go here.]

Thursday Challenge–"liquid"

Could have chosen all sorts of things for "liquid," but why
not just start and end with Champagne?  When my girls and I
traveled to Paris last March, that was their idea of a Parisian breakfast.
Just add strawberries—plus coffee and a croissant.  Perfection!
[To see more liquid, go here to the Thursday Photo Challenge.]

abc wednesday —V is for "vines"

The a-mazing, over-the-top green ones are both in Rome.
As for the other two, one is in Paris, the other right here in
my Brooklyn neighborhood—can you tell which is which?
[To see more "V" posts, visit ABC Wednesday.]

Happy Anniversary!

Can't believe I've been doing this blog for 3 years.
Here's a toast to all my dear friends who come
to visit—I appreciate you all so much!

Monday Doorways

Last week I promised a more famous church
with a colorful side door—how about Notre Dame?
[To see more doors, or to add one of your own,
go here, chez Louis la Vache.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

Yesterday I introduced you to one of the early-morning
walkers I encounter regularly on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Here's another one—though I'm glad to say I
haven't seen this helpful pup toting his load
in the past few days (when the temp has been soaring).
[To see more shadows, go here.]

Laptop Guy

On my morning commute across the Brooklyn Bridge, I tend
to encounter the same folks again and again.  One of my fellow walkers
is this person, whom I've dubbed "laptop guy."  I've never
seen him without his ubiquitous computer (and red baseball cap).
Do you suppose he's writing the great American novel, one-handed?                                                                       

Skywatch Friday

On my homeward commute across the Brooklyn Bridge
I'm heading due east, but I've learned to look
behind me—because at that hour, the best skies
 are almost always to the west.  Case in point . . .
[To see more Skywatch pics, go here.]

Challenge: Walk in the Street

While walking in the street in Venice, I encountered this
charming gondoliere and his friend.  I tried to take the shot
surreptitiously, but they caught me—and smiled anyway.  Grazie!
[To see more "street" shots, go here.]

abc wednesday —U is for "unacceptable"

And also "underwear."  I know it's not done to air your
dirty laundry, but I'm not sure I'd want the neighbors
checking out my clean undies either.  How about you?

And then there are these guys, who belt their
pants below their butt so we can all admire
their underwear. Yikes.  I've been trying to
figure out this "fashion trend" for a while now, and
I'm still stumped. But I'm not the only one who
thinks it looks really asinine (so to speak), am I?
[To see more "abc" posts, go here.]

That's My World

This crazy mural on Houston Street was created
by  Kenny Scharf, a California artist who now lives
in (where else?) Brooklyn.  I read that he didn't
do a preliminary sketch, but just started with a
red nose and worked out from there.

[It's Tuesday, and that's my world. To see
more of the world, go here to Klaus's meme.]

Monday Doorways

Sometimes the side door of a church (another, more famous,
example to come) is more interesting—or at least more
colorful—than the main entrance.  This pretty pink door belongs to 
one of the many, many (almost 700!) churches in Brooklyn. 
[To see more doorways, go here chez Louis la Vache.]

A rose is a rose

And they're finally starting to bloom in the garden.
I could spend hours there—oh wait, I did— and this 
was one of my faves of the many pictures I took.
[Today is Shadow Shot Sunday. To see more shadows, go here.]

Balloon Boy 3

Looks like someone is celebrating their 80th birthday!
I love it when I see some random guy walking
down the street (or riding the subway!) with
a big bouquet of colorful balloons.  This one
seems to have a full complement of tattoos too. 
[I'm linking back to Olivier Perrin's Walk in the Street 
challenge.  To see more, go here.]

Skywatch Friday

Unfair, but it rains in Rome even when you're there
on vacation.  Still, it always clears up eventually (I caught 
this pretty post-storm sky from the Capitoline Hill).
[To see more Skywatch, go here.]

Thursday Challenge–"home"

I thought a bit about this one, and ultimately realized that
the first thing I look at in anyone's home is their books—
so here's a small but select section of mine.

But these are the runners-up: Buddy snacking on the
pansies in the window and a couple of my fave things 
(because this lamp and mirror are both just a bit over the top).
[To see more posts for "home," go here.]

abc wednesday —T is for "trolley tracks"

Not a lot of cobblestone streets left around here—
and you definitely won't find a lot of trolley tracks.
This is Dumbo, and that's the Manhattan Bridge up ahead.
[To see more takes on the letter T, go here.]