Shadow Shot Sunday

It's lots of fun (pricey, though) to skate at the 
Rockefeller Center Rink—but when you're
just watching, it's nice to find a whole crew of 
people out on the ice who really know 
what they're doing.

[To see more Sunday Shadows, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

My fire escape never looks pretty—
except under a pristine blanket of snow.

[To see more black/white photos,
visit Dragonstar's meme.]

skywatch/reflections

After many hours of snow last Saturday,
we woke up to bright sunshine on
Sunday.  This what it looked like at the
end of the day, with the setting sun
reflected in the East River.

[Linking back to Skywatch Friday,
Weekend Reflections, and Pink Saturday].

Thursday Challenge—"unusual things"

Or maybe everyone has a seven-foot
light-up palm tree in their house?
Thanks again to my crazy cousins, who
sent this to me and seriously
upped the funk factor chez moi.

[To see more unusual things, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—C is for "cat"

This beautiful kitty has a pretty big space
at the Bronx Zoo, but maybe could
use a bit more; she was pacing the length
of it over and over.  Or maybe she just
needs more stimulation.  Must admit, I have
mixed feelings about zoos.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

the weatherman got it right

Another image from our recent storm—
this was Saturday at noon.  For some reason,
I thought I was going to the park—ha!
Gusting wind (to 50 mph) made me turn back
when I was still within sight of my
building (almost visible at top left). Really
had to hand it to this intrepid dad!

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and
to Our World Tuesday.]

blizzard photo op

It'll all start melting today, but it was
beautiful (if inconvenient) while
it lasted.  Here's the street lamp outside
my apartment, dripping with icicles.

[To see more Monday Mellow Yellows, go here.]

inSPIREd Sunday

Here's the beautiful dome of Sacré Coeur
in Paris.  This shot was taken a few
years ago and I'm a bit sad to report that
when I was last there (in July) they
had outlawed photography in the church
altogether.  Maybe that's not a bad
thing (it is a church, after all), though I'm
sure it was the "flashers" who precipitated that
new rule.  You know who you are!

[To see more churches from around the world, go here.]

Where to?

I don't recall what metro stop this is, but I felt 
like I had stepped back in time when 
I saw the signs at either end.  Hardly any 
stations have these now, but I remember 
them from 50 (!) years ago. 

[Linking back to Weekend Reflections (however subtle) 
and to The Weekend in Black and White.]

Weekend Reflections

This is the elevated subway station
at E. Tremont Avenue, up in the Bronx,
where you get off to go to the zoo.

[To see more Weekend Reflections,
visit James's meme.]

Thursday Challenge—"everyday things"

I love my wooden spoons, which are
both utilitarian and beautiful;
the broken one is my favorite, because
it belonged to my grandmother.
This was her Hoosier cabinet, btw, and it
still has its original zinc countertop.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo
Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—B is for "bridges"

Why I choose my seat carefully when booking 
a flight back home from Virginia: the hope 
of getting this view.  That's the Brooklyn Bridge 
(my daily commute) on the left, the
Manhattan Bridge on the right.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

crab apples

Unlike yesterday's tree, this crab apple
has lost all its leaves.  I've seen
squirrels gorging themselves on rose hips
but never seen any eating these
little fruits.  Apparently they do, though—
here's one who ate too many fermented ones
(supposedly he was just fine after he'd slept it off).

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Still hangin' on

Took a stroll through the local botanic
garden the other day.  I don't
know why this little tree still has all
its leaves, but isn't it pretty?

[To see more Monday Mellow Yellow posts, go here.]

inSPIREd Sunday

This is my favorite portal on the façade 
of the Basilica San Marco
in Venice (and I believe the only
one that retains its 13th-century mosaics).  
Check it out—there is a lot going on here!

[To see more churches from 
around the world, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

This was the view from my bedroom window one
morning recently.  You'd hardly know you
were in the most populous of NYC's five boroughs,
would you?  (At last count, there are some
2.6 million of us here in Brooklyn.)

[To see more b/w pics, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

This sculpture (Carol Feuerman's "Monumental Quan")
currently graces the courtyard entrance of the 
Lotte New York Palace Hotel.  This was originally the
home of 19th-century railroad financier
Henry Villard, then was the property of—more famously 
and with the addition of a 55-story glass and 
aluminum tower—Harry Helmsley and his wife (Leona, 
"the Queen of Mean") and also for a while the Sultan of Brunei.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

Live and learn

Thanks for the warning . . . and how did
I not know this? (Oh well, city girl)

[Linking back to signs, signs]

ABC Wednesday—A is for "Ali"

Seen in Soho, Ali larger than life
and at the peak of his power.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.
For more Monday Murals, go here.]

abandoned

Not exactly what I expected to find during
a walk in the woods.  Shame, really.
(At one point years ago, there were six of us
living at my parents' house and five 
beetles parked out front.) 

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Which came first?

Ever since some kids climbed up to the
top of the Brooklyn Bridge one
night and painted the American flag white,
there's been a constant police presence up there.  

So I wonder where they were when someone
tiptoed out across a girder over the
roadway (think Meg Ryan in Kate and Leopold)
and tied those balloons to a cable at the edge.
I also wonder whether all that caution tape
was put at that spot before or after they were added.

[To see more Monday Mellow Yellow posts, go here.]

We Three Kings

Three Kings Day was this past Wednesday,
so that means the season is officially
over—and it's time to take down the tree. 
These three kings were part of the
display at Trinity Church in Rocky Mount, Va.

[Linking back to inSPIREd Sunday
and to Shadow Shot Sunday.]

The Weekend in Black and White

While I was away in the Virginia countryside,
I still walked every day—but instead of
bridges and skyscrapers, my photo ops were
cows and beautiful old barns.

[To see more b/w pics, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

Recently went to Geoffrey Zakarian's restaurant,
named for the show-biz social club that
was once housed in the same building.  It was a
bit bittersweet for me; my father was a member of
The Lambs Club (at the time, fairly exclusive and 
all-male), and my reward for a perfect report
card was always dinner there with him.  A gut reno has 
made the place unrecognizable (though beautiful), 
but they did keep the wonderful, original Stanford White 
fireplace. And, btw, the meal was super.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

signs, signs

New year = new the same resolve.
Can't decide whether to put
this pic on the fridge or just hang
it around my neck.

[To see more signs, go here.]

ABC Wednesday—Z is for "Zamboni"

Here's the guy who keeps the ice nice and smooth
for the skaters at the Rockefeller Center Rink.

And btw, if you haven't seen that 
tree, you have until 8 o'clock
 tomorrow night before they turn
it off and take it down.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

what a sweet dress!

They tend to go all out with the holiday décor
at this wonderful store in Roanoke, Va.
The skirt was made from about 20 pounds
of gummy bears and the bodice was
fashioned from jelly beans.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Color me relaxed

My sister-in-law knows me well—so
she gave me a set of pencils . . .

and the perfect coloring book!

[Linking back to Macro Monday and Blue Monday.]

inSPIREd Sunday

This church in Lexington, Va., was founded in 1840, 
mainly as a place of worship for the cadets at
nearby VMI.  It was originally called Grace Church, 
but after the Civil War it became the R.E. Lee Memorial Church.
This past November, a vote was taken on whether to drop 
the Lee name.  They kept it (but I'm thinking that 
in this town, even if they hadn't it probably would still
have been called the "Lee chapel").

[To see more churches from around the world, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

Like mother, like daughter.
But even when we're taking pictures
of the exact same thing, Lila's 
 are almost always better than mine.
(#proudmama)

[To see more b/w pictures, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Skywatch Friday

Happy 1st day of 2016 from 
beautiful downtown (well, actually 
it's midtown) New York City.

[To see more Skywatch pics, go here.]