Photo Hunter — "public"

Given these two choices of public transportation—

the New York subway or the Venetian vaporetto—I'll 

choose the one I'm not forced to ride every day!

[You can see more of this "public" challenge here.]

Skywatch Friday

Recently took a ride on the Staten

Island ferry at dusk—there was just

enough light left to get a shot of

the old girl with my long lens.

[See more Skywatch here.]

Thursday Challenge — "blue"

For some reason, I thought this would be hard—

then I couldn't decide and wound up with blue

pics from all over: Paris (a painting in the Musée

d'Orsay), Italy (a house in Burano, glass in Murano,

gondole in Venice, graffiti in the Cinque Terre),

Greece (sea, sky, and boats all in one shot),

Manhattan (cafe tables), Virginia (a pool reflected),

and Brooklyn (garden flowers, greenmarket

blueberries, and the Coney Island police station).

[See more "blue" here.]

abc Wednesday - B is for "brides on Brooklyn Bridge"

The bridge is not just for proposals.

Maybe that couple will also hike up here 

with their photographer after

they've tied the knot—though folks

have also gotten married on the bridge.

Mazel tov to all these happy

 brides and grooms!

[See more of the letter B here at ABC Wednesday.]

That's My World Tuesday

This amazing installation, called Event Horizon,

will be up until August 15. It's the work of

Antony Gormley and consists of 31 life-size

sculptures cast from Gormley's own body.

There are four in cast iron on the ground and 27

 more in fiberglass mounted on rooftops and

building ledges—mostly within sight of Madison

Square Park, though some have been placed 

as far as nine blocks away.

[You can see more of the world here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Now that's an impressive collection

of rubber duckies! Apparently Ernie's

not the only one on Sesame Street

who would be envious.

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

This is Frank, the world's sweetest cat. He

began life as a hardworking barn cat, but now he 

has the best of both worlds—since

he left the barn and invited himself to live

with my cousin in her comfy house with a full 

food bowl and lots of big, soft beds.  And as 

you can see, he still enjoys his

early-morning outdoor adventures too.

[Check out lots more shadows here.]

photo Hunter — "hanging"

If I won the lottery, I'd fill my home(s!)

with these gorgeous hanging lamps

designed by Mariano Fortuny. I'm

pretty sure there's only

one place (in Venice) allowed to manufacture

the real thing (just as there's only

one store in Venice allowed to sell

the fabulous Fortuny fabrics).

[You can find more things "hanging" here.]

Skywatch Friday

I was sitting on the plane, waiting—and

waiting—to take off from LaGuardia

airport. Fortunately, as long as I have

Skywatch pics like this one to shoot,

I never get bored.

[You can see more Skywatch here.]

Thursday Challenge — "hot"

Almost any shot I've taken in the past few

weeks here in NYC should qualify, but

the glassblowers of Murano have to deal

with summer temps—and this too.

[You'll find more "hot" blogs here.]

abc wednesday - A is for "ancient"

And also for Athens and Acropolis, where

I took this shot a long time ago—using

Kodachrome (speaking of ancient), a

kind of film you can't even buy anymore

(sorry about that, Paul and Art).

[You'll find lots more for "A" here—where

ABC Wednesday is starting its 4th year!]

Ruby Tuesday

Most of the time, this joint is jumpin'—with

thousands of visitors, tourists and locals alike.

But early on a Sunday morning, the South

Street Seaport looks like this. On this particular

Sunday, it was a starting-off point for a

couple of charity walks.

[You can see more Ruby Tuesday here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Must admit that this is definitely

a not-so-mellow yellow. These giant 

rats are usually parked by

union workers in front of buildings

where non-union labor is hired.

Maybe at this building, on 42nd Street, 

they've hired non-union

workers to clean out asbestos.

[You can see more Mellow (or not)

Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

If I were retired, I'd definitely get a membership

to the Metropolitan Museum.  I'd work my way

through the whole place, then start all over

again. You could spend days right here

in the Egyptian wing.

[See more shadows here.]

photo Hunter — "triangle"

I'd have to say there are probably hundreds 

of triangles here in the Coney Island 

(or at least that's what it used

to be—now it's just a landmark).

[You can see more triangles here.]

Skywatch Friday

At 21,000 feet, somewhere between

New York and Virginia . . .

[Happy 3rd anniversary to the folks

at Skywatch!]

Thursday Challenge — "weather"

I chose this shot because a) we've been having

mostly hot and humid here and this looks so

refreshing, and b) it's Paris—the outdoor tables

at the Flore—and yesterday was Bastille Day so

of course Paris was exactly where I wanted to be.

Sigh.  [See more "weather" here.]

abc wednesday - Z is for "Zenith"

As, in this case, the tippy-top of 

the beautiful ET! ET!! ET!!!

(Hi, Suzy!) And a Happy Bastille

Day to all mes amis français 

and fellow francophiles!

[See more ABC Wednesday here.]

That's My World Tuesday

This really is my world—best I can figure,

we were just about to fly directly over my

house when I took this shot. This shows a few 

Brooklyn neighborhoods, Governor's

Island, the tip of Manhattan, and, of course,

my beloved Brooklyn Bridge.

[You can see more of the world here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Have never caught Dave's show myself, but

when my kids were 13 or 14 years old, they'd

hang around the stage door after school just to see 

whom they could meet. I guess that was

one way to stay out of trouble (or get into it!).

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

Another forbidden shot (we were about

to come in for a landing). Sorry—not. 

 This is the Unisphere , which has

been here since the 1964 World's Fair.

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

photo Hunter — "free"

I have a hard time deciding what to 

post here when the choice is all ours. Finally

settled on this shot of Machu Picchu taken

from the top of Huayna Picchu.

I "borrowed" it from my daughter Lila, whose

birthday is today. (She and her sister

were here a couple of weeks ago.)

[See more Photo Hunter "free" shots here.]

Skywatch Friday

Was headed east across the Brooklyn Bridge,

on my way home—glad I happened to turn

around and catch this view to the west

over downtown Manhattan.

[See more Skywatch here.]

Thursday Challenge: Sports

This is my friend Lisa putting her beautiful

show horse Hoochie through the paces. The way 

I understand it, these horses respond to

quiet voice commands to change speed or

gait—and Hoochie is clearly paying very close 

attention to whatever Lisa is saying here.

Wish I had a video, because the two of them look 

gorgeous together (and they even have matching manes)!

[See more "Sports" here.]

abc wednesday - Y is for "Yum!"

Hey, Y is surprisingly difficult! This is the

amuse-bouche starter of one of the

yummiest meals I've ever had—the 3-hour

prix-fixe lunch at Le Grand Véfour, which

I've featured before.

[See more interpretations of Y here.]

Ruby Tuesday

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (my "backyard") 

recently celebrated its 100th birthday, 

and all members were invited to the party, which

featured music that was popular around 

100 years ago. The band was totally into it—

especially this guy with his bright red piano!

[See more Ruby Tuesday posts here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Well, they did it again down here in VA

(home of the do-it-yourself fireworks

extravaganza). I didn't miss the

 Macy's display one bit!

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

I'm down in Virginia for the 4th, enjoying

some good ol' Southern hospitality. 

This photo's actually from my last visit here

—taken at dawn at the local airport.

photo Hunter — "open"

You pass through these beautiful old doors

to leave the grounds of San Miniato—I hike

up there every time I'm lucky enough 

to get to Florence.

Skywatch Friday

Not a bad way to pass a summer holiday.

Actually, I took this shot on the 

July 4th weekend 4 years ago, in beautiful 

McCall, Idaho—where I spent a day 

 sailing with my big bro.

[See more Skywatch here.]

Thursday Challenge: Home

Home is where the cats are—and Stubby 

likes to make himself at home whenever I'm

trying to work on the computer—he's 

giving me that look because he thinks I'm 

about to make him move (as if to say, "Don't even

try it, lady!"). I let him stay, but only because

he wasn't actually lying ON the keyboard—for a change.

[See more pics of "home," here at

the Thursday Challenge.