Kearsarge

This is a photo of one of the ships in New York last weekend for the annual Fleet Week. Fleet Week is a celebration for the Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who come to the city for some vacation time and for demonstrations and displays of the participating ships. These flags were on the U.S.S. Kearsarge. I'm afraid I don't know much about the boat or its origins. I liked the colorful flags though. A good weekend to all!

Sun bathers

We've had such a cool spring here that when we finally have some lovely days, people appreciate it all the more. This is a shot of people out enjoying a Friday afternoon in Bryant Park at the start of the holiday weekend. It was a lovely start to the long weekend!

Hudson Highlands

Today I am showing a photo not from NYC, but from the surrounding area. This is a shot taken on a recent weekend hike near Cold Spring, New York, about an hour north of the city. There are beautiful hiking trails there (and some are a little challenging!) but you are rewarded with some amazing views of the Hudson River and the surrounding mountains. This is a photo from a spot called breakneck ridge. I want to go back and take another shot when the leaves are changing colors in the fall.

Library Lion

Thanks again everyone for your nice comments. I've missed this and have decided to come back after my break. (I'll try not to make so many comments on other blogs, I don't want to annoy anyone!) In any case, here is a view of one of the marble lions that guard the entrance to the main branch of the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. The lions are named Patience and Fortitude. (I think the one in this picture is Patience.) They were given their names by New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in the 1930s. They are always nicely decorated with wreaths at Christmas time so I'll have to remember to go back and take another photo then.

Thanks again for your support and see you around!

Goodbye for now

I’ve come to realize it’s time to take a break from blogging. I received this note from someone recently.

“You happen to comment on three of my favorite blogs. I wish you would take a break from commenting, you know. I really do. The shallowness in your comments is simply appalling. Are you that superficial and witless in real life? Read the comments you’ve been posting before you answer that question.”

It's a little weird that this person feels so strongly about my comments. But in any case, I don't feel so enthusiastic about blogging right now, so, I think it’s time to take a step back from it for a while. (I know I need to get a thicker skin!) I'll still stop by to see all of your beautiful photos.

Thanks for all of your visits and I wish you all the best!

Update: Thank you all for your very kind words. I really appreciate all of your sweet comments. Thank you so much! I've found that I miss blogging and the nice people in this community, so I'll be back soon. I think I'll start up again next week, I just have to get out and get some new photos first. In the meantime, thanks again for all your kind words.

Ferry Terminal

I thought I'd show you a front view of the building I was inside yesterday. This is the Staten Island Ferry terminal. The Staten Island Ferry is free and many people ride it each day back and forth between Manhattan and Staten Island. Staten Island is the least populous borough in Manhattan but the third largest in land mass. The ferry is very popular with tourists and gives a view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. (I just had the feeling that I showed this photo before, but I can't remember for sure. So if I did, sorry!)

Shapes

I liked seeing all of the squares and rectangles in this shot. This was a photo I took looking out from inside the Staten Island Ferry terminal. You can see the end of the word "Island" and the beginning of the word "Ferry" on the sign outside, which lights up at night. This is one of those shots that doesn't show much, but somehow I still liked it. It gives a glimpse of downtown Manhattan.

Wave Hill Gardens

Yesterday I visited one of my favorite spots in New York, Wave Hill, in the Bronx. Wave Hill is a garden and cultural center with beautiful views overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades in New Jersey. They have gardens, woodlands and greenhouses and also have concerts, art exhibits and family activities. It is a wonderful place to spend a nice spring afternoon. It was a little cloudy that day, so it was the first time I tried adjusting the white balance on my camera. I'll have to do some more experimenting with that but I think it came out okay. I hope you all have a good week ahead!

Upper West Fest

The street festival season in New York has begun! I love a street festival with all of the food and shopping and music. These musicians were performing on Broadway at a recent street festival. The Upper West Fest is a festival of outdoor performances in various places on the upper west side of Manhattan during the month of May. Maybe I'll find another street fair somewhere this weekend. Have a great weekend and thanks for visiting today!

Subway Platform

Most of the subway stations I use tend to be underground where there's not much opportunity for taking photos. So, when I'm on when one of the elevated platforms I can't resist snapping a few shots. I always enjoy waiting for the train out in the open, but of course I wouldn't say that if I had to do it all winter. This was at the Beebe Avenue stop in Queens. As you can see there wasn't a train in sight, so I had lots of time for taking photos.

Public Art

I've walked past this statue of a draft horse pulling a cart many times and just recently looked up its name and history. It part of a public art installation by the British artist Sarah Lucas and is called "Perceval."

On the publicartfund.org website I read, "The piece is a replica of a popular knick-knack that adorns many mantelpieces in the UK; the subject matter reflects Lucas' predilection for reexamining everyday objects in unusual contexts. The installation of Perceval at the entrance to Central Park, where horse drawn carriages line-up daily to offer guided visits of New York, plays off of its urban and pedestrian surroundings."

It was at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South until recently when it ended its run. I'll have to go back and see what they've got there now.

Baseball

A sign of spring, the baseball games have returned to Central Park. Whenever I take a walk at lunch I see them playing and they are fun to watch. A lot of people play in leagues or they play for company teams, which have games in the park. I'd like to join a team, but I have no talent for sports!

Deserted Beach

Things were pretty quiet on the beach at Coney Island on Saturday. Last summer I took a photo of the beach when it was much busier. The few people walking here were runners getting ready to start the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which began on the Coney Island Boardwalk. Saturday was a dreary day, but things were looking much better on Sunday. Have a nice week!

Pussy Willows and Peppers

This is a shot from a recent visit to the farmer's market. Pussy willows always make me think of spring and I love to see them. I'm not sure where the people who had this stand got the chili peppers as I usually associate them with the southwest. But, maybe they grow them here too. I wish you all a great weekend and see you Monday!

Tom's Restaurant

I had lunch recently at Tom's restaurant a family-owned diner and a Brooklyn institution. It's just the type of place that seems to be disappearing from New York now. They serve the classic egg creams and their famous cherry lime rickey. The people that own it and who work there are so nice. They even serve you oranges and cookies while you wait for a table. Such a cute place!

And here is the cherry lime rickey - very refreshing!