Penn's Cave

I had the pleasure to take a tour of Penn's Cave in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania. (Sorry not to have a very good photo, my camera doesn't do very well in low light situations.) According to their website, Penn's Cave is America's only all-water cavern. You go through it in a boat and it was so interesting to see all of the stalagmites, stalactites, and flowstone cascades. I wish I had a close up of some of the formations, but hopefully you can get an idea of what it was like.

Swan

Since Jay spotted and commented on the swans in yesterday's photo (I actually missed them myself in that picture!), I thought I'd show a close up of one of them. They were beautiful but they weren't too happy to see us. I think this one chased our boat. They have such snowy white feathers.

Lake Nita-nee

I'm still away so I thought I'd show you a pastoral scene from Lake Nita-nee in Pennsylvania. It's nice to be away from the city and in the beautiful country like this. I hope you all had a great weekend.

Ice skaters

I hope you enjoyed your holiday yesterday and are relaxing today. This is a photo of some of the ice skaters in Rockefeller Center. I took this photo on a bitter cold day, so that's why there aren't so many people skating. Usually the rink is packed with people. I'm on vacation now, so that's why I'm slow in posting today. Have a great weekend.

Merry Christmas

A very merry Christmas to you and yours today. If you celebrate it, I hope you spend a wonderful day with family and friends. Hope Santa Claus was good to you!

Decorations

I saw these Christmas ornaments gracing the window of a store in mid-town that always has cool windows. I think I have some of the exact same ones at home! They had such a nice colorful variety. Enjoy your last minute holiday preparations.

Reindeer

Okay, if I had a dog I don't think I'd make it wear antlers and little booties, but I did think this little guy looked cute. I wish I could have gotten a better shot before they moved on. I'm still on hunt for some more Christmas photos!

Snowstorm

Yay! I got my camera back. I'm afraid I didn't have time this weekend to take many photos though, other than this shot of a glowing building in the snowstorm. (It wasn't that big of a storm actually, but it was very pretty to see the snow coming down.) I couldn't get a shot without the flakes reflecting in the light. Have a good week!

Wishful thinking!

Since I'm out of photos now, I'm showing another shot from my Maui trip this past summer. We are expecting 6 inches of snow here today so I guess I'm just craving some weather like this! (I'll have a camera again this weekend, so hopefully I'll have some new shots soon.) Enjoy the weekend!!

Reservoir

This shot gives a gloomy, wintry look at the reservoir in Central Park and a soggy running path. A lot of people enjoy running on the path around the reservoir, though I've never tried it. It does give for a beautiful view, even in winter. Since I'm digging up old photos, I'm not sure if I've posted this one before. Sorry if I have!

Up close

I think this plant was amongst the group I showed yesterday. I know it's not such an exciting photo, but I just loved the bright green center. I'm not sure what it's called. Maybe it's one of the hens and chicks. The symmetry in nature is so amazing!

Greenhouse plants

Since I'm digging into the photo archive, I thought I'd show a photo today from one of the greenhouses at the beautiful garden Wave Hill in the Bronx. I believe these plants are succulents. (I'd love to go back to school to become an expert in plants!) Though I don't have much luck with my window plants at home, I love to see them in the gardens. The ones in this greenhouse were gorgeous!

Last year's snow

No, it's not snowy here (just wishful thinking I guess). Since I can only post old photos for the time being, I thought I'd show another picture from last year's big snow. I hope we get another big storm like this soon! Maybe for Christmas...

34th Street

Just a photo of people strolling on 34th street recently.....I'm still without my camera, so I'm afraid I don't have many shots to show you these days! I wish I could show some of the pretty Christmas lights. Oh well, hopefully I'll get it back soon. Have a great weekend and see you Monday!

Water Taxi

Here's a photo of a New York Water Taxi as it makes its way past one of the bridges. The water taxis have many routes now, taking people to New Jersey and the different boroughs of New York. I took one once to New Jersey and it was a very pleasant ride!

Are you listening?

I don't know the origins of this ear statue from the subway. (Maybe it's also by Tom Otterness?) There don't seem to be many stations that feature art works, other than mosaics, so when I do see them I'm very curious about how they came about. I wish they credited the artists! Anyway, still posting older photos until I get my camera back.

Christmas reflections

I really want to get out and take some beautiful New York Christmas photos. But unfortunately I'm without a camera again. (I visited a friend over the weekend and accidentally left my camera there!) So, until I get it back I'll have to show some old photos. This is the one Christmas-y picture I've taken so far this year. This is the lobby of the American Bible Society on the upper west side of Manhattan. I've heard they have a nice museum there. Hopefully I can get more Christmas photos soon!

Christmas Trees

The hunt for Christmas trees begins! This is a picture from a beautiful farm in Pennsylvania that sells them. I haven't gotten mine yet this year, but I'm looking forward to it. Enjoy the week ahead.

Washington Square Park - Winter View

I was on my way to meet a friend for brunch in the Village recently and I snapped this photo as I walked by Washington Square Park. The park is undergoing a major renovation right now, so I had to crop out the ugly fence and the piles of dirt from the bottom of the picture. I'm sure it will be beautiful again next summer though and people will be able to enjoy the fountains and the cultural events that happen there. In the meantime, the arch still looks nice. Have a nice weekend!

Grace Court Alley

One of the most beautiful places to go for a stroll in Brooklyn is the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights with its lovely brownstones and quiet streets. It's also nice to see the old carriage houses like these in Grace Court Alley. Here's a description from http://www.forgotten-ny.com/:

Both Grace Court Alley and its Henry Street partner, Hunts Lane were originally true mews, in that they were little lanes off the main streets where horses were stabled. After the horseless carriage gained popularity in the first years of the 20th Century, the stables were converted to residences. The legacy is these little blind alleys that attract strolling tourists and residents alike.

It would be nice to live in one of these!

More Otterness Sculptures

Here are some more of the Tom Otterness sculptures I saw in the subway at 14th Street and Eighth Avenue. These guys are sneaking in under the gate and are being caught by a policman.

And there are also some more in various places along the platforms. There are quite a few in the station in places you wouldn't expect to see them.

How Sweet it is

I saw the phrase "How Sweet it is" on a welcome to Brooklyn sign and couldn't remember who used to say it. Well I googled it and it turns out that it was Brooklyn entertainer Jackie Gleason who was well known for saying that. According to the website http://www.brooklyn-usa.org/ this is one example of the "Welcome to Brooklyn" signs unveiled by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz which welcome motorists with a variety of greetings that were chosen after soliciting suggestions from Brooklynites from across the Borough. The signs were placed at 11 major entry points across the borough.

Empire State Building

To start the week here is a photo of the Empire State Building and midtown Manhattan taken during my walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. It's the tallest building in New York state and takes it's name from the state nickname. I must get to the top one of these days. I think that's a seagull flying in the middle of the picture, but we can pretend it's a more exotic bird!