the shanty, digital print, January 2011
I hadn't realized I became such a blog delinquent. Certainly it wasn't for lack of material. We work while most people are off for the holidays so time becomes really of the essence for us. But realities of the jobs they are, so from Thanksgiving we remet the annual roller coaster ride that is December. We made it to Christmas in PA with my wife's family and it was wonderful to finally sit down. The blizzard started on our drive back to NYC, we made it in five hours, not bad, but then add the three hour trek to get the 6 miles (typically a 20 minute drive) from my brothers place in Brooklyn home to Queens, and there went that chance for down time! Shovel, sleep, shovel, sleep, shovel, ...well, if you're local you know all too well what I'm talking about. But I assure you I have great images and horticultural factoids from all of these adventures to share. For now we are working on creating a new home and that's why it might be a few more weeks before I am fully back in the blogosphere. You see, the shanty, our fabulous home base for the last four years is finally and literally crumbling to the ground around us. So it's time to go. It was time to go anyway. With our new married status the time for a fresh start is now. Thanks to the generosity and support of our amazing families we have permission to create, and we're taking full advantage of the opportunity. With a new and better home, new horticultural challenges to work the mind and body, health and happiness I think 2011 is going to be a great year. Our new place is sturdy and safe and secure and will undoubtedly make for great meals, great studies and observations, great moments, and all the appropriate blog posts to accompany.
Out back of the shanty is an
Acer pseudoplatanus, a big shade tree called a sycamore maple. It is very obviously a maple, with that big quintessential leaf, but the scaly, almost flaky nature of the bark throws you off until you learn that there is such a thing as a sycamore maple. A thuggish tree without question, I can't help but be attached to this particular one. Though I don't endorse it's insane ability to set seedlings EVERYWHERE, it is a thing of beauty I've really enjoyed looking at over the years. This has been a great view. And now, yes, with more snow, oh brother. Happy New Year everyone, write you again soon.
The emerging sun hitting the faces of the buildings along the avenue shone bright and radiant through the frozen street.
Thanks to the fanciness that is my new iPhone I posted the above pic to the book of faces and named it "Beautiful Nightmare".
They say this is New York's snowiest January on record. Can't argue that one. I paused to appreciate the spruce and London Planetree in front of St. Joe's. Nature: 1, Man: 0
the shanty, digital print, January 2011
The snow just stopped falling. Well, for now at least. The sky opened through the monstrous black oak (Quercus velutina) near my office and I got this shot off before commencing the shoveling. Even though I definitely complain at times, being outside every day of the year I feel a connection with the natural world I fear most others will never know. I take this moment to be thankful.
I never tire of the sensational mature forms within the Conservatory Garden in Central Park. 
Seventy-three years later and more beautiful than ever. 
Another molten morning sunrise up in Harlem, on the advent of yet another day of snow shoveling.
Playing with my new iPhone 4 this morning during an adventure into Manhattan waiting for an R train. My wife and I have begun the moving process and needed a day off to have fun in the city and remember why we live here. I wanted to introduce Krissy to City Hats, the best little shop ever down on Bleecker between Lafayette and Broadway. Sure enough she would fall in love, blow right through that gift certificate from Christmas, and I would do some damage myself in the form of a new fedora to look sharp for spring, whenever that might show up. As we do we had a perfectly fine time acting like a couple of New Yawka's. Gotta love this town. Certainly no place else like it.
For Thanksgiving my family gathered at my brother's place in Brooklyn as we've done for a number of years now. Much of the cooking was done the day before so once the turkey was stuffed and in the oven there wasn't much to do. My family isn't the kind of group to sit around so we decided to drive down to Coney Island and go to the NY Aquarium for a few hours.
The traffic outside was not ideal and it was the kind of day that staying inside and doing nothing was plenty inviting. But the folks were pushing for an adventure so my little niece Ea and I jumped in their car with them and in relatively no time we were down in the heart of Coney Island, just a stone's throw from the Cyclone, and entering the NY Aquarium. Open every day of the year my dad thought that it would be nice and quiet and he was right on target. Aside from a funny group of French speaking Canadians and a few hyper local teens excited to be away from their families for a few moments we had the place to ourselves and it was fantastic! We all had a wonderful time exploring and being wide-eyed kids again. Granted in the winter they have a few exhibits closed for renovations, but there was still plenty to see and marvel at.
it turns out my camera actually has an "aquarium" setting which I always thought was hysterical but it definitely helped me to get some great shots so I guess I'm not knocking it anymore!
Props to the Wildlife Conservation Society, the NY Aquarium, Canon cameras, and days off with family to adventure! Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
In my 'hood we have a number of magnificent bakeries. One of the best parts of my day is right at the start of my morning commute, walking by places like Frank's as they are just opening up and beginning their baking for the day. The street is cold and rarely is the sun up yet and then I walk by one of these still-quiet little oases and that smell, oh that delicious, inviting smell. The smell of caring, warm comfort. Inhale deep, exhale, continue on, for we're just getting started.
