City and Country

The city is always chic in black and white.

The view from near Macy's

the view from London Terrace at night

the back stairs in a building in Soho

and on the bus.

Last weekend we had the last gasp of the beach

I went swimming - that's me on a float in the Long Island Sound.

Back in the city, the market at Union Square brings the country in to us...

even the bittersweet.

 Squash and pumpkin season is upon us.

Very mixed feelings about this!

Pears are in season. The year turns to fall!

Long Island

I have been coming here for more than thirty years.

Built high up, like a tree house, overlooking the water, with wooden steps leading down to the beach, it's the house of my dreams. My children remember it well.

There are bird feeders galore and sculptures

and patches of dappled shade.

The wheel - lower right  - spins merrily. The wind chimes chime and a squirrel gives a theatrical performance in the little bird house.

I wanted to take a picture of her/him in it - but she/he wouldn't oblige.... just looked at me beadily. Hmm...

Inside the house there are orchids and fruit and paintings and photos and dogs -  evidence of lives very well lived. What fun to go there again.

Splendid Skies

Such a wonderful time of year for sky watching

particularly at dusk. On Monday everyone was snapping away madly

on their cell phones and cameras.

I'm surprised no one was run over snapping the sky.

The clouds seemed to boil and bubble.

Later in the evening the 'super moon' played hide and seek in the clouds.

Yesterday evening a blue shaft of light rose from the World Trade Center

and the Empire State Building was red white and blue.

City and Right Angles

Quite enough pictures of the beach when we live in the city where we occasionally venture  out. Here a Bellini cart...not the artist, the drink. Who knew how many kinds there could be? The decor is quasi industrial - exposed pipes and all that.  We had brunch at the Quality Italian - odd name, odd menu, odd service... if the waiter said, "You got it!" one more time I'm not quite sure what I would have done. Anyhow...

went over to our friend's apartment and looked down at the traffic in serried ranks

and more spread out.

Home via the Flatiron Building which must have been quite extraordinarily impressive when first seen. A thunderstorm threatens.

In the evening (big social weekend!) we go up to another friend's roof  - the other side of the street  from where we live  - and see the Empire State Building from a different angle. It seems more distant and magical than in our familiar view. 

The moon rose behind the grasses on the roof and #300 manages to look castle-like.

In the morning

the clear light of a post-thunderstorm morning reveals metal on metal

 squares and right angles

and weeds managing to thrive in spite of it all.