Flora and Fauna of Chelsea

Dog coats are on sale on 9th Avenue as spring approaches.
Skippy never had a sweater - though some people suggested he should.
Some of the dogs here are fashionistas.



Clivia and orchids.
Oh my!



The florist on the corner of 9th Avenue and 22nd Street always has astoundingly tasteful flowers that one lusts after - but doesn't buy.



I'm not quite sure what the nail parlor has to do with flora and fauna except they always do have pretty nice flowers there both real and artificial.
The real attraction is the joy of a pedicure.
And a massage.




Pigeons - lots of them - live here too, and hang out on the lawns by Penn South.
There are squirrels as well.
Yesterday I saw a cardinal between here and the now defunct small Clearview Cinema on 23rd Street.

Morgan Library

They were very fierce about not taking pictures in the Morgan Library - so I could only take a picture of the gift shop from outside when it had begun to rain.
The red velvet curtains in the drawing room were stunning..........
I liked the exhibition of ms. from 20th century authors - Kerouak, T.S. Eliot, an early edition of Siegfied Sassoon's Memoirs of an Infantry Officer.



Arather fierce looking building facing on to Madison Square Park - but look how big the windows are.........



I think I will have a moritorium on pictures of the Empire State Building pretty soon - though it is impressive.



Back to the Morgan Library - a nice curved building - no expense spared both when it was built and when it was renovated......and the food is delicious.

Out of the City

Sometimes one has to get out of the city to look at historic things.
This is the DeWit House in Tappan New York. Built around 1700.



It was George Washington's winter headquarters one year during the Revolutionary War.



Sometimes one leaves the city to go to family parties.
This one was given by by my son's in laws for Bobby's 30th birthday.
It was a really happy day.



The wonderful Abby and Charlotte (Kristin's nieces) were the stars of the day - as they should be.
You need lots of children at a birthday party.


Then you have to go home to the city on the rail road.........

Recycling and 25th Street

Since I have got back to New York, I have been deluged with plastic bags and packaging in general even though I walk round with my trusty woven baskets. I'm off to discover if the morally pure Whole Foods takes back/recycles bags.
I always wonder, when we divode everything up in the re-cycling in the basement if they don't just tip it all somewhere all together later.
However, I do try.
I think they should charge 25c per plastic bag. That would soon stop people from getting too many.



25th Street has a big shop that sells 'antiques', architectural elements, and all sorts of theatrical props. Fun to take pictures of.



Perhaps the Statue of Liberty needs a bath?



Here she is reflected in a large mirror.




Graffitti like this lacks charm - but the color of the door was nice.

Green Market

Nothing greener than apples.
But nothing much in the Green Market today because nothing too much is growing round here.
The apples must be from last fall.



This is Madison Square Park - as against Madison Square Garden. Don't ask. At 23rd Street and 5th Avenue.



Inside the Flat Iron building they have uncovered some sort of antique (Egyptian style?) pillar. Very odd.



Odder yet the statues inside ABC Carpet which have oddly religious overtones - but merely for 'decoratif' effect.



However, it all glitters and looks wonderful - if a little over the top.



Finally, at Union Square, I notice I can buy grass in little pots.
Once we did buy this for the late lamented Skippy and Gomez. They weren't interested.
The simplicity of it is appealing.
It was very cold again today.
We expect snow tonight.

Cold

A high school on 24th Street has very swanky doors.
It's cold walking up to Whole Foods.



A bistro on 8th Avenue has door whose color reminds me of Marrakech.



One flower to a vase.......very tasteful and, one hopes, not too pricey.




Between 8th and 7th Avenue on 18th Street, I come upon a strange hand and wonder if I should have my fortune told. But I don't.



The golden lion looks suitably mysterious and rather fierce.

Looking out of the Window

No landscape to record here so have fun trying to capture the lights with my miserable camera.



This is looking along 24th Street.



This is looking along 24th Street towards 9th Avenue.



So is this.


This is a really odd/bad photo. Have to go out and take some better ones.

Night

IMG_1276.JPG
Originally uploaded by schmidwix2

After all that snow it's good to look out of the window.
Robert took this one on a cloudy evening.

snow

Because I mostly live in Marrakech where there isn't any snow except up in the Atlas Mountains, I love it here.
Even ordinary little homes look magical to me.



Ice coating the rhodedendron leaves where the water drips from the snow melting on the roof.



Bare tree branches are evocative and lovely.



In the nature preserve brambles and thorns in the sunlight.



More tree branches.......
Can't resist......

Chelsea

Looking out of the window at Pop Burger. It's a good thing New York taxis are yellow.
We need some color - even if it isn't a pretty one.......



Between 8th and 7th Avenues - on my way to buy a name brand winter coat at Loehman's for $29.
New York is amazing for buying things.



Architectural details are fascinating anywhere.