Scribbles and Photos

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Today, Americans pause to give thanks for what we have.  I won't go into the history of the celebration other than to say it dates back to the days of the Pilgrims and marks the moment those early American immigrants came together as a community to celebrate the harvest.  In today's modern era, there are many variations on the Thanksgiving Day feast but the centerpiece is almost always a turkey.  I am looking forward to eating turkey today at my brother's house where the family that is still in the northeast will gather a bit later today to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.   Haunting As I write this, the extravaganza that is the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is on the background.  Richard Simmons has just arrived at 34th street closely followed by Happy Hippo (hmm, what show is he from you may be wondering -- can't help there, haven't got a clue).  The crowds are out in full force and it's a bright sunny day in New York City. ...

Kusama (from Manhattan Suicide Addiction)  Since committing to getting out of the park (Central Park) and into the city (New York City), I seem to be seeing more art.  Last month found me chasing #Bansky all over Manhattan ( Expedition Bansky , Goodbye @Banskyny ).  Today was all about seeing the Yayoi Kusama exhibit, I Who Have Arrived in Heaven   at the David Zwirner gallery.  More specifically, it was about seeing the mirrored Infinity Room. Infinitely Me Today, the wait was approximately three hours to get into the mirrored Infinity Room.  The urban lore in the line was that on some days that wait could stretch to six hours.  This was my second try at seeing the room.  I had come down on Saturday but decided that the day was too beautiful for standing in line and instead spent a wonderful afternoon exploring the High Line that included 45 minutes of watching the massive construction project that is the Hudson Yards (more ...

Mysterious Spaces Last Sunday, I forced myself out the door around 2:00 pm to run some errands and take a late afternoon walk in Riverside Park.  The day was a bit blustery and the park had an abandoned feel to it particularly as it got closer to dusk. Closed for the Day Floating Docks Under the Westside Highway Sunlight & Sailing Stairway up to the City   Under the Westside Highway II

FAO Schwartz - Holiday Decor 2013 It does seem a bit early to be thinking about the holidays but many a store cleared out their Halloween stock and went straight to Christmas goodies.  I guess there is not much of a market for Thanksgiving decorations.  Signs of the season have started to appear in Manhattan -- the star is hanging over the intersection of 57th and 5th and the lines are forming at FAO Schwartz (I wonder if they all know that Toys R' Us now owns that venerable emporium as I reported in Behind the Flagship Store ?).  Louis Vuitton has unveiled windows that feature geese.  I am kind of hoping those are just a placeholder and not their holiday windows but the sleigh filled with gifts that the geese are pulling is pretty indicative that these be it.  Sigh. Reindeer, Reindeer, Goose? Across the street at Bergdorf Goodman, David Hoey and his holiday elves appear to be hard at work behind the curtains that mask the windows.  As my fri...

……. is what the man behind me said to his wife (or lady friend) as I meandered down a path off a Cherry Hill towards the lake.  If you are reading this because you think it is a post about a fabulous trip to Rome, you might want to stop reading now before you get disoriented by the pictures from Central Park. The gingko trees above Cherry Hill are among my favorite in the park but I'd never traveled this particular path before.  It meanders along the edge of the cove, eventually landing at one of the old rustic boat landings.  The path provides slightly different angles on Bow Bridge and I finally got a couple of shots of that masterpiece that I like. Bow Bridge in Fall Everyone takes pictures of Bow Bridge -- it's probably one of the most photographed spots in the park. I've happened upon photo shoots for many a bride and groom or engaged couple while crossing the bridge and unintentionally photo-bombed any number of tourists photos because, at some po...

Follow the Leader In  First Steps and New Toys , I wrote about my recent decision to use AmEx points to order an Olympus OM-D EM-5 (EM5).  I've been anxiously awaiting its arrival ever since.  Well, it arrived on Friday.  So far, I've only been able to get out for a short spin in Central Park.  The title of this post pretty much says it all if you are wondering what I am thinking about this camera now that we've had a chance to go on a first date. I most certainly am looking forward to seeing if the this love affair lasts.  Herewith a few photos from my first date with EM5. Red & Orange with a Hint of Gold Peaceful Standing Tall Fall Foliage in Central Park

This is My New York Accent,  @Banskyny Sadly, October 31, 2013 was the last day of Bansky's artist's residency in New York City -- Better Out than In .  And, oh what a run it has been.   In  Expedition Bansky , I recounted my first foray in search of a piece of his art.  For 31 days he had us New Yorkers racing uptown and downtown and from borough to borough, all in search of his daily artwork.  On at least one day, most every one missed out on the art.  That's the day that the elusive British graffiti artist put prints on sale for $60 at a stand outside of Central Park.   He sold very few pieces.  Hopefully,  those folks that did purchase one have now figured out that they have won the art world equivalent of the lottery.  Banality of the banality of evil, @Banskyny Bansky certainly lived up to his reputation as an artist provocateur.  People were miffed by the "NYTimes-rejected" OpEd that he subsequently posted t...