at the feet of giants

For me, the most moving monuments in Washington were the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Here were two men, fighting the same cause, 100 years between them. And both men were killed  for what they believed. 

I found it very humbling to stand there at the feet of these great men of principle. 

Also impressive is the memorial to Thomas Jefferson, who opposed slavery and whose eloquent words helped shape a nation...

I am always amazed at those giants who have left their mark splashed across history's pages

socializing and sinking balls

January 10 was a very busy day. 
As someone can find social situations quite uncomfortable, I have to say, I think I did my yearly quota of socializing today.

They were hello's and goodbyes and lining up shots

Fairytale of New York

 Everything New York does is spectacular. That's what makes it one of my favorite cities to visit.
But the Holiday season is particularly brilliant with jawdropping decorations and displays. My camera doesn't do it justice, but here are some shots of the city at Christmas

Macy's- making believers since the mid 1800's

 For me, the most spectacular window displays were at Saks 5th Ave. People lined the sidewalks to walk past the Fairytale windows...

why Grannie, what big teeth you have!

Sleeping Beauty- there was a film moon, much like the 1902 movie "A Trip to the Moon"and it would look at you and wink or smile..

this one is Repunzel walking on her hair like a tight-rope

 

snow white

    

 The other side of windows had a very glamourous turn of the 19th century fashion look..

 

As if crowd-drawing windows weren't enough, Saks also projected a light show onto the building, complete with dancing snowflakes and Rockette sounding music..

this is how it looks from across the street, in between light shows

Everybody knows that Rockefeller Center does a huge display for the Holidays. They are famous for their Nutcracker soldiers, Angels and their ginormous Christmas tree overlooking the skating rink. It is the scene of every Christmas movie that takes place in Manhattan. But to see it in person is quite another experience. One of the things I love about travel is how it allows me that sensory memory- when I see places I've been in photos or film, I know exactlty what it is like to stand there. 

everybody knows this guy

I know how the air felt, smelled and what was behind me as I took in the view. I remember how I came around the corner and my breath stopped because it was so dazzling.

   

stunning by day

 

or by night

yes, it's a New York Christmas cliche, but it made me all warm and fuzzy, dammit

 Our Brooklyn neighborhood was decorated as well- not in such a grand way, but it a beautiful community kind of way.

a Catholic Church in Park Slope

 

 

 

 

 

 

summer sigh

I knew this day would come.
This day, the 1st of September.
The end of the summer.

Sure there are still nice days ahead, but it's just not the same.
September is here. There is a feeling.
It was cool this weekend, so cool I had to shut my window for the first time in months.
Today it was so humid there was no relief.
Welcome to the East Coast.

I knew this day would come.
And it hits me with a panicked thought...
Now, every swim might be the last. 

It wasn't a bad summer. It wasn't a great summer. It was a fast summer.
Where it went, I still can't say. It washed away like sand in the tide. It was unstoppable.
It was a blur.

But there were beaches.
Not as often as I would like, but then it could never be enough.

The season was off to such a great start, as swimming began in early June. It was unbelievably warm, probably due to Hurricane Arthur that blew up the east coast. And though it didn't stay that warm, there were still some great days in the sand, sea and surf.

Kingsberg, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia

And I managed to grab a few shots that I really liked

local oysters, local wine, local ocean

clam of clam harbour

eagle in wolfville

somewhere near annapolis royal

Cooked a bit..

watermelon and cucumber gazpacho

Then more beaches

queensland beach, nova scotia

melberby beach, nova scotia

and some time enjoying my city

halifax

As I said, not a bad summer.
I just don't know where it went.

frozen hearts

Oh what joy the Dollar Store can bring.

For instance, today I bought a package of acrylic hearts, took them out to a friend's place.  The pond had frozen over and he had cleared it for skating.

I don't skate.
But I do take pictures.

I tossed the hearts onto the surface.

The patterns in and under the ice were exquisite.
Sometimes the ice was blue, sometimes gray, depending on the angle.

I am quite happy with the results.

I might even say...

I heart them.

Happy Birthday John Cleese, Dylan Thomas and Sylvia Plath. And me.

Today is my birthday.
I was born on the 27th of October. It was a Tuesday.
Tuesday's child is full of grace.
At least that's what that poem says.

My birthday actually lasts a week. Everyone knows it. I love that everyone knows it.
For many years, the celebration was usually on Halloween. It was as if my birthday was my own personal Mardi Gras. Over time, it evolved, due to busy schedules, and social anxiety in crowds. Preferring to stick to individual meetings or small groups, the week stretches until All Hallows

While events happen on either side of my birthday, I love to spend October 27th by myself.
Last year I took myself out to lunch and a pedicure. This year, I took pictures.
For a while, I was on leaf- covered paths through the woods, then in one of the beautiful old graveyards in Halifax.
The day was a perfect testament to the glory of this season. The afternoon autumn air was as crisp as the fallen foliage under foot, and I tried to capture the feeling through the lens.
As is often the case, I was blissfully lost in micro scenes.

When the light was fading I chose to sit on the patio of a local pub with a slice of today's special. As I watched the crowd, one of the passers-by did not pass.
She swooped down into my face. Facebook told her it was my birthday.
But she looked unsure.
She asked hopefully if I was waiting for someone.
I told her I was all by myself.

She actually looked sad, but gave me a mouth-smile. Her eyes looked like "poor thing spending her birthday all alone" eyes.

It made me smile.
I may have looked like a maniac, grinning like a carved pumpkin. In any case, she moved along.
I continued to smile.

It made me realize how lucky I am that being in my own company makes me happy.
Tuesday's child is full of gratitude

accidental gifts

I felt a bit of a creeper taking this shot, but so glad I did.

I've always seen the world in photographs. As far back as I can remember, the world has been broken down by frames, and memories are snapshots.
 Even as a kid with my family's Kodak Instamatic, I would try to capture my view, whether it was the dinner table from underneath, or clouds that looked like dragons. Thankfully in today's digital world, I no longer have to wait for photo's to come back- only to find one out of the twenty four was decent. Or that I got carried away with twenty two shots of the chair leg.

Sometimes, as the shutter closes, I hear a voice that says "this is the one" and I know this will be a good photo. But sometimes I am surprised. Pleasantly.
Sometimes what was an accidental shot, becomes the best in the roll. So to speak. This picture happened to be one of those photo's at one of those times.

We were spending a few hours at a local swimming-hole. It's a fast moving river that runs through the woods, and eventually feeds into the ocean. This is a place where you park your car at the bridge and followed the footpath through the woods. For a while my friends and I were the only ones there, but gradually, others arrived. 

She was young and he was quite a bit older. He sounded as though he were trying to impress her with the things he was saying. She was young, but looked hard. Thin. She gave the impression that she had seen a lot and grown up fast.
I was drawn to the writing tattooed across the right side of her back but couldn't read what it said. Pretending to take a picture of the water beyond her, I zoomed in with the intent of quickly snapping it and reading it later. The text was familiar, and although I couldn't identify it at first, I knew it was from a poem I studied in university literature class.

Back at home, on my computer screen, I remembered the stance from Kubla Khan by Coleridge. It made me want to ask this girl why was so impressed with this passage that she chose to scrawl in on herself with the most permanent of inks. Did she decide on it herself, or was it meant for someone else?

And then I realized... although it wasn't intentional, there's something I really like about this shot. Something about it speaks to me.
Sometimes my favorite pictures aren't even one's I've consciously taken.

I like to think of those as little gifts from the Universe.