Reflections

Adirondack Reflection I

Adirondack Reflection II

Adirondack Reflection III

Keep Cool and Carry On

Refreshing fountain pool, Copley Square, Boston

I know, the real poster says Keep Calm and Carry On, but cool is more the issue today than calm. It is going to get hotter before it gets any cooler, or so the weather forecasters tell us. And the water in Long Island Sound is the temperature it usually is late August--ALREADY!!!--so the relief will be less than we'd hope for in early July. As we in the Northeast slog through another day of sweltering heat, I thought I'd post a few photographs intended to instill a sense of coolness in addition to a reminder that, in some cases, we'll be remembering these hot days with a certain measured fondness when we are mired knee deep in snow and slush. Stay cool, y'all!

Snowy park bench, Central Park, NYC

Stables, Mayowood, Rochester, MN

Central Park, NYC

Snowy peek-a-boo squirrel, Central Park, NYC

Long Gone (but not forgotten)

I'm essentially a nostalgia junkie. For all my attachment to my beloved BlackBerry and MacBook Pro, one of my most prized possessions is my table-top Victrola. The 78 rpm records that spin on the green felted turntable are a little scratchy and they are easily broken. (Just ask my father who, as a teen, used them for discus practice in his back yard...that way he "always broke a record."I kid you not.) But the sound that comes out the doors of this beautiful little gem is unlike any other music you'll hear. In all honestly I'd much rather hear Benny Goodman or either of the Dorsey brothers--scratches and all--on a 78 than on some luxe Bose sound machine.

Anyway, the other evening I was spinning tunes on the Victrola (Les Paul and Mary Ford's Tiger Rag played more than once...) I got to thinking of all the things that were once taken for granted as stable and long lasting and now are no more. Whether it is a job or profession or an electronic appliance, the obsolescence rate is a little overwhelming when you really stop to think about it. And as industries and our way of life change, what we embrace of the new and what we choose to cling to of the old becomes more and more difficult to decide upon. 

I know this is not terribly groundbreaking thought here, but it really did hit me...between my Victrola--which would have been a staple in many if not most homes throughout the early years of the 20th century--and some of the photographs I've taken lately I was reminded by how cyclical our world is. 

Drive by any strip mall or, much more sadly, any Main Street in much of the country and see how many buildings and storefronts are empty. And as industry moves to other countries and leaves a community completely, there are large campuses that will be let to go to seed if someone else can't find a way to utilize them. It is the way of the world and I understand that. And not everything that we're losing needs or deserves to be saved, I fully understand that as well. But contemplating how to move forward and embrace the new without shunning the best of the old is a tricky bit of navigating.

My photographs from yesterday's post show the ruin of what was once a bustling part of port life on the Hudson River. Today they stand as a reminder to a way of life that once was...but one which would make very little sense to many of us today. 

And a the photographs that follow are of a similar nature. These places are long gone...but I think still worthy of consideration.

The two photographs above are of the Harlem Valley State Hospital (top) and Wingdale Prison power plant (The Sing-Sing Country Club.) Part of the campus was a state hospital for the insane and part of it was used as a prison facility for the "criminally" insane. A kindly State Trooper was good enough to share this info with me (as I was nearly trespassing) and then I of course researched it a little further when I got home. The campus is quite something and the buildings, which mostly seem to have been built ca1910-1920s have some wonderful details to them. Here's a great link with more details and some great vintage postcard views: http://harlemvalley.org/wingdale/

                                          

This is about all that remains of Pier 54 in NYC where the survivors of the Titanic, aboard the RMS Carpathia, disembarked. If you enlarge the photo you can see where White Star and Cunard painted signage overlap. This is also the pier where the Lusitania left from, so there is a lot of great history here. Another link to a little more detailed info: http://www.atlanticliners.com/pier_54.htm

And finally, since I'm a little obsessed with iron work (as with the remaining piece of Pier 54), this is a little piece of highway to nowhere. New Yorker's will recognize it because there are sports fields and courts underneath it on the UWS. I love the graceful sweeping arches and the play of light and shadow.

                                        

Driving past the Harlem Valley campus or past an abandoned farm or estate always makes me wonder about the people who lived and worked there, their stories. All these ruins once contributed to a community and served a population...today, they are shells and remnants. I can't help but wonder what pillars of our community, what places we depend on today will end up like this. 

On the River...

At various times during the course of the year I find myself thinking of my former days in NYC. On balmy summer days there was nothing lovelier than heading out to Riverside Park and having a long walk along the Hudson--often with the promise of a stop for ice cream or a treat at the Boat Basin Cafe. Along one section of the Hudson River Greenway bike and walking paths are some spectacular ruins, and if you've stopped by here before, you KNOW I love a good ruin.

Archival photos of the Hudson show what a hard working river it has always been and I'm just glad it's coming back as a river and a gathering place for good, healthy outdoor fun.

So in keeping with my theme of pictures being worth a thousand words...here's a few photos of that unique industrial ruin...and yes, I had a little fun with the CameraBag app filters.

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

Then I hope this post (3 photos= 3000 words, right?) will make up for my month long absence.

The muse of the written word has left me for more verdant pastures so I've spent some time messing about with old photos in CameraBag and Photoshop applications. The words will be brief, but hope you enjoy my futzing with filters.

This first installment is from an ESPN advertising campaign that was up all over NYC ca 2003 or so...I loved the images and was again reminded of the power that sport can have to bring us together.

Nice to be back...I've missed you all!

At the Car Wash: A Photo Essay

I know for a fact I'm experiencing serious withdrawal from the Winter Olympics, but I still had a lengthy to-do list on my BlackBerry this morning. Amidst my errands and phone calls, I took time out for a quick stop at the car wash to attempt to rinse off one layer of salt, grime, and glop from my car. I'm a bit obsessive about keeping my car clean and well-maintained so the car wash and I are well acquainted, and I have to say, it lulls me into a small space of serenity. So today, I started snapping photos on my BlackBerry and I must say, I think there are some interesting images. I'll likely play around with them a little in Photoshop to see what sort of interesting manipulation can be accomplished, but here they are in their original state.

Seriously, before you call for the men with nets and white coats, hear me out with this. The rhythmic sound of the water streaming out from the jets and pelting the car is not dissimilar to the feeling of calm that can be brought on by the rhythm of a summer rain--one of my favorite "noises" sounds to fall asleep to on my iPod. 

And then there are the amazing patterns created by the water and wax as they flow and bead up on your windscreen and windows.

The water patterns can look like the wavy glass seen in the original windows of old houses. 

Admittedly, my favorite part is the candy-scented and pastel-colored wax that goes on toward the end of the process. The car smells rather like an overfilled Easter basket and the yellow, aqua, and pink colors swirl and glide in a psychedelic art show across the expanse of the windscreen. 

And then, like all of the grime and grit of winter...it is washed clean and rivulets of water slide playfully down the glass surface.