The Spectacular Autumnal Colors on Full Display this Year in the Northeast

While the political world in our nation's capital is very dysfunctional these days, we're having a wonderful season here in the northeast. The weather has been great, with warm days and cool nights, but the most important aspect is the beautiful autumnal colors. It's shaping to be a great Fall this year.

I've been taking day trips in the surrounding areas, but I'm hoping this coming weekend I can drive up to the Berkshires in Massachusetts if the weather holds.  These pictures are from last weekend as I rode my motorcycle in Harriman Park, NY. The Seven Lakes Drive goes through some of the most gorgeous landscapes.

The Foliage Network has frequent reports on the leaf/color situation. As of Oct. 11th, we're in "high color" which is a tad below "peak color".  Depending on the weather, dramatic changes can take place within a couple days. So get out and enjoy, especially if you live in an area that offer such a spectacular natural display. The northeast US is great for this. We're so lucky, for the most part, because there have been several years that the display isn't as magnificent due to weather conditions. Sometimes the leaves fall before they go through much of color change, or that the colors aren't as bright and diverse.

Foggy Afternoon by the Hudson River

The river was absolutely placid at low tide. A couple hours earlier the fog was so dense that I couldn't see across and not much was visible to take pictures. As I was driving home late in the day, the fog had enveloped everything. Very thick. The cars' headlights piercing the veil only a few yards.

In the distance, the Bear Mountain bridge barely visible

Fishing pier in Peekskill

From an overview on 9A

Croton Point park south

Croton Point north

......
And, these from Harriman Park, NY, during sunset.

The First Snowfall of this Winter, 2012

We just had our first snow of this season. I had begun to wonder whether we'd see snow, because we've had decent weather so far. It's a pain to shovel but this wasn't the wet & heavy snow, and a few inches of powdery stuff isn't so bad. 

It hasn't been that cold and we hadn't large amounts of snowfall, but I've seen ice forming even at this spillway, where water from the reservoir is rushing down the gorge.

This bridge is some 100 years old. Closed to vehicular traffic, it's a very nice walkaway now.

The bridge in at the end of the dame, where the spillway is located

Of course, after clearing the driveway and getting the car out, I took a drive and shot some pictures at the nearby reservoir and dam. All within a few miles of where I live. The daylight was getting short, so I didn't take that many pictures. I hope that I have many other opportunities this season. By Monday, it'll warm up (into the 50s) so this snow will melt away.

The park bellow the dam is nice, though on occasion it gets too crowded for my taste. But, I've taken some great pictures there throughout the year.

Where Did the Summer of 2011 Go?...

I can't believe it's been months since I posted here; not that I forgot but it wasn't the best summer I've had. Nothing too seriously wrong, just too many loose ends and stuff. So, I looked into my Summer picture folder and found a few pictures worth posting. 

Some weird performance in the Lincoln Center reflection pool

Lincoln Center had several free, open air events this past summer.

A view of Jersey City from Battery Park City. NJ is building its own skyline now.

On the ferry to Governor's Island with a view of the financial district and the 3 East river bridges.

A great summer day on Gov's isle.

The Staten Island ferry is free and a great way to "sail" the NYC harbor.

 As I'm writing this, the leaves are starting to turn. I hope this autumn is spectacular, though I hear it may not be. If it its, I'll take a drive up to Vermont, or at least up to the Berkshire mountains--one of the best places in the country to see the magnificent nature in the autumn. 

Soon....

From the Finger Lakes to Lake Ontario

Recently, I took another trip upstate New York and camped in the Finger Lakes region. I've done the Watkins Glen hike before. It's about a mile or a little more, uphill & stairs; not bad though. A few people (probably because it's not well known this option is available) park at the top rim, hike down and take the shuttle bus back up. Haven't done it, so basically it takes 2-3 hours to go back and forth from the parking lot at the lower end.

Watkins Glen

I'd recommend this hike as it's easy for anyone with moderate physical ability. Bring some water to drink and, of course, your camera. You'll probably get a little wet because of the proximity of the paths to the waterfalls, but it's not a problem.

Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen, NY

Watkins Glen

Seneca Falls, meeting place for American suffragettes.

Chimney Bluffs state park, NY

On the shores of this great lake, there's a park (free admission!) where there are a few trails that take you either along the shoreline or through the forest to the Chimney Bluffs. There are soft rocks eroded by the weather, standing tall over the lake. Ontario lake is very big, because even on a clear day you can't see Canada on the other side. As a matter of fact, you can see the curvature of the earth between the two countries!

Chimney Bluffs, lake Ontario, NY

Chimney Bluffs, lake Ontario, NY

Taughannock Falls, by Cayuga Lake (near Ithaca, NY)

These falls are part of a state park on Cayuga Lake. There's camping (nice one) and a marina. From this campground, you can explore many other beautiful places nearby--within 1 hour of driving. However, going north to Lake Ontario will take longer, having to drive through many little towns on secondary and tertiary roads... but, that's a good opportunity to see that region up close.

The big highways are very useful in covering long distances, but even a mile of a detour can take you through a very pretty town, like Owego, NY that we discovered by accident. Later I learned that Owego was voted the "coolest town" in 2009! So, there you go!

Exploring the Finger Lakes Region in New York

These pictures don't do justice to the real experience and the size of these these gorges/canyons. The Watkins Glen park, by Seneca Lake, NY, has one of the most interesting hikes along the gorge. It's 1.5 miles long, about a thousand steps up, plus walking on paths along the cascading river.

One of the many waterfalls at Watkins Glen Park

Taughannock Falls, near Ithaca, NY

Rainbow Falls and bridge

Deep gorge(ous) canyon

Ah, the Benefits of Work

One aspect of my work is called "service" and it's part of how we're evaluated, we're told. Basically, it's volunteering to serve on committees, attend events, and be helpful all around. I have been doing quite a bit of this, maybe too much.

From a technical point, it's not easy to take pictures on a moving boat at night. Distant subjects in low light conditions require longer exposures and the images aren't crisp. I took lots of pictures, most of them I already deleted because they were very blurry.

But, sometimes this kind of "work" can be fun. The other day, I was a judge at a lip-singing event during new student orientation. I've also been on a couple boat cruises. These are the pictures from the latest one, when most of my peers chickened out since the weather forecast included thunderstorms. But, there was a beautiful night with the lightning in the distance. We missed the downpour too.

For the Birds

During Science Day at Pace U. This was the "Birds of Prey" demonstration. 

Elvis, the white hawk. He gave us a nice performance!

This is my home away from home... where I spend lots of time working. And, that's my old car parked in front, not exactly legally but "we" don't get tickets.  I moved it soon after I took the picture.















Old building in Beacon, NY. This little town on the Hudson river is up & coming. Lots of galleries and interesting old buildings.



Below, a shot from the walkaway of the Bear Mountain Bridge looking north at the Hudson valley.

I started enjoying Pepsi more after I visited its headquarters in Purchase, NY. They have a nice spread there with lots of interesting art and it's free to the public. You can spend a few hours leisurely walking around, and it's not too crowded. I guess the gate and the guard keep most people out. Unless you know it, you won't make the turn into this property and inquire at the guard gate.

Left, capturing a rainbow at Pepsico Gardens.

Randomly in January of 2010

A view of Sandy Hook, with frozen patches of the inlet. In the far distance, New York City and the boroughs. During the summer this spot is very popular as Sandy Hook has many nice beaches and the surrounding area has lots of bars and restaurants. there was always a big traffic problem with the old drawbridge when it opened to allow boats to pass.
The new bridge that connects mainland NJ to the barrier island. Sandy Hook on the left, Seabright on the right. The old bridge (to the left of the new) has been dismantled.
All these pictures above were taken from the top of the Twin Lights--a New Jersey historic site.

...
The Max Fish bar in the Lower East Side was a place I'd go for a cheap beer and great atmosphere. Things have changed since I was in college.. The coffee shop next door seems nice too.



I don't yet know what to make of this month. I had some leisure time without being particularly productive. Some days go fast some others very slowly. The way we perceive time is rather relevant. Overall, I think, the trick is to have many distinct memories--as many as possible. Some days, indeed weeks go by and I couldn't tell you what I did during that time.

Have you thought how different of a person you'd be if your memories were expunged? You'd be a totally different person. Our brains have great capacities for storing memories; those neuron connections that constitute what we remember. I read somewhere that emotions play a very important role in remembering stuff.

I'm tired of the cold
Here I'm standing on a pier on the frozen Hudson river by Peekskill, NYBeacon, NY where I go to see new exhibits in art galleries.