Happy Summer 2015!

The widest point of the Hudson river, frozen

Today the sun began its southward journey so the days are going to get progressively smaller, and this makes me unhappy as I enjoy the outdoors and sunlight. It's been a brutal, long winter here in the northeast; I had cabin fever and got sick of dealing with bad weather, the mountains of snow, slush, and bitter cold. I like all seasons, but this kind of winter would be fine if I didn't live and work where I do. 

Anyway, I also feel bad because it was one year ago to the day that I wrote my last post here. Of course lots has happened in one year's time, but didn't get around to posting. It also makes me realize, again, how fast time moves. I know time is relevant to the physical environment--did you see the movie Interstellar? it deals with this concept--but also its subjective nature as to how we experience it. They say as we get older time moves faster, damn it!



The Mid-Hudson bridge over a frozen river. Only a thin navigational line is kept open

Even though the sun is moving south, there's a lot of summer left and I intend to take advantage of it. I've got extra time--ha, time--as I decided to work less this summer, a lot less. And, when I work, I'll do mostly interesting stuff. I'm so lucky to be able to do this. I mean I sacrifice money for leisure and choose to not do work that's stressful. OK, I understand, realistically speaking 99.91% of the jobs people do aren't ideal, but there are huge variations in personal satisfaction, stress, and difficulty.

There have been many days since the better weather arrived around here that I've been taking day trips around the gorgeous Hudson valley, NY. I've put several thousand miles on my motorcycle already. Riding is more engaging experience, not only because there's more to do and watch for, but it's like being in a movie instead of watching it through a glass. Convertible/open air cars come close to this kind of experience. We bikers totally understand why dogs who ride in cars put their heads out of the window!

Speaking of dogs, I'm thinking of getting one. I've been approved by the local pound/shelter as a responsible person. But, it's is a big responsibility and I do like the freedom to roam around without having to come home by a particular time to take care of a pet. They're fun though and they're great companions, if they're trained and are kept in an conditions appropriate for their breed and needs. I'll let you know. I'm sort of postponing visiting the shelter, because I know I'll be tempted right away....

Awaiting for the solar company to finally get their act together and show me some progress. We've been going back and forth since February; everything, they say, is in order.... 

Here are a couple recent pictures from the annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. They hold the parade rain or shine on the closest Saturday to the summer solstice. It was a very humid, cloudy/rainy day this year.
 
 
 

It was a hot day...

 This is worth attending if you're in NYC; every year is different and fun for the whole family. Coney Island has been undergoing lots a transformation. It used to be a happening place many years ago, then if fell into tough times and much dilapidation. It has gotten a face lift in the last few years. I think it beats most other attractions by the sea in the tri-state area. OK, it's tacky, but so are the other places that cater to summer crowds. At least, CI doesn't pretend, and it has free access to the beach!
 
Less than a mile away on the eastern, Brighton Beach is now home to many Russians, Ukrainians and some other groups from the former Soviet Union.

 


Coney Island at night; it was a humid, foggy one. [click on the pictures to ..embiggen them]

Colorful Start of Summer 2014

Happy Summer Solstice and may all have  a great summer ahead. It was a beautiful weekend here in the northeast with great weather and events happening all over. The summer solstice fell on Saturday this year, so the longest day of the year had to spent outdoors as much as possible, especially with this gorgeous weather of temps in the 80s but with low humidity. 

 

Ah, Coney Island!

It looks like a parade of something...

Mermaids on land?!

Where are these two happy maidens going? Hey, nice conch!

They're looking for some good seamen

A mermanish and his four maids

 
I know spring and fall are also very pretty with their colors, but summer is colorful too. Part of it is colorful attitude I see in people. Longer days make more opportunities to do stuff outside. I think creating memories--even small ones--is what life is about. The more chances we have, the more creative we are, the better. Find opportunities every day to do something interesting, fulfilling, memorable.

I'll be back here this summer as I've dusted off my dslr, got a new zoom lens and will be shooting.  See ya soon.

Happy Holidays, 2013!

Merry Xmas! There, I said it. And, happy holidays to all. This is a nice time of the year to be spent with friends and family, as there are several common days off. I hope you had a nice winter solstice (Dec. 21st). Festivus, Humanlight, New Year, Kwanza, and whatever else you desire to celebrate may all come with good times and health! Let's eat, drink, hang out with the good people around us, and enjoy.

Humans have tried to make sense of the natural world but in the absence of knowledge they made up stories about spirits, gods, and thought they knew the order of the universe through revelation. Slowly, we grew up--well, some people who asked questions, sought evidence, applied reason, and were able to revise in the face of conformity and tradition.

Why so many humans are still in the dark ages after dawn of the Enlightenment is amazing. We have a modern state, with relative stability, affluence, education & access to information, plus a good amount of scientific knowledge, and yet, so many choose to live by edicts and observations of small-minded ancestors of the bronze age!  Why isn't obvious that the god in the Bible, Koran, and any other "holy text" is so outdated.  It's so clear that what's in those books came from the mind of people who were ignorant, superstitious, homophobic, genocidal, misogynistic, slave holders, and fearful of nature.

It bothers me to high heaven when modern people have their opinions informed by those ancient texts. And, they draw some perverse morality from those. The vile rant of the clan leader of Duck Dynasty, the reactions of conservatives against same-sex marriage (the same cons who applaud Uganda's capital punishment for homosexuals), are all informed by passages in the Bible.  Ridiculous, simply ridiculous.

But, I love the federal judge's ruling that Utah's banning of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. This is a strike at the heart of a very religious state and against the efforts of the Mormon church that has spend lots of money, even out of state, to defeat equal treatment under the law. It is about equality. Progressives aren't threatened by this change of tradition, only the conservatives are. 

Back in 2004, I wrote in this blog that there would be a clash between the progressive forces and the reactionary conservative/religious forces. I hoped that the former would prevail, and I'm happy to see that it's happening. Not at the pace I'd like, but we've come a long way in the last quarter of a century, indeed in some 10 years since I wrote that post.

So, let's celebrate our progress and look forward to a new year ahead when we can do much more; we do have to keep fighting for a system that delivers for the 99%, and for a society that promotes the good life, access to opportunity and conditions that allow for an individual to fulfill their own potential.

Best,

George

Glorious Autumn 2012

Yeah, good colors this autumn in the northeast, with several weeks of stunning natural beauty! Plus a reasonably good weather as a bonus, especially on the weekends when most people can get out to leaf peep!

The Hudson north of Bear Mountain bridge

I've done several road trips around the glorious Hudson valley and even parts of the Delaware river by Port Jervis and Pennsylvania. Work has been heavy for me with 12-hour work days often the norm. Various commitments and, of course, the elections are demanding the bulk of my time. Yet, taking personal time off is (should be) a priority. Haven't taken as many pictures as I'd have liked though. Here are a few:

Countryside

Croton dam

 

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.

Spring Has Sprung! More to Come....

A beautiful night sky, with the moon hiding in tall trees but illuminating the cloudy sky. No special effects, just a time (about 1.5 sec) exposure in camera's auto setting.
....
Even though the picture below with the boats doesn't indicate the season, I took it in Beacon, NY, during the Strawberry Festival (yumm). In the center, the Woody Sloop sailing the Hudson.

....
..In a span of a couple weeks there has been a natural transformation. Not all the blooms are out but it's amazing what I'm witnessing in my own backyard.

I've neglected taking pictures because I've been super busy lately but I will grab my camera once again in a few days and take some more pictures of the changing of the season.

Actually, the weather here in the Northeast has been crazy. We've had a very harsh winter that depleted our energies (and our wallet with high heating bills), and in the last month or so we had big fluctuations between cold and hot days/nights.

....

OK, here's another one I snapped at my workplace

Last Gasp of Winter

On campus, 3/23/11, early morning

There's more snow on the ground as I'm writing this. I had trouble getting up the hill to reach home this evening because there's ice on the roadway. It's probably the last gasp of winter this season, and this after having temperatures in the 70s just last Friday--the day I decided to work in the attic to lay down insulation while the temp up there was like 90 degrees F.

I took this picture as I got to work this morning. The whole campus looked pretty. Long day but it ended with a reception by the Board of Trustees; they always have the best food and booze. Too bad that so much good stuff is left over and is probably thrown out.


I haven't taken many pictures because on my free time I work around the house fixing stuff. Once those projects are done, I'll post a collage of the process. Very interesting how a house is put together and how home improvements is a never-ending process and a money pit.

 

Glorious Autumn of 2010

Croton Dam

Housatonic River in CT

In a Westchester park

I would be remiss if I didn't post something about the beautiful autumnal show we're experiencing here in the northeastern US.  I've taken tons of pictures all over, from NYC, to Westchester, to the Hudson valley and Connecticut.

From New Paltz looking west

 The weather turned to seasonal today, after a brief warm spell. But, it has been awesome to be outdoors this time of the season. The air is crisp and the views are breathtaking.

Somewhere in the Hudson valley

The Hudson river, looking north, on the Bear Mt. bridge

Last Gasps of Winter

February left us but not before pelting the New York metro area with a snowstorm. We lost many trees because the wet snow and ice combination was too heavy on them. I drove through many secondary and tertiary roads and it was a bit dangerous as the snow-ladden trees hanged over the roadway while many branches & trees had fallen already blocking traffic.

Below a few pictures from the old village of Batsto in NJ.

Everyone tells me that they're ready for Spring. This weekend is really nice, with sunshine and temps in the 50s. I like snow. I like the seasons. All because the earth is a wobbling drunk! 

I left work just in time before being snowed in. [picture below]

Heavy Snow Keeps Falling in the Northeast

UPDATE: FEB 25.
As I'm writing this, the wind is howling outside, the heavy snow will freeze tonight, and a fire place would be just right to sit by and watch the big snowflakes cascading. My work place shut down at 1 pm, even though the storm that started last night prevented people from showing up this morning. I grabbed lunch with a colleague at a dingy Indian place that serves Halal food. Then getting home was a treacherous trek.






....
February 2010

If it wasn't for the problems such storms bring along, it would be totally magical. I haven't been able to take pictures of all I've seen in the last few days, but most of the surrounding areas look very pretty. The ugly stuff is buried under lots of snow. Today was a "snow day" so no work, except in this modern world there's a computer and Internet access there's always some work to be done. Got some exercise digging out of my cottage and freeing my car.

These two are at the Croton Landing, on the Hudson River. Further north the river is mostly frozen. The Hudson is a very slow moving river. Actually the tides bring salt water some 40-50 miles north, from the New York harbor all the way to Newburgh, NY.

Below during a rare lull of the snowstorm. Behind me the frozen river.

Below, and the very first one on top of the page, are scenes from my place of work. Yes, I did walk around while the snow was falling. The tree branches heavy with the white stuff, some frozen rigid. When the actual snow stops falling from the sky, the trees shed some of theirs and it's snowing again even at the slightest of breezes!

The last one overlooking the frozen pond.

PS>To those who have been bugging me.... I don't do Facebook, even though I have an account there. I don't add stuff, I don't add friends (hard to ..unfried the 3 ones there already), don't log in for months. Maybe next summer I'll revisit the issue. But, I do blog here and I include many pictures I frequently take as I experience life.

Clicking on the pictures opens them bigger.

Blue Moon Ushers the New Year.

Once in a blue moon they say! Well, guess what. The new year will chime in with a blue moon over us! This December we're having a second full moon. It happens every 2.7 years that they are 2 full moons in one month. I'm sure the revelers in Times Square will appreciate the moon glistening over them when they look upwards to see the ball drop during the countdown to the new year. No, I won't be among them.; I haven't gone mad just yet. Though, I have done it a couple times in very distant past--when it didn't really make any sense because they didn't have all those elaborate celebrations they've been employing in the last 15 years.

It's been a long while since I placed any great significance on the changing of the year. I know it's just an arbitrary moment. It'd make more sense to have it on the solstice, on December 21st, or in June. But, this doesn't mean I don't like to celebrate. Any chance to have a good time is welcomed.The picture at the top is from a full moon over Manhattan a couple years ago. The others are from (in order) Times Square, Bryant Park/NYC Public Library, Hudson River by the Bear Mountain bridge, and on a farm by Beacon, NY.



It's almost a tradition (with lapses a few years) that I watch The Snowman, an animation movie around this time of the year... when there's snow outside. I finally found and patched together the video parts. Click the link to see it.

And, this concludes my last post for the year, and, according to some, the last of the decade. See you on the other side....

;)