It's Monday and it's gray and cloudy out which is okay because I'm stll not feeling too well and really don't feel like going out. Actually I would like to go out but due to my delicate condition I need to be near a porcelain facility. What ever this strange malody is which seems to have affected only me and some middle school kids on Long Island, it has manifested itself in the bowels of my bowels and is hanging on for dear life making it necessary for me to hang around my house. I haven't picked up a camera in five days so, no new pix.
     A couple of weeks ago I made my twice yearly pilgrimage to the Brooklyn Botanical gardens to see what's sprouted and to look for signs that, yes Suzy, there is a Spring.

       
      
           
             
I took these photos about a week and a half ago and many of the flowering plants and trees were not in full bloom. I imagine
they are probably magnigicent by now considerng the spectacular weather we had here over the weekend.
The "gem" of this garden is the Japanese gardens and tea house. The pond is stocked with koi and turtles and you can find
a cool niche to sit, relax and just chill out. Fans of the hit series "Damages" will recognize this place as Ted Danson's meditation
retreat.

all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

      I woke up yesterday morning feeling lousy. Every bone and muscle in my body ached and despite the brick oven-like ambience of my bedroom(The heat in my apartment was set on the higher of it's two settings, pizza oven) I actually had a slight chill. I popped a couple of Tylenol and fished around in my medicine cabinet for a thermometer. I found one of those old glass ones. I shook it down past the 98.6 mark and put it under my tongue hoping that it was an oral therometer. After about four minutes I removed it from my mouth and held it under a lamp. Squinting to read the glass enclosed silvery stream of mercury I relented and put on my glasses. 100.5 F. I officially had a fever. Not good. I needed to go to the store today. There was nothing in my fridge to eat. And besides I was running out of Tylenol. I fugured I would just jump into my car and run over to the supermarket. Unfortunately my car did not have the same idea. I turned the key. Nothing. The dash lights came on for a second and blinked out. Click, click, click. Dead. After four years of flawless starts the Civic let me down. I lifted the hood as if staring at the battery would suddenly make it come alive. I jiggled the wires. Nothing. I cleaned off some of the powdery corrosion that had collected on the terminals. Nothing. I called the AAA.
     An hour later a nice man in a tow truck came by and after a few minutes managed to pump some life into the corpse that was my battery. "It looks like the battery is dead" he said. " I ain't getting a reading on the meter". "You gotta' get a new one". Terrific. Just what I needed today. A fever and a dead battery.
     I let the car run for a few minutes and drove over to my local Pakistani service station where a Spanish speaking mechanic deftly installed an new Interstate battery. The car restarted instantly. I drove off a hundred and forty three dollars lighter.
     I guess the Tylenol was taking effect because I was actually feeling better.As I drove east on the parkway I decided that what I needed was some good, clean sea air. I found myself at a small state park right off the Robert Moses Causeway. Captree State Park has been home to one of Long Island's largest fishing boat fleets for many years. It's also fairly quiet and the parking lot is rarely full.

   
 
At one time these "party" boats would head out for a whole day's fishing leaving at about 7am and returning at four in the afternoon. In later years these boats have split their sessions returning at one pm and then going out again until five or six. If you go out on one of these boats you are almost guaranteed to catch something. The captains know these waters and won't even leave the dock unless the fish are biting. It's too expensinve to run one of these vessels and come back empty handed with a boatload of disgruntled patrons.
The park is located between the Captree Inlet on one side and Zack's bay on the other. Two of LI's best fishing areas.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

     Like tulips, robin's and young men's fancy's the 2009 New York International Auto Show blew its way in to the city and landed at the Javits Center amid growing fear that many of the manufacturers exibiting their wares will not be here next year. And from what I saw maybe some of them should not. The Auto Show, once a right of Spring for every hot blooded American male and their bored girl friends, had very little new to offer. Unlike the old days* when the world's auto makers could not wait to show off their latest and greatest as well as what might be in store for us in the future in the form of concept cars, this year was what could best be described as "more of the same". More small cars, more hybrids, more electrics and more cars that leave the show attendee wondering why they paid $14 to see the same cars they could have seen for free in the showroom.

The Lobby:
Why buy a ticket when you can get the best for free?
   
       
  
       
The show starts even befor you buy your ticket. The lobby of the Javits Center has plenty to see and some of it is better than what you
would pay $14** for on the show floor.
The lobby of the Javits Center is awesome. If you have never been here befor it's probably worth the trip just to see the place. Once you've admired the architecture you might want to glance at some of the really nice cars displayed in the glass enclosed lobby. My personal favorite is a car called the BATT II (top row right and second row left). The styling was probably the most futuristic of anything in the building. If radical design is not your thing than perhaps a nice plain Ferrari or Lamborghini might fill you automobile needs. For those of us who remember car shows of the past, a company which rents small antique exotic cars has a display featuring some auto-oddities such as the two seater Messerschmitt and it's Axis alli the Isetta ( bottom left). If really small is your thing you might want to rent the record holder as the world's smallest car (bottom center). It's called the "PEEL". The steering wheel takes up most of the front seat. Finally, a vehicle that not only has great mileage but also has a built in freezer, the 2009 "Haagen Dazs", shown with the top down.

On the show floor:
You get what you pay for.

   
  
   
              
If you do actually buy a ticket and venture on to the main exibit floor you will be treated to what is essentially your friendly neighborhood auto dealer's showroom without the annoying salesman.
Mercedes Benz had its usualy large exibit area and why not. They continue to make one of the worlds most desirable cars. I particularly like Mercedes intreriors. They seem to have hit the perfect combination of masculinity, with all the switches and dials, while not forgetting that many Mercedes owners are women. Missing from the Mercedes exibit this year was their ultra expensive, ultra luxury answer to Rolls Royce, the Maybach. Even Lexus' exibit was toned down featuring mostly their Hybrid model(top right) How dull.
Chrysler (probably not long for this world) made a brave effort with a sort of sporty electric car( second row left).
One of the best attended areas was the Smart Car exibit(second row center) A lot of people just wanted to sit inside one. It's roomy and the driving position is quite comfortable. Toyota proudly showed it Prius(second row right) while an all electric GEM (third row left) makes me feel like playing a round of golf. May I drive through please?
For some reason Toyota does not like to admit that the Scion(third row center) is their's. It's the most customizable car in the show as demonstrated by that thing without windows(third row right).
At the far corner of the floor was the FORD effort to sell cars. For some reason they decided to go with a blue colored theme. Blue cars, blue lighting, blue people. I'm sure there is  some psycho-reasoning for this azure theme which I fail to grasp. In any event FORD cars, as in the past, are dull boxes that will probably sell well, or as well as a car can be sold these days.
The photo, bottom center, just shows that there are still some maniacs out there that know how to enjoy themselves. On the bottom right is a car more my speed. A 2009 Honda Civic. It's plain and grey and perfect for NYC.
I have no photos of GM's efforts. Quite frankly I got so bored walking through it that I forgot to take any pics. The only thing mildly interesting was the Chevy Volt all electric car. I know GM is banking on this one but I'm affraid it's just too little too late.

You may have noticed a theme of fatalism running through my story. I'm sorry to be so down on cars but I guess as I get older and realize that cars as I remember them will be a lot different in the future than they used to be in the day's when the U.S.dominated the automobile industry. While I'm glad that cars with tail fins went the way of giant shiny chrome bumpers and whitewalls, I'm sorry to see that there is little or no imagination anymore. It's just follow the leader and try to make something that will sell.


*The good old days. My first recollection of the N.Y. International Auto Show goes back to the 1960's when the show was held at the old N.Y. Collisseum on Columbus Circle. The show was magical and truly "international" with cars from all over the world. Even those  cars that were not available in the U.S. Today's show is just a mere shadow of what once was. Where are the FIAT's, the Renault's, the Pugeot's the Citroen's and all those cars from China, India and Russia? I used to love those Moscva's and Vulga's.
** I have something to admit. I did not pay $14 for a ticket. In fact I paid nothing. I actually won a ticket in a contest sponsored by the Auto Show itself. Somehow I got on their e-mail list and a couple of months ago I answered a question correctly and won a ticket. I don't think I would have gone to the show if I had not won. Fourteen bucks is fourteen bucks and, well, free is free.

all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

     Thirty feet above the streets of the meatpacking district and Chelsea is an elevated structure that will soon become a public park. That's right, and elevated above ground park. The only other park of it's kind is in Paris where and old rail line was converted to a promanade in 1990.
     Like Paris, New York's elevated park was also a former rail line that once snaked around and through the large industrial buildings that dot the west side of Manahattan.
    I have been putting off any pictorials on the high line because, quite frankly, it's not finished and, from the ground, it's not much to look at. Only a handfull of photographers have been permitted to enter the area to check on the progress of the construction. It kind of makes me wonder what the heck is going on up there. As it stands now the project is almost two years behind schedual.     Here are some facts about the high line:

     Originally constructed, 1929-1934, as a freight rail line that brought freight cars directly to and in some cases into the buildings.
     The high line spans 22 blocks from Gansevoort Street (approx. 14th Street) to 34th Street. It's 1.45 miles long.
     6.7acres of space atop the elevated deck.
      It's width varies from 30 to 60 feet wide and in some places it's only 18 to 30 feet high.
      It was originally built to support two fully loaded freight trains and is made primarily of steel and reinforced concrete.


                   
     
Top, left to right: A new hotel rises above the high line.As in the past the elevated structure passes right through the building. Hector's diner sports a new paint job nestled under the steel structure. Hector's services the workers of the meatpacking disrict by providing 24 hour service. The original rail structure had branches which went directly into the loading bays of nearby buildings. The Chelsea Market, bottom row left, will be an integral part of the new park which if it ever gets finished, will actually have a couple of trees. The good thing about an elevated park is that it won't disturb the businesses that are underneath it like this parking lot.

    
      
The High line makes it's way through one of NYC's most eclectic neighborhoods. Chelsea, has a strange combination of the very new and the very old, the very cheap and the very expensive and the very rich and those who carry ther belongings around in a milk crate.

We hope they actually get this thing finished in time for summer. Some folks are predicting and August opening. We'll see. I just think it will be neat to be able to walk 22 blocks in the city without having to wait for a green light or dodge traffic.

for further information on the High Line go to....www.thehighline.org

The blog is a little late today because I actually spent the morning at the New York International Auto Show at the Javits Center. Sure I took pics and I'll show them to you on Wednesday.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper.





      

     It's either the first day of Passover or Good Friday or whatever religious festival you let govern your life* for the next few days and that means that it's time once again, boys and girls,for "Bruce's Weekly Wrap Up". We like to think of it as a place to post some of the photos that I took just wandering around these past few days.

      
One of last week's posts included some photos I took of the Long Island town of Greenport. Since you really don't want to spend all day in Greenport there are one or two other places nearby to visit. I mentioned that there are numerous wineries that offer tours and tastings but if you're a tea toteler or just don't care about wine you can take alittle side trip to Horton Point State Park which is a few miles west of Greenport and just off route 25. You can visit the lighthouse or , if you don't mind the 130 some odd steps you can head down to a really pretty beach and enjoy the blue-green waters of Long Island sound. P.S., it's free.

      
Take a nice early Spring day and combine that with lunchtime in midtown Manhattan and you've got  hundreds of folks hanging out behind the library in Bryant Park.The newly replanted lawn was just a little too new to stretch out on but there were places to sit and even some time for a friendly game of Bocce.

  
              
Meanwhile on the upper East Side... Yes there is an Upper East Side as compared to the very trendy Lower East Side. In fact the UES has been trendy for years. I consider everything above 57th street to be "upper" so these photos cover an area roughly from 59th to 70th street. Much of this chunk of Manhattan was once owned by the Rockefeller's and was for the most part undeveloped. I guess old John D. and the rest of the clan realized that it was all just too much and decided to give most of it away. Some of those recipients of this philanthropy were hospitals thus spawning such renowned institutions like New York Hospital, The Hospital for Special Surgery and The Rockefeller University. Mr. R's holdings stretched all the way down to 42nd Street so when it came time for the United Nations to build a new home a nice piece of east side river front property was waiting for them.



                 
I almost forgot...      This past week marked the 100th annversary of the 59th Street Bridge (also called the Queensboro Bridge).
                                     " ...slow down you move too fast. Gotta' make the morning last..something...something...something,feeling
                                      groovy".


It looks like it's going to be a so-so weekend, weather wise, so we may or may not be able to get out there with the old cam. But fear not photo fans, Bruce has a stockpile of photos waiting in the wings. I am. if not anything else, prolific.

*New Yorker's who own cars love this time of year. For a two week period most all alternate side parking is suspended.

all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

As some of you might have guessed I'm cutting back on posts to this blog. It's not that I'm lazy...okay, I'm lazy...but mostly it's just that I haven't felt like going out lately. The weather has had a lot to do with it. I know that those April showers are supposed to bring May flowers but come on, enough already. We haven't been able to string two days of sunshine together for weeks around here. And when the sun does matter to shine I've been running around like a headless chicken trying to get in as much picture taking as possible. This has led to quantity rather than quality. Something I'm not proud of. So I'm just going to cool it for a while and limit my excursions to once or twice a week until the water rings out of the atomosphere.  Here's some stuff I did last week during some brief moments of sunshine.


Greenport, Long Island





There's a great little town about 75 miles east of New York City on the north fork of Long Island called Greenport. Unlike it's toni south fork cousins aka "The Hampton's", this town has no cutesy shops, no celebs in SUV's vying for a parking space on the main drag and none of that " I have a house in the Hampton's and you don't atomosphere. Greenport is a welcoming little town on route 25 that offers harbor views, great restaurants and shops run by locals who have lived there for years.

   
       
   
        


Greenport is primarily a seaport town. This means that the town's livelelyhood revolves around all things nautical. Greenport is home to a small commercial fishing fleet as well as a place to catch a ferry to Shelter Island across the bay. The shops and restaurants are one of a kind and offer probably the freshest seafood on Long Island. Claudio's restaurant (4th row, far left above) is the oldest restaurant continuously owned by the same family in the United States.

If you go. The best way to get anywhere on Long Island is by car. Take the LIE to the end* and continue on route 25 until you get to Greenport. There is a LIRR station here but train service is spotty especially on off hours. Park your car for free on the street or in the town's municiple lot and walk around. The best time to go is during the week and after April 1st when most of the restaurants and stores have reopened for the season. The town is desolate and cold in the winter as is most of Long Island's north fork. On your way back you can visit one of the many wineries (you saw them on the way out) which offer tastings and tours, again, in season.


*Unfortunately the last exit on the Long Island Expressway leaves you out  practically in the middle of one of largest factory outlet centers in the nation. Try to resist the lure of bargains, bargains, bargains and drive on by or you will never make it to Greenport.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

There is nothing like the sound of water cascading over a rocky cliff into the abyss below. When we think of great waterfalls we usually think of places like Niagara or Victoria.But these places are far away and require an overnight stay at least. So where near the NYC metro area can we commune with nature and view a nice, if not spectacular, waterfall. The Poconos, that's where.

      
This is Ravenskill Falls just off route 209 in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. As waterfalls go it's not that spectacular but it is close to New York and if you have that urge to commune with nature after a long cold winter this is the place to do it. The day, to say the least, was spectacular. The temperature was in the low 50's with bright sun and a crystal clear sky. The cool temp was perfect because just getting to the falls from the parking area is a long diffcult journey, downhill via a path that is not very well maintained. There were fallen trees, rock strewn "steps" and shakey handrails. And then there is the climb back to the lot. I found myself taking a couple of breaks litterally collapsing on a nearby log just to catch my breath. If I had needed medical attention it might not have come for hours. I was the only person at the falls this day. Nice if you crave isolation but not so good if you have an accident. Cell phone service is spotty in the area.

If you go: The only way to get there is by car. From New York City take I-80 West past the Delaware Water Gap to Route 209 north. I suggest you get a map available free at the Pennsylvania Welcome station just over the Delaware bridge. Figure at least two to three hours drive. There are plenty places to eat and stay in the area. The best time to go is during the week and,yes, it's free. Figure on using a full tank of gas.


all photo's (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

     Boy, this flu thing really likes to linger on. Even though I was asymptomatic I still felt lousy all last week. You know. Aches and pains and just a general feeling of malaise. By mid week I was feeling much better so I decided it was time to put on a pair of pants and get myself out of the house. I needed a place to convalesce and relax for a while. I knew just the thing. An ocean voyage. But how could I manage this on four dollars? I have a feeling you know the answer.

     
The trip started at the spanking new South Ferry subway station which just re-opened after a long period of construction. It's the first new subway station to open in Manhattan in over twenty years.

       

   
The entrance to the ferry terminal is only a few steps from the subway and then it's just an escalator ride up to the terminal where there is a spacious waiting area*. My timing was impeccable on this day as the 11:30 boat was just beginning to board. The weather was relatively mild and many of  the passengers took the opportunity to stand on the aft deck and enjoy one of the best views of lower Manhattan available.



              
After about 35 minutes you arrive at St. George, Staten Island. So what now. My suggestion is not to get back on the boat. Leave the terminal and take a short walk on the promenade adjacent to terminal. Not only do you get a great view of the harbor but you can visit one of the only official 9-11 memorials in the city. This striking gull wing monument overlooks the spot where the World Trade Center would have been across the bay. Niches with the names, and sometimes photos, of Staten Islanders who perished on 9-11are viewable. Also along the walkway is the Richmond County Ballpark. The home to the Staten Island Yankees.


I've always said that a ride on the Staten Island Ferry is the best thing you can do for free in NYC. Many tourists are surprised that there are no ticket booths or turnstiles or that no body collects a fare. A few years ago, I think it was in the 70's, they did actually install turnstiles and for a couple of years the round trip cost 25 cents. This was so unpopular that the fare was dropped leaving only the remnants of non-working turnstiles as a reminder. Collecting a fare for the ferry has never been spoken of again.

*I have no photos of the interior of the ferry terminal. Ever since 9-11 the terminal has been considered a level one security area. The last time I attempted to take a photo of the waiting room I was approached by an armed, uniformed security person with a dog and was told in no uncertain terms that picture taking inside the ferry terminal was verboten.

all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

     The weather forecasters said that the temperatures would be in the low 60's this Sunday but I did not believe them. Maybe the temps were in the sixties somewhere but not here. Winter was just not giving up it's grip. Luckily I do not listen to the forecasters and "layered" up for the cold. I know that what may be okay for the car is not okay for walking three or four miles through the cold canyons of the city.
     Due to some emergency track repair it took me over an hour and a half to make my way into the city. there was no express service so it was one local stop after another until I couldn't take it any more and had to get off at 8th street and Broadway. I walked over to Green street to check out something I have planned for later on this week* and then headed south. With nothing specific in mind I just walked and looked and took an occasional photo until I got tired and went home. It felt good to get out after being cooped up inside all week no matter what the weather.


            

                
There are many reasons why I decide to take a photo of one thing or another. Sometimes it's and interesting place or odd shape. Sometimes it's an odd combination of colors or something is where it's not supposed to be. Oft times it's other folks art work that fascinates me or sometimes it's just something interesting in a second floor loft window.


* Next Wednesday marks the anniversary of the Triangle Shirt Waist fire. A defining moment in the history of the labor movement in this country. The building is still here( now used by NYU as classrooms and offices). They are having some sort of memorial this week I'm going to try ad attend.

all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

     As you have probably noticed I haven't been posting to this blog for a couple of days. This is not due to any laziness on my part but rather to the fact that I have been feeling like s***t since last Monday. It appears that I have contracted one sort of virus or another which has caused me to experience what can only be called flu-like symptoms, but not all of them. While I am sneezing I'm not coughing. I do not have the chills but I do feel warm. I'm not achy but my nose is stuffy.  My eyes are itchy and watery (very attractive) like I'm allergic to something although I don't know what there is to be allergic to. I'm taking some OTC medication which helps a little but generally just makes your mouth dry and your head "foggy". I have to go back to the drug store today to see what else they have in the way of relief. I understand that they now keep "THE GOOD STUFF" behind the pharmacy counter so the kiddies can't get their hands on it.
     I don't really mind staying in for a couple of days. I need the rest. And besides the weather has not been that good anyway. In fact as I am writing this, on the fist day of spring no less, it's snowing outside....excuse me I have to sneeze...that's better. I do feel bad about not having any new photos for you but I just have not felt like taking any. I do however have an archive of stuff that I don't believe I have posted anywhere before so, as they say, if you haven't seen it it's new to you.
    

     Every once in a while I do a little thing called "Shooting from the hip" where I actually take candid shots of folks doing their thing. I hold the camera at my waist (or hip) and without aiming I point the camera in the general direction of the nearest person. It's quite voyeuristic.

                                  

              

                               

The fun part comes when you get home and see what you captured.It's kind of like fishing with a camera.


Meanwhile I feel another sneeze coming on. Hurry! Say gesundheit.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

    Okay. Which one of you disgusting pigs gave me the flu? Was it you? Yes you on the subway the other day.  You know who you are. The guy with the beard who couldn't catch his cough in time and only half of it went into his sleeve. Or maybe it was you in line in front of me at the Stop and Shop. I saw you blowing your nose. Even if you did use a tissue don't you think a couple of those germs may have escaped?
    I haven't had the flu in over twenty years. I'm fortunate enough to have a great immune system which has protected me from the ravages of disease. A feat which, living in a city of over ten million people , is no small task. But it appears that even my superior anti-bug warriors were no match for whatever is going around. So I have surrounded myself with all of the usual home remedies. I've got the Tylenol, the Nighttime Cold remedy as well as the Daytime remedy. None of these help much but it makes you feel like your doing something. I don't have a fever so I'm hoping that this won't last long. I was planning on going to the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Tuesday but if I don't feel better I won't go. Too bad. It's one of those great photo-op days. 

     Monday was a rain out as well as today leaving only Tuesday to get out and about. Cabin fever does have a way of getting to you. My apartment ,as big as it is, was starting to get smaller and smaller. So out it I must go. I took the subway to the West 4th street station and walked over to Washington Square park to check out how the park's major renovation is coming along. The park has been mostly closed for almost two years leaving GV locals and tourists alike nowhere to hang out on those sultry summer weekends. The good news is that it does seem almost finished so hopefully the "best place to hang out in NYC" will be ready for some serious hangin' by the time the warm weather sets in.
     I was going to walk over to the East Village and on to to the Lower East Side but at the last minute I decided to keep it in the village. I walked down Sullivan Street past Houston and into SoHo where I came across a movie location. Lots of trucks and guys dressed up as NYPD. The paper sign on the lamp post told me that they were shooting something called "The Unusuals". I had no idea what this was so when I got home I did a little "googling" and found out that this show is going to replace "Life on Mars" on ABC. At least they're shooting in New York and not running to Toronto.
    I continue through SoHo and and walked diagonally down Canal street to Broadway and over to Chambers, past City Hall and eventually wound up at the South Street Seaport where thankfully there is a public restroom. Ahhhh!

    I did take the camera but did not take too many photos. I think I'm becoming a bit jaded. I've seen these neighborhoods too many times and what to most folks would appear unusual has, for me, become routine. Do I have to become a tourist in my own town in order to get those great pics?
   
    After two hours of walking this is the best I could come up with....


         
Left to right: A Greenwich Village shoe store featuring, of all things, cowboy boots. They look a bit out of place on the cold hard city streets. Next, this pizza restaurant needed to put a big knife and fork symbol to let folks know that it's a place to eat. Gee. Maybe if they made it look more like a pizza joint they wouldn't have that problem. On the other hand one place that has no identity problem is the Brooklyn Bridge. This shot was taken from the second floor balcony of Pier 17. That's a catering boat in the foreground. Finally, a view of Pier 17. The future of this shopping-restaurant venue is still in doubt. Developers want to build  an office and residential tower above the present building. I guess the economy will eventually dictate the fate of this place.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

     Unseasonably mild temperatures this weekend had everybody thinking "early spring". Everybody that is except Mother Nature who quickly brought us back to reality with more realistic weather on this Monday. But even a two day break from what has been a lousy winter was cherished by every New Yorker. I was curious to see if the nearly 70 degree temperature was able to coax any of those bulbs planted last fall from their winter blanket of earth.


                  
Signs of spring in Central Park are hard to find unless you look closely. Even though there's no ice on the lake the park still
has on it's winter face. The Bethesda fountain is not only empty of water it's also empty of tourists and Bow bridge stands
quietly waiting for a flock of ducks to pass by.

             
The American Elm trees that line the "Mall" are still leafless but an in-line skater seems to have shed her winter duds for
something more appropriate. A brown* squirrel tried to stare me down but I have a longer lens and he had a short attention
span. Wait!. Are those leaf buds I see on that tree?

     

I knew that there had to be something growing here.
Down at ground level, where the dead leaf cover has
kept the earth warm under its blanket, some very brave
shutes have decided that they too have had enough of
winter and decided to stick their heads out and have a
look around.  I'm not a botanist but these early bloomers
appear to be tulips, crocuses and tulips.






Robo-Geeks

Last Friday I took a walk over to the Javits Center  where they were having a robot competition for high school students from all over the world. I thought that there would be a variety of contraptions with different configurations performing unique tasks. But alas most of the robots were very similar in design which I guess was okay because they all had to accomplish the same job.

          
Most of the action took place back stage where the teams were frantically prepping and adjusting the robots that they have worked
so hard on. The competition itself , as best as I could make out, consisted of the robots trying to scoop up balls. The one that scooped up the most balls won that round. Since all of the bots had the same general design it appeared that the robot that was controlled or "driven" the best was the winner. In this heat old #56 was the best controlled and was all over the arena collecting
those balls.
I don't want to put this event down. It appeared that everybody worked very very hard to get here. The robots were extremely technical and complicated and the very fact that they worked at all amazed me. The complaint that I have is that the organizers of the event are not media savvy. There was very little pre-show  publicity . I only found out about it because I visited the Javits web page and noticed the event schedual. The lack of publicity was evident by the lack of any media coverage. Except for the proud parents and teachers with point and shoots and cell phone cams just me and one other photog had any camera worth more that $200. There was no TV and I saw nothing about it on the news all weekend. I'm sure the kids had a great time but I bet they would have had a better if they were able to see themselves on the news. Maybe next year some PR firm would undertake this event as a pro-bono project.



*I have seen your usual gray squirrels and even the occasional black squirrel (found mostly in the Bronx) here in Central park, but this is the first time that I have seen brown squirrel. It had a very nice chocolate brown coat and a very luxurious tail. I'm thinking that this rodent's dad may have had a trist with an escaped mink.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper.

      No real post today. I did go out yesterday to clean the snow off the car as they did not suspend the alternate side parking regs. Fortunately the weather cooperated and the 40 degree temps practically cleaned the snow off the windshield for me. While cleaning the car I noticed that the leather gloves I was wearing had developed a hole at the tip of the index finger. It wasn't a tear, it had actually worn out from use. I decided to drive over to Kohl's department store to see if I could score a new pair at end of season prices. We'll I guess that not only was it the end of season it was past the season. I was informed that all gloves, scarves etc. had been removed from the shelves for the season.  I drove over to a nearby TJ Max and was told the same thing. A short drive to a Sears produced similar results. I guess I'm out of luck for new gloves this year.
     
      I'm heading back over to the Javits Center again today. There is a robot competition which pits teams from various local schools against each other to see who can make the best robot or something. The event is free ( my favorite word) so even if it turns out to be a bust at least I didn't part with any bucks. Hey, there's a recession going on and any time you can waste two or three hours for zero dollars you take advantage of it.

      In stark contrast to the start of this week the temperature for this weekend is expected to rise to the 60's and even the 70's. I'll think I'll head out to Central Park to see if any of those bulbs planted last year are brave enough to stick their heads out for a look. Tulips and Daffodils and other bulb type flowers planted in New York tend to stay around longer than in other parts of the country with more moderate climates. They're flowers with an attitude. " Yo, I'm a Tulip. Whadaya gawna do about it".

Have a nice weekend,
BC

     The world outside my window is still frozen. The snow which fell on Monday has hardened nicely into what can only be described as miniature mountain ranges making walking on the side streets akin to Godzilla trampling the Himalayas. I haven't been out for three days except for a brief trip to the corner to look at my snowbound car. It actually does not appear to be too plowed over but I don't feel like cleaning it off as the snow on it is still rock hard. The temps are supposed to rise to the 40's and 50's so I'll wait for Mother Nature to help with some melting. I hope they suspend alternate parking for the rest of the week. I now know why old folks move to Florida. Sometimes you just get tired of this sh--t.
     Since I haven't gone out I have not taken any new photos since Monday but I do have some stuff from last week that I put away for just such an occasion.
     For weeks now I have been trying to get to the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. Red Hook is one of those up and coming areas that in the past nobody in their right mind would move to but now has become THE place to be because the rents are still cheap and the gen-xers haven't found it yet. Or have they? Well some adventurous ones have. And I do mean adventurous. Getting to Red Hook by public transportation is a job in itself. There are no subway lines that run to this piece of far western Brooklyn real estate that juts out into the Lower Bay. The best you can do is take a train to downtown Brooklyn and try to find the B61 bus (the B72 also gets you there) which snakes slowly through traffic snarled streets where one double parked truck can put an end to any progress. The bus ride alone is about forty minutes which is just about my limit for riding on a city bus whose suspension is set harder than a NASCAR racer.  My kidneys were begging for mercy. Fortunately there is someplace to take a leak at the end of the journey. That magical place is called IKEA and it's the reason why Red Hook has become an NYC destination.



It all starts with the B61 bus. You can actually drive to Red Hook but the wole idea these days is to try and use public transportation.


The bus route terminates at the new IKEA store. IKEA had been looking for a NYC location for years. The nearest IKEA is located across from Newark airport off the Jersey Turnpike and the other is way out on Long Island. Both of those places are impossible to get to wothout a car. The only place with enough land was here in Red Hook where there was litterally nothing but broken down piers and warehouses.

                     
The area is officially known as Erie Basin. It was a place where cargo ships would dock and their goods unloaded on to waiting trucks to be taken to various markets in the city. Those were the days before containers when burly longshoremen and stevadors would unload those ships by hand with the help of cranes. Ships don't dock here anymore. These docks just never kept up with the times. The giant cranes have been left as a reminder to what used to be.

                            
             
              

                       
I don't know what I expected to find out here. I had heard that there was an up and coming shopping area with trendy shops, restaurants and markets. I didn't see them in this particular area of Red Hook.  What I did find was a new park that is more like an outdoor museum than a playground. There is a lot of history here that could have been bulldozed over but some historically minded people decided that while it's necessary to look forward it's important to remember the past.
There were a lot of interesting things to photograph. They have incorporated many of the objects found in the rubble,when they were building IKEA ,into exhibits in the park. I'll have to come back here with my car so I can explore the neigborhood further.

 
The other "anchor" store in this area is the new Fairway market. Fairway, which has a location on the upper west side of Manhattan, moved in shortly after IKEA bringing an upscale selection of fruits and veggies and gourmet items to the nabe. While the B61 bus does not go near the Fairway it's not too far down the street. I didn't fell like walking over there this time.



A word about IKEA. Not to make this sound like a commercial for IKEA but I love this store. I've bought stuff at their store out on Long Island for years now. They have good, stylish, practical and relatively inexpensive housewares and furniture. Something that should be of interest in these tight times. But the best buy in the store is not something that you put on your wall or floor or have to assemble. It's something you put in your belly. IKEA has a  snack bar which, amoung other things,sells what may be the best food deal in NYC. For $2.50 (that's including tax) you get two,yes two, hot dogs on two buns, a soft drink of your choice which is refillable for free and a bag of potato chips. While there is no saurkraut or onions or relish there is some great tasting yellow mustard. It's no Nathan's but for $2.50 who cares.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper

     This is one of those times that you may be glad to be out of work. New York awoke this morning to the first really significant snowfall of the season. By significant I mean anything over four inches. From experience I know that anything over four inches causes real problems. Four inches, in case you don't have a ruler, is about 1/3 the way up your hubcaps if you're driving a normal size sedan. This means that you may have trouble getting out of the parking spot you so coveted the night before. Smart people who listened to the forecast and  manged to find a spot on the non-snow plow* side of the street may actually be able to move today. For those of us who just could not find that ideal spot might not see their cars until Friday. Personally I don't care. I'll just let mother nature take care of the snow removal. I refuse to do any snow shoveling. What do I look like anyway? A Zamboni?


Okay. It's a little trick photography. The snow
is not up to the 5th floor of the apartments across
the boulevard. The snow here, is actually piled
on top of my window air conditioner.


This photo shows a more accurate picture
of what the snow looks like. Queens Blvd is
snow covered but that doesn't seem to stop
that guy in the rocket ship.


This guy is actually lucky. The snow seems
to have drifted around his car leaving him in
a sort of valley. He should be able to get his
car out without a problem.


While Queens Blvd. gets plowed early some
of those side streets won't see a plow until
later today or tomorrow.


They say we are going to see about 7-10 inches of the white stuff today. Not my problem. I've got plenty of food. It's nice and warm inside and I have no reason to step outside. No work. No appointments.No dog to walk.

Tech note: The above photos were taken with my trusty old Olympus 5060 point and shoot. It may be the best non DSLR camera ever made. I actually would use it more often except for the fact that it only puts out 5.6 megs which makes enlarging anything over 4x6 impossible. But it's great for web posting. PS. I forgot to set the white balance hence the bluish tint. Whadda you want? I'm half asleep.



At the Art Expo

I actually did heed the forecast and decided to get to the Art Expo at the Javits Center on Saturday. I had planned to attend the show today to avoid the crowd but there wasn't much of a crowd on Saturday so everything turned out okay.


The 2009 version of Art Expo was actually pretty good. It's kind of like
going to a museum of contemporary art except that they will sell you the
paintings off the wall.


The Expo is more of a decorative art sale than a show of fine
art. If you are looking for something to hang on the wall or sit
on a mantle this was the place for you. There was stuff in
all price ranges from a couple of hundred dollars to many thousands.
The artwork above is actually "painted" on carpet. Not my taste, but
it is a good conversation piece.

I am, without a doubt, the worlds worst
papparrazzi photographer on the planet.
I just can't seem to get those candid celeb
shots. A good example is this photo. The
young lady pictured here is actress Jane
Seymore. She was at the show to promote
art for kids as well as showing (and selling)
some of her own artwork. I did actually get a
photo of her face but it came out so bad that it's
almost useless. There is something I'm
missing when it comes to taking quick shots
of celebs. I take my hat off to those who can
get those shots.





I have a couple of more shots of the Expo but it's more of the same. The interior of the Javits Center does not have great photo taking lighting and I didn't bring my external flash. As for the show itself  I didn't see anything that I would want to own except for  a collectable item. There were a few original Charles Shultz Peanuts drawings that were selling for over $5500. I guess in better times this may actually be a good deal. I'm sure that something like that would appreciate more than 5% making it a better investment than a bank. But in today's economic times I wonder how many folks would be willing to write a check for five or six grand and sit on it for a year or two.



* All NYC snowplows are set so that they push the snow to the right. It's something to think about when you park your car the night before a snowstorm.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper.

     Back in the earlier days of T.V., when only two colors (black and white) emanated from a small flickering screen, there was a host on the then relatively new TODAY show by the name of Jack Lescoulie. Every Friday morning he would begin the program by announcing, in a soft announcer-like voice "It's Friiiiiday, February 27, 19xx. He would elongate the word Friday by adding a few extra "i's". Work weeks were as harrowing back then as they are today and Lescoulie was echoing the feelings of all of us.
I only bring this up because it's not just Friday but it's the last Friday of the month. This means that February , too, is almost over, and even though it's a short month it comes in the middle of winter which makes its 28 days seem like 100. Combine this with the cold, snow and wind and you've got one lousy month. So good riddance February. Glad to see ya go.
    Unfortunately February will not leave on a calm note. Another blast of winter weather is due in for this weekend with rain, sleet and snow blowing in from the mid west. Damn those mid-westerners. Why don't you send the weather south a thousand miles or so where there have been temps in the 70's and 80's for the last week. They might even enjoy it there.  But what's the use. You folks never listen to me anyway. I guess we'll just have to endure another few weeks of winter.
     So what's on tap for me today? Something interesting, I hope. Later on this morning I'm heading over to the Javits Center to take in the 2009 edition of Art Expo. This is an annual show, open to the public*, that showcases local as well as national and international artists. It's a chance for those of us who don't do gallery hopping to see what's new in the art world. It's also a place where one can purchase an original work of art . Something that in these times may be harder for some of us to do. I guess I would buy something if I really liked it and It was not too expensive. It will be interesting to see how many of the attendees will actually be buying. I'll report back to you on Monday, with pics of course. 

* I actually managed to score a free pass to this event otherwise I probably would not have gone. Hey,given the economy, saving $15 is a big deal.

    

     I really needed to get out of the house yesterday. Anywhere. Anyplace. So i fired up the Honda and headed north to see if there was any snow around here. The streets down here in the city are bone dry but I did hear that they got some snow up in what we used to call "the mountains". I drove up old route 17 though historic towns like Suffern and Tuxedo. and continued north to Goshen and Florida, NY. But alas I found no snow. It's was as dry up here as it is down state. I did see some white stuff on the top of Bear Mountain on my way home so I guess all the precip happens in the higher elevations. I was going to continue further north into Sullivan County and to towns like Monticello, Ellenville and Liberty but I got bored.
I could not let the day go picture less so I found a spot off an old side road and snapped a couple. You can see how brown and dry everything is. I'll come back when the weather gets warmer and I'll cover the area more intensely. There's a lot of memories up here but it takes time to drive around.

Farm on the brown hills near Warwick, NY



The "new" route 17 snakes its way west into what used to be
called the "borscht belt". This two lane highway has been around
for about fifty years and parallels old route 17(now 17M) which is a one lane
highway. Imagine you are six years old. It's a hot Friday night
back in 1951. You are seated between your father and uncle in
the front seat of a Hudson Hornet. There is no AC. A tank truck
hauling 3000 gallons of something is in front of you. You are
approaching the dreaded Wurtsboro hill. The tank truck is in
the lowest gear there is on this truck. The hill is getting steeper.
The tanker is moving slower. My uncle is using language I've
never heard before. We followed that truck for the next twenty miles
until he turned off a side road. There were cars backed up to Mahwah
New Jersey.


all photos (c) 2009 Bruce Cooper