Alien Stele*

Reportedly, this was left behind long ago. No one is exactly sure when it first appeared. Over the years the authorities made various attempts to dig it up and remove it. Regardless of what they tried, they failed.

Rather admit the evidence of it's origins and alarm the residents, they resorted to hiding it in plain sight. It was near the water so they built a large decorative plaza and a raised platform to isolate it. There is no plaque or explanation in place. People occasionally walk by, keeping their distance, and wonder.

* This is intended to be a larger project revealing "the aliens among us". They are usually disguised so identification and "capture" of both the aliens, and the artifacts of their existence is no easy task! Many scoff at this effort, but still pull the blanket over their head at 3am and wonder what that strange noise was….

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Twins

I have 5 grandkids, of which I adopted Brianna and Alauna. The other 3 live in NY with my daughter Kaitlin. There are the twins, James and Lily, and the oldest is Norah, seen here with Brianna. Norah and Brianna were born on the same day, 5 hours apart, so are both 10 years old.

Each school year Brianna has always explained that she has a “twin cousin” Norah in NY. This necessitates a phone call from the teacher for clarification. For the first time this year he phone call never came. I hope she still believes in Santa Claus

This picture is over 2 years old and interesting one to make note of a fond memory.

outside at the Hudson River Museum

an oddball post - photography & jazz

I have 5 movies on my computer hard drive and one I've enjoyed often. The Jazz Loft is about W.Eugene Smith the photographer, jazz musicians, the flower district, NYC and a deep dive into a slice of life at the time - late 50's, early 60's.

You know Gene Smith, think Life Magazine, his photo essays The Country Doctor, Maud Nurse Midwfie, Albert Schweitzer Man of Mercy, Minimata and others. He was passionate and obsessive about his photography often to the exclusion of all else. He was driven by that passion, and dexedrine! He was said to describe himself as the "Rembrandt" of photography. You may be familiar with his photo essays and have certainly seen some of his iconic single images.

He made about 4,000 hours of recordings on reel to reel tapes and nearly 40,000 photographs in the loft building in Manhattan's wholesale flower district. The tapes also contain recorded street noise, late-night radio talk shows, telephone calls, television and radio news programs, and random dialogues among musicians, artists, and others. He was equally driven about recording it all. To see the book or the movie is to marvel at artistry and our cultural history.

This is a picture of 821 6th Ave building as it looks today. Back in the day, it was an extremely decrepit, even dangerous, place filled with famous musicians who found a place to play together at all hours of the night and early mornings. It also managed to attract many notables brave enough to climb the stairs. An historic site that will likely face the wrecking ball.

erika, making a difference

Erika is homeless with 2 kids, her ex. gone stopped providing support, the home she lived in sold - and she SMILES!

She stands quietly at the side of this very hot parking lot with a sign "Homeless - Can I clean your windshield?" - and smiles. If you stop she'll clean your windshield if you want. She does it whether or not you give. Finally, Erika found a full time job at a large resort down the beach doing the laundry that will allow her to rent a place and put the family back together. She started this past Wednesday.

This is part of a project-in-process called "Agreeable Strangers". I printed this picture to give Erika before she moved on, in case our paths don't cross.

orlando street fair

on a visit to Amanda and Greyson’ house… we stopped at a neighborhood street fair consisting of various small and local businesses - artists, record vendors, foodies, clothes - a potpourri.

This artist started before I got there with a blank canvas. By about midday he had completed what you see. The people wandering at the fair provide some of his characters and are often a starting point for his imagination to complete the work. He was interesting to talk to, and enjoyable watching his process of creation.

ferdie and zowie

On sunny and cold, late fall day I was sitting on a bench enjoying the brisk weather when Ferdi and Zowie sat down at the other end. I said “hello.”

They were engaged in an ostentatious conversation about eastern religious philosophies.

I sat awhile longer, then decided to move on. Before I did, I asked if I could take their picture? They agreed. As I was doing so, I didn't feel like they were all that happy about it.

U.S. Grant died - twice

I’ve been away and very busy since I returned. I was really looking forward to my return and my next blog post - Ulysses S. Grant - in the flesh!!!!

I was on the Croton Dam Road, which goes across the top of the dam. Now closed, after 9/11 when you used to be able to drive it. It is now accessible to pedestrians and bicycles only and a great place to walk and visit. Be very careful, there is lots of poison ivy!

I say hello to people I see along the way and it usually ends up in conversation, and me asking to take their picture... most are agreeable.

Guess who I ran into? Yup, the man himself, Ulysses S. Grant. He showed me his drivers license! He has given up cigars, is much skinnier than his pictures, didn’t have his horse and was from Whitehall, Vermont. So why the Croton Dam Spillway? Well to my great disappointment, I apparently deleted the picture, along with a couple of others, (poison ivy, commemorative plaques, the Dam Road) - real bummer.

Croton Dam Spillway, looking north.

the soon-to-arrive rainy season

we spent Spring Break in the Everglades,

March is the end of the dry season for many the higher areas of the everglades… the hammocks, pinelands, marl prairie are dry and relatively easy to traverse.

The coastal lowlands, edge the mangroves and there is still water… so this lone mangrove might survive salinity and the the storm season.

enigmatic smile

at 14, it’s often a gamble as to who is going to show up - the happy one, angry, cool, busy, loving, techno, dismissive, caring, respectful, fun… today, it was the last two.

and whose always a really special person.

vaccination…

When they made vaccines available for ~8 year olds, there was little doubt Brianna would also be vaccinated. How do you approach a kid about getting a shot? As it turns out we just ask. Mem was unsure, though with a brief hesitation she responded “yes”.

The following Saturday we drove to the pediatricians office as scheduled. With little fanfare or delay, she quietly waited her turn and got her shot - no crying, no complaint, done! On the way home we stopped at the Candy Kitchen - think the candy bars, (“I want a clark bar”), lollipops, candies, sundaes, milk shakes, cones - the kind we had when we were growing up. Breakast!

We sat outside and ate our ice cream. I took some pictures. This one in the parking lot - it looked as calm and pleasant as I think we both felt. That’s love.

the cart wrangler

Pre-pandemic, I would visit my daughter in NY every 3 or 4 months. I mention it to excuse the fact that I made this about a year ago, and lost the paper I wrote his name on. For 22 years he has traveled up from the Bronx to Croton-on-Hudson to retrieve the shopping carts from around the large parking lot and return to the front of the store for customers use. He works 5 days a week in all sorts of northern weather. This was a bright, sunny, March day - it matched his usual friendly mood, and I took the picture. Although I had a picture delivered via my daughter, I hope to get there soon, say hello, and deliver one myself.

As a good friend said “…the cart wrangler, is precious. It tells me that no category of humans owns self-image. We are all free to believe that we count. Others don't define us. Our place in life is no less important than any other's life.” - Bob M.

when 45 took office….

I was shocked when our 45th President was sworn in, despite losing the popular vote. I happened upon this needed bathroom item and was surprised at how effective it is. I have continued to use it into President Biden’s term! Additionally, it provides an extraordinary level of satisfaction that has made a thankless chore much more rewarding. You might want to try it.

on a hot and busy day

• sometimes the best way to spend the day is step back and watch kids enjoying a hot day at the playground. Their uninhibited fun really makes you appreciate all you have.

mem

surreal stella

I have been involved in a Post Card Exchange on a Photography Forum website for 15 years.   Predominately a “film only”  group, a digital membership was added about 3 years ago.   

The participants exchange postcards, yeh, actual cards sent through the world’s postal systems. Every 3 months,  I receive cards from all over.  This is a recent card I sent out.

I have a room divider that I put up recent images to “live” with.  One of the neighborhood kids was playing and walked behind it peeking through the divider.    I grabbed my camera and asked her to move a bit, then snapped this picture.