Some scenes from today's walk in wonderland

You can see more photos here.

Magic hour

It's that hour between evening and night, when the day businesses are closing up, but the night businesses haven't opened their doors.  Everyone is in transit - leaving work, going out, not here anymore, but not there yet either.  While time adjusts itself, there are those places that sit quietly, waiting for the sun or moon or stars to rise...or maybe just for darkness to settle in.

The perfect winter day?

Not too cold, light snow, clear sidewalks and no responsibilities...

Something Red

As we prepare for another snow storm tonight, I am looking ahead to hunkering down with a book this weekend in my cozy apartment.  At the top of my reading list is Something Red, an adventure novel set in one of the coldest winters of 13th century England.  The book is worth reading, not only for the engaging story, but for the beautiful prose style of  author, Douglas Nicholas. 

One reviewer on Amazon says Nicholas [creates his fictional world] "using a sort of jeweled precise terminology that is catnip for scholars and for crossword puzzle freaks, and that made me wish Nabokov were still alive to read it."  I have to say Nabokov came to mind when I began reading the book as the attentive descriptiveness makes me believe I am there, traveling the terrain right alongside the main characters, able to taste the snow in the air and feel the icy chill right through my bones.

So, get out the blanket and fuzzy slippers, put on a pot of coffee, and settle in.  You can get a start reading the first chapter here.

Mechanics Alley

Sigh...

Mulchfest 2010

On a cold gray day in January, the Mulcher made its annual appearance in Tompkins Square Park...

Christmas tree carcasses piled to the side, the beast waited to be fed.



Everybody pitched in.



Feed me!  Feed me now!



And, with an obliging smile...



The beast began to roar...

Winter Garden memories

New Year's Eve in Mars