Random Shots from Tallman State Park

Looking across the Hudson River

Think Cool Thoughts

Ah - the joy of air-conditioning.  You never really appreciate it until you don't have it.  We did not have it this weekend when temps were 90 and above, and the humidity was swimmable.  It was pretty bad.  Fortunately the basement was comfortable, and we threw in a small window unit in a bedroom, so we were able to sleep.  But the rest of the house was a blast furnace.  I think I lost about 3 pounds in sweat, however, so there was an upside to the situation.

  How people used to live without this wonderful modern convenience is beyond me.  It was figuratively and literally hell!

Dog Days of Summer

What's a dog to do in the sweltering heat of July?

Shed, baby, shed!!

Water as Art

As part of an unusual art exhibit around Manhattan, there are (I think) four waterfalls set up that take you by surprise when you stumble upon them, as this one did.    

This is the Brooklyn Bridge, with a twist, I guess.  Just snapped it going by in the car.  The water cascades into a special sunken trough of some kind and is recycled up into the water tower, to prevent disruption of aquatic life (!) in the East River.  

The exhibits are set to run through the summer.  

Now Don't Take This Seriously

When I started this blog I had all sorts of ideas for things I wanted to talk about:  Autism, and how it's affected my life and my family; how I came lately to politics, and that whole unfathomable scene - I'm still trying to figure it all out, and it's a losing battle, my friends; my wonderful turn with breast cancer and how THAT'S changed things right around in many ways.  Serious stuff.  But I find I'm not feeling too serious right now.  It's the time of year, I think.  Who wants to be serious in summer?  

Relax.  Enjoy.  Breathe In.  Breathe Out.  Let the Machine Get It.  

We Gave Our Regards To Broadway

For the big finale on our week-long family "staycation", we went to see  Young Frankenstein on Broadway.  It was a fantastic show -- two thumbs up all around.  The original stars were still in it, which is always a plus, and because it was the July 4th weekend,  Jeff was able to score some most excellent seats - balcony box seats!!   We felt so cool.  We also cruised Times Square, which is Zac's most favorite place on the planet, I think.  All those bright lights, giant video screens and miles of neon.  And don't forget the thousands upon thousands of people!!

No pictures...just wanted to enjoy the evening without snapping away.  

More Coney

You can't leave Coney Island without stopping for a dog at Nathan's Famous.  The best hot dogs around.  

Coney Island

                                                                                                          
The next stop on our week-long "stay-cation" was Coney Island.  It kind of feels like The Land That Time Forgot:   a real honest-to-goodness boardwalk,  vintage, old-fashioned stalls and signs,  rides that look alarmingly antique, and all the great smells of a seaside amusement park.  

Our first stop: the infamous Cyclone!  One of the oldest, scariest, and most famous wooden roller coasters around.  (Strangely enough, and for whatever lost reason, my better half and myself rode this coaster the day after we were married.  Symbolic?  Prophetic?  We're not sure.)  It took Zoe a couple of hours to work up the courage to take a ride.  She was terrified and thrilled at the same time.

A beautiful view of the beach from the very tippy-top of the Wonder Wheel!  Yikes!!

Oddly enough, as we were getting on, we noticed one car go by that had a dog sleeping on it, all by himself.  Only in New York.  

The boardwalk is very pretty, right there beside the ocean.  There's a definite old-fashioned feeling.  It must have been great at the height of its popularity.  Although it has gone downhill some, it's been cleaned up quite a bit from earlier treks we've taken.  As we went during the week,  there were no crowds, which was wonderful.

                                                                                                             

No Photos, Please!

A few photos from the museum, before we were told photography wasn't allowed.

 Remember transistor radios?  I used to have one!  

  Yeah, a lot of artifacts here. 

 Concert ticket stubs, posters, old letters, anti-war buttons,  album covers.

Leftover scraps of hippy-dippy heaven.  

Peace!

Woodstock

The road trip ended in Bethel, NY - site of the Woodstock Festival.  This is country up here.  Max Yasgur's field is still there, along with a monument that commemorates the festivities that took place on these most hallowed of rock and roll grounds.

There is also a beautiful music venue and museum.  The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts  is a wonderful open-air setting for all kinds of musical performers, as well as having a funky museum that takes you back to the good old days.  It was great.  There are interactive exhibits, all sorts of video presentations, memorabilia,  everything to kind of "wash" you in the way of life in 1969.  You could spend a lot of time there.  The best was a psychedelic bus that had footage projected on the windshield as you sat inside the bus, showing how everyone traveled to the concert.  

Zac is a big fan of sixties music, so he was loving it. He was into all the old album covers.   And I can proudly report that Zoe was totally blown away by Jimi Hendrix' rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.  That's my girl!  

Damn You, Modern Electronics!

Went on a road trip today and stopped by a beautiful stream with waterfalls, beautiful rocks, clear bubbling water, etc., etc.  Bucolic.  We got out and climbed around and I took what I was hoping were some nice shots of the surroundings.

Alas, no.  I had hit the "video" button on the camera, so I ended up with weird on and off shots of blurry bubbles and my feet.  In clogs.