EAST END ART GALLERY

I stumbled upon this simple scene when I popped into an art gallery in Riverhead. I was shooting an assignment and cutting through the art gallery was a shortcut to where my car was parked. It was pure serendipity because I lingered looking at the exhibit and couldn't help but take a picture of this scene. Sometimes the shortcut winds up taking you a little longer, but it was worth it. Things happen for a reason.

MILK AND COOKIES

Almost every night I venture into my yard to give Pistachio some treats. It has become a ritual of sorts. He jumps onto the kitchen window ledge, a signal that he is looking for his treats. He has become so domesticated (born feral, but now just a real love bug) that I regret not bringing him inside. I tell myself, Slugger (king of the house) would never have put up with an interloper. Now I wonder and assuage my guilt, by spoiling Pistachio with "milk and cookies".

HOT STONE MASSAGE

As I watched the smooth stones that were being used for a hot stone massage I thought about the bumpy road I have been on lately. Life has been anything but smooth, but I'm trying to see the silver lining. Maybe it's time to try a hot stone massage.

EAGLE EYE

I've used the expression "eagle eye" often and like to think that because of my craft I am fairly observant. Until recently I had never seen the eye or beak of an eagle so closely. I know they are a bird of prey (check out that killer beak) but what keen eyes they have. They can see forward and to the side at the same time and can see fish in the water from several hundred feet above. No telephoto lenses needed. They are majestic birds, gorgeous and impressive up close. I am so glad Ben Franklin's wish to make the wild turkey our national symbol never took flight.

GREENE AVENUE, BUSHWICK

I was taking the side streets to try and avoid rush hour traffic today when I spotted this truck covered with graffiti. Graffiti isn't unusual in New York City, it is everywhere. However, this truck made me do a doubletake.

A YEAR

I began this blog exactly a year ago with an entry called Another Season. Of course it was baseball themed and I am still particularly fond of that photo. It seems fitting that I close out the year with a baseball photo...literally. I spent yesterday touring the new Yankee Stadium and today touring the Mets new stadium, Citi Field. In a few short weeks the season will begin again and both teams will play in new ballparks on new grass. One of my favorite quotes is by the late A. Bartlett Giamatti, who was commissioner of baseball. "The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." Thanks for stopping by to look, thanks for all your comments too. This blog has been a good discipline for me. Frankly, I can't believe I posted daily for one year. Because of it I took pictures I might not have taken. I have learned a lot from the process. I am not jumping ship, just taking a breath and thinking about where the blog goes from here. I don't think I will be posting daily, but I will be posting.

RELAXING

After a long day it is nice to be able to sit in my kitchen and stare out at my garden. Not much in bloom yet, but sometimes the cats really perform. Pistachio seems to love sitting in the birdbath. He'll be surprised when there is water in there.

EIGHTH AVENUE PRIMARY COLORS

Lost in thought as I was walking up Eighth Avenue these bright storefronts caught my attention. Predictably one of them is for rent. I'm still wondering about the yellow store which offers "well drinks" (whatever that is) for five dollars during happy hour. I'm sure we can all use a "well drink"!

A SIGN OF SPRING

I walked around my backyard this afternoon and spotted my first sign of spring. One brave little yellow crocus had bloomed and in an instant I felt more hopeful. Ah, the promise of spring.

JUST MARRIED

Wandering around lower Manhattan this afternoon this couple that had just been married seemed oblivious to all the passersby.

ON BROADWAY

Saw a Broadway show tonight and as I walked to my car played with the light and color of Times Square at night. So often I am in here working during the day. It looks so much different at night.

MOVING ON

Today was Sonia's last day at HSBC and since she is the last one left in that particular office I stopped by to help her carry stuff out. Even though it was her decision to leave (because another bank approached her about working for them) it is hard to separate from something that has been a part of your life for several years.

WINDOW SHOPPING

You just never know what you are going to find when you go window shopping in New York.

SHADOW DANCE

IN A CROSSWALK AND AT A CROSSROAD

At work I have been shooting only video for the past week, no stills at all. Without my still camera my daily hunt for an image to post has been seriously impeded. With the year anniversary of my blog just about a week away I am at a crossroad. How do I continue a photo driven blog when I am not shooting still photos. This is really a puzzlement.

WALK THE DOG

As I walked west on 23rd Street I passed these folks walking their stuffed dog. Hummm... only in New York!

NEW AND OLD

As I was walking on Lexington Avenue I looked up to see the juxtaposition of this new building with the old one. I just really liked the interplay.

ON THE BENCH

As I walked past this scene I did a double take. I just loved the way the woman is engrossed in her book completely oblivious to the statue next to her. The statue appears equally indifferent, content to people watch. Found moments like this come easy to some photographers, sadly I am not one of them.

BROOKLYN

PAINTS

If my life is a canvas then I sure need to get a new paint color to brush on it.

NEW TRICKS

I spent the day trying to learn the ins and outs of shooting video, as well as becoming familiar with the new HD broadcast quality video camera I was issued. I will have to make some adjustments and learn to think differently in my approach to my assignments. It's visual, but a different kind of visual. When I got home I was still working with the camera, experimenting and trying to figure things out. It seemed kind of fitting to use my "still" camera.. the tool that I have used for the past thirty years to photograph my new camera. I can see that I will have to learn to think differently when I approach my assignments. In some ways life is like an elevator, you can go up or down but you can't stand still. So, I'm pushing the button for the penthouse and determined to learn some new tricks.

AHEAD IN THE END

As I waited to shoot an assignment today I saw this building across the street and it reminded me of another time, a simpler time. A time when you could embrace the belief that if you worked hard and did the right thing you would come out ahead in the end. It isn't that simple these days.

HAZEL

Hazel, one of my outdoor cats was hanging out on my patio table (I call it her porch) and enjoying today's milder temperatures. She and Pistachio seem to be relieved that the snow has melted. I'm relieved because I have worried about them all winter. Hazel still doesn't let me touch her, but I can get a lot closer than I used to.

TENACITY

This weekend I have spent trying to teach myself how to shoot video and edit it in a program called Final Cut. It is a whole new way of thinking for me. It has been a struggle. Today as I wrestled with Final Cut and berated myself for not understanding certain things, Mom was sitting by my side watching me edit. She assured me that if I persisted and was patient video shooting and editing would become easier for me. Mom, who taught hundreds of children how to read kept encouraging me to keep on trying...my own personal cheerleader. I realized that my struggle is nothing compared to what she has been through. She is out of the hospital, but she has multiple health issues and is more restricted then she was before this last hospital stay. I thought about how she has fought to live, the tenacity she has displayed throughout her life and decided that I can master video and final cut.

What's New Pussycat??

At work I am busy trying to learn new tricks (video) which is not easy for an older dog. Today was my day off, but I spent most of it trying to teach myself how to shoot with a new video camera and how to edit in Final Cut. I have a long, long way to go (no Oscars in my future), but here's my first attempt at video. Speaking of long, after watching this several times I know it needs a much tighter edit. Guess I am just too close to my subject! Be patient... the end is my favorite part!

COLORS

The clean simple lines and strong color made this photo a natural for me.

HANDS ON

Watching this woman work turn a lump of clay into a beautiful bowl made me think of Spring in the garden. There is a fundamental feeling of satisfaction when you dig in and get your hands dirty. Whether or not the payoff is a bowl created the same day or a stunning garden that blooms for months, that sense of creation, a hands on approach is a rewarding one.

A STUDY

WHITE OUT

I was up and out before seven this morning looking for weather art while navigating the slippery Long Island roads. We got hammered today. But between images of cars stuck in the snow, people digging out and kids building snowmen there was another picture. A simple beautiful scene that reminded me of Long Island's intrinsic beauty.

THE START

The old adage "March comes in like a lion..." is proving to be quite accurate tonight. Just before midnight I walked outside and looked down my street. Already about three inches. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day navigating the Long Island roads. I just hope March goes out like a lamb!

FAMILY RESEMBLANCE

AT SEA

I was sorting through some old family photos today and came across this one of my maternal grandparents who were married in 1902. This picture was taken around that time. I thought the picture was so romantic and captured a really lovely moment, so I copied it for my blog. I showed it to my Mom and she told me my grandmother hated being on the water because she got terribly seasick. So much for romance!

49

In spite of everything going on with my Mom, tonight a few friends gathered to celebrate Sonia's 49th birthday. In my world birthdays are sacrosanct and each one must be honored. Happy Birthday, Sonia!

ROSES

I brought home some roses tonight and liked the way the light and shadow played on the wall behind them. I guess I also hoped they might give me a rosier outlook. Okay.. bad joke.

REWARD

I've been getting home later recently and there are usually a myriad of errands to run after work. Tonight as I walked to my car after completing the final task I felt stressed and overwhelmed. I looked up and saw the sky's "afterglow" following the sunset. It felt like a reward at the end of my daily race.

BIKE LIGHT

Lately I am having trouble recognizing my life. It feels as though my life has taken a vacation and left me at home. This afternoon as I raced to make it to one of my Mom's doctor appointments I saw this bicycle parked in a bike rack. The sun was hitting it just so and the brilliant red fender was calling me. The bicycle wasn't locked up and the temptation to throw caution to the wind and take it for a quick spin was great. As cold as it was it would have been liberating to forget all the responsibilities and just ride into the wind. My responsible self prevailed, but even now almost ten hours later I'm thinking about that bicycle!

LOST IN THOUGHT

There is something about this photo that makes me keep coming back to it. Perhaps because the subject looks so puzzled, so lost in thought. I can almost feel his struggle as he wrestles with questions. Life is a puzzlement.

BORED ON THE BUS

The expressions of these people are not exactly a ringing endorsement for traveling by bus.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Right now I feel like everything in my life is under construction. I am trying to find some kind of balance in my life, a routine if you will... my life is under construction as I struggle to find a rhythm between working, caring for my Mom and managing things in my own life I feel as though nothing is normal right now.

A SIMPLE SCENE

As I drove around looking for the quintessential weather picture today I was struck by how simple, yet universal this street scene is. It could be almost anywhere in America, but I found it here on Long Island.

HOME

My Mom was discharged from the hospital today after a two week stay. She is still very weak and will need oxygen (they were adjusting the portable canister which is why it isn't in this photo). I had to shoot this picture from the hip without looking through the viewfinder... hospitals get crazy about cameras, HIPA laws and all. I almost didn't post this. Mom's expression is curious to me. She looks wary, almost frightened as she gets wheeled out of a very secure environment. She will return to her home where there will be lots of adjustments and challenges. This is a new chapter for all of us. I'm worried and a bit scared myself.

SPARE

The spareness of this leafless tree reaching up towards the sky juxtaposed against the parallel lines of the fences caught my eye. It's a spare scene, but I like it.

NEON SIGNS

Mom is hanging in there and I am eating out way too often. The color and reflections of these neon signs at a local pub (that has great burgers) caught me eye.

LUCKY

I got a call at 4:50am from the hospital telling me my Mom needed life threatening emergency surgery because she had several pulmonary embolisms as well as a blood clot in her leg. Of course I raced to the hospital. The doctors were brought in to do the surgery. The procedure was successful and she seems much more alert and like herself tonight. She got lucky! I figured with that kind of luck she ought to try a scratch off lottery card! She didn't get lucky with lotto, but she is lucky to be alive.

A TIP

I left the hospital to have a quick bite to eat for dinner. Somebody had thrown a tip down on the counter where I was sitting and I just loved the light. I grabbed a few shots and headed back to Mom.

MUD

This little place called MUD is right down the block from the hospital. It offers good coffee, interesting eats and wi-fi.... just about everything I need right now. It has become my new office and a quick get-away. I see a lot of Mom's doctors in there too.

LIFELINE

As I sat with my Mom today I saw how bruised her hands and arms are from all the IVs and ports. Her fingers, the outside of her hand and her forearms (which can't be seen here) are all various shades of purple and red. Her slight hands are still full of life and strength as she clutches the tubing which brings her oxygen--her lifeline. Mom's a fighter and she's hanging in there. I wish I could give her back part of the life she has given me.

SPRING

The weather turned warm today and hit sixty degrees on Long Island. It felt like Spring and if my Mom were not in the hospital I would have landed in Tampa at noon today to cover the New York Yankees spring training. It is beginning to look like Spring in her room with some really beautiful floral arrangements. Mom's hemoglobin dropped today and they found an aortic valve problem today. Lots of questions still, not many answers.

HOAG 1

This corridor at Winthrop University Hospital is known as Hoag 1 to the cognoscenti. After five days of staring down it I include myself among them. It looks remarkably quiet in this image. The reflections of the flourescent lights on the floor look a little like a racing stripe, rather apropos because there is usually a bevy of activity in the hall. Mom had some tests today and I am hopeful I will get some answers tomorrow.

NINETY ONE

Today was my Mom's ninety first birthday. She is still in the hospital, but we tried to make it as happy as we could.

OOB

There is nothing pleasant about a hospital stay...especially when you are along in years. The loss of independence is depressing and when you are seriously ill all sorts of thoughts run through your head. My Mom's expression says it all. The nurses who care for my Mom write goals for her on a board in her room. For days the goal has been "OOB". I finally realized that it is an acronym for out of bed. Today, Mom was able to leave her bed for a few minutes--- first time in four days. It was a small accomplishment, but I was so happy to see her sitting up. I wonder what tomorrow's goal will be.