what about the plastic animals?

More Hoar Frost

A few times a winter hoar frost forms on the steps of Morningside Park.  When it forms the frost is usually an inch or two wide and three or four inches long.  The frost formed last week so I took a picture to use on Gothamist.  I even predicted there would be another occurence this morning! 

Surprisingly, my prediction came true.  In the extreme.  I've never seen the frost so extensive on these stairs.  It forms on them when moist, supercooled air flows out of the cracks between the steps and touches the cold granite, freezing instantly.  Look up 'hoar frost' via Google or Flickr, or look at these pictures to fine examples much more beautiful than these.

Visitors Welcome, Members Expected

I began to question the wisdom of a Sunday afternoon East Harlem photography walk after my hand started to freeze somewhere along Second Avenue.  It was cold out there!  However, no digits were frozen off.

Except for the cold the walk was enjoyable.  I started off with brunch at Orbit, which is at 116th and First Ave.  The egg burrito and hash browns were delicious.  The highly recommended Asian mimosa (champagne and raspberry sake) was a bit too sweet for my taste.  I was also a little woozy afterwards.

This storefront is on 118th just of Lenox Ave.  The writing must be fairly new as I hadn't noticed it until now.

New Neighborhood Read:  I've been reading Bagel in Harlem since seeing a link from Curbed a couple of weeks ago.  This morning the bagel searcher was featured in a Times article about people who move around a lot.

Friday Quiz

Match the image above with the description below:

1.  Geeky
2.  Serious
3.  Irritating
4.  Political
5.  Sweet
6.  Goofy

Correct answers are on yesterday's awesome Rocketboom.

What Comes Next?

A big thanks go out to web zen, Boing Boing, and Coudal Partners for linking to the Abandoned Bikes this week!

10 yrs. from now

In front of the Skidmore House, E. 4th Street.

Why does this remind me of the Superman and the Mole-Men, the 1951 movie that was the pilot for the original Superman television show?  Could it be that behind the chain link fence a shaft is being dug deep into the earth by people known as sandhogs?  Could the mysterious girl have escaped from the depths, causing mass hysteria in the world above ground?

I'll be posting on a reduced schedule this week because that's what I want to do.

East Harlem Signs

Known to Metro-North riders and motorists along FDR Drive.

Known only to those who've walked up 2nd Avenue north of 125th.

Know your history.  No Nazis, drugs, or chasing the duck.  I have nothing more to add.

New (old) Bike Photos

A couple of readers have recently asked "hey, you ever gonna put more abandoned bike photos online?".  It is true, I have been neglecting the neglected, not putting a new photo up since before my Alaska trip last year.  So shameful.  There's a big backlog of photos that I'll be putting online in the next couple of weeks in the Abandoned Bicycles of New York album. 

Just three new pictures to start.  The picture above screams summer to me and is of the neglected north parking lot at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.  The church has a Blessing of the Bicycles each May.

Turkey Movie

Before the snow came I once again came upon my buddy the Morningside Park turkey.  She was feeding just inside the park, not ten feet away from me.  Close enough for a video clip!

I recently installed the latest version of iLife on my iMac.  It has enough iStuff on it to push my poor old G4's vaccuum tubes to their limit.  One thing it lets you do is add a soundtrack to a movie.  Last night I gave it a try and, after a few false starts (sorry, I deleted the attempt where I was unknowingly recording me talking to myself and belching loudly as I watched the clip) wound up with a 1.8 MB Quicktime movie.  Sorry for the shaky camera action! 

With any luck the movie will work.  If not, here is something completely different:

Taped to the window of an old minivan on 105th Street.  As I  turned around after taking this picture a woman walking by gave me the dirtiest of dirty looks.  I don't know why, as she didn't say anything and didn't appear to be associated with the van in any way, but when I saw the look on her face I was sure I was about to be yelled at.

Trivia answer:  Yesterday I asked what album cover was photographed near the foot of the Carl Schurz statue in Morningside Park.  It was the Who's The Kids are Alright.

Enough With the Snow Photos!

116th Street facing Morningside Park

Some of the 159 steps I climb every morning.

Snowy Morningside Park.  I hope the turkey is okay.

At the top of Morningside Park

A snow-shawled Thomas Jefferson in front of Columbia's Journalism School

Carl Schurz at 116th St. above Morningside Park

Some of the sights on my walk to campus on Monday morning.  Normally, I don't get the chance to walk down the middle of 116th Street. 

The combination of Columbia students using the stairs as a sledding hill and the Parks Department not clearing them made for adventurous climbs this week.  I managed to walk up but a person ahead of me resorted to crawling. 

Trivia question:  What rock album cover was photographed nearly at the feet of Carl Schurz?  Hint:  The album was a documentary soundtrack.

The Snow Out the Window

A few views of the storm out my living room and bedroom windows. 

I'm going to keep this short because my eyes are bugging out.  Too bad, since I have lots of pictures from Monday morning.

Why are my eyes bugging out?  Because I spent way too long making an irritating animated gif.