what about the plastic animals?

Armory Window

Stained glass window in the Veterans Room at the Park Avenue Armory.  The Veterans Room and the Library next to it are the "only fully extant interiors by Louis C. Tiffany, Associated Artists in the world".  Associated Artists was a cooperative firm of artists led by Tiffany and Candace Wheeler.  Here's a narrated slide show of the room.

Ernesto Neto's anthropodino

On Sunday, the last day of the installation, I finally went to see Ernesto Neto's antropodino at the Park Avenue Armory.  I wish I had gone sooner as it was pretty wonderful and smelled great!  The blobs hanging from the ceiling are filled with spices.  Those are ground cloves in the second photo and turmeric in the third.

The armory itself only recently opened as an art space.  It was completed in 1881 and includes room interiors by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Stanford White and the Herter Brothers.  I need to return as the rooms are dimly lit and my pictures of them only dimly in focus.

Sharp

Remember my great-great-grandfather Vincent who kept a diary during the Civil War?  His great-grandfather Frans was a lieutenant of the 9th Regiment, Claverack Batallion, Albany County militia during the Revolutionary War.  As I was driving home from upstate I remembered the Claverack connection and stopped at the Dutch Reformed Church graveyard to look around for him.  I had no idea when or where Frans died, but the old part of the cemetery wasn't very large.  I didn't find his grave, and when I got home found out that he actually lived in East Claverack, which is now known as Hillsdale.

While I didn't find any dead ancestors I did see John Sharp's tombstone with the unusually modern looking typeface. 

How Green Was My Death Valley?

Given that the rainy season had just ended I suspect this is as green as Death Valley gets.

Today's Bonus:  While out getting lunch today Greg and I saw an art car!

Long Sheet

One of the beds in my room at a Red Roof Inn last week was made up in this unusual fashion.  I was worried I had been short-sheeted but that wasn't the case.  Where does one get sheets that are three feet longer than normal sheets?  Why was only one bed made like this?

Speaking of motels, agilitynut happened to recently run across the La Siesta Motel in Maple View, New York.  It is a place very familiar to me.  If you look at the first couple of pages of her photostream you'll see a couple of pictures soon to be seen here.

World's Tallest Thermometer

The world's tallest thermometer is in Baker, California which, as the sign says, is the gateway to Death Valley.  Thankfully, it was only 64 when I was there.

Grain Elevator

I didn't go anywhere near Kansas while I was away.  I stuck to New York, Ontario, Connecticut and Massachusetts.  This grain elevator is a souvenir from when I was in Kansas a couple of years ago.

Bonus:  Is it just me or is this article about people giving up blogging really clueless?