Times Square: And Up and Coming Rap Artist

The gentleman below asked if I would be willing to take his photo.   He was trying to get his career going as a rap artist....or Hip Hop.   I really can't tell the difference.

But, I like the photo a lot!

My sincere thanks.

Times Square: Buildings

I generally like to look at the architecture and reflections of buildings.   Times Square provided a great opportunity to get images of various buildings at various times.

I liked the reflections and color of this building.

And, the photo below is of a video being displayed on the side of a building.  It was huge!

And...I stopped and bought M&M's after seeing it!  

Washington Square: People

There were a couple of street artists at work.  And, I really liked this gentleman's passion for what he was working on.

He, and friends, were having a wonderful time creating their art.

My sincere thanks!

Washington Square: A Lovely Couple

The couple below were trying to do a selfie.    I asked if they would let me take the photo, knowing it may show up in the blog.

I rather like this photo.

 The lighting was a bit harsh.   But, I think it turned out nicely. 

And, they are a cute couple!

My sincere thanks.

Christmas Eve: 2016

This Christmas Eve day, take time to give thanks for who you are, for what you have, for your health, family and friends.

And, enjoy the beauty around you.  Take a big breath.   The world will be here tomorrow.

And, to my friends, thank you for letting me share part of your life.   I hope I have been able to give to you, the joy, compassion, and love that you have given me.

Washington Square in Greenwich Village

Meet Sheilly!

We was demonstrating her juggling skills before the crowd.  Working as a street artist can be a tough gig!

Thanks Sheilly!  You look awesome and the juggling was fantastic!

Bronze Dog's with Cameras in NYC

I don't exactly know what to make of this.   I did a quick search online to find out why there were be bronze statues of dogs...with cameras...in Greenwich Village. 

But, I liked them!

People of New York

No, not the blog.   The ladies below were trying to do a selfie with an iPhone when I walked by.  They were gracious enough to let me take their photo.   And, if they ever email me, I will send them a copy! 

Thank you, ladies!

Bleecker Street

I don't imagine may people care much about Bleecker St.

But for me, it was a hauntingly beautiful song by Simon and Garfunkel that drew me to want to play the guitar. 

Fogs rolling in, off the east river bank.

Like a shroud.......

It covers Bleecker St.

Fills the alley's, where men sleep

Hides the shepherd, from the sheep.

For the original, check it out here

I could hear the melody, the harmony, and the poetry in my head in an instant when I saw the sign.

New York: A Great Scottish Bar and Restaurant

Robert and Beth, from my prior post, pointed me to this great little Scottish bar and restaurant a block from the hotel.

The food was great. 

I like to photograph bars.  I find the shapes and colors to be fascinating. 

I'd do a much better job of it with a tripod!

But, for hand-holding, these aren't bad.

Enjoy!

Traveling to New York

I had the opportunity to travel to NYC for a business meeting.   And, I was fortunate enough to run into this couple.

Meet Robert!

And meet Beth!

They were gracious enough to point me in the right direction as I began to explore the city.   And, they recommended a few nice places to eat near the hotel.

My sincere thanks to you both for your most gracious hospitality!

Family Weddings: Family and Guests: 7

I thought this young lady was stunning. 

I am not sure the photo does her justice. 

Family Weddings: Family and Guests: 6

Little kids love weddings.    And this young lady was no exception.

She gets to stay up late and eat all kinds of good things!

Family Wedding: Family and Guests: 5

I like this image a lot.    This person's face has character!

My sincere thanks!

Family Wedding: Family and Guests: 4

This is one of the guests.   I thought she had a lovely smile.

And, of course, she was willing to let me take her photo!

Family Wedding: Family and Guests: 3

Meet Mother and Son!

It's nice that he can get his mother on the dance floor!  And, they were having fun!

Family Weddings: Family and Guests: 2

Meet Tammy!

I've known Tammy for a long time.  I first met her when she sang at another wedding.  And, she was good.  VERY good.   I still like listening to her sing.

Thanks Tammy!

Family Weddings: Guests and Family: 1

Meet Walter.   Walter has been in my blog a few times.  I think he has a great face for the blog.   And, I don't think I've ever taken a bad photo of him!

I like Walter.   He's funny.  And, he knows what life is about.  He's hard working and honest.   And, he isn't a bad guitar and mandolin player, too!

Thanks Walter!

The Lower Fort Garry: Military Indoctrination

The woman below did a great job getting little kids in uniform and marching them up and down.

It was really cute watching the kids.  And, she did a nice job blending being stern...with being a mother.  

The Lower Fort Garry: A Cook

If memory serves me correctly, the young lady below was a cook.

She was showing how to make hard-tack.   Think of it as an unleavened very hard biscuit that would keep for something like 200 years.  It didn't taste great.  But, it sustained the Voyageur on his journey.

The Lower Fort Garry: General Store

I sort of felt like I was in a Harry Potter movie.

Quidditch, anyone?    And yes, I had to look it up to spell it correctly.   Assuming there is a correct spelling, of course!

The Lower Fort Garry: Games

It seems checkers was a common game in the mid 1880's.   I've seen this before with other forts and re-enactments. 

I used to be really good at checkers.  Now, my 8 yr old grandson clobbers me!

The Lower Fort Garry: The Manager of the Fur Trading Station

I really like this photo.   It was taken in very low light.   But, the colors and shading is pretty good.

This gentleman was the manager of the fur trading station.   After I got this photo, he showed us around.

It was a vicious business.  I've never been a fan of trapping animals.   But, it was a hard life back then and the fur trade provided a business that kept the fort going.

The firs on exhibit are at least 25 years old.   They have been well persevered and are taken in during the winter months.

My sincere thanks!

The Lower Fort Garry

One of the fur traders in the fort.

If I recall, he spoke French!

Dying the Yarn

If you ever wondered how the early settlers dyed the yard they had, the question was nicely answered in a small display.  

The various colors were vibrant.   I was impressed with the ingenuity and creativity of the early settlers. 

Neighbors Came to Visit

The re-enactors all know one another and help support one another's roles.   As I was touring a 1750's house, all kinds of neighbors showed up to greet me.  

They were all most delightful and charming.

Making a Home at the Lower Fort Garry

As I walked around the Lower Fort Garry, it was impressed with the re-enactors.   The young lady below did a nice job on the violin, even with a 21st century Band-Aid on her finger. 

 Besides that, she kept to her role and she did a great job on the violin!

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Be thankful for those who love you and for those you love.
Be thankful for what you have.  Many have much less.

And, be safe out there! 

Skinner's!

Near the Lower Fort Garry is a landmark.   Established in 1929, everyone in the area has been to Skinners for their World Famous Hotdog.   To be fair, they offer a number of different hot dogs.  And, mine was...VERY good.  It was also totally in keeping with my diet!

I passed on the ice cream.   But, it was tempting.  

My thanks to the wonderful staff at Skinner's for their hospitality!

The Arrival of Dignitaries at Lower Fort Garry

This is actually a painting on the under-side of a bridge next to the damn.   I am quite surprised that the colors were as vibrant and sharp as they were.   This area of the continent is known for some rather inhospitable winters! 

The summers are beautiful.   I've been there in February with a -45F wind chill and a -35F air temp.   The summer is a lot more fun!

Traveling in Canada

One of the things I like about my job, is that I get to travel to Canada.  Generally, I am just in the Toronto or Winnipeg areas.   I really like Winnipeg.   In my youth, I was a canoe guide in the Quetico Provincial Forest and BWCA.   I loved the woods.

So, I try to get out and see the area when I can.   It's better than sitting in a bar, at least for me.

On this trip, I managed to get to the Lower Fort Garry area.  Canada utilizes a lot of hydro-electric dams and sells some of its surplus electricity to the US.

I really wanted to grab a fishing rod and see how they were biting. 

 I'm not sure if this is totally accurate, it's been a long time, but I believe the last cast I made in Canadian water left me wanting to go back.   Just as the lure was about 6 feet away, something hit it.  The rod bent, the line broke, instantly.  It was HUGE.  And, I never saw it.

I wonder if that fish's great, great, great, great grandson is hiding in those waters.

Sometimes You Can't Get from Here to There in a Straight Line

My apologies to all for the blog being a bit slow this week.   My primary hard drive started to go.   I suppose a bearing was wearing and I noticed the computer would work for a while and then get very slow and lose the wireless connection.   I thought it was a fan.   But, when I took the covers off and started digging around (because that's what you do inside a computer), I felt the primary drive.  It was too hot to touch for long.

So, I got an ice pack from the fridge and laid it on the drive to keep it cool.  And, I backed everything up for the next 2 hours.  I went through 2 ice packs!  But, it worked.

Then, it was a matter of getting a new drive, getting it installed, finding all the programs I need, getting them installed and then, and only then, could I see if I could copy my data from a spare drive back to the new hard drive.  

I am very pleased to say that I was finally successful.  I have a few more programs to load.  But, I am generally back.  So, my blog readers can rest assured their respective lives can go on without the tragedy of losing this blog! 

I learned a lot in this process.  The first thing, of course, is to pay attention.   The second thing, is to back up your data!  The third thing, is to not let too many people talk to you when you are stressed about work, the computer, your data, and the blog.   It just sort of slowed the entire process down.

But, I believe I am back. 

It's nice to be back.

Blog Update. Hard Drive has Crashed!

Due to a sudden hard drive crash and burn, my blog updates will be delayed for a couple of days.  I believe I have my photos safely backed up.  But, that will remain to be seen.

Fingers crossed.

In the mean time, this image was not taken by me.  But, I love it.

She is our future.   Take good care of her.   Teach her to work hard.  Teach her to study hard.  Teach her to be kind to those deserving kindness.  Teach her to understand justice.  And, teach her to be strong, so that she can withstand those that seek to do her harm.

Rest well, my little princess.

Traveling to Winnipeg

Meet Roxanne!

This lovely young lady was my waitress at a restaurant I picked randomly. 

I thought the lighting made her smile look fantastic.

Thanks Roxanne!

Guests at the Birthday Party: A LeDoux

Meet Carol,

She was one of the guests at the surprise party at my home.   I've wanted to meet her for some time.  She held political office, taking over after her husband (Scott LeDoux) passed away from ALS.  If that name doesn't ring a bell (no pun intended), Scott was a heavy-weight boxer who fought Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Gerrie Coetzee, Leon Spinks, George Foreman, Mike Weaver, and Larry Homes.  He also did an exhibition match with Mohammad Ali.

I had no idea Scott (the Fighting Frechman) lived near me.   So, I was very pleased to find out that the birthday girl and Scott's wife were friends.  

We had a lovely conversation about Scott and politics. 

Thanks Carol!

A Surprise Birthday Party

I am not exactly certain how my house was picked as the location for a surprise birthday party.  But, it was!

Meet Christie!

She turned "mumble mumble mumble" age that day.   So, we were able to host a party for a whole lot of people I didn't know! 

Happy Birthday, Christie!