Monday, March 17, 2008

City Views, Country Dreams



















































































































































































































































Happy St. Patrick's Day from New York.


We had a beautiful March 17, with vivid blue sky, temperature enough above freezing to protect the legs of marching drum majorettes and kilted pipers. The steady breeze did present some challenges.


I watched the Parade from the west side of Fifth Avenue along the edge of Central Park. It seemed to me that the crowds were much smaller than in past years. This will be apparent from some the photos that will follow. Very few folks were watching the Parade from the other side of Fifth, but you all will be able to see some fancy Fifth Avenue apartment buildings.


I tried to capture a variety of hats, marchers and viewers, so that you all would be able to share this lovely afternoon with us.
Pleasant dreams.

23 comments:

  1. Oh I'm the first, a front row seat!
    Thanks so much Frances for putting all these lovely photos up for us to share with you. We are so lucky to have you.
    We had the same weather here in Wales which was a treat for St Patrick's Day.
    I wonder why the numbers were down, would it be because some areas moved the day to last Saturday so there would not be too much revelry in Holy Week?

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  2. Wow wonderful bright happy photos - at least there were still people there to celebrate even if the numbers were down.

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  3. Absolutely glorious! I love these, they are so good it's like being there. The Dublin parade was multi-cultural, and more like the Mardi Gras in N'Orleans; I remember the days as a child when the parade was the army rolling down O'Connell Street and two ceili bands and four or five groups of Irish Dancers...and not Riverdance at that! God Bless Colour!

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  4. FAb day out in NY - thanks for that, me dear! Do have to wonder at the one and only "Cheerleader" without the leggings on though!

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  5. Wow! looks like fun.
    I was uptown at Grant's Tomb.
    You have captured the spirit of the parade.
    Lots of fun.

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  6. Oh brilliant photo's Frances, thank you for sharing them with us.

    At least there were quite a few people celebrating, we are lucky to have you send these gorgeous pictures of NYC, thank you so much.

    Camilla.xx

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  7. I adore parades - it must have been great, Frances. Super pics and thanks for putting them up for us. You can almost hear the beat! I love that little girl in a green tartan cape!

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  8. Some lovely photos there Frances and oh those houses! Thank you for allowing us to join in xx

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  9. Goodness me, what an album full! Am in awe at all the photos, and such gorgeous blue skies. SOunds fun.

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  10. Brilliant pictures Francis. Sounds like a great parade.

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  11. Thanks for sharing these with us Frances - St Patrick's Day in America is clearly something quite spectacular.

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  12. Fabulous photos, Frances. Really gives a flavour of New York on St Patrick's Day.

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  13. You have really captured the spirit of St Patrick's Day, Frances. Lovely to see all the varied costumes, especially the little person in green!

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  14. Love all that marching about and bagpipes and whirling - I love our Lord Mayor's pageant in London too! Maybe it's the military upbringing????

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  15. Wow ...lovely pictures ...I can remember you starting out with this camera ...now look at you...

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  16. Theres something about a man in a kilt and the swirl of bagpipes!
    Thank you xx

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  17. Wow. And this from the lady who didn't even have a camera a while back! I think you Americans really DO parades - would love to have seen it in the flesh...but your pics are a very good second best.
    jxxxx

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  18. I could just about feel the excitement - hear the music as each new band approached. It looks as though you had a perfect day! I love the little one in the tartan cape and the bobble knit hat!

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  19. what fun. was the parade saturday, or monday? maybe that confusion on the date explains the smaller crowds.

    the st. paul parade was saturday, and the minneapolis parade was monday (in a snowstorm).

    fun pictures.

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  20. Fantastic photos - my friend who enjoys your blog has Irish roots so will appreciate the images too.

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  21. What brilliant photos Frances!

    In response to your comment, I don't know of any children collecting over lent but we do a similar thing during advent, children collect pennies in a tube and take to the Kristingle Service at Christmas Eve.

    We did the flower cross today in church, every one brought in bunches of flowers and during Communion everyone got an opportunity to put a flower into the cross, made beautiful display by the end of morning. !

    Hope you're having a lovely Easter!

    Love Muddie x

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  22. Beautiful photos Frances, it is lovely to check into your part of the world. The puipe band from our small island has been over on several occaisions and marched with those pipers in the parade...thank you for sharing your day with me. Posie x

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  23. Gosh, you do do these things in spades in the Big Apple, don't you?
    Lovely photos, Frances. I'd have loved to have heard the pipes. But strange as it may seem (and I may just be wrong!) but I'd be suprised to see kilted pipers in an Irish parade over here, certainly not en masse. But then I can't recall having seen a St Patrick's Day Parade here.

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