City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

It has been more than a month since I have been able to have a walk in Central Park. This shocks me. A five-minute walk gets me to the Park.

Since my last post my life has not allowed me very much time out of doors. I have walked to and from the subway train station. On days off, I have hurried to get my grocery shopping done, I have taken the bus that travels across the Park via the transverse.

I have taken subway and bus rides to various doctor and dentist appointments. The long overdue general check up from my gp (aka primary care physician in the States) has revealed that I must alter my diet to reduce my "bad" cholesterol level. My "good" cholesterol level seems to be graciously high. My dentist is now midway through an expensive fixing of a vintage filling. The replacement will be a porcelain crown. That crown will cost the same as a brief holiday. I will chew in relaxation, reflecting on this juxtaposition of economies.

Work has filled my days and also interrupted more sleep patterns than I would wish. Well, why would anyone choose to have one's sleep patterns interrupted by dreams clearly inspired by work place concerns?

Back to today.

A day off. However, this day off also required me to be up around 6 in order to attend an early managers meeting ... across the Park. I got up, had a non-egg breakfast to respond to my doctor's instructions, and then got myself over to the East Side via subway and bus.

The meeting was much the same as many other meetings.

Afterwards, I visited my nearby former workplace, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to see the Vermeer exhibit. The Met owns quite a few Vermeers. This fall, another painting, "The Milkmaid," is on loan from the Rijksmuseum. I will surely return to see this exhibit again before the Milkmaid returns to Amsterdam. It was grand to just pop in to renew acquaintance with this lovely picture today. It took me far, far away from work concerns.

Let me now start the photographs!



It was a warm autumn day, with a bright blue sky. I walked back home through the Park, and made sure to take a leisurely stroll down the flag stoned pathways of the marvelous Shakespeare Garden.

I have written about this garden before, and shared some photographs of its springtime face. It is just as lovely during each season of the year.

There were a few other folks wandering around the Garden, and several were taking photos.

There were many more flowers still in bloom than I would have imagined.

Of course, many of the plantings had reached the seed pod stage, yet colors were still plentiful. Lots of bees were buzzing. I was wearing one of my multi-colored hand knit sweaters and for a moment thought that some of those bees were switching their buzzing targeting over to my sweater. I made a quick and discrete retreat.

Even a few roses were still in full flower. The building just visible in the background is a chalet
-styled cottage that serves as a children's puppet theatre on weekends.

I could not resist taking a photo of this pretty mother and her twin girls in the snappy red coats.

Lots of the garden had gone on to its autumn coat. Somehow, this one reminded me of a circular staircase.

There was a bit of breeze and some of the wispier plants were blowing in it.

These stems could easily inspire a drawing or even embroidery.

The area around these lavender flowers showed evidence of some trampling by animals. I do hope that those were not insensitive humans.

I just could not resist taking a picture of these remaining orange beauties, with their jade green leaves.

I am not sure whether these are buds or pods. I just liked their shapes.

You can see just how clear and blue was the sky. And how the rose hips and branches made a design to inspire silk tapestry.

And the Shakespeare Garden also has its shady ferny areas. Again, nature clearly knows how to create beautiful shapes.

Earlier this year, I took a photo of this entrance to the Garden, as spring arrived. I thought it was just as beautiful today.

I continued my walk along the western side of the Lake, and passed under the translucent canopy of a wisteria arbor. The light was beautiful, just after midday.

And then I finished by walk, and began to think of what I would have for lunch.

I knew that I had some leftover soup in the fridge.

Beautiful Central Park does not stay beautiful all by itself. There is a large group of gardeners who care for it. Some are New York City workers, and some are paid by the funding by members of the Central Park Conservancy. I love this Park so much. I am very proud to contribute to the Conservancy

The rakes leaning against the tree in the above photo just seemed so graceful a reminder to all who passed by. Why not help this Park to remain the beautiful place that we love.

My long walk really did relax me, and took my eyes and mind far away from the job place.

I hope that you all will also enjoy seeing early fall in Central Park. By the next time I visit this route, I am sure that the leaves of the trees will be turning yellow, gold, orange, red ... and brown.

Best wishes.