Friday, June 21, 2013

City Views, Country Dreams

Good morning from New York as we officially enter Summer.

I am going to share with you a mixture of Summertime city views, hoping to give you all an idea of some of the current delights available.  

You might walk, take a bus, ride the subway or perhaps even ride a bike, to the Union Square Farmers Market.


You will find plenty of flowers and lots of freshly picked peas.  You can grab a handful or perhaps select each pea with great care and admiration.


Peonies are amongst the cut flowers that are available.  Lilies and snapdragons are also on view.


If seeing that jolly bike in the first photo tempted you to ride to your next location, you might consider renting a blue bike from the many bikes electronically hitched to a long metal stand at the north end of Union Sq.


Whatever form of transport you might choose, another welcoming destination could be Central Park, where the green leaves are now a deeper green than the earlier Spring shade.


The water in the Lake might seem a bit murky, but lots of folks are enjoying the row boats.


Row boat oarsmen and women need to steer clear of ducks who compete for waterway access, while also trying to avoid collisions with other fledgling oarsmen and women.  Perhaps you might also detect a fisherman standing just in front of the left side of the attractive bridge.  I saw him catch something, but the something got away.  Lake fishing rules prevent anyone from keeping what is actually caught.


The sun was bright, the breezes gentle and the shade was so pleasant.  Had I not also been enjoying a leisurely chat with a friend, I could easily have slipped into an afternoon nap on the bench by the Lake.


Reluctantly, I finally got up, gave myself a bit of a stretch, and began my walk home.  I passed by yet another transportation option.  These pedicabs are lined up at the West 72nd Street entrance way to the Park.  The charge is $3 per minute.


Isn't early Summer a beautiful time of the year?  This weekend we will also be treated to views of a full moon which will appear even larger than usual.  I do hope the night sky will be clear so that we can all fall under the moon's magic spell.

Many thanks to you all for your visits and your comments.

26 comments:

  1. Hello Frances, I can't believe a pedicab is $3 per minute... six years ago we went all over in them and they were so reasonable and the guys were such wonderful characters. A pedicab ride inspired us to get married in central park... the "driver" was from Harlem and he was very funny and full of tall tales. I do love peonies and always wonder why we don't have any in our garden every time I see them. Today I bought a canary yellow hibiscus and it is beautiful and some Scottish strawberries which are particularly tasty at the moment. The sun is shining here with a breeze and tomorrow heavy rain is forcast, but at least it will give everything a good water. Enjoy your free time Frances and long may the sunshine last x

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  2. Our pedicab hustler said the fare before his expected tip was "only
    one dollar a block" this was in the
    city just outside Central Park.
    In any even one must be brave to ride
    one as to my understanding they may
    or may not have insurance in case of
    accident.

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  3. A lovely visit to NYC today, thank you. I loved seeing how the summer has arrived there, all the lovely flowers and vegetables, the bike riding, the lake and the blue sky really captured the atmosphere so well. I wish you a very happy summery weekend, Frances.
    Helen x

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  4. Hi Frances, happy Summer to you!
    I wondered if those blue bikes are safe to ride in such a big town?
    I admire your farmer's market it must be great fun to go and buy veggies from there. My peas are only tiny, as are the sweet peas btw. The first roses opened up at the same moment than the peonies. I love peonies and they smell divine, some had to come in to be protected from the heavy rain.
    Enjoy your summer time!

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  5. Dear Frances,

    Lovely photo's from a sun filled New York. I believe the weather on your continent is better than in ours. That pond in Central Park looks beautiful. It must be a joy rowing a boat there!

    Happy weekend,

    Madelief x

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  6. Frances, what a lovely walk to the market and the park. I am ready to eat any of the bright looking veggies you showed us, but I have not been to our little market on the Square yet. Your picture of the lake with the red flowers in front is excellent. Enjoy your summer.

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  7. A lovely prose poem to New York's early summer delights!
    I think I recognise the bike in photo #1
    Thank you for reminding me to look for the moon last night.
    It was stunning.
    Buster hopes to see you really soon.

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  8. dear frances,

    i believe i sat on that same bench in march last time i was there, although the view was quite different. i so enjoy these walks around with you, i always love your views of the city. and even with all these fun modes of transportation, i like walking best (riding bikes makes me cringe, especially thinking of my kids all over brooklyn and manhattan! yipes!)

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  9. Thanks for your pictures...i was back in ny for a minute:-)

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  10. Lovely vibrant pictures as always Frances and beautiful flowers, I have been taking photos of all of the wild flowers here for you and will post them on a blog soon!

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  11. Thank you for sharing your city with us Frances ... I love my virtual visits to the Big Apple in your company :)

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  12. I always love seeing your pictures of the Park -- that lovely oasis at the center of the City.

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  13. We are having a dreary damp cold time of it here and your bright post has cheered me. I am very impressed by the farmers market. . In fact I have country life, NY city dreams!
    Lovely to read your words again Frances xx
    PS I love your knitting; great colour combinations.

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  14. How lovely your summer seems to be, and it's always amazing to see so much of nature in the midst of your huge, crowded city!
    My older daughter was in NY a few weeks ago and both the Union Square farmer's market and Central Park were high on her list of must-sees; she was not disappointed in either and had a wonderful time!

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  15. Lovely! Though I confess, I'd be a little nervous on a bike in NYC, at least outside the park--I'd be a crash waiting to happen! :)

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  16. I really don’t know why you hanker after country living and big gardening. You have everything your heart could possibly desire right where you are: the delights, amenities and culture of the big city, gardens you don’t have to tend yourself, fresh produce and the ability to choose any or all of them as you like.

    I should be so lucky.

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  17. What a delightful introduction to the beginning of summer in New York. Such a range of colours, smells, and activities.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!
    Bears Noting
    Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

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  18. We call those bikes Boris Bikes after the Mayor who introduced them. Perhaps he saw them in NYC first.
    What lovely weather you are having. Wimbledon has started so naturally it is raining.

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  19. What a riot of colour in your farmers market. And those peas!!
    I did have to laugh at your comment about my kitchen having a window! For which I am of course grateful!

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  21. Thank you fot this marvellous summer promenade in New York! The variety of colours, shining in the green, the high blue sky and people, taking their time without rushing or hurrying make your post a interesting reading for "one breath"!:))

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  22. I'd love to come to New York and rent one of those blue bikes, Frances! I could wheel around the Park and think 'I know where I'm going, because Frances has shown me the way in every season'.

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  23. Lovely of you to pop by my blog Francis and its super as always to peek into a slice of your life as I hurtle through mine !! x

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  24. Ooh, such lovely cheery images Frances, especially the bee balm and those wonderful peas! Happy 4th of July to you.

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  25. I can imagine the refreshing breezes along the river are very welcome during the summer months. You always manage to find so many interesting things along the way.

    We are enjoying a sunny spell at long last, lets hope it lasts for both of us!

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