Tuesday, July 14, 2015

City Views, Country Dreams

Hello from New York on a cloudy afternoon.

Last week and this week, I have had some extra vacation days off from work, and had planned to spend a fair amount of time outdoors, taking my camera along.


I'd wanted to show you some early July city views of sunny days in New York. These particular views are along Fifth Avenue.



I'd planned to also search out my first, and even second and third, ice cream cone of the season.


I regret to report that for most of last week's time off, I was laid low by a classic summer cold.  This did allow me to spend idle time indoors watching many excellent Wimbledon tennis matches on television.  

I drank lots of water and slept a lot.  I recovered in time to return to work at the weekend...and once again felt ill.  I resumed the water and rest cure and, and am beginning to feel better again.


Last evening was an opportunity, had the clouds not been so thick, to view the sunset phenomenon known as Manhattan Henge, when the setting sun aligns with the centers of certain east-west crosstown streets.

I left the recuperation center of my apartment to try to take some photographs of Manhattan Henge for you all, but think I should have left home just a tad earlier.


 All the same, as long I had my camera with me, I thought I would still take a few evening photographs of various vistas to be seen as the sun set.


There continues to be quite a bit of construction going on around town, and some of the new buildings do have interesting shapes.


Cranes fascinate me, but I am wary of walking very near them.


The evening sky's blue is reflected in many of the glass clad towers.  I am glad not to live or work in any of them.


These next photographs are mysterious views of various hard-working men and machines doing some much needed resurfacing work along Amsterdam Avenue.  After last winter's snow and ice, many potholes emerged.  A July night seems a good time to do some repairing.


Caution tape warned pedestrians to alter their route.  Vehicles other than the repair crew's vehicles were also banned.  I do love the deep blue violet of the sky.


The above photograph is bleary action shot to prove that lots of action was occurring.  The following photograph shows a bit more clearly how men and machines were teaming up to get the job done.


Back home, I wanted to share with you all some of my summer reading choices.  I usually read lots of novels, but in recent weeks have been enjoying some non-fiction.


Landmarks, by Robert Macfarlane, was recommended by Annie Cholewa, over at her brilliant site    Annie has excellent taste, and I was quite delighted to discover that my fabulous library did indeed have this UK publication available. If you are a fan of landscape and have ever tried to find words to describe favorite landscapes, I am sure that you will enjoy Mr Macfarlane's book.



Having recently greatly enjoyed reading Lucy Boston's children's book, The Children of Green Knowe, I was delighted to discover that my library's stacks also included Memory in a House, Ms Boston's memoir of time spent in the house that came to serve at the setting for many of her books.  I was amused to notice the Two Pound price on the dust jacket of this 1973 Bodley Head edition.


Somewhere Towards the End, by Diana Athill, is a very interesting book to read as I continue to find my own pathway towards another milestone birthday.  I am very glad that a dear friend loaned her copy of the memoir to me.

And, before I find my wandering way to the end of this catch up post, I wanted to show you that I continue to make progress on the current fair isle knitting project.  I am almost up to the point at which I will have do more calculations and diagrams to show me how to properly shape the front and back armholes where the sleeves will be inserted, and contemplate the gradual shaping of the shawl collar.


So far I am pleased at the way that the colors are flowing.

I'm also pleased to see from my window that the clouds that brought a brief shower seem to be clearing.  My most recent summer cold symptoms also seem to be clearing.  I just might have to venture out a bit later this afternoon to see the results of last night's neighborhood road maintenance work.

Thank you all for your visits and comments.  It's a pleasure to share New York with you.

55 comments:

  1. How interesting to see the city in twilight, Frances. And what amazing shapes there are in those buildings. I can't feel that I would be happy living in a high rise.
    It can't be easy for the men working virtually in the dark, but it has to be done I guess.

    Summer colds can drag on, so take care and don't do too much too soon.

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    1. Elizabeth, back when I was young, so much younger than today, my very first NYC apartment was on the fourteenth floor and had views of both the East River and north all the way up through Harlem to the Bronx. Those views delighted me. I'd never imagined that I would see such sights on a daily basis. Views like those have now been pretty much blocked off by continued construction of taller towers.

      Since that apartment, most of my apartments have been on a fourth (third UK style) floor, as is my current refuge. I can see trees from my front window.... xo

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  2. That is a Maxfield Parrish sky. What beauty you create in the sweater. I am glad you're better as it was a shame to miss the vacation time with a cold.

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    1. Donna, you've names that sky color so well. Thank you for your words on the current knitting.

      Not to worry about my being under the weather on some days off. Such is the random distribution of healthy times in our lives. I still consider myself amazingly fortunate. xo

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  3. What rotten luck to fell unwell in your precious free time. I'd be very cross about that.

    Loved your evening shots - and reminder that The city keeps going at all hours. I could almost hear the passing traffic and the work men's machinery.

    Oh, and your knitting. Just beautiful.

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    1. Mountaineer, thank you for your kind thoughts. Since I now currently only work three days a week, with four days off every week even without taking any other paid time off...I think that I am very lucky.

      It was fun to see what my little camera might be capable of capturing, and to have the aid of a bit of computer iphoto editing to improve on some of the shots. As the saying goes, the City never sleeps. Actually, I am glad that road repair work wasn't going on any closer to my very own street when I was trying to sleep last night!

      I am thoroughly enjoying working on my current knitting project. Stitch by stitch.

      xo

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  4. Those evening pictures are beautiful -- a different side to the city. And I shall have to look for MEMORY IN A HOUSE> I love THE CHILDREN OF GREEN KNOWE

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    1. Thank you, Vicki. There truly is something particularly lovely about seeing the evening sky arrive. Maybe I'm a bit like your buddy Cory.

      I hope that you'll be able to find Memory in a House...it's quite a book, beginning with how Ms Boston found the house, then brought it back to life, complete with ghosts, then how it went through WW II, and more.
      (Do see my friend Gina's comment below, for a wonderful coincidence!)
      xo

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  5. I'm so happy to have these book suggestions. I haven't heard of any of them before. Your night sky photos are lovely. I love being able to see the sky between and above the lighted buildings. Hope you continue to feel better.

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    1. Carol, each of these books is quite different from the others. They do share some very fine writing.

      Thank you for your wishes. I do continue to feel better...hoping that old summer cold is now gone for good. xo

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  6. Blogger has just eaten my comment and I can't remember everything I typed!

    Love the new cardi and the patchwork knitting,
    Glad you are now feeling better xx

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    1. Shame of that bad blogger with its unpredictible ways.

      Celia, when I first saw the cover of Landmarks, I thought of your very own fabulous prints. The cover image is of a "smeuse" ... one of the many old words I am learning.

      Thanks for the knitting compliments. That patchwork blanket is something I made in the last century, in an attempt to use up lots of leftover 4 ply yarn.

      xo

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    2. I had to look up the word 'smeuse' . . . I love the sound of it! Its original meaning is 'a hole in a wall or hedge' or, as in that picture on the book cover - in vegetation. Thanks for introducing it to me - I may have to buy that book.

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  7. Interesting night shots!
    We knew it was Manhattanhenge...then promptly forgot.
    Excellent reading choices -and I have two books waiting for you when we next meet.
    Do hope you get over your cold soon. Margaret is similarly afflicted. Very depressing.

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. It's fun to show folks that night lights in NYC don't all exist around Times Square. Amsterdam Ave looked very smooth yesterday afternoon.

      I think that I am once again shedding the clinging summer cold. Hoping Margaret will also be better soom.

      Look forward to seeing you. xo

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  8. What a coincidence as only last week I went with our reading group to visit The Manor at Hemingford Grey where we were given a splendid and entertaining tour by Diana Boston, Lucy's daughter in law. Glad you have recovered from your cold.

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    1. Wow Gina! What a great coincidence. I would be very curious to hear more about your visit to The Manor. The book has just a few photographs of the house, before and after Ms Boston completed her making it her home Her descriptions of the process really do create wonderful visual impressions...but to actually be there must have been wonderful.

      I'm glad to report that the lingering cold seems to be just about completely banished.

      xo

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    1. Thanks so much. The photographs in this post really were a bit of jumble, but perhaps do give a true impression of summer in the city.

      xo

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  10. Sorry to hear that you've been having some health problems amidst summer! I hope you're recovering now and the sun and the fresh air help you for that!
    It's always so interesting to see how New York breathes in the different seasons - thank you for giving us that chance, Frances!
    I adore the colour and figure combinations of your knitting!:) The last one is not an exception.:)

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, Rossichka.

      I am very rarely ill, so having a summer cold is truly an inconvenience. How could my system allow entry to such a bug?

      It's fun to show a slightly different side of the city to you all.

      I truly appreciate what you say about my knitting. xo

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  11. I love your new cardigan - great colours and pattern.

    I was lucky enough to hear Robert MacFarlane talk, and meet him, when I was on Springwatch Unsprung with him in June - a lovely man and totally fascinating.

    Hope you recover fully x

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  12. Su, I so appreciate your kind words re my current cardigan project. It's approaching another crossroads, tricky measurements, and so forth, so it's grand to be encouraged as I start to cross that river.

    Yes...lucky you to hear and meet Robert Macfarlane. I am loving this new book and when I finish it (with my vocabulary greatly enhanced and enchanted,) I look forward to seeking out his earlier books. Have to admit that with every page of Landmarks, I feel an increased urge to flee these city limits.

    xo

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  13. I hope by now you are fully recovered and fighting fit.
    NYC os not only the city that does not sleep but one that does not stop growing - upwards, or so it seems. Did you know that Lucy Boston made the most beautiful patchwork quilts, entirely by hand and when she was way older than you and I.

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    1. Val, she does mention quilts in the memoir. I will have to poke around with some researching clicks to see if I can find pictures somewhere.
      I've almost finished the book, and truly am reading more and more slowly, so it will last just a bit longer.

      xo

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  14. Oh dear yes, I can imagine the impact Landmarks might have on a city dweller. But the language of the city - Manhatten Henge, crosstown - is fascinating too.

    I LOVE the Fair Isle :)

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    1. Annie, I am indebted to you for introducing me to Mr Macfarlane's writing. I am enriched by every page of Landmarks, and know I will also be wishing to read his earlier books.

      Yes, the city does develop its vocabulary decade by decade. When first here in the 1960s, I learned to call subway lines by their nicknames, like the Lex or the Double R. Nowadays, folks call them by their numbers or even by their color on the official map.

      Thank you for your kind words on the knitting...I'm enjoying this project. xo

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  15. My grand-daughter bought her father (my son) the Robert McFarlane book for his birthday. He recently lent it to me - really interesting stuff in it too.

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    1. I think that my own father would also have enjoyed this book. My grandmother, who was raised on a farm long, long ago, would probably also have loved the book, and been reminded of some of her own countryside words.

      xo

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  16. "Memory in a House", the title alone entices me to read the book, though I don't recognize the author before...and she has a children's book as well? Night photography is difficult to say the least, but you have captured the city's activity perfectly! I wonder what your milestone birthday might be.... I see those gorgeous colors you are using in your shawl, and remember seeing it when you began to knit it. That is a skill I never learned, but one I so appreciate.

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    1. Jeri, I had never read any of the many children's books that Lucy Boston wrote, and only came across her name this past spring in a blog about a visit to her very old and interesting house. I was intrigued, and read one of the children's books ...then wanted to find out more about that house.

      The night photos in this post were really taken just to show a bit of what goes on after dark in NYC ... not all glam.
      Maybe I will become a little more forthcoming about that milestone as it gets closer!
      Thank you for your words about my knitting. Clearly, you have many, many skills that far surpass my ability to just pull a loop over a loop. xo

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  17. Really fascinating...what a lovely city you live in!
    Warm hug,
    Titti

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    1. Titti, I'm glad that you liked my NYC after sunset views. The city's "beauty" can appear in unexpected places! xo

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  18. It's been so good to catch up with your posts Frances. Your pictures bring New York so vividly to life, as always. I also enjoyed Diana Athill's memoir very much and met her briefly once after a talk she gave in London a few years back.
    Thank you so much too for your very kind comments on my blog which I always appreciate despite so much going on in my life lately. I hope to be more present in the blog world again soon!
    I do hope you're feeling better xx

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    1. Karen, thanks so much for your comment. Lucky you to have actually met Ms Athill.

      My NYC photographs really are just quick clicks, but I hope to be able to convey some of the city's atmosphere to folks who may some day get to visit here, or who remember a past visit.
      Your own photographs taken on your journeys are of a very high excellence. I always want to be able to actually climb into those settings, somehow having a magic wand that allows me to vanish into my laptop's screen. Many thanks!
      Yes, feeling a bit recovered. Think the bug is on the run...finally. xo

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  19. Great pictures of NYC, such interesting perspectives, and I love the night shots and all the lights. Your knitting is very beautiful, such a pretty and soft mix of shades. I love the Lucy Boston book, it is one I know I will re read....when I bought it I also bought some postcards of her beautiful hand pieced patchwork quilts too. Thank you for your kind comments on my blog, dear Frances....I always enjoy hearing from you.
    Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
    Helen xox

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    1. I'm glad that you've enjoyed this post Helen. It was fun to include some pictures with a dark blue sky and some electric lights providing a contrast.

      I must find some time to hunt down some pictures of Lucy Boston's quilts. I finished the book today, and returned it to the library. I expect to eventually check out more of the LB children's books, to see that house translated into fiction.

      It's always a treat to visit you place...you create so much beauty! xo

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  20. I do hope that you're now recovered from what sounds like a very unpleasant cold. How horrid to be struck down when you've taken time off too! I've been discovering Robert McFarlane too although my favourite writer in this genre is still Roger Deakin. 'Waterlog' is one of my top comfort reads guaranteed to soothe in troubled times. Cx

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    1. Chris, I think the summer cold has pretty much left my system now. In a strange way, having that enforced lazytime was good for me. Sometimes, on days off I tend to do too much running around.

      Thank you for your recommendation of Roger Deakin's Waterlog. I will look for it.

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    2. I love Roger Deakin - I do hope you enjoy his writing too. Cx

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  21. Thank you for your photos, especially as my own surroundings are completely the opposite of yours. I have nearly always lived in the countryside, in small villages, in peace and quiet. I know I wouldn't be happy with the constant noise and the constant light of a city; here on Bodmin Moor, there are no streetlights to mar the views of the stars and nearby planets and I sleep with my windows open, hearing only the scuttlings of little creatures in my garden and the hooting of an owl. Just now, my back door is open and sparrows are chirruping in the hedge and my dog is sleeping out on the lawn.

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    1. Rambler, I appreciate your comment about my photographs, but also truly enjoyed reading your description of your countryside...what I imagine in my dreams. Just to be able to see a night sky without intrusive electric lights is such an enriching experience. And to be able to listen to those little natural night sounds, too...wow!

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  22. I love 'visiting' NY through your blog! Never been there in real life, though a trip may be coming next year.
    Also love your book choices. I recently bought Landmarks for my husband for his birthday, am looking forward to reading it myself. Currently am reading his The Old Ways, which is both fascinating and beautifully written.
    Talking of beautiful, your knitting!!! Love that blanket, what a gorgeous project.
    All the best from sunny Bath (UK), Deborah
    Xxxx

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    1. Deborah, I thank you very much for visiting here, and for your interesting comment. I will definitely be having a look at The Old Ways.

      I'm happy to report that I've had a quick visit over to your site and found so, so much there of interest. You write very well, about many topics and your photographs are grand. I am going to have to go back for a longer visit. Best wishes to sunny Bath! xo

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  23. And it´s a pleasure that you share New York with us! Love to follow you in the city...
    Thanks for your sweet comment on my blog, I will take care!
    Warm hug,
    Titti

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    1. Titti, do continue to find some relaxing times and recharge those creative batteries.

      I wish I could have you along with me when I visit the farmers market. I bought some intriguing little potted succulent plants today (also some delicious fruit and veg, of course.) I'm looking forward to doing some drawings of these plants...they are very sculptural and one of them even has some tiny fringed petaled red flowers. Lovely. Looking at them relaxes me.

      xo

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  24. Lovely to see you again, thank you as always for finding the time to comment, isn't it lovely to know people are out there! Interesting to walk round the streets with you at night time and learn of Manhattan Henge. I do hope you are feeling brighter. x

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  25. Thank you Sally. I am glad to report that the unwelcome summer cold has moved on. Yes, it is lovely to know people are out there. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your UK return.

    xo

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  26. That wretched summer cold. It's a stinker and all the more unwelcome for arriving when you least expect to be ill. It took a good two weeks to feel fully over it. Your night walk was very atmospheric. I wondered if the colours might inspire some darker Fair Isle yarn choices.You never see black in Fair Isle do you?

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    1. Lucille, I agree that summer colds deserve the wretched label.

      Thank you for your compliment about the night pix. There is something about the darkening sky's coloring that I always love to see. And then, even in the city, it's possible to pick out a star, or a planet, or perhaps a something like Pluto formerly known as a planet.

      I expect that some future fair isle knitting might feel the influence of darker shades. I am pretty sure that I have seen some traditional fair isle knitting that made use of lots of neutral shades of yarn, perhaps undyed...and some of them were really dark greys that might be on the edge of black.

      xo

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  27. Agh, I wrote a long comment that promptly disappeared. Just wanted to say... Fascinating to see your busy city at night. Hope you are fully recovered. Gorgeous colours in your fair isle!

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    1. I'm so sorry your comment disappeared...mysteries of blogger.

      Thank you very much for trying again! Glad to report that the summer cold seems to be history now. I'm have fun working on this fair isle jacket...even as I keep on thinking of other projects I want to start. Need more hours in the day. Cheers!

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  28. I hope you are very well once more, dear Frances. Rice pudding is my own miracle cure, with nutmeg and cream, and fresh air of course, but strictly outside. You sound cheerful anyhow, which bodes well for health.

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  29. Mise, I am well again, but will definitely remember your rice pudding suggestion. I am a rice pudding fan, and might have to prepare some of that miracle cure even while well, just to build up my strength!

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  30. Very interesting blog. A lot of blogs I see these days don't really provide anything that attract others, but I'm most definitely interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know.

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