City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

We are now into deep summer in the city.  It is hot and it is humid.  Continuing my celebration of retirement, I am delighted not to have to ride the subway except when I really want to.  The train cars are chilled by air conditioning, but the subway station platforms are very hot.  The loudspeaker systems broadcasts warnings to passengers of possible heat-related stress.  I always take along some sort of card in my tote bag that will serve as a fan.

Above ground, we have had some rain and so leafy greenery and grasses are flourishing.  The above trio of Upper West Side brownstone houses show off a mid-summer wreath of wisteria vines.

Central Park is very overgrown, but lingering there is not so pleasant in the current weather.  I actually chose to miss last Thursday's Broadway Show League's Thursday softball game in favor of going downtown to have my brilliant hair stylist scissor off my crazy grown out hair.  I am back in precision bob land again.  It is good to feel the occasional breeze on the back of my neck.

Even in this heat, with the help of my apartment's cross ventilation and the three speeds of my trusty Vornado fan, I've been doing some embroidery and some knitting.  I've made several gifts for friends, some using cotton yarn and some using wool.  The fair isle mitts in the following picture may eventually be added to my etsy shop.  I am working on another pair now in a different color way.

As a lazy bones, I've also been watching tennis at Wimbledon, Le Tour de France all over scenic France and even some international football championship games.

Seeing these positive athletic achievements, and those of nature's summer feast of green growth has provided positive alternatives to recent news stories.  There is much being reported by the media every day about horror that people are inflicting on people.  Lies that people are telling, arguments that people are provoking.  Not just in this country but also around the world.

I continue to try to do my tiny part in the cosmos by being kind, trying to be thoughtful and caring for other people.  Trying to understand points of view that differ from my own.

I wonder what part the hot weather plays in the current atmosphere?

Perhaps those of you who grow your own produce will be amused by this series of photographs of a tiny fenced-in triangular sliver that is designated Sherman Square.  It is not a square.  It is officially a city park area.  This year, it does not seem to be receiving much care from city gardeners.

On the Broadway side of Sherman Square, trucks from Fresh Direct, an on-line grocery ordering service, park and unload their orders for customers from the immediate area.  There truly does not seem to be much either fresh or direct about the process, but each delivery does seem to have a certain ironic content. 

A few blocks downtown on Broadway is another little triangle where a mini version of a farmers market is set up several days each week.  I have shown you all photographs from this space before.

During the summer, free concerts are being held in the midday sun here each week.  The music is fine, there are chairs and tables for folks to have their lunches while listening to the music.  I cannot imagine how hot the musicians must get during their performances.

All the same, it's a great idea.  Also available at the little farmers market are some beautiful freshly cut flowers.

More reasons to be cheerful.

 Other reasons to be cheerful are the visits you all make to these posts and the lovely comments you write.  I continue to think that the blogging community is a very positive place.  

Let's continue to celebrate all that connects us and explore our differences, keeping open the possibility of learning from each other.

Happy Summer!