City Views, Country Dreams

Good afternoon from New York.

It's been a while since I have shown you all some summer city views from my neighborhood.  Last Saturday evening I attended one of this year's final Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors concerts.  It was a tribute to a legendary album, The Last Waltz, that was recorded 40 years ago by a band called The Band.

As I expected, there was a very large crowd gathered all over Damrosch Park, an open spot nestled sort of like a back yard in a corner of the Lincoln Center property.

The area is surrounded by tall buildings, most of which have been built during the years that I have lived in the neighborhood.  

 As I found a little ledge to sit on, I gazed around the skyline, and tried to remember what the view was like 30 years ago.

All the proper folding chair seating was already filled up by the time of my arrival, and many folks were milling around, buying refreshments from various pricey stands, and trying to connect with friends or family who were somewhere in the crowd.  A hot summer evening dictated comfort clothing choices rather than fashion statements.

As the 7 p.m. showtime neared, the sunlight quality began to change, and some of the buildings began to take on differing glows.

 Some of the children in the crowd were escaping their boredom with the wait by playing various escape games of their own.

The five family members in the following fuzzy photo were being greatly entertained by the young son, who kept escaping his dad's grasp, and trying out his running techniques around the open space.  His dad kept a careful eye on the young fellow, while the mom in the long dress continued to chat with the older couple, who perhaps were her parents.  It is easy to make up story lines.

You can perhaps make out the boat-shaped back of the amphitheater stage?

All the snacking was causing a steady build up of refuse, and a Lincoln Center team kept collecting the bags.

At last it was time for the performance to begin, and the stage lights were turned on along with the excellent sound system.  Perhaps you all will also be able to see a tiny crescent moon just to the let of the stage roof?

Here is another very "atmospheric" picture taken as my camera's battery began to close down for the night.

The concert was lots of fun, and if you click on the link I provided above the first photo, you will be able to see a good picture of the stage and a list of the excellent performers who graced the stage.

On Sunday morning, I took a walk over to Central Park to see how late summer was treating the place.  The morning was not too hot, but humidity was gathering strength

I saw several picnics underway, and also marveled at various folks riding bikes, jogging, and so forth.

More and more racks of the Citibank sponsored bike rental racks appear along city sidewalks.  

Various trees and shrubs were showing their late summer colors and evidence of nibbling.  The leaves were crispy.

I was on my way to an errand on the Upper East Side, but took my time strolling through the Park making sure to have a look at the Shakespeare Garden.

I saw lots of very overgrown greenery, and some flowers looking a little past their prime.  Even so, there was beauty on display.

Lots of tall scraggly green plant stems mixed with some very pretty colors.

As I wandered around this August tangle, I remembered how different the Garden looked in early spring when the first crocus and daffodils were beginning to bloom.

There is a large team of gardeners who care for the Shakespeare Garden, and I am glad that they don't keep it completely manicured.

The above flowers were the size of dinner plates.  The following flowers were much more delicate.

The rustic fencing seems a natural choice to define some areas.  There are also benches made from this weathered wood.

Since I was wearing my pink shoes, I couldn't resist taking a color study photograph.

The plant stem in the following photo was reaching for the sky! There were lots of thistle plants in this area.

Sometimes I break photographic rules and will point my camera towards the sun, just to see what will happen.  I liked the results in the following picture.  I don't know what sort of plants these are with their shepherd crook stems.

By the time I finished my East Side errand, I decided that I would be a lazybones and take an air-conditioned bus ride home and was pleasantly surprised that a bus arrived just as I reached a bus stop.

We are due to experience lots of heat and humidity for the rest of this week, with possible daily thunderstorms.  I will continue to practise all my heat avoidance techniques!

Thank you all for your visits and comments.  It is so much fun to trade comments and discover how much we do share in our daily lives.