Purple Puffball

After a little online research using search terms like "purple puffball" I discovered that this lovely flower I noticed on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is actually called a gladiator allium and is a member of the onion family!

Tagged - 8 Random Things

Okay, I've been tagged by Chelly and am now feeling the pressure of coming up with 8 random things about myself to share with the blogging world. Here goes:

1. I am very cautious about using the word "random," as my husband regularly informs me that, slang usage aside, actual randomness (according to the scientific definition) is an extremely rare thing.

2. After a lifetime of trying out different toothpastes, I have recently discovered that cinnamon-flavored is my favorite.

3. The book I have re-read the most times is Gone With the Wind.

4. If there were a group called Law & Order-aholics Anonymous, I would consider joining.

5. It is one of my life goals to learn to rollerblade.

6. I am a real-life, honest-to-goodness, *certified* SCUBA diver.

7. I am inexplicably drawn to used book sales and can't pass a cart of "books for $1" without walking away with one or two.

8. And because I want to keep with the purpose of this blog and post a photo, my final random thing is the very first photo I took with the new camera that inspired me to start blogging!


Passing it on, I tag Amy next.

On Pacific Street

Someone with a more artistic eye than mine (who I happened to be walking home with this evening after some fabulous ceviche from Coco Roco) liked this photo because of the juxtaposition of the soft lines of the clothing against the severity of the concrete walls. Personally, I like the color contrast.

Sneaking a Peek

A glimpse into the window of a building on Henry Street.

DUMBO

A couple of evenings ago I took a walk down to Dumbo (that's short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). My aim was to take a few pictures of the ridiculously creepy merry-go-round in a converted warehouse down by the water (possibly followed by some of the famous hot chocolate from Jacques Torres, coincidentally on the very same block). Sadly the warehouse was shuttered and dark, as was the chocolate shop! So, instead I tried capturing a little of the neighborhood's unique character through some of the other scenes I encountered while wandering Dumbo's cobblestone streets. The merry-go-round will have to wait until next time.

Sunset over Manhattan

This evening while watching the sun set behind the Brooklyn Bridge, I took the opportunity to experiment with some silhouette shots (after being inspired by this blog entry from the Digital Photography School). I definitely need to work on getting the light right, but this was such a pretty scene, I had to post it in spite of its flaws!

Two Peas in a Pot

This past weekend I was walking through the farmer's market and a crate of fresh peas caught my eye. Fresh green peas were my absolute favorite vegetable growing up, but I hadn't had them in years. That did it, I bought five pounds. An hour into shelling them I understood why fresh peas in the pod aren't a supermarket favorite. We had friends over for dinner on Saturday night and these went into a side dish of peas and mushrooms. (Peas and carrots was the other option, but I was told that was too "prosaic.")

Playing that Funky Music

All we need to complete the scene is a disco ball.

Welcome Home

This flowering tree growing down under the Brooklyn Bridge (near Grimaldi's) was a nice welcome back to Brooklyn when I saw it from a cab on my way home from the airport. It was such a pretty sight, I took a walk down to Dumbo later that week to take a couple of photos.

Action Shots

This evening I decided to experiment with high shutter speed "action shots" by shooting some Brooklynites playing soccer. Truthfully it was already past 8:00 p.m. and the light wasn't the best for action shots, but it was fun. I got some particularly good ones of that handsome player in the Owls T-shirt.

Blue Skies

Does anyone know the Irving Berlin song that goes:

Blue skies, smiling at me,
Nothing but blue skies do I see.
Bluebirds, singing a song,
Nothing but blue skies from now on.

This picture reminds me of those lyrics, but I can't figure out where I have heard the song recently! Film? Commercial? Soundtrack? The ladies who blast the radio next to my office?

Happy Feet

Some little residents of Park Slope are going to miss these boots.

A Quintessential New Yorker

Wearing black, drinking coffee, sporting a bag from The Strand, and utterly uninterested in the fact that someone is taking his picture.