This was a beautiful spot to pull up a seat. Overlooking the Hudson River in Peekskill, NY
This man pulled up a seat a little farther along on the pathway, with a view looking North
This man chose to pull up a seat on the rocks near the water’s edge. Wherever one chose to sit, it was a lovely view.
Becky’s theme for July squares is Blue
Blue in Bradley Beach
The sky, the sign, the shirt, the ocean
Becky’s theme for July squares is Blue
Madame Marie’s fortune telling on the Asbury Park boardwalk, made famous by Bruce Springsteen
Becky’s theme for July squares is Blue
I had jury duty this week. This was my view as I entered the courthouse that morning- a stunning blue sky against the dome of the courthouse building.
A beautiful view from Peekskill, NY, looking at Bear Mountain and the Hudson River.
A Tufted Titmouse outdoors in a tree
Outdoors after a rainstorm at sunset
Outdoors as spring begins to bloom
An impromptu violin practice outdoors in New York City
The weekend photo challenge here on Weekly prompts is EDIT! I do edit my photos sometimes, cropping to zoom in and get a better perspective or more detail, or sometimes brightening up the color or sharpening the focus. What I decided to share here is photo editing playing with different filters. I used the app Prisma, changing up my original photo that I took at the beach of my friend standing at the edge of the surf. Which is your favorite?
Original
Beautiful views…
The endless ocean at New Jersey Shore
The mountains of New York State
Views from New York looking to New Jersey
Views high above the Hudson River
Views from my garden window
The forecast was 90 degrees and sunny so do you think I would waste a perfect day like that sitting at home? NO! I headed straight to the New Jersey Shore to plant myself in front of the waves and breathe in the salt air. What a glorious day it was! I situated myself in the “No Swimming” zone, surfing only section to avoid the families and young children, and guarantee I would hear nothing but the crashing of the waves against the sand. I had a great view of the many surfers who were out, who were also taking advantage of the weather and waves.
The Oyster Catchers were hanging around
And surprisingly Common Grackles were all over the beach, something I had not seen before as they are not typical shore birds.
and of course the seagulls and the view of the ocean… all making for a perfectly wonderful day
Summer has arrived! The day after the last day of school my friend Beth and I started a new tradition last year, of visiting our favorite gardens, Wave Hill. We go to Wave Hill throughout the year, no matter the season, but after going last year on the day school let out, we decided it was a great way to celebrate the beginning of summer. Located in Riverdale, NY, it is a short (barely) 20 minute drive from where we live. We can sit and watch the birds, drink multiple lattes from the coffee shop, and explore the gardens. And that is just what we did.
It was a drizzly day, but no matter, as on the outside patio there is a large tent to sit underneath. The birds flew in and around us…
Starling
Blue Jay
Mocking Bird
Sparrow
We saw a flash of orange in the trees across from where we were sitting. I zoomed in and spotted a Baltimore Oriole. His orange so vibrant he was easy to spot.
The sun began to peek through the fog so I walked the paths to the gardens
Pausing along the way to enjoy the flowers
And the bees among them.. these are for you Brian
And a Red Admiral Butterfly was hidden among the leaves, but her beautiful orange stripes gave her away
The view of the Hudson River and the Palisades of New Jersey shrouded in fog, but scenic nevertheless.
With the George Washington bridge in the distance
I meandered a bit more, and then made my way back. Hopefully the summer will bring more visits, as the gardens change bringing new blooms.
The Woodstock Farm Sanctuary provides shelter to cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, sheep, goats, and rabbits who have been rescued from cases of abuse, neglect and abandonment. Originally located in Woodstock, NY, it outgrew the 23 acres it was on, and moved to the nearby town of High Falls on 150 acres. We visited the farm a few years ago, meeting the many goats, sheep, Guineafowl, turkeys, hens and cows who now live there. We were educated about the abuse many suffer at the hands of the food industry, living in deplorable conditions. The sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains were everywhere we looked, making for an uplifting experience, beauty and kindness to animals all in one place. 
Sibling. Someone just asked me a few days ago about my siblings. Two sisters. One brother. My brother died 4 years ago, by his own hand, I wrote about him here. I am estranged from my sisters, none of us speak to one another. I am not sorry about this, it has made my life far less complicated. I asked the person who inquired about my siblings what made her so connected to hers, what made them stay so close. She answered that her mother always told them that they must always remember that there is no one else like their siblings, to remember that and stay close. She instilled in them the importance of recognizing that familial bond and fostering it to grow. This was not my experience. There was never any sense of the importance of that sibling connectedness in my home growing up. If anything our differences always seemed to be pointed out. My sisters are 4 years and 10 years younger than myself. We were not close growing up because of the age gap, but became closer as adults. But personality came into play, none of us being alike, and those differences always putting a wedge between us. Perhaps if the bond had been stronger it could have withstood those differences, but that was not the case. The sister 4 years younger a carbon copy of my mother, which may have been the problem, seeing as I had a relationship with my mother fraught with issues. The other sister similar in personality to mine, but too many other gaps in how we lead our lives to maintain a relationship. The fact that they rarely enter my mind is telling, I do not miss them. My best friend of 50 years is like a sister to me, having shared most of my life with me and being part of my family throughout. Would it have been nice to feel the connection and have the bond many of my friends have with their siblings? Of course. But life goes on and allows us to make connections with people throughout our lives that we choose to build relationships with and connect with.
Trent hosts the Weekly Smile, asking us to write about something that made us smile this week. He says:
Here is list of “rules” and guiding ideas. If you don’t have time to read it right now, just remember that this is an exercise to spread positivity. Don’t smile about the misfortune of others. Don’t smile in a way to excludes others. And remember, the Smile can be anything, large or small. Nothing, nothing at all is too small for a Smile! Sometimes taking time to notice those small, every day smiles is more important than those once in a lifetime huge ones 🙂
I have had plenty to smile about the past week. School is winding down, ending this week. I have been engaged in a flurry of activity in the classroom- helping to put together a yearbook for my 3rd grade classes. Lots of pictures and written memories of their year in 3rd grade. One student asked if I could come to 4th grade with her which really made me smile. This morning one of the boys came up to me and handed me an envelope. I opened it to find a Starbucks Gift Card and this note:
I loved that he wrote it himself, and I SO loved the message. A BIG smile.
Last night there was a staff dinner which was also a big smile. I am so fortunate to have worked with a great team of teachers this year.
The school year flew by quickly, I think because I was happy to go to work everyday. With kids who give me notes like the one below, it’s easy to smile everyday.
A misty morning in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. It shrouds the boardwalk, the streets and a view of the ocean.
A Day In The Life 
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