The lovely entryway indoors, of a Bed & Breakfast we recently stayed in. 
Storm King Art Center
Storm King Art Center, named after its proximity to Storm King Mountain, is an open-air museum located in New Windsor, New York. It contains what might be the largest collection of contemporary outdoor sculptures in the United States. Founded in 1960 by Ralph E. Ogden as a museum for Hudson River School paintings, it soon evolved into a major sculpture venue with works from some of the most acclaimed artists of the 20th century. The site spans approximately 500 acres. We visited last week and were astounded at the beauty everywhere we looked and the marvelous sculptures found situated all over the grounds. Here is some of what we saw.
Roy Lichtenstein designed a painting of a mermaid to grace the side of a functioning sailboat. Following Lichtenstein’s plan, students from the Rhode Island School of Design painted the boat, Young America, which then raced in the 1995 America’s Cup. The late J. Carter Brown, former director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and long-time Storm King board member, was an enthusiastic sailor, and facilitated the donation of the vessel to Storm King after it was retired from competition.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Look Up
Cee’s Oddball Photo Challenge
While visiting the town of Cold Spring, NY, we parked on a side street off the main drag. As I came down the block I saw two plastic dinosaurs perched on the sidewalk. How funny and odd I thought.
A bit farther down I saw this
It took me by surprise and made me laugh to see them perched right there. Then I passed what I soon found out was a memorial to young a 17 year old boy who died in an accident in 1996. He must have loved dinosaurs. An oddball but a beautiful way to remember someone whose life was cut short, and keep his memory alive to those who pass by, as I did.
Cee’s Black & White Challenge: In the Distance
We visited Storm King Art Center this past weekend, an open-air museum located in New Windsor, New York. It contains what is perhaps the largest collection of contemporary outdoor sculptures in the United States. It spans over 500 acres. The enormity of the grounds made everything appear in the distance, beauty wherever we turned.
That’s my husband in the distance….
Distance
Feathers on Friday
A Robin seems to have adopted me. I started throwing bread out for the birds last week, the Sparrows and Grackles and Starlings all taking part in the buffet. One Robin joined in the feast too. The next morning when I opened the front door, he was standing at the bottom of the steps, looking at the front door. I have been feeding birds for many years but have never had the experience of a bird actually waiting for me so close. The next day as my husband and I were eating breakfast, I heard the calls of a bird, looked out our large garden window to find him in the tree outside the window, looking in at us. Rather startling I will say. My backyard may be empty when I open the door in the early morning, but immediately she appears, swooping in, cocking her head at me. It makes me laugh every time. She never comes too close, but certainly closer than any other birds that are eating.
Waiting on the railing of the front porch-no zoom lens necessary
Feathers on Friday
Summer Rituals
I work as an assistant teacher, which means I am off from work for two months during the summer. The first year I was working I found this so odd. I had always worked in jobs where I was entitled to a vacation, but usually 2 weeks. When I worked in New York City’s jewelry industry, 47th Street completely shut down the first two weeks of July. For 14 years my vacations were taken those 2 weeks. The other jobs I held were more flexible, and some years I took off a week here or there over the course of the year. Now having a full two months off is so different for me. It was strange that first year, to be working and then not working, but know you still had a job to go back to in a few months. The first year I thought I might be bored and actually looked for something to do to fill the time. I volunteered a little, but also realized I had plenty to catch up on that hadn’t been taken care of during the months I was working. There is always some project in the house to do, something to clean out, I am sure you know what I mean. Boredom never entered the picture. This year as school was drawing to a close, people were asking one another, “What are doing this summer, are you working?” My response was “yes, working at meeting friends for coffee!” That and my favorite hobby which working full time has really cut into- shopping. I have spent much time texting photos to my husband from stores, asking if I should buy this new beach umbrella to replace the one that blew inside out and broke on our first trip to the shore
and did he want a new chair as the arm on his beach chair was cracked
Then of course the texts to my BFF while trying on clothes in the dressing room asking for her opinion before making a decision
I am still up at 5:30 am most days, but I am enjoying not having to be on a strict schedule and out of the house at a specific time. Lingering over coffee, feeding the birds, taking an early morning walk, shopping, my summer rituals.
A Photo A Week Challenge: Hands
My left hand holding my phone, snapped by accident with the camera I was holding in my right hand
I have small hands. They are small but strong- they are good at baking and rolling out dough, they know how to embroider, crochet and knit. They strum and pluck the strings on the guitar, they play the piano, they are always there to give a pat or to hold. I use them to create letters and words in Sign Language, when they become tools of speech.
I love you in American Sign Language
As I have aged they have become more and more riddled with what my grandmother called “liver spots” from all those years of taking the sun. They have always been wrinkled, it bothered me when I was in my 20’s, but now I have grown into them. The veins stand out prominently and I was told once that they looked like “working hands” which I took as a compliment though that is not how it was intended.
My palms have an inordinate amount of wrinkles- far more than any of my friends.
When I was in my twenties I had my palm read. When the Palm Reader turned my hand over she did not utter a word. I asked her what it meant that my palm was so lined. She looked up at me and replied, “It is because you have lived many lives my dear.” She then went on to tell me what my palm told her about who I was, and was spot on about many things, without having asked me any questions about myself beforehand. Years later I read that the cause of an overly wrinkled palm could come from clenching the fists very tightly while in the womb- but I prefer to stick with what the Palm Reader told me those many years ago.
Black & White Sunday: Manipulation
Paula explains: Some photo manipulations are considered an artform and others are frowned upon as manipulations intended to deceive viewers especially those used in sales or political propaganda. I have chosen the “artform” to manipulate my photo by changing the color to black and white, using selective coloring, and manipulating it by adding a new element to it, changing it up.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Bridges
The Bear Mountain Bridge is a toll suspension bridge in New York State, crossing the Hudson River. From the time of its completion in 1924, it held the record for the longest suspension bridge in the world for 19 months, until it was surpassed by the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia. We crossed it this weekend, and as we approached I was taken in by the beauty of the mountains standing behind it. 
This is the view as we headed home traveling West, the clouds in the sky looking a bit ominous.
The photos below were taken the next day when we headed North not having to cross the bridge. I looked out my passenger window and nearly fainted from the beautiful sight before me. I had no time but to grab my cell phone and shoot through the closed window, ending up with a reflection and not a totally clear photo. I still felt it was worth sharing as it is a magnificent view.
Stonecrop Gardens
Yesterday we visited Stonecrop Gardens in Cold Spring, New York. Both the views and the gardens were breathtaking. It was a perfect way to spend the day.
We walked through the gardens which were designed so beautifully
Meeting some friends as we walked along
On the drive home we were passing Boscobel, an estate overlooking the Hudson River built in the early 19th century by States Dyckman. It is considered an outstanding example of the Federal style of American architecture, augmented by Dyckman’s extensive collection of period decorations and furniture. The views overlooking the Hudson River are breathtaking. The blue building in the distance on the right is West Point Academy- shrouded in blue as it is getting new insulation before the brickwork is being redone.
Boscobel
A perfect ending to a beautiful day
Flower of the Day
Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Storefront Signs
Song Lyric Sunday
This week Helen Espinosa‘s prompt for Song Lyric Sunday is:
A song from the very first band you saw in concert.
So back we go to 1971 or ’72, I was 14 and loved the music of Jim Croce. Jim Croce was an American folk singer and songwriter, who died in a plane crash in 1973 at the age of 30. He was playing at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center in New York City and my friend’s parents said they would drive us into the concert. I think there were 3 or 4 of us that went. I can’t remember many details of the concert, just the excitement of actually going to a concert and hearing the music of Jim Croce live. He became famous for his songs “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “Time in a Bottle” which both hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. My favorite song though was “Operator”. I remember crying when hearing the news that he had died, it seemed unbelievable as it was shortly after I had seen him in concert.
“Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)”
Operator, well could you help me place this call
See, the number on the match book is old and faded
She’s living in L.A
With my best old ex-friend Ray
A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated
But isn’t that the way they say it goes
Well let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine, and to show
I’ve overcome the blow
I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words
Could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real
But that’s not the way it feels
Operator, well could you help me place this call
‘Cause I can’t read the number that you just gave me
There’s something in my eyes
You know it happens every time
I think about the love that I thought would save me
But isn’t that the way they say it goes
Well let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine, and to show
I’ve overcome the blow
I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words
Could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real
But that’s not the way it feels
No, no, no, no
That’s not the way it feels
Operator, well let’s forget about this call
There’s no one there I really wanted to talk to
Thank you for your time
Ah, you’ve been so much more than kind
You can keep the dime
But isn’t that the way they say it goes
Well let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine, and to show
I’ve overcome the blow
I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words
Could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real
But that’s not the way it feels
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Walks: Indoor or Outdoor
This week Cee says: This week’s topic is Walks – Indoor or Outdoor. For outdoors you have have paths or trails and consist of dirt, cement, gravel as long as the outdoor walk is a designated for walking only.
I’ve chosen to go with outdoor walks, from my recent visit to the New Jersey shore.
This is Ocean Pathway in Ocean Grove. The pathway leads to the Great Auditorium.
Pathways to Tent City. From May to September of each year, 114 tents are erected around the Great Auditorium.These tents form “Tent City,” a tradition of the Camp Meeting Association of Ocean Grove that dates back to 1869. Each tent is connected to a shed containing a kitchen and bathroom; the sheds are also used to store the tents during the winter.
and of course the Boardwalk. The early morning tracks of bicycle riders in evidence
Daily Prompt: Pleasure
One of the daughters of very close friends of ours got married this week. There are four girls in the family and the bride is the youngest. We have known all of them from the time they were very young, so we really felt part of the celebration. The four sisters have amazing voices, inherited from their mother, and musical talent from their father who is a jazz musician. Here they are in a short clip before the wedding, along with their mother, singing to the bride.
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What a pleasure to share in the joy of a couple uniting
While the band took a break the girls took over singing hits from the 60’s with everyone dancing and singing along
Of course my husband couldn’t resist taking the microphone and standing in like he was leading the band. 
and a hug from the bride- what a pleasure
Feathers on Friday
A family of Blue Jays has been visiting my yard, alerting me of their presence with the insistent squawking of the young ones. The mother flew off leaving this one on her own to find the bread I had left out.
Well I am going to squawk and flap my wings until she comes back
Is she there?
Or there? This is really making my hair stand on end
Ok I did it myself!
Feathers on Friday
A Photo A Week Challenge: Hats
Daily Prompt: Clouds
Clouds…. one of my favorite things to photograph
Recalculating
Yesterday my husband spent the day with his grand daughter who is 11, and grandson, Sam, who is 9. They went to a “paint it yourself” pottery place. On the way there he was using the GPS, but did not always follow the route it was taking him. That familiar sound of the GPS voice came on saying “RECALCULATING” every time he had chosen his own way to go, rather than following her directions. The kids laughed, telling him he should listen to her, thinking it was funny he had chosen his own way and she knew it. He asked them if they knew what the word recalculating meant. They said they thought it meant to go another way, and he said that was the idea. It meant to figure out a new “plan” to take the original idea and go over it again to find another way.
They arrived at the painting place and chose the pottery pieces they would paint, Sam choosing an intricate design. Getting down to painting they chatted as they went along, until Sam was finding it difficult to keep the colors from running into each other and being somewhat of a perfectionist was getting visibly upset. His sister commented that he was “getting frustrated” which sent him over the edge. He was embarrassed and felt bad. My husband told him it was time to recalculate. That in life, sometimes we just have to recalculate when things don’t go exactly as we planned, and take another route. Here he could paint a little blue over the red and add some white and his design would still look great even though that was not the original plan. Take a deep breath and recalculate. Sam got it, and continued painting, happy with the end result of his work. I thought it to be a great life lesson, as surely this will not be the last time the need may arise to recalculate, he hopefully will remember those words if things aren’t going as planned and take another route.
Thursday’s Special: Descent
One Word Photo Challenge: Cat
This photo is my favorite of my beloved cats Yofie, the gray and white and Shotzie the tiger. These are very old photos, taken in the 1980’s hence the grainy condition. They are both long gone, but still in my heart.
Yofie looks ferocious, but in reality I caught this while she was in mid yawn
Shotzie never let a shade get in his way of laying in his favorite spot on the windowsill
Bookends on the bed
Black & White Sunday: Always There
She stands so proudly-always there
Fun in the Sun
I just returned from an overnight at the New Jersey Shore, one of my favorite getaway destinations. I have written about the shore previously here. It is a short drive from where we live, but I always feel I have traveled so far away when we go. The weather was perfect and we settled ourselves on the beach leaving plenty of room between us and the other people already situated in their spots. I could hear my father’s words in my head, from when we spent summers at Jones Beach on Long Island and someone would encroach on his “space.” He would be grumbling under his breath about beach etiquette and leaving a respectable distance between spots. There was plenty of beach so walk a little further and leave enough room. We set up the umbrella, chairs, blankets, bags, with a beautiful view of the ocean. 5 minutes later a family of 5 planted themselves not one foot from us and set up not the commonly used low beach chairs, but rather the kind used when attending an outdoor concert, sitting at full height. There went the view. My husband and I looked at each other, pulled the umbrella from the sand and moved back a little further to a spot where we could see the ocean unobstructed. Resettled, I got down to the business of drinking my iced coffee, looking at the ocean, listening to the crash of the waves on the shore. It lasted 10 minutes. Now a group of young women took up residence in front of us, and I became privy to their ongoing conversations. Again my father’s voice coming through loud and clear in my head, about how the wind carries your voice so keep it down so as not to bother those around you. I figured I’d embrace what I could not change and listen in, (not that I had a choice) maybe there would be something interesting to follow. No zoom lens needed for these shots.
One young woman was regaling the others with tales of her dating, retelling how she told a guy she is loud and that’s just who she is. I have to admit I laughed to myself at her honesty and her laughing at herself as she told the story. The conversations moved on to overeating, the need for more suntan lotion and what the plan was for the evening. Eventually the sound of the waves seemed to overtake their conversation, as it faded into the background, allowing me to once again think about my iced coffee, the beauty of the waves and how happy I was to be there.
Greetings From Asbury Park
Away for an overnight- hope to catch up with everyone tomorrow! 
A Day In The Life 
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