Fruit Stand

on the Sidewalks of New York

the Sidewalks of New York

While I spend much of my time wandering the streets in New York City admiring the buildings, once in awhile it’s nice to focus on the more natural side of the city. Fruit is nature, right? Even on a fruit stand?

Juxtapositon of Buildings

Walking 9th Avenue

Walking 9th Avenue

Not only walking 9th Avenue, 42nd Street, but also the length of Central Park, up and down Times Square, and past way too many upscale stores on Fifth Avenue where I would be embarrassed to be seen looking at a blouse whose purchase price could clothe a family for a year. Not that I would be encouraged to even take a step into any of these stores.

I am not a big city girl, but I love NYC – in small doses. And a nearly paid-for trip to the Big Apple as the companion of a conference-attendee was too good to pass up. Especially since I was able to squeeze in a visit to eldest child who took two hours from her crazed Bar-studying-marathon to eat dinner with mom. (The highlight of my cross-country trip!)

Not to say New York does not have its fascinations. The architecture is jaw-dropping, the museums are more than mind-boggling, and Central Park is always a welcome respite. And I want to know how many of you know that a cow lives in Central Park. Yes, really! And she even appears to be a big attraction with the pre-school set.

Now I’m on my way to a trip to the Guggenheim where they are honoring one of my favorite guys, Mr. Frank Lloyd Wright. I’m sure there will be more photographs to follow.

Hydrangea

A Bit of Purple, A Bit of Blue

A Bit of Purple, A Bit of Blue

I always think of hydrangea as a family flower. My grandmother and great-grandmother both grew hydrangea in their backyards, and the hydrangea kept company with bleeding heart, columbine, and roses. Not tea roses, but the old-fashioned vine roses, or climbing roses, that would cover the trellises with masses of blooms by summer’s end.

Cloisters Chapel

in Metropolitan Museum of Art

in Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Cloisters, located in upper Manhattan, is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is devoted to the medieval arts and has nearly five thousand pieces of art dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries.

Flax in All its Glory

Common Flax

Common Flax

We saw this field of flax in bloom last year in early June, and so when we passed it this year on our way to the campground, I was a bit surprised to see them in heavy bloom again. The bright blue doesn’t last long and so I photographed the field early Saturday morning. When we were leaving Door County on Sunday afternoon, the field had taken on a decided gray cast. The blue flax bloom was nearly at its end.

common flax

linum usitatissimum Latin for "most useful fiber"

Flax is one of the first plants known to have been used by mankind. Traces of fiber woven from flax have been found in sites dating over 10,000 years ago. Linens spun from flax have also been found in Egyptian tombs. Linen thread is actually spun from the stem of the flax once it has been dried and processed. The cloth made from flax is extremely strong.

Flax oil, commonly known as linseed oil, is also utilitarian. It is used as a component of oilcloth, linoleum, and varnish.