No. I didn’t run out of wonderful foreign places to post, but yesterday was very unique for us, so I decided to document a little of it here.

To me, New York City is one of the greatest places on our planet in which to live. And I’ve been to a lot of places from which to make comparisons. I’m not going to go into all the things we have to see and do here, as I’m absolutely positive the there are many of you who will justly disagree with me. One thing I certainly will admit is that there are many of you who live in areas where the natural scenery is so spectacular, that every day you are confronted with sights that we in my fair city can only dream of. However, we do have Central Park.

Yesterday, October 28th, was one of those weather related days that any of us, no matter where we live, wish we had a lot more of. The temperature was in the high seventies, the humidity was comfortably low, the sky was a clear blue and, for all of we New Yorkers, and our many, many visitors, all was right with the world.

I’m not going to go into the history of the park. Basically, it was designed in 1858 by two men, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, with Olmstead being the chief designer. (Somewhat later, Vaux designed our Museum of Natural History.) Its aim was to add a modicum of democracy to the city, allowing a natural mix of people from all classes of life to bounce into and off of one another, and get them all out into some fresh air … for free. And after many lumps and bumps along the way between then and now, it succeeded.

And yesterday proved it. The park was more jammed than I had ever experienced, if one doesn’t count special events into the mix. That’s a different story. My wife and I cancelled a couple of theater reservations we already had in order to spend our day there, and we were glad we did.

After some initial time meandering together we separated, my wife toodeling around the little pond where kids float model boats, and I rambling in the Rambles, the park’s version of natural woods.

The first thing we encountered when we got into the park was a young couple walking their costumed dog. I, for one, do not like costumes on an animal as I consider it as stealing its dignity. Of course I realize that dogs do not have dignity in the same sense that we have, and that if the costume is not uncomfortable, the animal is totally indifferent to it. But it bothers me anyway. (For those of you reading this who disagree with me, fine.) But here was this little dog, a boxer, wearing a costume which it represented a boxer. It broke through my distaste barrier and I asked if I could take its photo. To be fair, I asked both the humans, and the dog. The humans answered. The dog didn’t. But it never objected either, and it did sort of pose.
Then I strolled over to the nearby boating pond and took a few shots of its famous and graceful Bow Bridge. Again, I’m not going to go into its history but I just posted a couple of photos below just so you can see how my normally gray city can look when the light, the place, and the weather conditions are just right.

Crossing the bridge and turning to the right, I began to meander through the “woodlands” of the Rambles, but, as every place else there at that time, it was way too crowded for my taste. So I rambled randomly for a while, then went back to rejoin my wife.

These pics are very different from those I usually submit.

Mel, I wanted to comment on this posting on the day it came out but couldn't because my laptop was in for repairs and my cell phone was not recognized by UHH so I couldn't comment. Couldn't sign in either because my password was in my laptop.

I really appreciate seeing Central Park through your eyes. I've been to NYC several times and have had the opportunity to visit your museums, Lincoln Center and Central Park. I agree with your assessment that Central Park is a great place. But didn't spend enough time there to know it intimately like you presented. And it's huge, as I guess it has to be to provide a refuge and a balance to all its surrounds. I liked the picture of the people on the rock in the Rambles and your comments about it. Impinges on the refuge so to speak.

That being said, right now I've got a little devil and little angel sitting on my shoulders arguing. The devil is saying, I'm going to do it and the angel is pleading, oh no, please don't. The devil won. I'm going to share some of my other observations about this post.

Living in NE Ohio, we have something in common with NYC, a lot of cloudy weather. But living in the westerly wind belt, we get the weather first. When we get a great day like you described, we hang onto it, use it up so to speak and send the cloudy remnant on to you folks on the east coast and you never know the difference. But last week, we had a such a great day. I even posted on this site, My Glorious Bike Ride, with an image I took riding down a country lane (Note the lack of people). You commented on it. Well, it was such a great day, that out of the goodness of our hearts and love of our fellow man, we decided to let it go on for you folks to enjoy as well. Glad you did but you owe us one.

I, and a lot of our fellow hoggers have come to appreciate and admire your numerous postings from around the globe. We look to you as a true man of the world, a nomad's nomad, a raconteur and probably a good judge of rum to boot. But this posting has revealed another side of Mel/MosheR that we've not seen before, a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker. I suspect that your view of the world is different than the one we've perceived. The famous cover of New Yorker magazine with the image looking west from New York City at the Hudson River, Jersey, flyover country and the Pacific Ocean may be more accurate. Since you commented that your apartment is high up in your building, could that New Yorker magazine picture have been taken from your apartment?

I really do appreciate your pictures and comments on New York City and Central Park and apologies to those who don't. And my comment about you being a raconteur is spot on as well. Forgive me for taking up so much space to poke fun at you, but the Devil made me do it.

Well Reuss, first of all, I thank you for the fine weather you gave us. As you noted, we made good use of it, having radically changed our plans in order to go to that (crowded) park. The flip side of this, however, is that from now on I will blame you Ohioans every time we have bad weather ... unless it's due to one of those storms that grows in the Atlantic.

That New Yorker cover you referred to was painted by a guy named Steinberg. He was a clever guy and did a lot of work for them, but hit the jackpot with that one. We face north, so we get great light. But Steinberg as cover faces west, so we don't get that view
As for rum, I hate to disappoint you, but I am a teetotaler. Sorry.

Fair's fair about blaming me for the bad weather. Perhaps if I tipped you off a day in advance when we are going to let a "good day" through, so you don't have to cancel plans at the last minute might reduce my culpability.

Regarding your teatotality, I think I remember that you were a teatotaler from an earlier posting. I borrowed part of that phrase I used to describe our impression of you that ended in raconteur and a good judge of rum. The raconteur part is definitely accurate, the judge of rum not so much. But I'm sure you're a good judge of something, but probably not character if you're still talking to me.

Too funny. I could consider another trip north, but I'm not in a hurry to do so. I would think springtime would be a great time. I remember 3 trips total, one pulling a boat and trailer thru the center of the city. I asked my boss to drive thru and we were told not to roll down our windows or talk to anyone. We had picked up the boat at JFK airport. It was flown in from CA. So, that trip doesn't count really. I think mass transit would be the best option for a return and a visit to some of the museums. I may ask you for recommendations if I decide to return. Thanks.