Summer Storm (2015)

 

Walking home in the rain, on a Sunday afternoon.

Cloud Factory

 Welcome to the dog days of summer*, without air conditioning.

(Pearl River, New York - July 2015)

 

 

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_days

 

 

Hanging by a Thread

"Magic" (a dogwood petal hangs by a thin strand).

Movement in Blue (and White)

This was the morning sky after a day of tornadoes that swept across Dutchess County into Connecticut. You can see the two systems blowing across each other, the one sweeping out the swirling clouds systems that had the potential to funnel, and dispersing it into vapor. Awesome. Pearl River, NY (June 2015)

Early Spring (April 2015)

Wow! It's actually warm this early in the day. Nice.

We've had some significant temperature drops this week: one day it's sunny and warm, the next day it's a frigid return to winter. It can be hard to retain your faith about better days ahead (not that I view weather or seasons as inherently "bad", but it is a useful metaphor for feelings), but on one gloriously early morning last week, I felt more alive than I had in awhile.  

While I walked to the corner store for a cup of coffee, the sun rose to full effect, coloring the trees and buildings a golden shade of pink, as a chorus of lively birds flew around quickly, like a safari scene staged just for me. It felt great! I breathed it all in, that sweetness and magic, as I hope now that my pictures here give you a bit of the feeling that I have. It's my natural joie de vive and it endures, just like my faith. Have fun today!

Here comes the sun.

Absolutely gorgeous light today.

Look at all these crisscross lines in the sky!

A gentle subtle pink turns to light blue and then some.

What a sky today! Glad I ran out of coffee so I can see this.

A dividing line in the sky.

The dictionary definition of "chiaroscuro" on a humble electrical pole.

A riot of colors shot through the sky.

Trees lining up to spectacular effect.

A big old yellow house on the hill meets the morning sky.

Do you see what I see?

A stand of trees against the sky.

Silhouette of trees against morning light.

Three crows perched on a tree.

Two clouds side by side, gliding through the sky.

Beautiful Morning

Spring Morning (Pearl River, NY - April 2015).

I can tell by the sky that the weather is changing from the different types of cloud formations, and the way the wind moves across the sky. The air feels different, too: I can smell a certain floral sweetness in the air. Ozone from the soil lifts, evaporates, and fills my walks with the scents of spring. Tune in to nature, and let it guide the way for you.  Amen to you on this good day, Friday, April 3, 2015.

Holy Thursday Evening (Pearl River, NY - April 2, 2015).

Let the Sky Be My Guide (April 2, 2015).

I love a parade

The problem with typical Irish-American culture are all the nasty stereotypes that go along with it, the biggest of which includes the open and sometimes vast consumption of alcohol. It allows people 
not affiliated with our culture a cloud cover to hide behind, and that's getting wildly drunk and/or obnoxious in public without censure, but that's only part of it for us. 

The "pub" is an institution: part community center ("pub", as in a public house that's serves the community), part stage for the art of storytelling that's enhanced with a pint or two, part musician's venue, part restaurant, part psychiatrist's office, part meeting room, part boarding house, part illicit den...in short, it's woven into our culture in many, many different ways, and there's alcohol served as well. 

But, outsiders don't always get those parts, so we tend to stay away from rank amateur hours like the big city parade (that's for tourists!), as we steer our kiddies towards safer havens, like a small town parade. Ours is a bit repetitive and boring, and it sure brings out the loud, nasty drunk who's brazen enough to do it in public for the whole town to see, around children, and under a noonday sun, but that's part of who we are, too. I don't turn away from the bad stuff, and neither should you. We're adults. We can handle it.

Party skills are essential, especially when open container laws are in effect.

Someone's getting the parade "feel"! That's me in the hat and sunglasses.

My café table and aggressor: kids bumped into it and it fell onto my foot.

Tutus from the toy store proprietress in town are always a favorite.

"Hey, I want some popcorn, too!" said the St. Bernard to his new friend.

The Polar Bear Princess wore a tiara over her hat!

Honoring our vets, one pin at a time.

Lots of other geegaws on sale, too.

Nice coat! I love the "Dogs on Parade" part the best.

Our parade always begins with New York's Finest at the lead.

It's not all good looks and glamour: sometimes ya gotta shovel it.

Pomp and circumstance, with music and color. Alright!

Hey, man! Whassup?! Is he walking on stilts?

You know you're good when you can play without hands.

These horses are huge! The sorrel-colored horse is spectacular.

Cute, but the bands' awful. Oh well. Pearl River Pirates are great wrestlers!

North Rockland had the best school band, I thought. Great outfits, too.

No way?! "G.I. Joe with the Kung-Fu Grip" is here! Awesome!

Representing Boston. They took  the "Most Snowfall" category this year.

Big crowd this year, and getting bigger every year.

Soccer kids! They were fun and energetic, also starting a tradition young.

Kids love the parade. They wear costumes and special Irish outfits!

Lots of flash and razzle-dazzle. It's a show, after all!

Adults watching in the shadows, taking it all in.

The party ends with a big dump truck for all the garbage. Reality sets in.

A Gladiator, or two, or three hundred or more, thrown into the mix.

Real heroes with red fire trucks are always welcome at the house on the hill.