A little snow . . . then oot 'n aboot in Bed-Stuy, Lower Manhattan, & Crown Heights, in that order.

After a few days, the snow turns brown and grey and one is walking in slush.

The Civil Service, a new cafe at Nostrand & Clifton - used to be the Tiny Cup

Complicated visuals on the B38 bus

The  optimism abounds in this unlikely film school scenario on a subway poster. I know... I teach in film school. 

A mural in Crown Heights - Nostrand or Marcy? - somewhere near Halsey.

This shot and the one above from a laundromat in Crown Heights

Ms. Dahlia's Cafe, Nostrand Ave.

A chance to make a few extra bucks.

Now onto Lower Manhattan, where I recently had some business to conduct...
A beautiful old loft building.

Erected 1869. A green metallic facade.

And this small brick gem, sandwiched between two other loft building.

A fire escape with substantial presence . . .

. . . and from below, one can see the dense weight that will bring the ladder down to the ground, if needed

Had to do it. Church Street near Walker.

A window display on Church St. near Canal Street.

Inside one of the loft buildings.

And on to Crown Heights.

Time to go home.

Happy New Year, everybody

Something's different. The old practice of shooting everything is beginning to change.

Searching now for some meaning in these images, whereas earlier,

I was simply looking. Looking is important. It's the first step towards finding.

The Lucky 777 deli on the corner of Throop Ave. and Van Buren St., Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Dec. 30, 2013

Then on to Von King Park, taking the diagonal walkway towards Greene and Marcy

Next day, Dec 31,  I wake up in Windsor Terrace, and walk past this wreath made of well-worn dusty balls displayed in a window. Styrofoam, I guess.

Then on New Year's Day, after the previous midnight's fireworks in Prospect Park (large, loud, close!), I wake up, we go for a bite at the Windsor Cafe, and I take the G-train home. Past Gowanus, facing eastward. From 4th and 9th, to Smith and 9th, heading north towards Bed-Stuy.

Happy 2014!

Energy needs a focus, Brooklyn provides a lens (as does a side trip to Manhattan)

a Hallowe'en visit to the vet, unfortunately for the cat (not pictured)

beautiful chickens on Franklin Ave.

the recipe, the seasoning 

a visit to the SECOND vet, since the first one, who is long on decorations was short on effective cat care 

and the cat in question

an ordinary day - trash day!

the flowers - imprisoned, or protected?

autumn leaves, with and without glasses

the trashiest scene on this block of Clifton St. I hate passing this every day

on the way to the subway, and subway stories, below

many exciting treatments on offer at the Dominican hair salon

a quick trip t the mid-Manhattan library reveals strong shadows on an unseasonably warm day

well, what to say? i hate christmas shopping. i hate these little kiosks selling useless junk.

but i like musing on these lines of steel and glass 

balloons, last night, up the block

and this morning, i took a walk

the 77th Precinct, an ugly building at the end of a beautiful park walkway

an accidental shot - perhaps this is how i was really feeling this morning

the Von King Cultural Arts Center, known chiefly for the strong odor of urine that surrounds the building

summer games, a reminder that summer is over and the children that had fun here will be that much older when summer returns in 2013

the watchers

an idea for what the block should look like - just add white people

and what it actually does look like

a sweet old house that could use some TLC

the new deli on the corner. i love these guys.

The Lovely Hill Baptist Church, Throop Ave. betw Lafayette and Van Buren

The Christian Community Baptist Church Inc at the corner of Van Buren and Throop

Quentzel - the plumbing supply store between the two Baptist churches, with beautiful old fittings