The hotel we stayed in, the Marriot Marquis, was located in the center of Time Square. It was a busy area, by far! There was so much going on, so many lights, people, buildings, advertisements, honking taxis, pushy bus tour guides….the list goes on. It was a lot to take in. The hotel was very nice and very large with at least 20 elevators in the center. There were so many patterns throughout the hotel. If I had more time, I would have brought my sketchbook and doodled a little!
There were a lot of firsts when we arrived in New York City. To reach our hotel, we had to ride the subway and then walk a few blocks. I had never ridden the subway before. It is crazy how fast they are! There was a lot to take in while we headed to our hotel. I wanted to take so many pictures, I didn’t know where to begin! I knew once we checked in and got out to really explore, I would have plenty to photograph! These are the first few photos I took while we made our way to the hotel.
I have so many photos to share and go through from my New York City trip that I’m going to break it up into groups. The first group is “The Train Ride”. It was about a two hour ride but it didn’t feel like it on the way there. It was my first time on a train so it was a fun experience. The scenery was beautiful and there was a lot of interesting things to see while passing by. There were some spots that were so tight, the rock must have been carved out just for the track. It seemed to be only inches away from the side of the train when passing by! The mountains where so immense in the background, they were nice to admire. I saw a lot of birds crossing the river as well. Many of them were great blue herons! Their wingspan is impressive. Unfortunately, the train was moving too fast for me to get clear pictures, so none of the bird photos turned out well. Plus there was the headache of the foreground trees jumping right in front of my shot at the last minute! Darn jumping trees! 😛 I did manage to get a few nice shots though. Enjoy!
Here is a little teaser from my recent trip to New York City! It was my first time visiting and we went on my birthday weekend! My life long friend flew in from Ohio and came with my husband and I to celebrate. It was a great birthday! I took 978 photos over the course of two days! I have a lot to go through so to start off, here are my favorite three!
This is the globe sculpture in Columbus Circle created by Kim Brandell. It is directly in front of Trump Tower. Donald Trump tried to get his name put across the globe but the city said…um, no.
This is Belvedere Castle located in Central Park. Belvedere Castle was designed in 1865 for no other purpose than to sit there and look pretty. Later starting in 1919 and until this day, the National Weather Service began taking weather measurements from the castle to determine rainfall and wind speed and direction.
These sculptures were created by Jim Dine and were inspired by Venus de Milo. They are located at the Waterfall Plaza. This piece is entitled “Looking Toward the Avenue”. They are made of bronze and sit atop a delicate water fountain.
Check back soon for more photos from my trip!
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It’s been a busy weekend. Here are my daily photos I took over the last three days. We had a cookout with the family, went kayaking at Kinderhook Lake and enjoyed the awesome weather! I hope everyone enjoyed the time with their loved ones and remembered to honor those we have lost.
Here are a few shots I have taken with my phone this Spring. Many of them were taken while I was landscaping at various places in New York. It’s awesome to slowly watch the season unfold. There is a different bloom every week and I love seeing all the colors! If anyone knows what the yellow flower in the second row is, please share in the comments below! I am struggling to identify that one.
The last picture is my new kitty! Her name is Marozi. Marozi is the name of a cryptid ( like bigfoot or Nessie) that looks like a spotted lion thought to exist in Africa. I call her Rozi for short. She is a big, fat, cuddle machine!
Thanks for stopping by this week! If you have any good Spring time stories to share, drop a line below!
It’s always weird when Christmas ends. You spend so much time preparing and leading up to it. There is the cleaning, cooking and baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, visiting…the list goes on and on. Then, when the day finally comes, it’s over in the blink of an eye. Right back to your regular day to day. It’s like your exerting as much Christmas spirit as you possibly can and then it just….stops. What do you do when you still feel that charge though?
Use it towards the new year, perhaps? That is also an exciting time. The end of one chapter, the start of the next. What will this new story reveal? It’s ultimately up to you. Yea, there might be some surprises the universe will throw in but it’s your choice as to what path you will go down. I currently enjoy the trail I have been following so I think I will continue on the path I’m on. It feels amazing when I am working on my art. Everything in my personal life if finally settling into place as well. The word “feel” keeps ringing in my head. Everything just feels relaxed, harmonious, like everything is vibrating on the proper frequency. It’s comfortable, not like I want to melt into the couch. Comfortable as in, I have found myself. I’m comfortable in my skin. I feel like I’m doing what I’m suppose to. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. It’s awesome and I’m excited to use this power to soar through 2019!
My goal for 2019 is to continue working on my art so that I can become a fulltime artist. This is the most important task for me this year and I’ve never been more driven than I am right now! Thank you to everyone who has helped me this far and who continue to support me in achieving my goal! It means the world to me!
What was your favorite holiday activity? What do you want to achieve in the new year? Share your story in the comments below. I wish good vibes and high energy to everyone for the new year! Thanks for swinging by!
Today marks my third year with my blog! I’ve come a long way and learned so much in those past three years. I can’t believe what can happen in such a short time! Special thanks to everyone who has followed along this journey with me! I can’t wait to see what the years ahead bring!
Lepidoptera is the order of butterflies and moths. I have discovered so many this year. Mostly in larvae form but still fascinating all the same. Here is my collection of various caterpillars, moths and butterflies that I have photographed so far.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly, distinguishable from other similar species by single dots on the back wings surrounded by orange. This particular one had a torn wing but it didn’t seem to keep it from taking air!
Green Horned Caterpillar (see also Tomato hornworm and Tobacco Hornworm), Vegetable gardeners hate them as them munch, munch, munch away! It’s recommended to squash them but I wouldn’t have the heart to. Besides they transform into beautiful Sphinx moths!
Red Underwing Moth
Red Underwing Moth
Red Underwing Moth
Harnessed Tiger Moth, often mistaken for a butterfly because of it’s striking pattern!
Monarch Caterpillar
Monarch Butterfly, so far the best shot I have been able to get of one! They don’t stay in one place long!
Io Moth Caterpillar, Stay away from this guy. Those spikes are tipped with poison which will leave you with a burning, itching rash for an hour or so!
Silver Spotted Skipper Butterfly, There are over 3,000 species of skipper in the world. This particular one can be found in 48 states in the U.S.
Tent Caterpillar, Various species create “tents” as homes while others like this one will just huddle in social groups in trees.
I am not 100% positive on the identification on this one but I believe it is a Speckled Wood Butterfly.
Speckled Wood Butterfly? Correct me if I am wrong.
White marked Tussock Moth Caterpillar, This caterpillar boasts a long tail and hair tufts that will leave a rash similar to the Io Moth Caterpillar.
Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Another pokey caterpillar with a rashy outcome!
Hummingbird Moth, You can learn all about these guys here in a previous post I put together.
