Posted by: David Giacalone | April 20, 2020

stoop shoot 2020

mourningdoveIMG_1192If you’re not getting out much due to COVID-19’s continuing NY Pause, you’re welcome to enjoy Washington Avenue’s 2020 cherry blossoms online with me from the front porch and stoop of 16 Washington Avenue.  The views in this cherry blossom Stoop Shoot are north down Washington Avenue toward the Mohawk River and south from Cucumber Alley toward Union Street, assisted by the zoom lens on my Canon. Now and then, the critter on the right and a sibling stop by and wait for mom to come for a feeding.

 

 

The photos in this Slideshow were taken in the early mornings of April 19 and April 20, 2020. When you let the Slideshow play on its own on your screen, it is a bit like porch-settin’ on a pretty April morning. As always, you can see a larger version of a photo by pausing the slideshow on the image, right-clicking, and choosing Open Image in New Tab.

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  • On April 16, 2020, we posted about thirty more photos of blossoms around the Stockade, see “2020 Stockade blossoms“.

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Posted in cherry blossoms, Stockade Views

Posted by: David Giacalone | April 16, 2020

2020 Stockade blossoms

IMG_1325COVID-19’s “NY Pause” has left me a bit restless and quite anxious to see our Stockade cherry blossoms, and other beautiful buds, pop. So, I was surprised to see, looking at postings in our cherry blossom category, that it has been ten years since I posted images of our blossoms in the first half of April, with most coming the last week of April and into May.

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So, instead of impatient, I’ve decided to be quite pleased that on April 15 and April 16 we have lovely blossom arrays worth checking out and presenting here online. And, they should also fill out more for your strolling and enjoyment over the next few days.

. . when you have enjoyed this posting, and are looking for more 2020 Stockade cherry blossoms, see our “stoop shoot 2020” (April 20, 2020).

. . photos in this first set of square columns were taken on April 15, 2020, on a handful of Stockade streets; click on an image for a full, larger version; scroll over for caption . . 

magnolia tree behind SCHS
17 Washington Ave.
view from Hist. Society
looking south on Wash. Ave. from Front
Union St. at Wash. Ave.
St. Geo. Church south lawn
behind 14 N. Ferry
Front St. east of Lawrence
looking north on Wash. Ave.
Green St. looking west from College St.
looking west on Union from near Church St.
lower Union Street
across from First Reformed on Union St.

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. . above: [L] one of many birdhouses appearing recently at Riverside Park; [R] cherry blossoms in front of 27 Washington Avenue. .

. . share this post with this short URL: https://tinyurl.com/2020blossoms

The images in this second set of square columns were taken on Thursday morning, April 16, 2020, on Washington Avenue, here in the Schenectady NY Stockade. Click on an image for a larger, full version.

tree at 17 Wash. Ave.
looking south from Cucumber Alley
looking north toward River
SCHS tree & Mary Hill House
in front of 27 Wash. Ave.
magnolia tree behind SCHS

IMG_1326 . . looking west past State St. to I-890 . . 

  • Wires-IMG_1331Public Service Announcement & Pet Peeve: The mangled mess of utility wires above our Stockade streets (and elsewhere in Schenectady) chronically annoys me. But, never more than when I try to show off our cherry blossoms and have to make believe they are not marring the scene. Our City Hall brags about its connections to the “smart” utilities. Couldn’t those smart brains in our Administration and Legislature join with the utilities to think of ways to wire our City in a far less obtrusive and more attractive manner? And, note that the lower the wires are strung the more we lose the tops (and centers) of our trees, even the cherry blossom trees.
  • p.s. This is a view of some of the wires directly out my second-story bay window at Cucumber Alley.

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and from my front porch . . . IMG_1352

Finally, sincere thanks again this year, to chief meteorologist and Pet Connector Steve Caporizzo at News Channel 10 [WTEN] for spreading the good news of Stockade cherry blossoms to his many fans.

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update (May 11, 2020): Late-bloomers on Washington Avenue.

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. . above: alongside 1 Union Street (May 5, 2020); below: Campbell Row, 19 & 23 Washington Ave. (May 11, 2020)

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Posted in cherry blossoms, Stockade Views

Posted by: David Giacalone | April 11, 2020

Easter eve stroll

 

 

Shortly before sunset this evening, April 11, I headed out with my camera for a little pandemic exercise I call my evening stroll. It started along the Mohawk River at Cucumber Alley, went through Riverside Park, down a few Stockade blocks, and up to the corner of Union Street and Erie Boulevard, where our Lady Liberty replica statue has been exiled. [Click on a photo for a larger version.]

207 Union St - Easter Display

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 . . river end of Cucumber Alley:

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Along the way, I saw cattails, the new pump station’s construction site on the west lawn of Riverside Park, an early display of cherry blossoms on N. Ferry near Union Street, a crowded window sill of Easter fun, and one more bit of disrespect for Lady Liberty at her deplorable location.

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. . Hi, Stockade expatriate Linda M., in Hawaii! “Your” N. Ferry Street house is still cute.

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. . click for the Story of Lady Liberty’s Exile . .

They are almost here! Soon, glorious Stockade cherry blossoms. This tree on the Union Street end of N. Ferry has started the show.

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. . finally, a sight easy to love for decades . .

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p.s. I was along the River just before and just after the time when there might have been a more impressive sunset.  The collage below is my favorite set of Easter Eve Sunset photos, from the rear of 10-16 Washington Avenue, here in the Stockade, in 2016.

. . you can see the individual golden photos, and a few more, here. .

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Posted in cherry blossoms, Mohawk sunrise or sunsets, Riverside Park, Stockade Views | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: David Giacalone | April 7, 2020

supermoon 2020 seen from the Stockade

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. . from the Riverside Park play lot, through the climbing bars . .

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Monday night

The big, white full moon that I saw before twilight from Riverside Park yesterday (Monday, April 6, 2020; image to left) was so clear and lovely that it raised my expectations for tonight’s SuperMoon. It would look pink or orangish and be the closest full moon of 2020. [NASA has a great explanation] Unfortunately, a hazy and mostly-cloudy sky dashed my hopes this evening for a big, clear orange ball.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the wait with the Chilton Brothers, the stroll to find more viewpoints, and the results, once discounted for clouds and clouds and clouds.

 IMG_1170 . .  a practice shot from my backyard; big, round, orange, over Schenectady . . 

It quickly got too cloudy for even tiny orange rays to pierce in the clouds. It was only about 15 minutes from my first photos of the supermoon near the Riverside Park Play Lot along the Mohawk River:

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. . and looking east on Ingersoll Avenue:

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. . below: seen from Front St. at Ingersoll Ave. through ubiquitous utility wires . .

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. . then a S. College St. view from Holy Cross Church driveway. . 

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. . after that, the moon was quickly blocked by clouds, as I sought a good spot to view it at Union St. and Erie Boulevard.

IMG_1188All and all, no celestial fireworks, but a nice lunar experience from the Schenectady Stockade. If I happen to be awake around 6 AM Wednesday morning (not likely), and there are some breaks in the clouds (also unlikely), I will shoot a few images toward the west from the rear of Cucumber Alley.

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BONUS: RECALLING 2011. By the way, 2011 was a very good year to see the supermoon from the Stockade (see our coverage). Here are two examples:

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. . above: Lawrence with Supermoon, late March 19, 2011; below: Gateway Landing gazebo with Supermoon, early March 20, 2011 . .

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Posted in Riverside Park, Stockade Views | Tags:

Posted by: David Giacalone | April 5, 2020

subtle sunset beauty on the Mohawk

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I‘ve been neglecting sunsets for too long. This one captivated and captured my attention on my newly inaugurated daily stroll, and I simply had to stop and snap a few pictures with my pocket camera. The two photos were taken about 7:18 PM, April 4, 2020, just inside the Washington Avenue entrance to Riverside Park, along the Mohawk, looking north toward the Isle of the Cayugas, in the Schenectady Stockade.

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Posted in Mohawk sunrise or sunsets, Riverside Park

Posted by: David Giacalone | March 28, 2020

blue sky stroll under a hidden corona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DSCF5622-001 . . Play Lot quarantined

We’ve had a great spate of lovely blue skies here in Schenectady, since the ides of March, as we adjust to the Corona-Virus crisis and social distancing. [See the Gazette article “Social walks a cure for springtime isolation“, by Jeff Wilkin, March 28, 2020.) If you haven’t been able to get out, join me virtually as I stroll from Riverside Park to the Jay Street Pedestrian Mall and back on Friday March 27, 2020, under the sun’s hidden corona.

This Slideshow follows my walk, with about two dozen images that caught my eye (and captions, where appropriate).

  • For a larger version of a slideshow image, pause on the image, right-click, choose View Image in New Window.

 

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  • Not seen, enjoyable conversations along with way — at a responsible distance, of course — with folks like Kathy Fitzmaurice of the Katbird Shop and Dr. Lawrence Schmidt (Tanner’s valet).

If you stroll, please take the example of Snoopy and Woodstock:

SnoopyDistancing1

. . share this post with this short URL: https://tinyurl.com/CoronaStroll

The bloom-less view at the front of First Reformed Church, Union and N. Church Streets, reminded me that the Stockade will soon be blossoming again. In 2012, the editor here at Suns Along the Mohawk celebrated an incredible treasure blossoming at First Reformed in mid-April, with tulips, redbuds, apple blossoms and more. See “bloomin’ lovely at 1st Reformed” (April 19, 2012). Here are samples in a collage bouquet:

1stref-tulips19apr12b

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Posted in Downtown Schenectady, Riverside Park, Stockade Views

Posted by: David Giacalone | February 13, 2020

Lawrence’s faithful Flamingos are back for 2020

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LATE NIGHT PREVIEW, Thursday February 13:

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They are going to look awfully good under a blue sky tomorrow, Valentine’s Day 2020. So, please bundle up and stroll or drive to Lawrence Circle for the one-day annual Valentine visit of a flock of Flamingos (very pink and plastic) to Schenectady’s Stockade. They are at N. Ferry and Front Streets (Green St., too), and will leave after dark on the 14th.

Before noon on Friday, there will be a flamboyance of flamingo fotos right here at suns along the Mohawk. If you can’t wait, check out last year’s coverage of this happy, romantic, and mysterious Stockade tradition.

. . share this post with this short URL: https://tinyurl.com/Flamingos2020

IMG_0958-001 . . . . IMG_0960 

. . click on a photo for a larger version . . 

IMG_0944 . . like all of us, this pair can’t wait for Arthur’s Market to reopen . .

VALENTINE’s DAY PHOTOSHOOT

Here’s the first few of a couple dozen Flamingo photos that will soon be posted here. They were all taken between 10:30 and 10:40 A.M. under the promised blue sky, with frigid temperatures.

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. . IMG_0986-001

. . Please enjoy this Slideshow trip around Lawrence Circle.

For a larger version of a photo in the Slideshow, pause the show on the photo, right-click on it, and choose Show Image in New Tab.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

. . here are a few of my 2020 Flamingo Valentine favorites . .

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Check out our Valentine Flamingo Category in the righthand margin for links to a decade of Valentine Flamingo coverage. Also, please click on the image to the left for a brief introduction to the story of our Stockade Valentine Flamingos, from the title page of the book shown below.

Flamingos4thCover.  And, click the following link for a full look at the 4th edition of my very first photo-book: “Valentine Flamingos in the Schenectady Stockade: whimsy and mystery at Lawrence Circle” (4th Edition, 2020). The book has been expanded to 24 pages and follows a dozen years of the pink flamingo Valentine tradition and mystery at Lawrence Circle in the Stockade, with 60 photos.

And, Special Thanks, once again, to my favorite weatherman (and dog-lover) Steve Caporizzo, who again featured our Stockade Valentine Flamingos on his News 10 weather segment.  [His caption aide meant “Giacalone”, of course.]

Flamingos2020-Caporizzo1

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Posted in Stockade Views, Valentine Flamingos | Tags:

Posted by: David Giacalone | January 26, 2020

puddles of fun at the 2020 Soup Stroll

2020SoupStrollLogo . . IMG_0898-001

The 5th Annual Schenectady Soup Stroll glowed bright, despite gray skies and rain in Downtown Schenectady. Like other years, there were smiling faces and upbeat reviews wherever I brought my camera. Read about the Winning Soups as rated both by popular vote and several food experts.

IMG_0892 . .

2020SoupStroll-Tara1-001. . Above: Rick & Bonnie of Mangino’s Gourmet Bistro, came a few blocks downtown from 764.5 Eastern Ave. to the Clinton Street Mercantile; [R] while Aneesa and Muntasim at Tara’s Kitchen had a stream of happy Strollers visiting at 431 Liberty Street . . 

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IMG_0847. . Strollers outside the Van Dyck-Mad Jack’s on Union Street in the Stockade

Click on any of the Square Tiles below for a larger, full version, and scroll many of the tiles for a brief caption. I’m sorry my late start today meant missing quite a few blocks and locations. I will start out earlier for sure in 2021. And, next year, I need to put my camera down and enjoy a slew of soups.

 

serious soup at Pho Queen
made me smile, too
at Katie O’s
[2:15 pm] out of soup already
at the Raw Bar
my first shot of the day, Van Dyck’s
Rick & Bonnie looking good
strollers on Jay St. Pedestrian Mall
little strollers leaving the Van Dyck
Dilly Bean-ers
20 N. Broadway
rave reviews for Centre St. Pub
Jay St. Pub was on the map
trolley at Union & S. College
outside with Bittersweet
Pho Queen had a crowd
Tara Kitchen pleased many

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. . sheltering at the Whistling Kettle . .IMG_0895

 

IMG_0899 . . folks loved Katie O’Byrne’s Reuben Chowder

 

raindrops on Jay St. & my lens
a peak inside Johnny’s
taking cover at The Kettle
at Centre St Pub

 

. . 2020Downtown-AmbitionYou can celebrate Downtown Schenectady all year long with one or more of our (free) one-page calendars featuring some of my favorite locations. .

 

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 . . Some Soup Strollers surely wondered, while waiting to cross Erie Boulevard: “How did Lady Liberty get here?” For the long, sad story, see tinyurl.com/TimelessLiberty . .

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Posted in Downtown Schenectady, visits elsewhere | Tags:

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