Mother’s Day Flowers
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. I hope your day has been a good one. 
I am sending all of you beautiful flowers.
These photos were taken in New York City a few years back. The photo above was taken in front of the New York Public Library. The photo below was a lamp post shrouded with stunning blossoms.
The photo below was taken along the side of the New York Public Library.
Again… Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers reading this blog.
Spring time in New York
It is easy to think of places like New York City as cement jungles. But, the same Spring weather that visits the Midwest also visits the big cities. And New York City has a number of parks that come alive when the sun does its magic. For many years I visited New York on a regular basis – work called me there. I typically put a camera in my bag … occasionally I got some photos that bring back warm memories.
These photos were taken from City Hall Park, the colorful park across from the F. W. Woolworth building (top photo and photo below). Some of you may remember the Woolworth stores. They were also known as “five-and-dime” stores. These stores later became ”dime” stores (prices went up so there were not so many items for a nickel) that were around for many decades. These discount stores were a smaller version of the Walmarts and K-Marts that we have today. The Woolworth Building, in Lower Manhattan, was paid for in cash. It stands 792 feet high and, when it opened in 1913, it was the tallest building in the world. It held that distinction until 1930 when 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building, both in New York City, surpassed it.
The park, the fountain and the flowers offer such a relaxed contrast to busy architecture of the neo-Gothic giant across the street. Yet there was a real harmony to this spot. Blue skies and warm weather are wonderful no matter where you live. The Spring sunshine certainly triggered an amazing metamorphosis here in the middle of the Big Apple… a lush refuge with a fairytale pallet of color. Yellow, blue, green… even the cement jungles cannot resist the charms of the Spring sunshine.
Finally – May flowers
We have had the snow and the ice. Then came the April showers. Now it is time for the May flowers. Our surprising May snow has not stopped them… the tulips are in bloom! And everyone is ready.
It has been a long winter. Remember, not so long ago, the Iowa landscape looked like the photo below. The colder the winter, the greater the desire for spring. And the sweeter the day when the color explodes!
So, how about you? Do you prefer spring? Or Winter?
Do you have a photo I can share? Maybe some flowers or some other nice spring photo. Just email the photo to the email address below and I will post it.
Flying High
In my last post I taxied to a spot near the runway where I waited. My trip from the terminal area to the runway area was a little jerky as I zigged and zagged along the access lanes of the airport. At this point I was just getting a handle on the controls. When turning I was too tentative, then I would over steer, then correct my course again. It was great fun and a little embarrassing – it seemed like this would be easy. Anyway, with zigs and zags I got to my assigned spot near the runway (and with a little help from the real pilot). The real pilot who was sitting in the copilot’s seat was in constant communication with the air traffic controller. I was happy to wait near the runway and get some more instruction prior to take off. I no longer felt like a Top Gun pilot… the controls had humbled me. Within a few minutes we watched an A320 land. Now it was our turn to take the runway.
This was the BIG MOMENT. I was slowly advancing to the main runway at the Des Moines International Airport. Then I turned left. There it was… the long stretch of cement ahead of me. The real pilot told me to give it full throttle and off we went! Faster and faster - within seconds we were buzzing down the runway and lifted up into the air.
Soon we turned and flew over Des Moines. The photo above shows the downtown. The video below shows some Iowa country side. I had another short video but the focus was off – the camera ended up focusing on the window so video of flying over Des Moines did not turn out.
The mechanics of flying the plane kept me busy. We flew to Ankeny using the GPS. I think I could have made that trip without the GPS but the real pilot wanted me to experience all aspects of flying. After nearing Ankeny, we turned and flew to Indianola, then returned to the Des Moines airport.
The rolling fields, trees, highways, cars… everything… was awesome from the air. I took a few photos and a little video. As I noted, some of the video and photos did not turn out. It would have been nice to have more photos but I was busy flying an airplane. Looking back, each moment running the controls seemed like time flowing in slow motion yet the trip seemed to happen so quickly. To sum it up – SPECTACULAR.
Ready to take off
Every year we have a birthday and it is a time to celebrate… or maybe sigh. We are another year older and wiser (hopefully). When I was younger I had lots of dreams. I would be a professional baseball player or maybe an astronaut. I would see the world. I would do this… that… But, most of those dreams were just that, dreams of a kid looking at a big world and thinking big thoughts.
One of the dreams, however, came true. On a recent birthday I got a present (thanks Mike and Molly) that was a bit unusual. The present was a flying lesson – a lesson where I actually got to fly the plane, take off and land. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The photo above is the view from the pilot’s seat. This is where I sat. I got to push a lot of the buttons, run the throttle and operate the steering wheel. You will notice a GPS device in lower center of the photo. The pilot who took me up plugged in destinations so I basically flew the plane by following the route on the GPS.
The session started with some instruction in the pilot’s office at the Des Moines International Airport. Then we walked out and boarded the plane above. The pilot went through a pre-flight routine, then contacted the flight tower and got clearance to taxi to the runway, etc. As we approached the runway, he explained each thing I was to do and I did the to do. I brought the plane around to the runway – with some help since we needed to fit in between commercial flights that were using the airport. Actually, I was a little rusty since this was all new. But, it was great to hear the roar of the engine steer the plane to the primary runway.
My dream was about to come true… I was ready to take off.
Stay tuned for the rest of the story.
How about some more color?
In my previous post I shared photos that featured exotic decorating items and splashy color. These photos came from one of my trips to New York City where color abounds. I had so many interesting photos I thought I would share some more. What do you think of the furniture? The small storage cabinets and chest are awesome.
How about beads? You have to admit, that is one funky light fixture! Even if you were not creative, wandering through a store like this would transfer some creativity via osmosis. Or else you would have one massive headache due to a nuclear explosion of color.
This place was overwhelming – I didn’t know where to start. Then I figured it out. Just wander through and enjoy. Sometimes it is good let go of a structured approach, at least for a little while. Just absorb. Enjoy.
So you like color?
When I was working I probably made over 100 trips to New York City. At the end of the day, when I had some free time, I would set out on adventures. Occasionally, I ended up in an interesting store. One store stood out for vibrant color and exotic design - the ABC Decorating Store. I believe the store is now closed. But, the place was fun and over the top with unique items so I am sharing the photos with a challenge - don’t be afraid to have color in your life.
This was the kind of store where you needed to free up your imagination (a good exercise for many reasons). Some of the items were pricey… but the idea was to enjoy and dream.
These experiences have the potential to stretch your sense of design… maybe you will be willing to embrace new colors. Even if you don’t make a purchase, allow your eyes the enjoyment of the moment.
