Famosa Slough

Female Belted Kingfisher

This past Thursday I walked to the Famosa Slough, a bird refuge not far from my home in San Diego.  I've occasionally visited there to check out the shore birds, but it had been several months.  That afternoon, I was fortunate to spot a colorful bird, Female Belted Kingfisher, pictured above.

Little Blue Heron

On Saturday morning, I went back to see if I could get a better picture.  There was no Belted Kingfisher to be seen.  However, I did find a Little Blue Heron.

I picked up a flyer at the kiosk and found that a walking tour would be held at 1pm.  I usually take pictures and compare pictures on the Internet to identify a bird I don't know.  A walking tour would be so much better since I can show a picture and have an experienced birdwatcher identify it. So, I returned to the Slough at 1pm and joined the tour.  The leader had a scope on a tripod and invited the attendees to view various birds that she identified.  Some birds were regulars, but others just passing through.  Some of the attendees were speaking with the tour leader about San Diego having the most birds in the country.  She agreed, but then added that the expansiveness of San Diego County plays a part since if covers the shoreline all the way to the inland mountains.

The leader pointed out the different species of ducks, as well as the American Avocets and the Black-necked Stilt.  I was familiar with them, but some of the ducks were new to me.  They traveled so fast, I just couldn't get a good picture of them.  I did succeed with a striking black and white duck I had seen on Thursday, but had not been able to get close enough for a good picture.  The tour leader told us it was a Bufflehead,  not a regular at the slough.  The picture I took during the tour is below.

Bufflehead

The tour leader also pointed out an American Kestrel and some killdeer.  We looked at them through the scope.  The killdeer is the cutest bird with stripes around its neck and chest making it look like it's wearing a sweater.  I wasn't close enough to get pictures, but I'll work on that.  The walking tour, covering 37 acres, with the opportunity to ask questions, look in the scope, and take pictures, lasted two hours.  The free tour is held monthly by the Friends of Famosa Slough and is definitely worth it thanks to a excellent leader and beautiful birds. 

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911 Memorial

On February 1, I went to the 911 Memorial at the World Trade Center.  I obtained a Visitor's Pass at http://www.911memorial.org/visitor-passes  in mid-January.  Friends who had visited gave me the impression that it would be hard to get passes, but that wasn't the case.  Thankfully, the weather was rather mild for New York.

After going through screening, we followed a long path to the entry of the Memorial which consists of a large open park-like area with two very large pools with constantly running water forming waterfalls within the pools.  Around each pool, the names of everyone we lost on September 11, 2001 and, of those lost in the attack of February 26, 1993, were etched into the stone wall.  The names weren't in alphabetic order, so there are kiosks available to locate the name of someone you knew.

I read in Wikipedia that the design was named "Reflecting Absence."  I certainly felt that absence.

After leaving, on the way to the subway, a self-appointed ambassador engaged us in conversation.  He asked me how many buildings had been on the World Trade Center site.  I promptly said, "Seven."  Then, he related how a teacher with a group of school-age children didn't know that fact.  That is why I recommend visiting the 911 Memorial when you are in New York City to perhaps get a sense of the enormity of September 11, 2001 and pray for the families and friends of those killed on that day.

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Return to San Diego

 On Saturday evening, I returned to San Diego on JetBlue.  Thankfully, the flight wasn't full and the seat next to mine was empty, so I had a more comfortable ride.  I have not been a fan of JetBlue since I received, in my opinion, an insulting response to an email I sent them several years ago.  This time, I used their airline solely because the fare was the cheapest I could find.  This time though, the staff was exemplary, and in my opinion, more mature.

Yesterday, when I went out outside, I found that I was dressed too warmly.  Checking the Weather Channel made me realize that I wasn't in New York anymore.  The temperature was a sunny 71 degrees.  Wahoo!!!  Please keep in mind that I was grateful for the mild winter I experienced in New York this year.

As usual, my stays in New York are busy and fun-filled.  I enjoyed visiting with my daughters and their families.  The grandchildren are taller than me, that is, except the eleven year old (who's almost there) and of course, the one year old.  Time seems to go faster on the East Coast, with busy families who generously include me in their daily comings and goings, and meeting with long-time friends.  And, it was a great experience displaying my photography at the Poughkeepsie Barnes and Noble store.

I was fortunate to be able to visit the 911 Museum at the new World Trade Center, which I'll write about soon.  Unfortunately, I haven't reconciled the feelings I had as I walked around that "hallowed" ground.

The day before I flew to San Diego, I joined my daughters and the eleven year old granddaughter in walking along Canal Street in lower New York City checking out the vendors, and then, into SOHO (a trendy and expensive downtown shopping area).  

The old buildings were very interesting.  I always enjoy walking around the New York City viewing the mixture of very old and very new buildings. In this area, many old buildings were shrouded with fire escapes (certainly a necessary life saving addition.)    The photograph on the right shows a different and unexpected type of fire escape, which I think is reminiscent of New Orleans.

                                                                            

We enjoyed our lunch at Fanelli's on Prince Street.  I usually don't order a spaghetti dish for lunch, but the linguini with Pesto ($12.00) was delicious.  This building has housed a small restaurant since 1847 with the Fanelli's taking it over in 1922.  I attempted to photograph the front doors, which were very interesting.
 
After lunch my daughters and granddaughter were interested in seeing the new World Trade Center.  So we walked there.  The picture to the left depicts how tall the building is compared to the older ones in the surrounding neighborhood.  So ended our visit to lower (or downtown) New York City.

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My Photos on Display

This the last weekend that my photos will be on display at the Cafe at the Barnes & Noble Store on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, New York.  Thanks again to the management and staff.  I also want to thank all my New York friends and relatives who took the time to go and check them out.  The photos displayed in this blog can be found on my Shutterfly site by clicking on "Check out my photos" below.

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New York City

As I travelled from the Borough of Queens into New York City, the sky was a beautiful blue dotted with small clouds.  It was a picture perfect day.  Even though it was windy and cold, I decided to spend some time in the City instead of continuing on to Dutchess County. 

I walked north from Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue to 59th Street.  Then, I proceeded east to the 59th Street Bridge, now known as the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.  I had to speak with three traffic police persons to find out how to get to the walkway across the bridge.  However, eventually I did find my way.  The walkway is shared with a bicycle path so I had to be careful as I entered.  I quickly found out why as the first bicyclist passed me.  He was travelling at quite a clip.  However, I enjoyed being on the bridge.  The walkway is marked so that walkers and bicyclists are separated, but I noticed that the bike riders didn't stick to their side.

As I climbed the walkway, I could see the Roosevelt Island Tram passing by. Someday, I'll check that out since the cost of the ride is the same as the New York Subway System.  When the sun hits this bridge, it is a beautiful sight. The bridge takes on a golden hue. I've tried numerous times to get a good picture, but have yet to do so.  Perhaps I will from the tram.

After that, I walked to 59th Street and Fifth Avenue to check out a flurry of bird activity.  From a distance of a few blocks, it seemed like a possibly good photo, but when I got there they weren't flying around.  Then, down Fifth Avenue to 42nd Street.  When I arrived at Grand Central Terminal, since it was such a beautiful day, I decided to take the subway to "Ground Zero", the World Trade Center.  I haven't been there in quite a while, so this was a great opportunity.  I had worked in the building with the green domed-roof on the left until late 1999 and remember walking the plaza underneath the World Trade Center, sometimes spending my lunch hours gazing at the tall towers.   You can read my thoughts about September 11th in a previous blog.  Yesterday, the area was bustling with activity and construction seemed to be coming along nicely.  A reservation is needed to see the 9/11 Museum so I have to plan that for another time.

  I noticed a tour group with a guide explaining the artwork on the side of a building near the site,  I intend to go back and take that walk, as well as visit the Museum. 

That was the end of my roaming the City streets. Although the day was briskly cold and windy, it was a day well spent.

The Cup and Saucer Tea Room

This past weekend my granddaughters, their mothers, and I went to have tea at the Cup and Saucer Tea Room in Beacon NY.  I had given the girls gift certificates to this restaurant for Christmas.  The younger grandchild had been anxious to use hers since she had been there twice this year and enjoyed it.  The whole experience was completely new to the fourteen year old and her mother.

We made reservations for a tea party for five.  When we were seated, we consulted with each other on the teas we wanted to try.  This is always fun since the teas are not necessarily ones with which we are familiar.  The porcelain tea cups and the tea pots hidden under cozies created an atmosphere of days gone by.  It gave me an opportunity to tell the granddaughters how my mother served her tea.  One daughter decided to order Earl Grey tea because that is her favorite.  The other daughter selected Raspberry White Tea and Jasmine teas (definitely more venturesome).  The Jasmine tea smelled just like the flowers I pass on my daily walks in San Diego, CA.  I think this tea won out over the Raspberry White.

The food was served on a three-tiered tray.  The sandwiches on the bottom tier were cut in different shapes and ranged from egg salad with sprouts, a cucumber ( favored by one of the granddaughters) to a deviled ham with what looked like diced cranberries.  The next tier had different kinds of cookies.  The apricot one with powdered sugar was my choice.  The top tier held the delicious scones.  We felt quite full and satisfied with our meal.

I recommend this warm, cozy restaurant with its cordial waitress and owner.

My Photos

I'm so excited to announce that my photos are being displayed in the cafe of Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie NY.  

Thanks, Barnes & Noble.

If you are in that area, stop in and take a look.  They will be on display through January 31.  Enjoy!

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