Three Pigeons in a Tree (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

These three birds were sitting in a tree as a I exited the subway. Pigeons, of course, are common in the city--flying rats, some people call them. But I rarely see them sitting in a tree. Usually they're strutting across the pavement or perched on a fire escape or window ledge. And they also seemed oddly personable, sitting calmly as they were just a few feet from a busy subway entrance/exit.

Maybe they were behaving strangely because the day was strange--over 60 degrees in the middle of February, another sign that we've entered an alternate universe.

Lost Sheep (Times Square)

As my son said when I sent him this photo: "Sad"

Green (Garment District, Manhattan)

The leaves, especially in New York City where a layer of soot blankets everything, are always the greenest when they first appear.

Leapfrogging over Thanksgiving, Flatiron District, Manhattan

I came upon a jolly crew this morning installing Christmas decorations and fake snow near Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building. 

The Undocumented, The Unemployed, The Sick, The Homeless, and The Despised, Upper West Side, Manhattan

A religious parade marched up Amsterdam Avenue this afternoon. The overarching theme (other than Hispanic/religion) wasn't clear from the signs and floats, so I looked online and found this description of the event:

13th Encuentro Hispano – Culture and Faith of the Hispanic Community of America • Amsterdam Avenue, 90th to 110th Street. All are invited, all races, creeds, languages, and colors, and especially the undocumented, the unemployed, the sick, the homeless, and the despised.

Earlier in the day, I took the photo below shortly after waking and finding that, after many days of rain, the sun was lighting the tree outside our window.

Capital Improvements (96th St., Manhattan)

I am happy and surprised to see that the budget for the new subway station on the 1, 2 & 3 includes vegetation. Now let's see how long it survives.

Ditmas Park, Brooklyn

The Brooklyn sky, as seen from the garden of The Farm on Adderley, a restaurant on Cortelyou Road.

The houses in Ditmas Park are sooo cool, especially their roofs, including ones with fake Canadian geese grazing on the shingles.

The crumbling cornices reminded me that a home can be a pain to maintain.

What do dahlias and beer have in common? Sycamore Bar & Flowershop, also on Cortelyou Road.

Runner, Sleeper, Grazers (Hudson River Park at 57th St., Manhattan)

This part of Hudson River Park is called Clinton Cove, according to this map.

Gramercy (?) or Chelsea Morning

Walking down 15th St. toward 6th Avenue, I was struck by the New England quality of the light (which my old Canon PowerShot doesn't quite do justice).