Walls of Wonder (Wynwood District, Miami, Florida)

I'd never heard of the Wynwood Walls until my family visited Miami this past week. And what an amazing thing to witness without any foreknowledge. Everywhere we looked for several square blocks we were dazzled by murals.

What I loved most about them was how they were integrated into the landscape. The buildings are still functional--signs advertise "Fairy Shoes" and "Latin Food Holdings, Inc." and "Big Time Men's Clothing" or warn that this is a "Tow Away Zone"--but the murals elevate everything--the signage, the passersby, the traffic--to something magical, something eye-popping, wonder-inducing, head-spinning. The murals make the buildings and everything around them that mysterious and ultimately unknowable thing called art.

Here's just a sampling of what we saw.
 

Puddle Jumping (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

It's taken only a few days for the second largest snow storm in New York City history (in the last 150 years) to nearly vanish from the streets of Manhattan. Most of what remains is gray snow and slushy puddles that require, in some instances (above), a man-made assist to maneuver.

NYPD Gears up for 2016

What does it take to ensure a safe New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square? A lot of people in uniform, apparently. These NYPD officers started mustering around 2 p.m. on 40th Street while I was eating lunch with a friend. And I'm sure they're just a sample of the force that will be patrolling as the clock approaches midnight.

Folks line up inside Esposito Meat Market on Christmas Eve to pick up their holiday orders.

Moss (Ancramdale, NY)

I walked through a pine forest today and was moved to take this photo of moss. It's so lush and complex, a wonderful ecosystem. People say that when it's all over, only the rats and cockroaches will be left. But I hope moss makes it to the other side as well.