SOLSC March 16: A Walk with a Hint of Spring

            It was almost 60 degrees here in upper Manhattan when I went out for a walk in the late afternoon. I walked over to Riverside Drive, which runs alongside Riverside Park. The park is full of lacy trees, waiting for the right number of warm days that tell them it’s time to put out buds and leaves. Thanks to Daylight Savings Time, the sun was still fairly high, and the air was clear, courtesy of the Clean Air Act (something to thank Nixon for). It was easy to see New Jersey across the Hudson.

            I walked along the Drive from 112th Street to 120th, then down into the park among the semi-wild. Back up to the Drive and 112th Street, where I followed a woman and her toddler into what’s called a “tot lot” and swung on the rubber-seat swing for a few minutes — possibly the first time I’ve done that in many, many  years. Those rubber seats are very uncomfortable, best if you are small, like a child. 

            Parts of the walkway alongside the park need a lot of repair. At one point, caution barriers surround a particularly bad area, to keep bicyclers, runners, and walkers away.

            Back up to my block, and home. I’m looking forward to many more walks into the park when the trees are all leafy and the air will become balmy. Only a few more days until the spring equinox.

 

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I’m participating in the 16th annual Slice of Life Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers. This is day 16 of the 31-day challenge.  It’s not too late to make space for daily writing in a community that is encouraging, enthusiastic, and eager to read what you have to slice about.  Join in!
 

 

 

SOLTuesday: Local Damage from Storm Isaias today

The storm came through New York City fairly quickly, with only a few hours of wild wind and rain, and the damage was much worse along the coast, in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens. But up here along Riverside Drive between 111th and 114th Streets, there are lots of branches broken off, and even some trees down.

And turning to the right, all these little branches

Here’s what I saw when I crossed Riverside Drive.

Near the mayhem above.

A much bigger tree was uprooted down in the park.

A skirt of branches

Leaf litter

And large branches block the promenade along Riverside Drive

Meanwhile, it's dusk, and the raccoons have come out to forage, while residents have started feeding them, which is probably not a good idea. Raccoons are wild animals. They are not domesticated pets.

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It’s Slice of Life Tuesday over at Two Writing Teachers. Check out this encouraging and enthusiastic writing community and their slices of life every Tuesday. And add one of your own.

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SOL31: A Walk in the City

            I took a walk today in early evening. The sun was momentarily bright, then fell below thick clouds over New Jersey. Very few people are on the sidewalk along Riverside Drive. A runner goes by the car lane, but there are no cars. A doorman stands by the curb, waits, six feet away, until I pass, then returns to his post by his building’s entrance. I am the only person wearing a mask on this stretch. Where there is scaffolding and the sidewalk is narrow, I walk in the street. I cross the Drive to walk alongside the park. The sun shines golden on the Hudson River. A city bus passes, and it feels shocking that people are still on public transit while I am not. I sit on a bench facing the river. Usually I sit facing the wide path to watch people going by, but I don’t want to see anyone walk too close to me. Most of the the playgrounds are closed with a Caution sign that playground equipment is not sanitized. One playground has a family. A young man walks by wearing a mask. A bicyclist has a boombox putting out calming music.

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I’m participating in the 13th annual Slice of Life Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers. This is day 31 of the 31-day challenge.  It’s not too late to make space for daily writing in a community that is encouraging, enthusiastic, and eager to read what you have to slice about.  Join in!