As I’ve said in other posts, I’m relatively new to the whole smartphone camera trend.  I’m making up for lost time and I’ve been experimenting with an array of photo apps.  My entry for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Curves was taken with my camera phone using a panorama photo app.

A panoramic view seemed like the best way to capture the curves of the very lovely and inviting indoor/outdoor  swimming pool and lounge area at the Revel Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

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The Red Hook Criterium, the once hyper local bike race, was brought to the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Saturday Night. The Red Hook Crit (RHC) started its life as an informal night-time bike race through the streets of the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. The first event/non-event was hosted in 2008 by David Trimble, a bike enthusiast, with familial ties to the highly regarded carbon framed Trimble Mountain Bikes. It was a birthday celebration and it attracted a handful of cyclists and spectators.

Those first RHC supporters may have been attracted to the contest in the same way folks are drawn to illegal street drag racing.  The event was an edgy “scene” for the passionate cyclist nerd community; within a neighborhood that was developing cracks in its hard outer shell. The event; a reflection of the changing face of the “hood”.

The event has grown over the years. Saturday’s event was expected to bring 5,000 – 8,000 people into the usually gated yard. I don’t have the official numbers yet on attendance for the evening event, but I think the pleasant weather and the growing interest in cycling, across a broader spectrum of people, may have fulfilled the projection. I’ll add an addendum to this post with figures from the debriefing that is sure to follow.

In addition to the main event bike race, a women’s and a men’s 5k foot race was held. Also, Citi Bike Share put on a just for fun race; lending their signature blue bikes to anyone who wished to take a spin around the course.

Here are the winners:

Red Hook Crit Brooklyn Navy Yard No. 1

1. Neil Bezdek

2. Kyle Murphy

3. Marc Marino

4. Alexander Barouh

5. Cooper Ray

Men’s 5k

1. Ayele Feisa

2. Tesfaye Assefa Dube

3. Gian-Paul Caccia

4. Abdelhadi El Mouaziz

5. Abdelkebir Lamachi

Women’s 5k

1. Askale Merachi

2. Rolanda Bell

3. Atalelech Asfew

4. Tsehay Gebre

5. Melissa Salerno

For this week’s Photo Challenge: Fleeting, I’m sharing a few photos from the event. The pictures were captured with my cellphone and a simple point and shoot camera that I often have in my bag.

An on-line dictionary defined, the adjective, fleeting as -  passing swiftly; vanishing quickly; transient; transitory: fleeting beauty; a fleeting glance.

That definition pretty much sums up the RHC held in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The cyclists and the runners were swift. Also, so as not to interrupt the business in the yard, all the equipment for the event was swiftly erected and then dismantled. The Brooklyn Navy Yard was back to business Sunday morning.

Here are a few blurred snapshots. All were taken with my cellphone and a point and shoot camera. They will serve as my entry for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE OFFICAL RED HOOK CRIT PHOTO BLOG!

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

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Steel engraving of Walt Whitman. Published in 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hi F&F,

Brooklyn has a rich literary history. Many noteworthy authors have called Kings County home and even more have found the place inspiring.  Walt Whitman falls into both camps. The great American poet once lived in the borough and his famous collection of poems, Leaves of Grass, was written here (just a few short blocks from where I live). And, of course, there is his poem “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”.

Walt Whitman was born May 31, 1819. Last Friday marked the 194^th anniversary of his birth. That evening I joined with others to celebrate his life, work and the borough of Brooklyn by taking a walking tour of his old stomping grounds. The route included many stops; punctuated with readings from is work.  The celebration is continuing on Saturday and it is a “Leisure for Less” worthy event because poetry should be heard and shared. Also, this event gives you a chance to be a spectator and a participant.  Lastly, this event is “Leisure for Less” worthy because -

Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

And who couldn’t benefit from that kind of experience.

Here are the details:

What:                    Walt Whitman in the Afternoon

The Whitman Project presents a reading of Walt Whitman’s Brooklyn-related work, including The Centenarian’s Story; related musical selections performed by contralto Nicole Mitchell; a presentation of Whitman memorabilia by collector Ed Centeno; and an open audience reading of their favorite Whitman pieces.

When:                  June 8, 2012 at 5:00 pm

Where:                 Proteus Gowanus

 534 Union Street/Corner of Nevins (Enter down the alleyway off Nevins)

Admission:          $5.00

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

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I walk to work each morning. I often use that 20 minute span as a walking meditation exercise.  During this walking meditation I am focused on the act of putting one foot in front of the other – I listen for the sound of my foot steps on the pavement. I feel the surface and notice the shifting sensations of walking on the hard cement sidewalk versus walking on a textured cobble stone street. I notice the added bounce that comes from walking on the springy grass when I take a pleasant detour across Fort Greene Park. As I walk, I take notice of the seemingly hundreds of muscles that must flex and contract to keep me upright and striding forward.  As I walk my breathing is deliberate and set to a rhythm in time with my pace. My breathing becomes my personal sound track and it is music to my ears. I enjoy my daily commute.

What I also enjoy about walking meditation is the balancing of the inner and outer life. While walking I’m aware of my body and  my thoughts and emotions yet I must be very aware of my surroundings so I can navigate my way safely through an urban minefield of cars, people, pot holes, and dog poop.

To me, meditation walking seems to be one of the few instances when multi-tasking truly works. On my way to work I’m doing some serious self-care of my mind, body and spirit which in turn makes me better capable of caring for others.  I’m getting to the J-O-B to earn some M-O-N-E-Y which in turn keeps food on the table and a roof over my head. By walking to work I’m reducing my carbon foot print on the planet. Win, win, and win.

Now meditation walking has yielded another win.  It has provided me with an entry for this Week’s Photo Challenge: The Sign Says. A few weeks ago, during a walk I became aware of all the marketing and advertising messages embedded in my urban landscape.  I didn’t think I was reading any of them, yet I must have been taking them in on some level because one billboard caused me to giggle as I passed it. The next day, when my walk was less meditative and more pedestrian, I stopped to take a picture of it.

Here is my entry for the Weekly Photo Challenge: The Sign Says – a picture of a clever billboard. This billboard isn’t hawking a new summer action movie or a liquor that will connect you to the “good life” when drunk (is that the right tense?) responsibly. In fact, the billboard is not advertising any of this year’s top 5 outdoor advertisers – McDonalds Restaurant, Verizon, Chase, Apple, and Metro PCS. The billboard is doing, what I believe is, a clever job of self-promotion.

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

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Today is Memorial Day. The day set aside to remember our nation’s war dead. The holiday affords us the beloved 3 day weekend and it is the unofficial start of summertime fun.  We make big plans for mini-vacations and BBQ meals. We pray for good weather.  I hope that we will also remember to pray for our war dead; our most precious casualty of war. I hope that we remember to pray for peace and rededicate ourselves to do the work necessary to build the “beloved community”. I hope that we each use this holiday as a learnable/teachable moment; an opportunity to acquire more information about our historic and present day war and peace process; and an opportunity to share our personal stories and connections to war.

For today’s post, I’m sharing a blog post from Turnstile Tours. The post is called NYC Fleet Week Canceled, but USS Franklin Not Forgotten | Turnstile Tours.  It is written by Andrew Gustafson, Special Projects, Knowledge Management & Marketing, Tour Developer & Guide (he wears a lot of hats). The post tells the harrowing history of the USS Franklin, the most heavily damaged United States carrier to survive WW II. She lost 800 of her crew in an air attack. The wounded ship was sent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for repair.

Turnstile Tours is a new company that highlights the ever-changing nature of New York City neighborhoods through conducting in-depth research, working with community partners, and seeking out new avenues to engage the public with the urban landscape.

Turnstile Tours is in partnership with BLDG 92* to bring the tale of the Brooklyn Navy Yard (BNY) to the public. The Turnstile Tours team conducts fun and fact filled tours of the 300 acre BNY.

I wish you a Memorial Day with many opportunities for relaxation and reflection. 

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

*my employer

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I took the picture in order to capture the stillness and starkness of the pre-party scene. In just a few moments the setting would be transformed into a joyous and lively celebration.

I expected the crisp white linen, shiny glassware and the wine bottles would be the most interesting elements in the finished photo. In actuality, when I look at the photo, my eye is always drawn to what is outside of the room. My eye is drawn through the pristine window to the shabby building with the boarded-up windows across the street; in the background.

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

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For this week’s photo challenge: escape, I’m posting a few photos of the Metro Tech Commons (MTC) located in Downtown Brooklyn. It stands in the center of Brooklyn’s business district which boasts more than 17 million square feet of office space. It is home to such business as Bear Stearns, JPMorgan Chase and the Securities Industry Automation Corporation (SIAC).

Thousands of people work in the high-rise buildings and at lunchtime thousands of them escape the confines of those offices. They flee the fluorescent lights and canned air and head for the sunlight and fresh (relatively speaking) air of the 3.5 acre privately owned public space.

The Metro Tech Commons (MTC) and places like it are a God New York City Department of City Planning send to urban dwellers. It is all thanks to the 1961 Zoning Resolution. The resolution attempts to make a more livable and more loveable city. One of the features of the 1961 Zoning Resolution is an incentive program that encourages developers to include open space such as plazas, courts and yards in their design.

I think the concepts of the zoning resolution are filled with good intentions, but unfortunately execution of the decree by developers can be hit or miss. My photos show the MTC on a fine weekday afternoon, when the green space was in full swing. On the weekends the commons are commonly deserted. On this day folks flocked to the eating establishments that surround the area. Most took their lunch to go; so they could go sit under the arching trees. A midday escape to recharge the batteries for the 2nd half of the day.

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

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The Association of Art Museum Directors and it’s member museums will be hosting Art Museum Day. Saturday, May 18^th, museums from Arizona to Wyoming will be offering free or reduced admission fees and special programs in “an international celebration of the importance of museums in our world”.

The 2013 theme is Museums (Memory + Creativity) = Social Change.  In order to expand the museum going community and cultivate engagement, participants are being encouraged to share their experiences with the institutions and with their social circle, by posting to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.  Click HERE to get the full list of AAMD Member Museums celebrating Art Museum Day 2013. 

Click HERE to link to  information for the International  Museum Day celebration. You will find listings for participating institutions from Africa to Oceania. 

Be sure to share this information with others so they can enjoy enriching culture for less. 

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

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Patterns occur every where.  They can be the handiwork of mother nature or they can be manmade.  Patterns can be orderly and symmetrical or they can be chaotic and irregular. For this week’s photo challenge: Pattern.  I picked two instances where commonplace objects are multiplied to form a pattern. The pattern then forms an uncommon object; a work of art.

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn

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In each family a story is playing itself out, and each family's story embodies its hope and despair. --Augustus Napier

Peace,

ATreeGrowsinBklyn