Day out east

No two pictures of the sky are alike

Wake up, gulls

See how rough the Sound is on this windy day.

Aren't donkeys supposed to look rough and ready?

Those cattle again. They are Scottish Highland. I took pictures of the same place on 8/14/08. Sound Avenue is full of interesting sights (and I didn't stop at Briermere Farm for a pie, aren't I good?)

Ghost town (Grant)

What's wrong with these pictures? It's not midnight. It's ten of one in the afternoon. When the system goes down, as it did last week, the students depart. They may be in another area of the library chatting, and they will be back, but the coldness of the scene with all these dead computers struck me. Shouldn't we at least have a vase of spring flowers somewhere amid all this sombre but necessary technology?

Friday afternoon at the library (Ammerman)

Of course we're working


I know I am


Friends don't let friends drink

A new use of materials (toner cartridge packing)

or an accordion?... or a wastebasket?

Rita heads out to calm the troops with Girl Scout cookies

Bad hair day: that's my excuse

Becky returns from the Chancellor's luncheon

Rita's working

446th birthday

Here is a recently discovered painting believed to be of William Shakespeare (1564-1616). April 23rd is traditionally celebrated as his birthday. You can compare it here with the usual dull portrait they include in all the schoolbooks and read the story (founded?) of how the identification was made.

Lentil experiment

This kind of thing makes my jaw drop. Some 4,000-year old lentils, found at an archeological dig in Turkey, have been coaxed into sprouting and are about to be planted in the field. Food that old! One of the staple crops that enabled mankind to develop civilization carrying its original DNA! Seventeen little plants from ancient seeds awakening in the 21st century.

4000-year old lentils

Vulcan has a lot to answer for

Among the many messed up plans caused by the volcano in Iceland is the following sad news: Alexander McCall Smith's American tour has been cancelled!

My favorite living author is stuck in Scotland. The news came in an email today (I'm a member of his fan club). Bad, bad volcano! The bad news

Not that I would have been able to attend any of the events. I just don't like the idea of the powers of good cheer being thwarted in any way. It's a bad sign.

Not long ago I read and enjoyed his latest novel, something quite different from the previous works, La's Orchestra Saves the World. I heartily recommend it to you.

Academic Nest

Suffolk Community College is going whimsical. (This is no solution to the housing problem on Long Island)

"Campus Activities invites you to become part of the first interactive environmental art installation project outside Sagtikos Building [on Grant campus]. With the help of artist Tonito Valderrama, SCCC Alumni, we are creating a series of large nest structures around the SCCC Campus in honor of our feathered friends and Greener Grant Week. Please feel free to join in the process of creating these nests, painting eggs on Tuesday, April 20th, or admiring the complicated art work of nature that we are attempting to recreate. We have a wonderful calendar of events for Greener Grant Week, April 19-24. Please mark your calendars! Contact the Office of Campus Activities for additional information."

You've seen the sticker "I'd rather be fishing"?

Uh, just give me a minute to look that word up... and I'll let you know if I'm gonna punch back.

A few sights that grabbed my attention

Twin buildings

Handsome amid the grey ones

Now I should know their names ...

Heading for the Park

Dinosaur bones

Fellow travellers on Central Park West

Approaching Columbus Circle



Business slow?

Getting a drink

Hello!

Feet are important

All ready for some honeymooners

AMNH -- Bird photographs

An exhibit of 30 magnificent bird photographs graces the Akeley Gallery at the American Museum of Natural History. The birds are caught in the most amazing positions, frozen in flight. I didn't take any pix (coals to Newcastle) but you can see some of the wonders at this site.
The photograpers are Richard Ettlinger, David G. Hemmings, Miguel Lasa, and Jim Neiger.

AMNH -- African mammals

Dioramas at the Natural History Museum. Here we were in the room of African Mammals. They were so lifelike you felt you could step right into their environment.

They are stuffed, of course.

Care to listen to one?

The water hole where animals gather

The herd of elephants was overwhelming.

The bench for weary visitors ran along by their feet.

Yes? Why shouldn't I have four wives?

Beautiful curled antlers

(More pix of our visit next time)