Serene

Working on the weekend is good. It makes us grateful for those weekends we don't work. Appreciative of the times that we can relax and make room for rest. A little serenity goes a long way. And that's actually what I feel when I look at this picture of the bird below.. It's so peaceful.

 Our city is so wonderful because we have access to so much, more than what we really need, but, at the same time, we can shut it all off and just be free of the things that tie us down in the day-to-day.

There is a German saying "Stadtluft macht frei" and it means "city air makes you free." I must say I agree; city air certainly makes one feel free. We are able to create and recreate ourselves as we see fit, when we see fit. This weekend let's indulge in some peace. Something that makes you feel at ease. Whatever it may be. Taking it slow, one step at a time, enjoy. Really, really enjoy. Every moment of what you do. Appreciate. Be grateful. Sometimes we need to work hard on the weekends to appreciate those weekends that we don't work. In this incredible city that offers us surprises around every corner.

So let's be free this weekend. What are you going to indulge in?

Enjoy!

Abundance

The weather has been gorgeous! This weekend I enjoyed a spontaneous trip to Astoria where I was pleasantly greeted by an abundance of flowers, veggies and fruits. Autumn is striking quick!  The colors were so magnificent I simply couldn't not take as many pictures as possible!

 First off the clouds were ridiculous.  Those rays and that contrast. None of these photos are edited; I wanted to simply enjoy the colors as they were captured and honestly nature is photography's best editor. Whenever I see the sun and the clouds playing with light in this way it gives me the giddiest feeling of all.

Walking down the street there were plenty of grocery shops and restaurants that had gorgeous greenery to enjoy. I love the lights wrapped around the trees and all the fruits and vegetables that are on display as one passes.

 Among the groceries and restaurants, a flower shop also graced the streets. The flowers were beautiful and once you see pumpkins and squash there are two immediate associations and both deal with excessively indulging food :: Halloween & Thanksgiving. I enjoy both thoroughly and love having these colors on every block to remind me of the delicious sweets and the yummy food that is soon to come.

This place was beyond awesome. The way they wrapped all those greens around the market to really give it a FALL feel, I loved it.  All the fruits and veggies and scarecrows made for a really sweet display so I had to stop and take some shots!

After walking around and enjoying the weather and the area we simply had to make a stop and buy some sweets & coffee. What I really wanted was absolutely everything, but I settled for a strawberry cheesecake that was pretty yummy. Seeing the mango mousse here is making me want to return. To top off the cheesecake a really good caramel iced coffee hit the spot perfectly.

Put on the walking shoes and just take a good stroll around; you never know what you'll find.

Enjoy!

Austin/Queens Blvd

Tonight there were a couple of disasters on Queens Blvd and Austin St here in Forest Hills.
Photos below. A cab seems to have crashed into one of the islands and then a truck got a little cramped while trying to pass underneath the LIRR

Highways

Photos of the highway. 

We often take simple things for granted. A stressful workday leads to driving back home during rush hour. A 30 minute commute becomes a 2 hour odyssey back home. All we can come up with is the various inappropriate words to call the neighboring vehicles, the city of New York, and pretty much anything within sight. But at the end of the day our highways connect us all in so many ways.

And hey, there's always public transport!

Enjoy.

Crescent Moon

I find that these images speak for themselves.. I hope to start getting more creative with composition and hopefully finding new and interesting things in the area. With experimentation one grows. And hopefully you will all witness the growth of Forever Hills photography and, through this, the growth of our community.

The moon just happened to place itself so conveniently within the globe that it felt absolutely right.

Enjoy! Happy weekend!

Calm after the Storm

Today's weather was absolutely marvelous. No complaints can be made and I hope everyone took advantage. The clouds below speak for themselves so my speech today is short.

Happy Sunday. Enjoy!

Signs of Summer's End

Today was officially first day of public school in Forest Hills... If the cheese buses weren't enough of a giveaway then the crowds of kids, pre-teens and teens were pretty hard to miss. The school buses roaming the hills this morning and afternoon were a reminder of my favorite season unraveling. Soon the sidewalks will be bubbling over with red, yellow, and orange. Autumn in Forest Hills is always mesmerizing and hopefully this year I will get a chance to capture the essence and warmth of Autumn here in Queens. Autumn in New York City has always been romanticized and for good reason! The beauty speaks for itself.
Below are a few simple shots. Today, the cell phone camera became the perfect instrument for random photography.
Enjoy.

Simple

Sometimes the less you say the more that is understood. Above a simple shot of green grass, trees, water, and panorama..

Happy First day of school!

Enjoy!

School Days

August came and went, quicker than ever, and left us with his responsible sister, September. This responsible, driven, persistent September signals the end of warm summer days enjoying the sun and the waters. Of all people, kids are the most enthused (I'll bet) to see September rear her stoic head. School starts in just a few days and hopefully everyone has completed back to school shopping. Soon enough our morning rush hour trips to work will be again shared with the young who are so eager to make their way to school.

Below a few photos of a school nearby; one that I attended and one that I must walk past on a daily basis. This summer it looked so lonely, but thankfully in a few days it will be full of life again.

Enjoy!