what'll i do

this weekend

without

 friends to hang out with

 to wander in search of photo ops 

Toonman

 would have me 

sit home with him 

catching up on recorded television 

of course 

there will be beautifying

 if the weather is good 

there's likely to be a walk in the park

 heavy camera optional

 last weekend 

we 

cabbed it 

to

 10th Avenue and 30th Street 

I've wanted to get some shots

 of the
Hudson Yards

 the terminus

 for the
Long Island Railroad 

 part
of which
 is being developed

 into 

a business/residential/shopping site

 but 

when 

I am not sure 

as its been

 'going to be' 

for several years now 

 tricky stuff 

getting

 a 

BIG lens

(one you cant fit between the spaces in the fence)

 to 

ignore

 the gating

 and

get a photo of the trains

 if

 I was brave like

 Kate

 I'd have tried to go manual 

but 

I am not

 so 

I played with the focal settings

 (D90 has 3) 

I did manage to get a few shots

 but none

are true 

winners

see

I did get some fun shots

on

 The High Line

apparently

neighboring buildings

 now facing

 the park

 have developed

 a sense of humor 

about

 people

 being able to 

look 

into their 

windows

at first glance

 Phill 

thought the man

 was 

real 

actually 

when Toonman 

looked

 at the pix on my iMac

 he thought so too

 then 

there was the high point of the weekend

dinner with Mary's grand baby

no

that was fun

 but

 not

 the acme 

not 

the pinnacle

that

was

Woodlawn

I took

 over a hundred photos

 lots of amazing mausoleums

I am going to share 

some 

of the 

celebrity

 'sightings' 

today

this is the memorial
of
Irene and Vernon Castle
husband and wife dance stars
famous
 long before 
Dancing with the Stars!!!

it was pointed out

 that 

LaGuardia 

did not have

 Mayor 

listed on his headstone

Mr Roach 

was the drummer 

who played with 

Sir Miles Davis

 who rests just across the road

I've forgotten,
I am sad to say,
 whose memorial this is
but
 I do recall
 its made of sandstone
weather will erode it over time
WAIT
I did some Googling
Joyce Alexander Wein
was the wife
 of
 jazz impresario
George Wein
read about her
here

and
there there were
the
giant lesbians



both are still alive
one is a sculpter
she
created life size replicas
 of
her partner and herself
in bronze
 they plan to be buried
under
 it
when they pass
 in the meantime,
I am told,
the artist sees
 it as
 'the gift that keeps on giving'

on that note
 we will bid
adieu
to Woodlawn

have a great weekend
get out
enjoy!

EDITED because I learned, thank you Gail, that Irene and Vernon Castle were husband and wife not brother and sister .. and Irene posed for that statue on his grave