Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Frozen chunks of Hudson

This is the view of the Hudson river from the Beacon train station in the middle of winter. I know it's small but notice how the river is frozen. The only exception is a tiny path in the middle cut by the large ships on their way up the river to Albany.

Across the Hudson lies the ghetto (no joke) of Newburgh, NY. A small passenger ferry brings commuters across the river to the train station during rush hour but when the river looks like this the ferry can't make the trip and the commuters have to take a bus across the river.

I personally think that the ice chunks floating down the river are very cool. When my mother-in-law came to visit from Tennessee I went out of my way to show her the river, things don't freeze like that down south.

What I've liked the most about the river freezing is the train ride into the city. The tracks go right along the river and you will see ducks and geese and all sorts of birds sitting out on the ice. There are even a few Bald Eagles that like to sit on floating ice chunks and watch for fish to swim by.

It's one of those things that makes you forget that you are surrounded by a bunch of New Yorkers and lets you appreciate the beauty of the area. Then when you are in the midst of appreciating the magic of nature two old ladies in front of you start in... "Did you see all the ice on the riv-uh? I know, I've never seen so much ice in the riv-uh before. I told my daw-tuh that she has got to see all the ice on the riv-uh. Oh look a Bald Eagle!! Out theh on the ice!"

At this point I just put on my headphones and crank "Where the streets have no name."

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year

Last night I was watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve as I was all cozy in my apartment 65 miles away. I sat there thinking that those people must be idiots to want to freeze themselves just to watch a flashing ball slide down a pole 60 stories above their heads.

Yesterday we had two inches of snow and in the city there were 30mph wind gusts ripping up the avenues causing a wind chill of 0(zero) degrees. The people on TV didn't seem to mind too much. They were just happy to be in New York for New Years Eve. I think that when you live here things begin to lose their luster, the magic is gone. I've always thought New York is a nice place to visit, especially when you want to go out and you don't care how much money you spend.

Christmas time in New York is awesome though. The tree at Rockefeller center, the window displays up and down 5th avenue, it is truly something to see. If you ever get the chance, don't pass it up but be sure to bring a warm coat, hat, gloves and a scarf. You're going to need them.