Boom and Crash

One of the larger limbs on that beautiful tree broke off in the wind today and fell across the sidewalk. Luckily no one was hurt and it looks like the cars that were there might have just gotten some scratches.

Dark, windy and COLD April day in Gotham

Middle-Aged Butt

HAH! Made ya look!

Contrary to what you folks out there in the heartland may think, Gotham is not just tall buildings, taxicabs, and crowded sidewalks.

This is the view directly outside my livingroom window this afternoon. My tree (I think of it as my tree) is in full bloom and is stunning. Spring is indeed starting to spring.

Why am I not outside in this stunning and springing day you may ask? I was on a much needed and well deserved vacation this week, and I boxed my middle-aged bum off. I was out on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and on Monday I planted a new box in Manhattan. Today I rest, if you can call doing battle with the Laundry Monster resting.

I am also carving a stamp for a boxer who is planning a big series and had one of the carvers pull a disappearing act, probably because of that much over used excuse, "life got in the way". If you make a promise to carve and can't keep that promise, you let the planner know in plenty of time for them to find someone else. As the person who asked me to do this said, "I would have pulled the 'get ugly' switch weeks ago. But I digress, as I often do.

Back to the old work grind on Monday. Retirement cannot come too soon!

Winter Blues BEGONE!

While I was lying around the house for the months of January and February, gazing mournfully out the window at the snow and ice while I recovered from minor foot surgery, I made a promise to myself to get out and box more often, long weekend drives notwithstanding.

So far I've been pretty much true to that promise, having made a couple of nice trips up to the Rhinebeck, New York area, veered over to the Red Hook area and generally wandered around various and sundry historic sites and preserves. I am working my way through a list of boxes planted by 3 blind mice. My how that man can carve! He's just informed me that he and the family will be planting quite a few more in the next couple of months. I'll never get caught up!

Closer to home is Mt. Kisco and the Westmoreland Sanctuary. This is a lovely, quiet little place to hike and find some hidden gems.

Today I was just "up the road" in Rockland County, New York. Many people think you have to take a long road trip to "get out of the city", but that's not the case. Rockland County is chocked full of beautiful places to hike, and tiny little villages and towns along the magnificent Hudson River.

Lots of pre-July and August I just want to stay inside with the air conditioner going full blast boxing to do!

Woo-Hoo!