Walking in Manhatten

Here are some pictures I took on my I walk through Manhattan to meet Auntie at her office on Friday. 

This little house sparrow was showing off for his lady friend
with such zealous adoration I had to take a picture. 

I think you might like it here, Andrew. 

I walked down Broadway instead of 8th avenue for a change of pace since I had walked down 8th avenue the previous day. Whichever way you go the walk is peaceful by New York standards until you turn at Columbus Circle. After that it becomes a game of "dodge person" and occasionally dodge car when a truck unexpected starts to back up much to the consternation of the pedestrians crossing the street directly behind. "bluster, bluster!" they say, squawking and leaping out of the way.

 The temperature rises by about 5 F as you get into midtown. I don't know if it's the people or the increase in area covered by cement as you move away from central park. The tourists flock here. I don't really understand it. Maybe they like playing dodge person and pretending to be agree about it.

I peaked into this very appealing back shop. Auntie informs my that they have them all over the city. I am staying away from sugar so I didn't buy anything, but I very much liked the look of the display case.

Back Dated Post

Look for 4 back-dated posts set to May 17

http://jenny-j-jenny.blogspot.com/2012/05/walking-astoria-water-front.html

My Collection of Treasures from Grampa

That's right, this is all mine and a I carried it all on the plane.

My Grampa's wife Bell one said of Grampa, "he was born to shop." Grampa loves treasure hunting. He buys beanie babies to send to the troops. (The troops give them to kids overseas.) He collects fountain pens and more recently he has begun collecting fine bone china. He is not allowed to spend more than $2 or $3 on each piece. Those are the rules that Auntie set for him. He gives it away to the youngsters who want it. Mainly that's me, Ruth and Amanda (Ruth and Auntie's friend).  However Auntie and even bell have chosen a few pieces out of the incredible collection of china Grampa's managed to get. He mostly finds his treasures and estate sales or tag sales (that's what they call garage sales on the east coast.) These pictures are all pieces I took home. As much china as I gleefully hauled home, there was still twice as much left, and all of it exquisite. Grampa was lamenting that he fears he's "saturated the market" meaning he's collected as much china as Ruth, Amanda and I can fit in our homes. I think Sarah will like some, though.

Lunch at the Chat Noir Tea House in Rockville Center, NY

The Chat Noir Tea House is hands down my favorite place to eat of long island. The tea is good, the food is better and the ambiance is charming.

Funny that the youngest generation at the table (that's me fyi)
is the one without the smart phone. 

Auntie and Grampa looking at pictures on Auntie's phone.

Too absorbed in the pictures to look up. 

I am trying to get them to look up by making kissy noises at them, but as you can see they are quite absorbed and it is not working. 

Grampa had an identical twin brother, Milton. When they were growing up there little sister used to  get jealous of all the attention that the twins got. As the story goes, she used to say, "look at me better!"

I said, "look at me better!" They booth look up surprised. "What?"

Then they laughed. "Are you Aunte Roze?"

There's the picture I was looking for.

A Weird Looking Dog

Me looking glamorous in the big city. 

This was a really strange looking dog these people had so I took a picture.

See it has hardly any hair. The little girl said it was the breed. 

My Trip to the Big City

I am enjoying my visit in New York. I hate spending time with Auntie but love the hustle and bustle of the city. (complete sarcasm ) Yark, yark, yark! 

If you don’t know me well I will tell you that most big cities make me feel a bit claustrophobic especially the hustly bustly ones. New York has great museums but museums make me feel stupid because of all the things I don’t know about where all the cool old stuff came from. I would like it better if there was a story book next to each piece. I would like that. In general I prefer amature performances to broadway shows. So all in all I think I would not visit New York except for one thing, I really like my Auntie. So we have a great time shopping and reading and watching movies and going for walks in central park. I do enjoy looking at the architecture. I also really enjoy the pigeons. Auntie calls them rats with wings.

Can You Guess Where I Am?

I'm in NYC visiting Auntie. The plan ride here wasn't nearly as unpleasant as I was anticipating. I usually get off the plan feeling like an old raisin, but for some reason I felt peachy! 

The lady that I sat next to one the plain was trying to convince me that the city is just another kind of wilderness. I suppose that is true if you imagine a really loud wilderness where the rocks sometimes try to run you over and the animals constantly try to sell you things or squeeze past you on their way somewhere. You must also imagine that the air smell of tasty food, petroleum or sewer more often than trees... nope I don’t see it. City is not another kind of wilderness. It’s an adventure and you might get lost, but it’s not a wilderness.   

Something in the Chicken House

Uh Oh. There's something in the chicken house!

It's a Lion!

 It's a cat? It's a fat cat. It's Julius with a funny hair cut!

Chicken House

"I think this will be a lovely home for us Ember."

 "Jenny, don't you think this will be a great home for us?"

 "What!You wanted a house we could both fit into at the same time?"

Despite all my rage

I'm still just a ferret in a cage...

Get it. get it. It's a play on the lyrics from the Smashing Pumpkin song bullet with butterfly wings music video Cuz he's not a rat. He's a ferret.
That's Bear. Don't worry I let him out to play right after we took the picture.

First Produce

Yesterday evening, Andrew and I harvested the first produce from our garden this year. Sugar Snap Peas! I ate them. Crunch, crunch. Andrew doesn't like green stuff. We also harvested this year's first artichoke. I haven't eaten it yet, but I will WITH BUTTER. Evil laughter....

My Ten Mile Hike

Two weeks ago tomorrow, I went on a journey. I set out from my house which is near campus, and walked north on 29th street until it reached the McDonald Forest. Here is some of what I saw.

(My enemy, Poison Oak abounds)

Waiting For Desert -Astoria Oregon

Me and Kate - we look sweet, but we are plotting.

Andrew and Me - I am hiding. You don't see me.

Andrew is teasing me and making kissy faces. 

We are mischievous and silly  

We love each other.

Desert at that place on the water front where Kate's dad plays

Chocolate silk pie -Kate

Kate's Dad treated us to desert at the place in Astoria where he plays music a night or two a week. It's very nice. The desert are small but delicious. 

Andrew, what did you have? Some kind of Cookie.

Flour-less Chocolate Cake with Marion Berry Sauce-Jenny

 All Gone.