Sunday, July 15, 2007

Winston: In Memoriam

Winston, our family Labrador, passed away last Monday. I'm glad that he was a part of our family and our life. He will be greatly missed.

I've created a small remembrance of him at www.steveguyer.com/forwinston

Hoboken in Morning

I often do not pay attention to the park in Hoboken that overlooks Manhattan unless it is a Saturday and I'm getting ready to read a good book. But this morning was little different. I was walking back to Hoboken, NJ at 5:35am after a long night. I was celebrating my friend's birthday in Manhattan. I realized then how beautifully quiet the city was. No one was out, but the violet-toned sun was up and made the city feel very serene.



The video has some sound noise, but helps illustrate the quietness of the city and singing of the birds. This moment with nature only lasts only for only a few minutes.

What's missing from these photos are those homeless persons who take their sleep on the benches in this park. I left them to their sleeping, knowing that they were missing a beautiful sunrise.

The sun rises and paints water purple; this park was originally a pier that was renovated into a public space.

As I walked past the oversized LED clock at the North Fork bank which displays the time and temperature, I couldn't help but notice that the only sounds I was hearing was the sounds of my feet hitting the pavement and the beautiful singing of birds (rather than the sickening prrrrdrrr of pigeons).

Another interesting phenomonon was the variety of empty parking spaces throughout the city such as the ones in front of this Washington Mutual bank. For anyone who has lived or drived in Hoboken looking for a parking space, you'll know what I mean.

There is a certain freedom you might say, about a city in the morning just before everyone gets up. You can stand in the middle of the street for several minutes.

Even the silhouetted cranes, representing the continuous and large-scale real estate development, sit quietly.

And a lamppost keeps a vigilent light even as the sun comes up from the east.