The Gunks

Those views of the Palisades reminded me of this: the Shawangunk Mountains in Ulster County, a ridge that forms part of the western boundary of the Great Appalachian Valley.

Two more from Fort Tryon Park

These are from late November.

View from Fort Tryon Park

I'm going to try to catch up on some old pictures before school starts again. The skies here may look wintry, but this picture looking up the Hudson from Fort Tryon Park was taken on a rather mild day in October.

Astronomy Tuesday

NGC 1333 is a reflection nebula in Perseus. The dust hides much of what is going on, but those red spots are called Harbig-Haro objects, bright patches of partially ionized gases associated with newborn stars.

Image Credit and Copyright: Michael Sherick

Sunday bird blogging

A typically gorgeous female cardinal in Central Park.

I am about 99% asymptomatic this morning, so I'm going to consider myself out of quarantine as of tomorrow. I think I will treat myself to a drive.

Saturday reflections

This is a view of Midtown West in Manhattan. I'm not crazy about most of these buildings, but as a group, all that glass reflecting all that sky is pretty stunning.

Life in quarantine

This picture is actually from last winter, but since we got our first real snowfall last night, it's appropriate. And since I'm in quarantine, I can't go out and take any pictures of this storm—a concept that, apparently, some people have a hard time understanding.

I'm in Publix, this lady in front of me has a cart full of stuff. The cashier casually asks her "are you stocking up on groceries to stay safe". The lady responds "I actually tested positive 3 days ago. I'm in quarantine now"

My face: pic.twitter.com/GxFF0ZnMCJ

— You ever seen a baby pigeon? (@Real_JRoe) January 7, 2022

Astronomy Tuesday

The spectacular Comet Leonard is unfortunately not really visible from my part of the planet, but at least I can look at the pictures.

Image Credit and Copyright: Rolando Ligustri (CARA Project, CAST) and Lukas Demetz

Well, damn

So Christmas weekend I got to have that lovely adventure on the fire escape. And New Year's weekend, I tested positive for Covid.

No, I don't know how I got it; I wasn't anywhere except the supermarket and the laundry room during the estimated incubation period, and never without a mask. Apparently omicron really is as insanely contagious as we've been told.

Fortunately, I seem to be having the typical experience of the fully vaxed; it's like coming down with a bad cold, with a little less snot and a lot more brain fog.

I went for a PCR test today just to confirm, though now I'm not really sure why I bothered. The labs are overwhelmed so I won't get the results for at least 5 days, at which point I'll probably be symptom-free and out of quarantine. And getting the test meant standing in line for three hours in sub-freezing temperatures with an upper respiratory infection, not exactly best medical practice. I came home, took a hot shower, and went to bed, where I intend to remain until, oh, maybe Thursday.

Sunday bird blogging

Another look at Spuyten Duyvil Creek and the Henry Hudson Bridge, this time with a mallard.

Saturday reflections

Here's a lovely water reflection from Inwood Hill Park yesterday. This is Spuyten Duyvil Creek which, along with the Harlem River, separates Manhattan from the Bronx—this really is the northernmost tip of Manhattan Island. That's the Henry Hudson Bridge, and beyond it, the Hudson River.

Happy New Year

And the first morning of a new year is an excellent time to sneak in another sunrise from the Jersey Shore.

Awful as so much of this past year was, it was still an improvement on 2020. I got vaccinated and boosted. I got a car, and was able to get out of my apartment. I survived two more semesters plus one summer session of grad school.

There were griefs and struggles, but there were also accomplishments and new friends and, on balance, probably more laughs than tears. At this stage of my life, any year that ends with me upright and more or less healthy and sane and my loved ones still with me is by definition a good year. If, a year from now, I can say the same about 2022, I'll be more than satisfied.