Bill is a native New Yorker. He lived here straight through college. Then he traveled across Europe, fell in love with a woman in Finland and has lived there ever since. He sent me an odd photo, taken at a party where everyone was dressed medieval. The straight flash flattened everything and Bill looked as if he had a wimple growing out of his shoulder. I had the inspiration to cut him out of the picture and paste him onto a more appropriate background. This is what my son referred to as the 'fist of fury'.I set before a cloudy dawn, there were supposed to be snow showers. Of course there weren't any, but the light was rather blue. First I went to Broadway and 125th, the neighborhood where Bill grew up.
(click for bigger)
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Bill wanted me to try and hang his picture in the quad at Columbia, where he studied. But the place was crawling with campus police. They seemed quite nice, the one watching the entrance said good morning to me. I just didn't think they would take too kindly to me setting up my ladder in the quad and hanging things. So I moved on to Morningside Drive.
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Bill thought it would be awesome to float over the huge statue on 105th and Riverside, Confucius or Sun Tzu. He was not sure which. I had no idea so I consulted Google. In fact it is Shinran Shonin, the founder of Japanese Buddhism. The statue survived the blast of Hiroshima.
The river is through the trees.
Then I went to Broadway and 79th St. The sun was trying to break through the clouds. The problem with doing this in the winter is that the sun rises later and more people are out and about. While I was taking pictures here, the MTA station person came out to chat with me. There was a mob of Japanese students swarming the sidewalk.
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It was worse at Columbus Circle which was filled with NYPD vehicles and police. I do not know why. They just seemed to be hanging out. So far the police have been thoroughly disinterested with my activities. But there were so many of them here and they looked bored. Sorry Bill, no Columbus Circle for you.
There was a little snow, however. I didn't see it fall, I just found its traces here and there.
I don't know how convincing this picture is but that is snow on the edge of the curb. There is no doubt plenty more in Finland.
Let me know if you're ever up by Columbia on a weekday -- we could have lunch or chat up the campus police or whatever.