On my travels walking around Pittsburgh, I noticed some brown pods laying in the street, and while I’ve seen these things before, I didn’t know what they were called or what they were from. A little research tells me that they’re “honey locust pods.” The honey locust tree (scientific name “gleditsia triacanthos”), is a deciduous … Read more
I was on a day trip exploring various parts of western New Jersey when I rolled into Frenchtown, NJ. I parked the car and started to wander, when a store sign caught my attention: “Casa Bizarro.” Who can ignore a name like that? I went in to see what inhabited this location that inspired a … Read more
I was visiting Princeton, NJ and walking around campus when I noticed this bas-relief sculpture of a young man reading a book. He’s got a preppy look, with his collared shirt tucked under a sweater, khaki pants and penny loafers. This clean-cut young man is deep in thought as he reads a book. But who … Read more
I saw these two wooden carved figures on a shelf at the Rhinebeck Antique Emporium, and found them interesting. A look at the accompanying tag had them labeled as “19th Century carved Punch + Juds puppets,” and not knowing what that meant, did a search for “Punch and Juds.” It would seem either poor handwriting … Read more
I was looking around in Marion Royael Gallery in Beacon, NY, when I noticed this table with an ocean and island scene on top. My first thought was: wouldn’t this be a great dining table, so that I could eat my meals with my plate providing me with views of a deserted island? It turns … Read more
On a visit to Peekskill, NY last September, I was walking down North Division Street when I noticed these seemingly sad figures crouched on the street. Then I noticed a boarded up window with the hand-written message “Taco District.” My first thought was that it was someone’s graffiti message, proclaiming this strip of Peekskill as … Read more
As I mentioned in my last post, I was walking around Ellenville, NY, at the suggestion of a friend who lives in nearby Wurtsboro. As I passed “Tony & Nick’s” Italian Restaurant on Canal Street, I noticed these photographic images of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s David, with David looking over at the … Read more
Let me start my story with an explanation of where I was: exploring Ellenville, NY, at the recommendation of a friend who moved to nearby Wurtsboro and was giving me suggestions on interesting Catskills-area towns. I was walking around New York State Route 52 in the middle of town (as seen below), and was checking … Read more
I had a chance to see The Rolling Stones in concert last Sunday, and it was my first time seeing them live. They were amazing! They had MetLife Stadium filled and the place was rockin’. But the thought that stuck with me throughout was: how does an 80 year old Mick Jagger run around that … Read more
I saw an Instagram reel where the guy said he was able to regrow lettuce from the cut base of a previous head of lettuce. New lettuce from kitchen scraps? Is it really possible? His reel showed how to cut the base and put it in water, and he made the claim that it would … Read more