By Vladimir Brezina
Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.
Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.
This was the sight today at 7 a.m. …
… and this at 5 p.m.
A nor’easter is on the way.
For the first time this winter, we might get some real snow. Finally! We are looking forward to it.
By Vladimir Brezina
Once upon a time, I used to visit quite often a certain place that has lately been in the news.
Here it is in January.
And in May.
And in July…
Where is it?
I’ll give you a hint:
__________________________________________________
Update February 9, 2013: This is Bosworth Field, about 15 miles west of Leicester, England. On August 22, 1485, this happened here:
In the Battle of Bosworth, the final battle of the Wars of the Roses, King Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England, was killed, and Henry VII, the first king of the Tudor dynasty, came to the throne.
Richard’s skeleton has now been discovered buried under a car park in Leicester.
Tagged Battle, Bosworth Field, England, History, King, Landscape, Photography, Richard III
By Vladimir Brezina
On A Word In Your Ear, Skinnywench’s photo challenge this week is Island. And on Where’s my backpack?, Ailsa’s is Shadows.
And the two just come together in my mind—warm turquoise waters, a strong tropical sun beating down, palm shadows…
Sort of like this—
Glover’s Reef Atoll, Belize, 2010. More photos are here.
Posted in Nature, Photography, Travel
Tagged A Word A Week Photo Challenge, Belize, Glover's Reef Atoll, Island, postaweek, postaweek2013, Shadow, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Johna Till Johnson
Photos by Vladimir Brezina
“Argue for your limits and they will be yours,” my kayak coach said to me one day.
The words surprised me—I hadn’t thought I was “arguing for my limits”. I was just stating the facts. Being realistic. Taking a clear-eyed look at the world and myself.
Or so I thought. But over the days and weeks (and now months and years) following, that phrase kept coming back to me.
Is it actually factual to say something like “I don’t learn visually” or “I don’t like Brussels sprouts”?
By Vladimir Brezina
This week’s Photo Challenge is Unique.
Seen at last September’s Great North River Tugboat Race & Competition.
Posted in Life, Photography
Tagged New York Harbor, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2013, Tattoo, Tugboat, Tugboat Race, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
Last weekend at NYC’s Central Park Reservoir. An icy cold day. The Reservoir is mostly frozen over, leaving just a patch of open water where all of the Reservoir’s birds have congregated.
Johna surveys the panorama. (Click to enlarge any photo.)
Midtown Manhattan rises up beyond.
The birds are mostly Canada Geese and ducks, including some varieties that we’ve never noticed here before—they are probably from Canada, down for the winter. They paddle through the patch of open water, squabble, or just stand silently on the ice, beaks tucked into their back feathers, facing into the cold wind.
The blue shadows lengthen as the sun goes down, lighting up the East Side on the other side of the Reservoir with its last rays.
More photos are here.
Posted in Nature, New York City
Tagged Birds, Canada Geese, Central Park, Central Park Reservoir, Ducks, Manhattan, New York City, Photography, Sunset, Winter
By Johna Till Johnson
Freshly Pressed on the WordPress.com home page!
You probably knew this, but January 28th is the 140th birthday of the French writer Colette.
Colette, in costume…
Okay, you probably didn’t know that. You might not even remember who Colette is, though chances are, you’re familiar with at least one of her works.
And you’re probably wondering why you should care about her birthday, or her.
Let me take a step back. This year, Vlad and I have adopted a new tradition: We’ve selected a pantheon of personal heroes, and heroines—people whose spirits and lives matter to us—and are making a conscious effort to celebrate their birthdays.
Colette’s is the first, but there will be plenty of others.
So why did we select her?
Posted in Biography, Culture, Life, Literature, Society
Tagged Biography, Colette, French Writers, Literature
By Vladimir Brezina
This week’s Photo Challenge is Love.
And there’s one set of photos that comes to mind straight away :-)
Some of you have seen them before, and I apologize. I promise not to show them again (any time soon, anyway)… I guess I’ll have to find something else for Valentine’s Day!
The full set of photos is here.
Posted in Nature, Photography
Tagged Birds, Love, Pelicans, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2013, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge this week is Walls.
Kayaking around the highly urban New York Harbor, we pass by many colorful and inspirational walls…
More on the marine art of New York Harbor is here.
Posted in Kayaking, New York City, Photography
Tagged Graffiti, Kayaking, New York Harbor, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2013, Travel, Walls, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
The World’s Toughest Endurance Challenges
Richard Hoad and Paul Moore
Bloomsbury Publishing
London, 2012
.
From the description of the book on Amazon:
“The World’s Toughest Endurance Challenges” profiles 50 of the most extreme marathons, triathlons, bike rides, adventure races, climbs, open-water swims and other iconic endurance events from around the world. Breathtaking full-color photographs and insider commentary from top athletes will thrill endurance athletes, extreme sports addicts, and outdoor adventurers of all stripes.
Posted in Book Reviews, Sports, Travel
Tagged Adventure, Book Review, Canoeing, Cycling, Endurance Races, Ironman, Kayaking, Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, Marathon, Photography, Running, Sailing, Sports, Swimming, Triathlon
... kayaked the waters around New York for more than 15 years in his red Feathercraft folding kayak. He was originally from (the former) Czechoslovakia and lived in the U.K. and California before settling down in New York. He was a neuroscientist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He died in 2016.
... is a kayaker and technology researcher at Nemertes Research. She's an erstwhile engineer, particle physicist, and science fiction writer. She was born in California and has lived in Italy, Norway, Hawaii, and a few other places. She currently resides in New York City.
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