summer 2012: summer sky, 2

westerly, ri

© anita aguilar

summer 2012: sea and sky

westerly, ri

© anita aguilar

summer 2012: ocean house

westerly, ri

summer 2012

© anita aguilar

spring street spectacle: survival of serena

in petrosino square, at the intersection of lafayette and spring streets

carole a. feuerman's survival of serena, 2012

painted bronze, 36″ x 75″ x 36″

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photos © anita aguilar

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the sculpture will be on view through sept 23, 2012...

link to carole a. feuerman's site here

inspiration: green street

lever house/park ave. aug 20, 2011

@anita aguilar

i love the contrast between the uptown and downtown sides of park ave...and all the shades of green.

pretty city: summer streets style

lafayette street, nyc.

summer streets, aug 20.

@ anita aguilar

along the shore: contrast

and

saturday, in the sound.

august 6, 2011

© anita aguilar

ladies' day: hitting the highline (summer 2011 edition)

there seems to be no middle ground for us ladies when we hit the high line together.
flash-freeze temps in january (though, why was i not wearing a hat?)
on the last saturday in july, it was a slow boil all the way.

but the place is pretty in all kinds of weather, and it's especially fragrant on the southern end right now.

here's the first of 3 sets (i think):

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hmm. i am not looking so fresh-faced, but i love contrasting this with the shot below:

how do the ladies stay so cool-looking?

pretty city: in the summer sun

eastward, from the high line...

july 23, 2010

© anita aguilar

long beach: the a**es over elbows edition

i forgot how much i love an early evening nap after a day at the beach.

and anyone who tried to fight the waves today surely earned a good, long one. the waves were fearsome and strong, and most beach-folk stayed tight to the shore. the dozen or so who ventured out kept the lifeguards whistling all afternoon.

it's not unusual for me to get knocked down or sideways by a wave or two, but today i got flipped over, in stuff that was only a couple of feet deep.

FUN.

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vintage

late summer 2010

sun day 2010: north beach, sandy hook, nj

all photos © anita aguilar

read a good poem: pura vida

this is where we should be, yes?

(¡Pura vida! —Costa Rican phrase for "O.K." or "Great!")

Such heat! It brings the brain back to its basic blank.
Small, recurrent events become the daily news—
the white-nosed coati treading the cecropia's
bending thin branches like sidewalks in the sky,
the scarlet-rumped tanager flitting like a spark
in the tinder of dank green, the nodding palm leaves
perforated like Jacquard cards in a code of wormholes,
the black hawk skimming nothingness over and over.

What does the world's wide brimming mean, with hunger
the unstated secret, dying the proximate reality?
Con mucho gusto—the muchness extends to the stars,
as wet and numerous as larvae underground
where the ants in their preset patterns scurry and nurture,
and the queen, immobilized, pours forth her eggs
in the dark. We are far from oaks and stoplights,
from England's chill classrooms and Tuscany's paved hills.

For thought is a stridulation, an insect sizzling,
knit of the moment's headlines and temperate-zone quips,
viable in the debris of our rotting educations,
that thatch where peer-groups call each to each in semes
ecosystematically. Great God Himself
wilts with a rise in temperature, a drop in soil acidity,
a new language in its grimacing opacity.
The brain's dry buzz revives, a bit, as evening falls.

--john updike

photos (philippines, 2009) © anita aguilar

oh say can you see...

the humanity?

i've been excited to see jones beach for the first time (as an adult) after i read that it's listed on the national register of historic places. but i can't say i wasn't a little afraid that it was going to be a bit too full and too spirited on the 4th of july.

and it was crowded, but not impossible to find spot for an umbrella and a big towel. and the beach soundtrack was right for the occasion--waves, wind, laughter and a little bit of whatever latin/r & b the new york masses are listening to now-- at a level that allowed for some good reading...but mostly, good napping.

the water was c-c-c-cold, but invigorating in brief forays.

love boricua beach style: matching fishnet tops

this was really the only shot i tried to take of the architectural features. the water tower is under construction, people were lined up against the boardwalk railings...and mary and i had quite a but of stuff between us, including a cooler the size of my bathtub... i'll save the real picture-taking for the off-season.

see fine pictures: bon jour...mlle. seberg

from bon jour tristesse...a super-stylish but otherwise mediocre melodrama.

photographed by the famed hollywood photographer, bob willoughby...

another bob willoughby shot from bjt...i love the light here. classic.

a favorite from breathless (which i actually only know from stills).

cousin joey calls her "mesmerizing" in breathless. this shot is his favorite.

sugar, sweet, sunshine

on a favorite day of the year, a shot of my favorite tree in madison square park...

i've always liked that my birthday falls on the summer solstice--the longest day of the year, the first day of summer. everyone seems automatically happy, anticipating the most carefree season...

i wasn't unhappy in the days leading up to my birthday this year, but i was sort of feeling the weight of everything that is unsettled...

the festivities officially started a day early--combo father's day celebration. mom, dad and sister came into the city for brunch. we went to artisanal--perhaps the best neighborhood choice for special occasions and visits--and then hung around at the apartment. it was exactly like most sundays we have together (couch time, story time, baseball and nap time for dad) except it was happening in a much "cozier" (read: smaller) setting. oh, and there were presents. very nice presents.

after they left in the early afternoon, my mood was different--happy and calm. i realized then and in the days that followed how lucky i am for everything that is settled, especially family and friends who are my constant.

it was a true happy birthday.

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and there was a lot of food:

airy beignets leave a beard of sugar...

sausage and egg (before)

oooh boudin blanc, most tender. served with a bed of lentils...

a trio of ice creams: blackberry cardamom, fennel (yes, fennel!), and coffee...

and bright and fresh strawberry-rhubarb soup, served with a frozen vanilla yogurt. this is summer, all the way...

i "made" this.

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at maialino, on the monday morning...

brioche caramellato...a dainty, upscale cinnabon.

i wouldn't have minded a more generous serving...

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impromptu afternoon snack, with sister, at the reliable le pain q....

black hummus, spicy tahini...

and a giant almond meringue.

it was very good, but i was blind afterwards. so much sugar...