Fuzzy

Furry gray buds on a tree along Madison Avenue in the aftermath of the blizzard.

Snowy Day

Trees, shadows, and snow next to the New York State Museum on a very cold afternoon.

Winter Wonderland

As I said on Facebook earlier this morning, you just know it's a bad storm when they use such highly technical terms as "wallop" on the local news. A post-Christmas blizzard has hit Albany - and the Northeast in general - with a lot of wind and a lot of snow. So, I'm going to bundle up and go out to play.

McKinney Iron Works

My eyes really lit up when I spotted this garishly painted, but otherwise mundane storefront along Lexington Avenue, just south of Central Avenue. It was the second of two buildings I had come across in just over a week that featured original cast iron architectural detail and the manufacturer's name - J. McKinney & Son, Iron Works, Albany N.Y..

James McKinney's iron works was a leading producer of columns, facades, stairs, railing, and other building elements in cast or wrought iron. Located in a massive brick building which still stands along Broadway, the company was found in 1857 and was also known as the Albany Architectural Iron Works.

Other cast iron examples I've posted so far:

On James Street
Sun On Beaver Street
Decay By The Tracks
Madison Relic

There's more to come, including another McKinney work with a personal connection.

Dressed For The Holidays

A young woman dressed as the infamous Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story. One of the more creative costumes at my favorite holiday event, the annual Santa Speedo Sprint on Lark Street.

Painted Dogs

A trio of whimsical dogs painted along a wall at E-Comm Square on Broadway, just south of Plaza Row.

Exchange Street

A small Bicentennial tablet on the wall of the Old Post Office on Broadway at the foot of State Street. There's not much of the original street left, only a short walkway between the Old Post Office and the Federal Courthouse. At one time, though, Mark Lane led to wharves on the Hudson River.

For more on the history of the Bicentennial Tablets, please see my new post at the Albany (NY) History blog.

Words of Widsom

Written in black marker on a bench in Ten Eyck Plaza near North Pearl and State Streets.