Obligatory Tulip Photo

It's finally spring and, in Albany, that means a lot of tulips.  While the Tulip Festival is still a few weeks away, lots of early varieties are coming up in Washington Park.  Of course, a lot of people are out taking plenty of photos in what's definitely a local rite of spring.

Spring (With The Scars of Winter)

A magnolia tree in Lincoln Park.  The recent April snow storm was not very kind to these white blossoms.

The Walls Have Hats

A rather pretty doll-sized hat was fastened to the wall of a building under renovations at the corner of North Pearl and Steuben Streets.

The George A. Wyman Memorial Project

This sign caught my eye recently (partly because it's affixed to my favorite store ever). 

Located on the north side of Madison Avenue between Lark and Willett Streets, the sign reads "WAYPOINT George A. Wymnan 1st Across America San Francisco to New York City 1903."

There's a lot more about the project here:

The Wayman Memorial Project

It honors George A. Wyman, the first person to cross America on a motorized vehicle between May 16 and July 6, 1903.  According to Wyman's Wikipedia entry, his motorcycle lost power near Albany and he had to make the last leg of the journey by pedaling.

The plaque is attached to Little Moon, a delightful little shop full of beautiful Tibetan clothing, jewelry, and other items.  They are so worth visiting.

Little Moon

Downtown Hawk

A hawk was perched on North Pearl rooftop as I sat outside Cider Belly Doughnuts this morning.  Fortunately, you can't see the pigeon it was snacking on while I enjoyed my lemon doughnut below.

Albany Evening Journal

Detail of the Albany Evening Journal section of the former D&H Building (now known as SUNY Plaza). 

The Fossilized Frankfurter

Two years ago, a hot dog was impaled at the corner of Spring and Dove Streets.  As of this week, it is still there.  The hapless wiener has slid down a bit (pardon the possibly NC-17 angle) and the texture has undergone quite a few changes.  It's a dark mass that looks almost like a very dark pumice stone and there appears to be some sort of mold on it now.  It's unappetizing (to say the least).

Half A Bench

Half a bench is apparently better than no bench at all.

(West Capitol Park with the Old State Education Building in the background)

Clinging

A diminutive and dramatic statue based on the hymn, "Rock of Ages," at the Albany Rural Cemetery.  It's one of two such statues on the Cemetery's South Ridge; the other is almost life-size.

For those of you with an interest in the Albany Rural Cemetery, I've added a dedicated Facebook page to my existing blog.  Please, visit and like it!

Albany Rural Cemetery - Beyond The Graves

Words On The Dock

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself....

Someone painted the famous lines of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first inaugural speech on the dock at Jenning's Landing (a.k.a. The Corning Preserve)

Iron Flower

Floral detail of an iron railing along State Street (below Lark)

Washington Park Heron

A heron looking for a late lunch of fresh fish in Washington Park.

Bridge Work

Repairs are being made to the iron bridge across the lake in Washington Park.

Angst

A bit of graffiti on a wall along the Madison Avenue side of the Empire State Plaza.

A Soldier's Gravestone

 

I spent at least part of Memorial Day weekend in one of my favorite places, the Albany Rural Cemetery.  It was a rewarding walk (despite ending up with my foot ankle-deep in the rotted stump of a tree).  Among the headstones found on this outing, a fallen Civil War soldier's marker high on the old North Ridge.  Though the name and dates are difficult to read, it is easy to recognize it as a Civil War soldier's resting place; the design includes a soldier's kepi-style cap and a shield overlapping a crossed sword and scabbard.

Another Iron Acorn

I've walked by this fence behind the First Presbyterian Church many, many times, but only just noticed this acorn final.  It probably stood out because, earlier in the day, I'd come across an iron acorn on a fence at the Albany Rural Cemetery while looking for the grave of Dianna Mingo (a former slave and centenarian who lived kitty-corner from the future site of the First Presbyterian Church)

Lunar Landscape

A bed of coals in a grill at the Corning Preserve.

A Boat In The Park

A post-iced coffee walk around Washington Park this afternoon (to visit the turtles) led to an unusual sight; a boat slowly cruising up and down the lake.  It appeared the boat's two-man crew was testing the depth of the lake.

Van Rensselaer Park

A pair of old iron gates flanking an entrance to Van Rensselaer Park between Ten Broeck Street and Hall Place. 

Since this pretty little green space was once the old Colonie burial grounds, I'll probably post much more about this park at albanychurchgrounds.wordpress.com fairly soon (I've slowly expanded that blog to not only cover the Church Grounds at the Rural Cemetery, but other historic and long-gone Albany burial grounds).

Arbor Hill Door

The rear door of the 1798 Ten Broeck Mansion which hosted a very enjoyable Living History fair yesterday afternoon.  Set on a steep slope above Ten Broeck Street at Livingston Avenue, it was once called Arbor Hill (the name now applies to the much larger neighborhood itself).