Storm King 2017

I see this place a little bit differently every time I visit. Even though I was having major allergies the entire day, I had good company and amazing weather. Always worth the trip.




End of Summer

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The image above is what happens when I bring the camera from the air conditioning, into a super humid warm summer evening at the beach. The lens was fogged on both front and rear elements, as was the mirror. In a way the fog ended up being kind of helpful because it made visible some dust specs on the glass, reminding me that it is time to administer a solid cleaning.

Anyway, it is hard to believe that the summer is already drawing to a close. I have to admit that the weather has been so oppressive this year that for the first time in ages I’m actually looking forward to autumn, and the cooler temps that come with it. B and I were able to sneak away to the beach for one final weekend before Labor Day. Good times, and excellent company. Not a bad way to start winding down the season.

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De La Weekend: Summa’ Nights

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There is something to be said for the vibe that summer nights embody. As near as I can tell, the unique summer night aura is a universal thing that exists in every place where the summer season is a thing. I remember feeling it when I was a youngster staying up late skateboarding with my friends. School was out, so no need to get up early. The nights were still warm enough to wear minimal clothing, yet a nice reprieve from the oppressive daylight heat. None of the problems in the world seemed to matter at all, those nights. Even though the sensory elements are very different in NYC than where I grew up, the same essence of summer night energy is present.

I brought along my range finder Friday night. I feel like the on-camera flash preserves the gritty feel of the thick wet NYC summer night air. We started out in NoLIta and hopped our way over to the East Village for some late night Crif Dogs. Capped off the night taking the pooch for a stroll to chase some rats.

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One of my favorite doorways on Bowery. Even better at night.

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Saw this awesome whip on the way to Crif

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Summer Wristwatch

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I have a couple of wristwatches with metal bracelets that I rotate during the cooler months. But for several reasons, I don’t enjoy wearing metal on my wrist in warmer weather.  One reason is that I sweat when it is hot outside. Feeling a metal watch sliming around on my sweaty wrist is just kind of nasty. Another is that metal watches can be heavy. In the summer months, cycling becomes my primary mode of local transportation. New York City streets are not the smoothest surfaces. Those rough streets send all kinds of vibrations up through bicycle frames. There have been instances where I received a bruise on the back of my left hand, from the spot where the crown of a metal watch was repeatedly hammering into it during my evening commute. Watches with nylon bracelets just look more summery too (in my opinion anyway). Hence, I prefer to use a lighter watch with a nylon bracelet during the warmer months.

My preferred summer watch of yore was a Nixon Sentry. Summer before last I found out the hard way that my Sentry was not waterproof. I have been looking for a replacement ever since its demise (the colorway that I like is no longer made). With the summer months again approaching, I was pretty excited to see this 1st PAT-RN collaboration with Timex show up in my reader feed this morning. It actually reminds me of the very first wristwatch that I ever owned. Gifted from my dad when I was 7 or 8 years old, it was also a Timex with an olive nylon bracelet . The watch needed to be manually wound up every morning and had the kind of glow in the dark material later determined to cause cancer, haha. The simplicity in styling and reversible nylon bracelet on this 1ST PAT-RN collab is exactly what I was looking for in a summer watch. It also happens to be extremely budget friendly. Needless to say, I snatched one up immediately. Unfortunately it ships from Northern Ireland, so I still have have to wait a few days to try it on. They are available for purchase here.

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