An Autumn day

..here in Prague on this last day of August. Chilly at 53 F, with light rain at times and those really great Low Purple Bottomed September clouds.

Can it be that Summer is over? Ne, just a respite of a few days until the best days of the year arrive: Fall, those crisp September and October days.

I don't want to rush the season but It is only 21 days away: Fall. My favorite season.

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne

Sunshine in front of the storm

This past Sunday, a picture taken from Most Legií bridge, as the sun appeared through a break in the clouds, ahead of the storm approaching from the distant southern background.

A Red Chair

Found over near Kampa park, in a small yard, in front of a very small secluded house.

Sunday Morning Coffee

Walked a few km's from Smichov to Ujezd to this Café this morning for my Sunday morning coffee. The Cafe is quite small with only about 6 chairs; 4 along a counter facing the street and two at One small table. But it's quaint and a nice place to sit and read on a Sunday morning.

I then proceeded to walk up to the Castle. It was a beautiful morning and the sights of the river and of Malastrana from the Castle were picturesque.

Evening shades of Blues

Took this picture the other evening around 7:45. It was really getting dark, a combination of the sun going down and evening storms in the area. For some reason, this shot did not focus properly, but the blues were all so different....

Roof Top Sillouettes

Lock on the Vltava; Vyšehrad in the background

This is actually the old water tower for the canal/river lock which is directly below and in front of it. It is also really close to a great Music place called: The Jazz Dock. Great Jazz. Both are also technically in Smichov as well.

Interesting Art work....

Came across an artists rendering of many Engine parts, acting as both a fence and a gate to a pub in Holešovice, not far from the Metro/Train station there.

..and this evening.

They look very much the same... just 8 hours apart.

This morning...

Beautiful morning as I started walking to Centrum. 58 F. and when walking across Most legií, I looked to my left and snapped this shot of Charles Bridge in the morning sun.

As i said a beautiful morning to be out and about.

& v Malostranska

"End of Summer" Library

My "Library" here in Prague as the summer wanes. (Even though the summer has one month to go) School starts soon once again and that makes for a nice renewal; A good feeling.

Hence, thought I would show most of the books read to date for 2010 (with some currently "signed out" to friends).

Starting anew for September and forward.

Today at 4:30pm

I know you have seen this shot many times before... I seem to always post this picture when I return after a respite in the US.

This was taken today as I walked back to my flat at 4;30 this afternoon, about ONE hour ago. It was overcast, with a light shower, BUT that felt good to walk in the rain. Walked up Holečkováa to my apartment building. A good healthy walk I might add. I like walking back, since I must cross the bridge and can always look at this sight; Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral

Back in Prague, as this is being posted

On this Tuesday Early Morning, my plane should be landing at the time this is being posted; 7:45. I must therefore now be getting my luggage or on my way back to my flat, and then.... will head to "my cafe". ;-) and then the day will unfold in front of me with lots of walking and walking..... Nice! (NOTE: AND I DID.. WALK alot today)

and here is the photo of IT! It landed on time, 7:45am on the dot!, even though it departed almost an hour JFK late. A 7 and a half hour flight. It felt much longer. I actually sat somewhat close to a TV monitor on this trip and therefore was able to watch 2 movies in full. So that helped pass the time.

so I am BACK v Praze!! Vyborne!

Last post from the US

.. it will be a Full Moon Tomorrow, the 24th. ;-)

Hope my friends in Prague have enjoyed some of my posts while I have been in the US these past 2 weeks. I tried not to bore you and at the same time, to capture different visions as well. See you soon. Tak ahoj.

Traveling, part two

Traveling... Back to Prague today. A long Day of Travel ahead.

Sunday Night

Spent alot of time with my kids while Home and that was nice and of course had lots of time to talk about alot with my parents and shared some time with my brother also. Saw many friends, took a step back into my past in visiting friends where I used to work. It is not the same without me. ;-))

So a nice couple weeks. Thanks to all.

Will have this coming week off and then on the 30th will start back into the swing of things for the Fall. Looking forward to it! Cheers.

A Final Sunday here in the US

A rainy day here today. Will have lunch with my children and stay with my son overnight at his place.

Tomorrow morning bright and early my son will drive me to the Rochester Airport to catch my Flight to JFK. Then another 6 hour wait and I board Delta for the Non-stop flight to Prague.

See you There!!

...and looking forward to my morning coffee at Kavovarna, "my cafe", on Tuesday mid-morning.

Golden Ears of August

August. We wait all summer for the month of August and Sweet Corn. Corn on the Cob! It is found in the markets and along road side stands. It is one of the highlights of August.

The corn pictured here is called "sugar & cream" and it was as sweet as candy. Roll it while pipin' hot, on a fresh stick of creamery butter and sprinkle a bit of salt over it. Wow. And It was so tender, it was like it melted in your mouth. Mnam!!

Love August!

Tranquil Gardens

Just a nice place to sit and read or listen to the birds or to enjoy a summer morning, afternoon or evening. My parent's gardens are an oasis of tranquility.

Last Night's sunset...

It seems to me that the sun sets over here earlier than in Prague. It was only 8pm when I stopped to catch this and other shots last night.

Officially, the sun set here last night at 8:10pm.

What time did the sun officially set in Prague?

..more Pittsford.

Some Classic Architecture in this small town. The Church(top) is one of the several in town; Presbyterian. The Architecture is quite Common for churches is small town America I think. Two pictures of a couple houses in town. The 3rd photo is of a Hicks and McCarthy's, currently a nice restaurant. However, when I was in High School, this was a "soda shop" and with the School only a few blocks away, one would skip class, sneak down to this shop and hang out for a while "illegally" with other kids who had the same idea. It was quite different then, but hold cool memories.

Grocery Store - Pittsford

This is THE grocery store that people living in Pittsford tend to shop at. Yes, what you see IS the entire store, A huge! 140,000 square feet of food shopping. The store includes an indoor European style cafe, amongst many other departments in the store. When you walk in, one can see chefs in high hats, 700 varieties of produce and French patisseries and cheeses from all over the US and the world.

The only problem is that if you walk in looking to buy only a carton of milk, you will most often walk out with much much more.

In Rochester...

Public Market - Farm Fresh Produce

Rochester has a "public market" located in the heart of the city. A place where farmers can come to sell the fruits of their labor. It is fun to poke around there on a Saturday morning and marvel at the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables from all around the area. It is about the size of a fotbal field. I bought one of those round seedless watermelons. ...even though it was seedless, I was thinking, it is so much part of summer to sit around spitting out little black seeds as the juice spills down your chin. There were No seeds but still So sweet and > Yummm. or rather.. Mnam.

Stunning, Part Two

This picture was taken several minutes after the picture I posted yesterday; showing how the clouds had evolved in just a few minutes; with more oranges, enhanced hues and other subtle changes...

Being at the right place at the right time; Priceless.

Stunning...

Striking, Stunning, Surreal... Awesome. I was very fortunate to capture these colors..

Looking Into a Backyard Tree

Sunday Morning Coffee

Once again, enjoyed the ambiance this morning of a hot cup of cappuccino in my favorite home town coffee shop.

Summer Yellows

Just a few of the many Black-Eye'd Susans smiling brightly in my parents garden.

The Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta (Asteraceae)) is probably the most common of all American wildflowers. The characteristic brown, domed center is surrounded by bright yellow ray florets. Black-eyed Susans bloom from June to October.

Black-eyed Susans are a pioneer plant. That means they are one of the first plants to grow in a new field. For instance, if a fire burns down part of a forest, this plant will be one of the first to start growing. There ya go...

Finished: World without End

This afternoon I FINISHED another Great Book; a part two of sorts by Ken Follet. The 1243 page historical Medieval novel, "World without End" that was 18 years in the waiting, but finally came out this year. It was his follow-up book to "Pillars of the Earth" which he penned in 1989.

Just a really good read. Was thrilling, inspiring, thought provoking, and just good entertainment. This novel began in the year 1327, 200 years from where his 1989 novel "Pillars of the Earth" left off. The main characters were decedents of the main characters from the 1989 novel. It had similar overtones of cruel overlords, conflicts with the Church and State and this novel introduced life under THE plague. Again, a good story and hard to put down.

and phew.. Now I don't have to carry this Heavy book back to Prague with me on the Plane!!!

Happy Birthday Dad !!

I am lucky enough to be here in New York on my Father's 48th birthday.... Did I get that right? ..or.. Wishing you a Happy Birthday Dad !!

Kidding Dad...Happy 39th! ;-)

After the Rain...

Erie Canal in Pittsford

Pittsford... My Home Town. The town was Founded in April 1796 as the Town of Northfield, with the name Pittsford first being used in 1814 but it was not incorporated(made formally into a Town) until 1827. Pittsford was established as an agrarian community back in the 1800s and still has a few large farms present to this day. It is Certainly a very young town when compared to places I visit on weekends in the Czech Republic.

The above photograph shows the Erie Canal, which was built in 1825, as it flows through the middle of town, just like in Fairport. But the Bridge I was standing on does not rise. (The Erie Canal flows from one end of New York State to the other, directly through the middle of the State, and through many towns/villages/communities as well)

The photo was taken last Wednesday evening around 20:30. The area to the left in the picture is called Schoen Place, which is a quaint area of restaurants, an ice cream parlor and small specialty and crafty type shops.

On a Hot Summer Day

This was the only ThunderHead (Cloud) in the sky and Amazing it was! I have never seen such a sight and was lucky to capture this before it became obscure...

A summer porch along the Canal

Along the Canal, reprise

Fairport, New York

Lived here in Fairport, or rather had a home here, from 1995 through last August. Fairport is a Eastern suburb of Rochester, NY; a small town on the Erie Canal; the Canal runs directly through the middle of it and then around the western border of the village.

Here are a couple shots of where I was yesterday morning after I surprised my son with a birthday breakfast at his home in the city(unfortunately waking him up in the process; but he had to go to work anyway). ...But Birthdays only come once a year and are a time of celebration.

These shots are looking out from the Lift Bridge Cafe, where I have been known to go for coffee when I am "home". It is directly next to the Eire Canal with its windowns looking out over the Town's Lift Bridge over the canal. It raises vertically, straight up so boats can pass under it and continue on their journey "up" the canal. Summer is a busy time for boating on the Canal.

Happy Birthday Son !!

What a great morning it was 27 years ago, when you appeared, and today as well, as we celebrate the day of your birth. Happy Birthday Son!!!

....and I am home to be part of this celebration as well.!! Vyborne!!