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[hannah]

Yesterday was sunny and clear - not news in and of itself, as spring's finally getting with the game, but news in that it was sunny and clear at eight-forty when I got out of the subway at the Bowery down south, because that's where Manhattan stops. It's strange to think of it in that way when I'm up in my room, but there is a clear end to the island. It's also strange to think that the city really does just stop. There's a good chunk of a park down there, which means lawns and trees, which means there's actual sky. Even in Central Park there isn't a lot of sky, not in the same way you get sky when you get down to water. The sky kept on going. On one side of the street, skyscrapers and offices and Starbucks coffee. On the other side of the street, grass and trees and the water in the harbor - water that starts and stops thanks to more small islands, but water that keeps on going longer and farther than anything in the city.

I've lost the horizon living here. I've forgotten sky. It's a scary thought.

On the boat ride back from Ellis Island, I spotted two common loons down in the water. They looked like small, fat geese, and I couldn't immediately identify the species, so I took pictures to confirm later with a reliable guide. They had their winter plumage in, and I'm pretty sure they're a lifer.

I stayed outside on the ferry's stern on the ride back, enjoying seeing space open before me. I noticed that the sun was in about the right angle, and there were just enough clouds, that I ought to check and look up, and it wasn't just staring at the sun that made me want to cry: I haven't seen a sundog in months. A faint, distant rainbow around the sun. I didn't know they could happen here, but there it was.

Instead of taking the subway the whole way up, I got off a couple of stops early and walked through Central Park instead. I didn't see any other birds or mammals of note, just enjoyed the sunshine. Spring's been coming gradually for several days now, and it's definitely here. The magnolias are in full, fresh bloom, the brief time before the petals bruise and fall.

I've got a couple of days off from my typical responsibilities next week. I want to go to the movies and catch up on the job hunting I've been putting off, but I'll see if I can get some time outside in there too.

Comments

[amy-119.livejournal.com]

I was struck by the lack of sky as well when I visited NYC. I felt like something was off, and it took me a while to realize that it was the fact that I couldn't really see the sky. It's a weird feeling. Especially when I'm used to seeing so much of it. :)

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I was watching a show where a homeowner gets her yard re-done, and the homeowner made me think of you. The conractor was complaining (affectionately) that they had to keep stopping because the homeowner would find small animals like salamanders in the overturned soil and want to show the contractor. She took such huge enjoyment of being in nature and with nature. Fortunately the contractor paid close attention to that and gave her a backyard that respected that instead of being spare or overly managed.