Why The Dunes Are So Important

This is the dune area in the West End of Cherry Grove post Sandy. While we appear to have lost a considerable amount, the dunes prevented ocean and wave damage to houses, hopefully including ours. The wood in the foreground is part of the recently constructed walkway from Lewis Walk to the beach. Photo by Michael Pittman.

Hurricane Sandy: The Day After

Photo: Dune damage from Hurricane Irene 2011

We had no damage or flooding to our Philadelphia home from hurricane Sandy. The only effect we noticed was a momentary power outage at around 8 PM. We are waiting this morning to get reports about the status of things out on Fire Island. A few brave souls stayed on the island and so we did see photos of flooding on the bay side of Cherry Grove that looked pretty bad. We're hoping for the best and that our little cottage was not damaged.

Hurricane Sandy Headed To Philadelphia

 Looking toward the downtown towers.

The city of Philadelphia is closed down. There is no public transportation. Schools and city offices are closed. The stores are out of bottled water. A state of emergency has been declared. We have the candles, battery radio, and flashlight ready in case we lose power.

The Afternoon Walk Along Schuylkill Banks

Looking South from Locust Street: On the left, the new pedestrian truss bridge over the CSX RR tracks. In the distance down river, the new South Street bridge with its illuminated pylons.

Looking North from Walnut Street: The PECO building.

The 911 memorial.

Looking Like Halloween

The Halloween lights come on at dusk at our Philadelphia townhouse.

Colorful Fairmount Park

Dan thinks that the fall colors are at their peak right now in the Philadelphia area. We've had cloudy mornings for the past few days, but I wanted to take a few photographs before the storm hits here early next week. Most of the leaves will probably be off of the trees by then.

Downtown Favorites

Dan and I had lunch at Cafe IXX on the 19th floor of the Hyatt (Bellevue Stratford) on Tuesday. It's a nice room with a view and the prix fixe lunch special is a good deal at $22 including a soft drink. Walking around the city looking up from time to time you can see some nice architectural eye candy.

Romobama

Photo: Palermo, August 2012

I read a piece by Daniel Ellsberg the other day. Ellsberg is a critic of Obama but he makes a strong case for voting for Obama anyway to keep Romney out of the white house. Don't you wish you could some day vote FOR somebody rather than AGAINST someone else?

The Wanamaker Organ At Macy's Philadelphia

Enjoying the daily free midday concert.

An Autumn Weekend On Fire Island

We enjoyed the weekend on Fire Island. The weather was beautiful and we took several nice long walks to the Pines and through the Sunken Forest.

Montauk Daisies If It's Fall

The bed of Montauk daisies in our Cherry Grove garden. They bloom in October.

Fall On Fire Island

We're out in Cherry Grove for the weekend. The weather is beautiful and the foliage on the island is colorful. Yesterday we stopped at Bayport Flowers to pick up some bulbs to plant for next year. The photo shows their autumn display.

Bistro 19 - York, PA

 

Photo: Halloween decorations at Bistro 19

My usual place to have dinner in York, The Left Bank, was crowded last night. Music fans were in town to see the Doobie Bros. in concert at the Strand theater nearby. So I tried a different place, Bistro 19. They feature a bar/bistro menu with a list of interesting sandwiches and soups, appetizers, and several entrees. I had an eggplant tower, eggplant layered with cheeze and served with a tomato-based sauce that included onions, peppers and artichokes. I enjoyed my meal and so I'll add Bistro 19 to my list of preferred York eateries.

York, PA Semi-Annual Toy Train Show

I'm in York, PA for a couple of days to attend the semi-annual Train Collector's Association meeting. The weather today was beautiful. That's a good thing because much of the pre-show is held outdoors in the various hotal parking lots.

Center City Philadelphia

Downtown enjoying a beautiful autumn day!

A Neat Place To Live For A Railroad Buff

I recently came across a photograph from 1927 showing that there was a huge railroad roundhouse directly across the street from our house at one time. While I have been unable so far to pinpoint the year that this structure was built, other photos and information leads me to believe that it was probably built sometime in the 1880s, when the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad tracks ran at street level along Pennsylvania Avenue. In the mid-1890s the railroad tracks were lowered into a tunnel and cut that runs under Pennsylvania Avenue. While remaining street level tracks might have preserved access to the roundhouse, by the time this photo was taken in 1927 the roundhouse was probably idle and abandoned. Photographs from 1931 show that the roundhouse was demolished.

Autumn In Fairmount Park

This is the path that I take on my morning walks, usually with Bradley and sometimes with Dan. The autumn colors are starting to appear. I usually watch the top of that large rock. It gets quite colorful as fall progresses.

Biden's Preformance Still Not Great

Photo: Medieval mosaics in Sicily

Biden showed up for the VP debate last night, a vast improvement over the missing in action Obama at last week's debate. The moderator is getting credit for doing her job, but she made assertions that Biden should have forcefully challenged. For example, she stated flat out in the preface to one of her questions that Social Security and Medicare are going broke. that is not true. Both programs are solvent at the moment and both can be tweaked to extend them well into the future without cutting benefits or raising the retirement age. Obama/Biden still have not stated unequivocally that they will not cut Social Security. Why not? 

That Time Of Year - Almost

Today is another of my "downtown days"...fun shopping and lunch, and listening to the famous Wanamaker organ at Macy's department store. The third floor Housewares department is already decorated for the holidays as you can see below.

Obama The Reluctant Salesman

Maureen Dowd

"...in refusing to muster his will and energy, and urgently sell his vision, he underscores his own lapses in leadership and undermines arguments for four more years."

The Beautiful Colors OF Autumn

Fall is my favorite season. I love the changing colors and I enjoy decorating the house for the season. The other day I purchased this great bouquet of Gladiolas. They are orange and yellow beauties. This huge bouquet was on sale for $2.99!

Historic Christ's Church Philadelphia

Dan and I enjoyed a tour this morning at this monument which dates back to before the revolutionary war.

West Side Story's "America" by Anita

We saw the 1961 film yesterday accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra playing the soundtrack. Both the film and the music are just phenomenal.

Occupy Phila 1st Birthday on the Streets

Our first target was predatory lender Wells Fargo...now we're at the school board headquarters to protest cuts in education

Yet Another Let Down From Obama

Bob Herbert on lame debater Obama:

"...the time for excuses is over. The president had no right to show up for a debate unprepared and offer an expectant nation an embarrassingly half-hearted performance. Progressive leaders, who represent Obama's strongest and most faithful supporters, have an obligation to convey that message in the strongest possible terms. The president let his people down. And if he's capable of doing that in an election that is clearly so important, it means he's capable of doing it again if he wins a second term."

But Herbert acknowledges hat this is classic Obama...unwilling to fight for social justice...and too willing to seek compromise with the right wing nut cases. What hope have we? 

Bowles-Simpson Social Security Proposal Not a Good Starting Point for Reforms — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Bowles-Simpson Social Security Proposal Not a Good Starting Point for Reforms — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Debate? Dog and Pony Show

Two candidates bought and paid for by the corporations who run this country, will meet tonight to see which one of them can out zing the other. Meanwhile for ordinary Americans the show goes on, the rich get richer and the rest of us sink. That will continue no matter which one of these debaters wins the election. But those of you who plan to vote for Obama had better prepare yourselves for the bad news. He will cut Social Security and Medicare when he makes some kind of "grand bargain" with the devils of the extreme right. Is this who you really want to vote for? Not me.

OPII: Occupy Philadelphia Rally Saturday!

From Occupy Philadelphia:

On September 17th 2011, the first tents went up in Zuccotti Park in the financial district of New York City. What resulted was an international insurgency of activists committed enough to proclaiming the message of social and economic equality that they would give up their lives to camp in a public park, educating the people about crimes being committed in their names From Oakland to Chicago to Kalamazoo, tent cities- reminiscent of the Hoovervilles of old- served as public reminders of Wall Street greed and corrupt government. The world had been occupied. On October 6th of that same year, Philadelphia took up the call. In the past year, we have taken our message of economic justice, social equality, and a fair economy to the streets, to the the banks, and to City Hall. From protests to sit-ins to National Gatherings, we shone a spotlight on the plight of everyday Philadelphians and beyond. We have experienced setbacks in the form of police aggression and political games, but rest assured that we have not been, nor will we be, silenced. As year two begins, we call on our fellow Philadelphians to Fight the Power. Big bankers and political puppets still mold our city in their image even at the cost of our families and communities. We must not allow big money backed special interests to destroy our communities for their own profits and we must not let politicians sit idly by, pacified by their concern for campaign contributions, and let it happen. It is time the people of Philadelphia rose up against corruption. We invite you to join us on October 6th, 2012 at City Hall at noon. Together we will send a message all over the city of Philadelphia: that the people have come for their due and we are not going anywhere until justice and equality run uninhibited through the streets.

October Fun

The Halloween display in the window at our home on Fire Island.