As you can see from these photos taken during the recent holidays around South Street Seaport, located in lower Manhattan, the sky in New York during late December through February is often a steely grey/white color. It can make everything look very dreary. The lack of sunshine and the cold weather can make it easy to begin to feel glum. When that happens I try to look for something during the day to cheer me and restore my good spirits. (All photos will enlarge when clicked on once, and then again when they open on a new page)
Seeing the red door on this quaint store in the seaport made me feel happy.
As did this amusing scene:
As I walked down Fulton Street in the seaport I saw this little sparrow eying a plate of a red tomato seafood sauce over linguine which was placed next to a restaurant's menu board. Placing samples of actual food from the menu outside was obviously meant to entice customers to come inside to dine for lunch. The food definitely attracted this happy bird and his feathered friend seated on the top of the menu.
I watched from a distance as the birds took turns nipping at the linguine. It was an unusual lunch for them and an unexpected sight for me that made me smile.
Another happy sight I saw that day was this red mobile New York Blood Center Truck. It was full of business people who were taking time during their lunch hour to donate blood. The New York Blood Center is the nation's largest community-based, non-profit, independent blood center, providing life-saving blood products, clinical and transfusion services to approximitly 200 hospitals in New York and New Jersey each and every day, potentially serving 20 million people! To accomplish this feat they rely on 2,000 volunteer donors every day.
Wherever you live in the world there is always a need for blood and blood products. This year consider making a donation to a blood bank in your community. It could save a life! It is a good way to turn a gloomy winter day into a productive one.
What is your happy color? I'd love to know!
I'm linking to Mary's "Mosaic Monday" on her blog The Little Red House and "Rednesday" on Sue's blog "It's a Very Cherry World"
Posts
63 comments:
Lovely pictures. The flashes of red have cheered me up, too!
Awwwww that little sparrow made my day!! How brilliant of the restaurant to put actual food out!! Wow!!! That really is a gamble cos anything can happen to the yummy dishes but I'm just so happy this sparrow like it!! Yay!!!
Mobile bloodbanks!! Yay!! We have one that comes round at my workplace - but the van is white and considerably smaller than this great big red one!!!!
Lovely pics as always - even the grey skies look stunning!!!! Take care
x
Love the red photos and I think the red doors are my favorite.
In this period I relly love RED color.... and your pictures are as always gorgeous!!!
I invite you and your friend to join to my "romantic" contest---it's funny...hugs, and have a nice Sunday afternoon.... here is "sleeping time"!!Ciao Flavia
hahaha the birdie gets a good meal! Beautiful photos as usual. Your vision and explanations are so lovely! I love the placement can't get it to work for me in Picasa. Grace xoox
Grand pictures! Wishing you well! Cathy
Purple....I LOVE purple.
I love that pictures of the red door, Pat. There's just something about a red door! Makes you want to go right in, doesn't it?
My happy color is blue, but I also love pink. I like strong pastels. But I think those two colors make me happiest, particularly if it's a blue box from Tiffany's! Pink? I would go with pink peonies!
XO,
Sheila :-)
You should enter the birds on the menu in a photo contest. Too cute!! My favorite color is green, a very soft green.
excellent message Pat. Everyone who's able should donate blood. Love the little bird on the plate of pasta. He must be Italian.
Love all the RED in your photos, brightened my day, especially the doors...red is my favorite color too! The birds are so cute...taking advantage of an eating opportunity!
Thanks for encouraging me to give blood...for 45 years I've been meaning to...I have a semi rare type which sometimes is desperately needed.
Yup! I love red doors and red walls. I don't have any but maybe someday.
I love the look of that part of your city - it could be a small seaport on the east coast!
My happy colour is also red - but add yellow to that and I'm over the moon!
Thank you for this cheerful post. It made me smile. La
I really enjoyed your red adventure and will be giggling about the sparrows and their pasta! Three cheers for the blood bank folks. Always fun to see what adventure you have for us.
The red door looks like something you would see in London. Thanks for the info on the blood bank and how important they are for our country! How wonderful to see so many people give of themselves unselfishly! ♥
I love all your reds especially the little birds eating Linguine...lol...Blue is my favorite color and I'm sure you're not surprised.
The little sparrow eying the tomato dish is adorable... they are cheeky little fellows! Will think about a favorite color... but they ALL make me happy! Read your Tasha Tudor posting.... loved her... part of my inspiration to finally get a corgi... great little dog.
Also, hope you will be skating again perhaps next season? We have so much snow again that it's impossible to keep the lake rink clear so will stop at the public rinks in town... they are very slick complete with warming houses.
In my younger days hardly a weekend passed that I wasn't in the city. I miss those days. This was a favorite place to while away the afternoon.
Love those birds!!! Could the whole scene be more perfect?? The little sparrow must be part Italian! At first I thought it couldn't be real, that it was put there on purpose, but they are real birds, eschewing seeds and bugs for an Italian pasta meal!! They won't take blood from Phil because his blood pressure is to low. But my happy colors are green and pink! My Dell laptop is bright pink!!!
What a great post! I think the sparrow eating the linguine would make me smile too. Red does seem like a happy color to me too.
I agree that red looks good in New York. But here on the farm, I wait with anticipation to see the first green grass that grows at the sides of our gravel roads in the spring. Before that we always celebrate St Patrick's Day on the farm so that always makes us happy. Green is my happy color.
another wonderful post, Pat. :-)
especially loved the sparrows.
:-)
dunno if'n you visited Bowne's, but just in case: they have an olde removable typeset printing press that on occasion they demonstrate if'n there are enough visitors.
def. worth a shot.
had fun with this RED series, thanks for sharing it.
..
.ero
.
Loved your pictures!! Definitely made me miss NY!! I always look forward to your posts!!
Hope your weekend was great!
-April
Great photos. I'm surprised the bird didn't have a lot of friends and maybe a squirrel around if you have squirrles in Manhattan?
My color today was yellow. Also made me happy.
Since red is one of my favorite colors, I loved all of your photos, Pat. The shot of food and birds outside the restaurant really made me smile! I've never seen a restaurant display food outside like that here. Charming!
I laughed out loud at the bird having a lunch of linguine! It is so nice to see a pop of color on a dreary day. I'd have to say lime or apple green is a happy color for me :-)
That little bird enjoying his lunch just made me smile. He and his friend must have thought they hit the jackpot! Love that red door, and the fact that it's on a stationers shop is just a bonus. My happy colors are red or turquoise - as in tropical water! Kat
Loved the sparrows! Did they recommend the wine?
My happy color: BLUE with a touch of seascape or GREEN with a background of mountain.
The sparrows made me chuckle, what a way to bring customers into the restaurant.
The red is definitely cheery in all the gray. The dining birds photos is great!
I have a favorite color or two, but I love color in general.
The birds are cracking me up-love that! I'm a red, orange, yellow person, but love green and blue too! Color and light make me happy:@)
Pat, these reds would put a smile on my face too. It's very cold and wet here. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos. I've been away from my computer so spent some time catching up tonight. Beautiful shots of the opera and the crab chowder looks delicious. ~ Sarah
Red does your heart good!!! In more ways than one...Loved your gorgeous photos!!! Tn. skies are also grey and dreary so we have to find brightness anywhere we can also!!!
Oh Pat, I love the splash of color on the winter landscape. The donat-blood-truck did my heart good. Matthew just came back from donating blood! And the little sparrow alighting on pasta? Perfect? Msybe I should stop putting out songbird mix and just put out pasta. I am welcome to all color this time of year. Even the cardinals are brown-tinged these days.
Red is one of my favorite colors too.
& Looking at any color flower always cheers me.
Great post Pat!
If you get a chance, please visit my post and enter my giveaway.
: )
Love all the red, but the sparrow is my favorite! How sweet!!
It gets dreary around here too in the winter, especially lately.
Love those sun shine days!!
You can never go wrong with red! I loved the photo of the little sparrows enjoying the linguini!
What a great idea to look for a color to cheer you up on dreary days. The photo of the red door made me think of France. The doors in France are always so gorgeous no matter what color they are.
I'm very fond of red too, but I guess yellow would be my favorite. I can't seem to resist yellow.
Sam
A place we visited frequently...and I even recognized it! At least one thing hasn't changed over the years! Thanks for taking us with you!
Terrific photos, and great color choice, Pat! I love the color red. But I have to say that PINK is my most favorite color, always has been. PINK = HAPPY. :o) ((HUGS))
You are easily cheered by the colour red on a dull day. Good for you. My happy colour is blue. Today we a had a beautiful blue sky and our hottest day this summer. It is a nice change from rain.
Colour seems to be the theme for this mosaic monday. I guess we are just in need of some at this time. Your red is bright and vibrant. Love it.
Red for me too, but sometimes I would prefer a brilliant green also. Nice shots of the little birds, so funny!
I adore that red door. I need to see if I can donate blood this year. It is such a good cause. Thanks for the reminder!
Hugs and Happy Monday.
The red is so bright and vivid! Love that door! And too funny about the birds :)
Just about now with all the gray and white in our snowy world any color is my happy color! I was watching an elderly woman in the grocery store yesterday...she had the most marvelous red coat on and it was so cheerful! She must feel better in the cold whild wearing it and I think my next coat will have to be red!
It's been depressingly grey and dreary round here too of late, but a splash of colour can certainly lift a heavy mood. I think red does it for me too, though a rich blue or green would normally be my favourites.
Oh Pat. . .I'm a red person myself. I often throw red pieces about the house to enjoy against the clean monochromatic background.
Hi Pat, As much as I love winter and its drab colors--I will admit that seeing some color feels so good..
My favorite color is YELLOW... It just makes me smile...
Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy
Oh Pat, you know that red is my favorite color! Although at this time of year, I have to say that any bright color will do... Love the little birds sampling the linguine -- do you suppose that they gave the restaurant five stars? :)
Hi Pat...Just got back from a month in snowy Jersey so I was in need of seeing a happy anything!!
I have to post a picture of my beloved VW Bug covered entirely with snow except for a tiny bit of red showing....all that time and I didn't get into the city once...too cold!!
love the bird picture and ofcourse red is my favorite color it's my "signature" color....
Red makes me happy! So does South Street Seaport. I used to work in Battery Park, and we used to go for dinners on Friday.
What lovely photos!
THose were fantastic. You know how to capture just the right shots, angles, and settings. I am working on it. Hope to be as good as you someday.
Hello Pat and happy new year..its the year of the Rabbit this year. I love red too and though I dont have anything large and red, every small things I buy is red. Mobile bloodbanks...hmm...great place but I wonder if many will go. Hugs/M
Red is my favorite color. Love the cheer and warmth in these photos.
you are talented to write in a very interesting manner! Good to see positive things:) Lovely pictures with the bird!
What luck to come upon these little sparrows having lunch! hehe I guess whoever thought up the idea of putting real food outside didn't think of the birds. lol Love it! Red definitely is a happy colour, especially on a dull day and you really found some terrific reds:-) Red is also my happy colour! xoxo
Hi Pat, I wanted to check out your blog after my friend Susan at "From Beyond My Kitchen Window" was talking about how wonderful it was! I'm having a good time "visiting" NYC via your blog! Hopefully we'll get there this year, my niece goes to college in the Bronx and we're looking forward to seeing her play! Hubby's never been to NYC! Have a wonderful week!
Mary
Great! I painted my side door red, and I can't wait for warmer temps to get the front done. I am usually afraid of color, so I did the side first, and I love it against the gray siding and white trim.
Red is good. Except for that certain place we don't like to buy from! :)
Just seeing all your red pictures made me happy, especially the red blood bank truck. I am so impressed with how much blood is donated and the 2000 volunters who give of their time for this life saving gift. I give blood and am always so thankful to red about others doing the same. All of your "red" pictures added joy to my day.
how cute is that little sparrow. he must
have thought, "are you kidding me?
they're putting out food for us?"
Love the photos you took for this post. The rise and fall of the buildings is very appealing to me.
Great shot of the birdies at lunch, as well.
Post a Comment