A Summer in Review

The warm weather is lingering but nowt here's a hint of autumn in the air. Oh, summer, how I'll miss you!

Here's some photographic highlights of the cool activities I did where I remembered to bring a camera:



Kayaking in Astoria on the East River, courtesy of the Long Island City Community Boathouse Yes, the East River. Of course my mom and Mark's mom both freaked out, but as we learned that day, there is life in that body of water.

Exhibit A:



This little guy-- a Blue Crab-- was temporarily reigned in by another community group near our kayaking session on the little strip of sand where we were located. He even got some height out of the water when Mark tried to pet him! I've never seen a crab jump before.

On our tiny corner of sand in Astoria that day a few weeks ago, there were three different activities going on at one time. The little bank was only perhaps a handful of cars long at most, and Mark and I even passed it a few times before we realized that was the kayaking meetup spot we were searching for. Growing up on Long Island, with beaches 15-20 minutes away from my home at most, this was a real eye opener. To see a child's rock-skipping contest, a kayaking class and a waterlife observation group all simultaneously making the most of this tiny bank of sand because it is the only spot like it in the area, well that gives you a real sense of pride in your community and gratefulness for the childhood you had. Yeah, the beaches on Long Island are crowded, too, but having access to them is invaluable.

I think it's great that Astoria has such free events for the community at any given time, however, and I bet those kids rock skipping and exploring waterlife will remember that day whenever they look back on their own childhoods. It just really illustrates how your environment can influence your life.

Speaking of wildlife, here's a pic of a gorgeous butterfly who was chilling just outside of my apartment stoop one day this summer:



As you can see, it was huge! I don't recall ever seeing a butterfly that big before. I caught it on my way to Astoria Park for the first time.



I guess I was still starving for the water, because all of my pictures focused on the waterfront views from the park. You can see the Manhattan skyline below the bridge here. That's either the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building there on the left (the pointy one). I can't remember. Hazy photo.

And one more:



Yeah so, summer was great. Also went to San Francisco in June (seems so far away already). Mark and I went to the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden a bunch of times with friends, tried out lots of restaurants/bars in the East Village and elsewhere in Manhattan, and generally just enjoyed our first summer in Astoria.