Thursday, April 9, 2020

Village --- Day 8/363

Walk: Yes! 
Distance: 2.3 miles


Who knows why Ciwt was so struck by this picture today.  Maybe in this time of sheltering things are sinking in more deeply.  It is of Sumba, the southernmost village of the Faroe Islands.  And it is of a way of life which goes back to @ 778 that is so utterly different from Ciwt's it confounds her.  Beautiful, rugged, raging winter storms, chain dancing and long songs are traditions, no shops, restaurants or bars, the bus must be arranged for and doesn't necessarily return in short order.

Company
October evening







Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Lockdown Exercise ? --- Day 8/362

Walk: No 😞
Distance: 0, Yoga, Pedaling













No, nothing beats walking for Ciwt.

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

No Cleaning Girl Because of Lockdown: Week Five --- Day 8/361

Walk: No 😒
Distance: 0, Housecleaning















Ciwt wishes.....

Monday, April 6, 2020

Not So Little Village --- Day 8/360

Walk: 1. No  2. Hood
Distance: 1. Yoga  2. 1.5 miles, Yoga


When we entered the current crisis, Ciwt wondered why so many people were travelling to and from a tiny, remote, backward village in China called Wuhan.

Well.....the answer lies in the photo above.  For armchair non-traveller, Ciwt, it was interesting to learn that Wuhan is a capital city in central China and headquaters to domestic car and steel producers.  Known as the Thoroughfare of China, Wuhan serves as a critical industrial, research and educational base as well as an integrated transport hub for the entire nation.  It's importance is far from just domestic as more than 300 of the world's top 500 companies have a presence in the city, including Microsoft, German software company SAP and French car manufacturer Groupe PSA.

Wuhan also appears to Ciwt to be aesthetically creative in engineering and architecture. See if you agree after watching this pretty amazing video.  (You'll need to "Open" bottom left after you get to the link.  Worth it 😀)

Saturday, April 4, 2020

War Houses --- Day 8/359

Walk: No (Storm)
Distance: 0, Yoga

So Ciwt has been diving into The British Are Coming, Rick Atkinson's first book in his planned trilogy on the American Revolution.  (press link for trilogy site)


As she read she remembered visiting The Jumal Morris House during her Real New York Walking Tour last Fall. So she let her fingers walk her to the extraordinary New York Public Library's digital division where she found historical prints and photos. 



Located in Harlem Heights, the William Morris house (as it was named before Jumal bought it)  served as George Washington's home and headquarters early in the war.  It is also one of the few historical houses left standing in The City.  This by sheer luck as several other famous and/or notorious people lived in the house after Washington. Usually and ruthlessly development has always taken precedence over history in The Apple. 

In the picture, you can see why The General likely chose the house.  Its slight resemblance to his beloved Mount Vernon, yes, but mostly for the unparalled view.  He was able to take out his telescope and sight all the way down to Wall Street in one direction, across the Hudson at New Jersey in another and a long way up the Hudson River Valley in a third, all three directions from which the English might attack.

Meanwhile, the very man who would have led that attack, Sir William Howe, British Army Commander-in-Chief in America, lived a mile or so downtown in at The Beekman House.  It was located at 50th Street and First Avenue on the East River, a Primo midtown location its future was likely very brief after Howe left it in 1776.










Friday, April 3, 2020

Dinobird!!! --- Day 8/358

Walk: Short Hood (like we are supposed to)
Distance: 1 mile, Yoga

What is this new orange creature out on Ciwt's deck?!

Getting closer.  Hope it doesn't attack.

It's a Dinobird!!
Ciwt's artist friend, K. Libbey Nash is partnered with another artist, a sculptor who has lately been creating Bob's Birds from found objects.  All sorts of shapes and sizes, each with its own definite personality and each guaranteed to make you smile if not laugh out loud.  Even in photos which is where Ciwt saw them.

Just thinking of them brightened her day and then today, unbeknowst to Ciwt, one of them arrived at Ciwt's house!!!   What a pick me up, and how great to have a new friend on her deck during these shelter in place days.






Thursday, April 2, 2020

Ah, No More Close Ups for a While --- Day 8/357

Walk: No  (Taking it easy, just like Mona Lisa)
Distance: 0, Yoga (x2)


Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Sheltering Yoga --- Day 8/356

Walk: Hood (Wine Merchant)
Distance: 1.5 miles, Pedal, Yoga












Even you non-yogi(ni)s might decide to take up the practice after watching this Instructive video.

Highly recommended for shelter in place.