We walked in Central Park so long and so far I got blisters on both feet and spent the rest of the weekend happily hobbling around some more, it was worth every piece of gauze. When we walked past the beautiful statue of Alice and Wonderland, I saw what was to me an iconic photo, the magic of stories, the magic of the park, the magic of Alice, still, gameboys, TV, computers, Facebook, cell phones and all. I somehow though of the Iwo Jima Memorial in a very different content, but it seemed to me that children were raising the flag for romance.

We went to the Clinton Park Stables to see the City Council members, talk to the owners, the drivers, see the throng of journalists that Liam Neeson attracted, learn some more about the now world famous New York Carriage Horse Controversy. I’ll write about that this evening, it was a powerful experience. This morning I went to B&H Photo in mid-town Manhattan and concluded a month of scheming, negotiating, trading and agonizing about how to use the Kickstarter money I got  for my photography and my photographic and textual project  – a book – “Talking To Animals.”

I ended up trading my beloved 5D Mark III and four different lenses for two new lenses and a Canon 1 DX, my Kickstarter money just about covered it all. I was reluctant to trade so much, I am thrilled to get this new camera, I think it will work well for me. I still have one old spare camera. So the trip to New York was meaningful. We walked miles and miles, saw a graffiti art exhibit at the City Museum Of New York and Maria and I went to see the Carrie Mae Weems exhibit at the Guggenheim museum. We ate great food, saw my daughter Em briefly, saw the new Wes Anderson movie “The Budapest Hotel,” bought pencils and a sketch pad for the hotel doorman, who grew up in Spanish Harlem and always wanted to sketch. Maybe he will. The creative spark is everywhere and needs to be encouraged.

So we are checking on the animals, getting settled, I am on fire to write about the visit to the Clinton Park stables and Liam Neeson.