Gallows and Lollipops

In the same plaza as the Beinecke Rare Book Library is a bit of public art. This sculpture is by Alexander Calder entitled Gallows and Lollipops.

This will be my last blog entry until May 4...check back then, THANKS!

Beinecke

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library opened in 1963 on the Campus of Yale University. It contains the rare books and literary manuscripts of Yale University and serves as a research center. According to the Beinecke, they one of the largest buildings in the world devoted to rare books and manuscripts. The building is a gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, Yale 1907, Frederick W. Beinecke, Yale 1909, and Walter Beinecke, Yale 1910.It's an interesting building and quite different from the neo-Gothic architecture associated with other Yale buildings. Beinecke is made from Vermont marble and granite, bronze and glass, designed by Gordon Bunshaft. The translucent marble panes are one and one-quarter inch thick. On permanent exhibition are the Gutenber Bible, the first Western book printed from movable type, and Audubon's 'Birds of America'. Other exhibits and lectures occur throughout the year.

Yale Law School

One of the fascinating features about Yale University buildings is the Gothic style architecture. Each building looks similar but when you really stop to look at the gargoyles you see how different they are. Each building reflects the nature of the college within. Today and tomorrow I'm showing you gargoyles from the Yale Law School. These are two lintels from two of the doors Sterling Law Building. They were designed by James Gamble Rogers. The students look attentive but the professor, well, not so much.
This professor is waxing poetically and has put the students to sleep. You can read more about these lintels and some of the other humorous gargoyles if you click above on the Sterling Law Building link. The law school was established in 1824 and has seen the likes of President William Taft who was a professor of constitutional law and Gerald Ford a graduate. And, of course, who could forget Bill and Hill. Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, both graduates of Yale Law School. That's where they met.

Weekend Reflection

One of the shops on Chapel Street had this pretty little cellophane party dress on display. I love the opal-esque reflections. For more weekend reflections check out Jame's at Newtown Area Photo.

Yes.

Spring is here and the dogs are out in numbers. A reminder for all of us to pick up. The City usualy puts bags out for doggy clean up however they've run out! We've got to start calling to the Parks and Rec department for more.....or bring our own.

Restaurant Week

This week in New Haven is Restaurant Week. It's a week in which certain restaurants, usually on the higher end of dining, offer a prix fix dinner or lunch so that us not so financially endowed can try them out. However, for poor parsons like me they are still too much....but tempting. Instead I thought I'd give you a view of a couple of street vendors. A taco and Mexican food cart and a hot dog cart are shown here. I've even seen an Indian food cart but didn't have my camera that day.

Who needs linen and fine wine anyway?

Who Needs 'Um Anyhow?

Today was the 37th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Wooster Square. Other than the cherry trees blooming about a week and a half ago, and the clouds in the sky, the day was perfect. Here are a few shots from the festivities. About 2,000 people attended according to Pistol Pete, our resident New Haven Police officer. Great, great, great, St. Luke's Steel Band. Almost felt that I was in the Caribbean except that the down coat that I was wearing weighed heavy on my shoulders.

There were a few moments of grace when the stormy clouds broke into unbridled sunshine. It was beautiful. Pink was the color of the day.

Elm City Kettle Corn was a big hit...for me, not so much.

Local food vendors had trucks with all sorts of foods. Italian of course since Wooster Square is the 'Italian' district in New Haven, Indian, Mexican, Caseuis Cheese, and Fuel our local organic coffee and sandwich shop.

These children were having so much fun running around the tree.

Here's one of the organizers selling his cherry pies. He made 200 pies the night before and they were all sold out half way through the day. Excellent! Good thing it didn't rain, that would have been a lot of cherry pies for us residents to eat up.

There was so much more...Tuxedo Junction a swing band, local artists, an antique car display, historic organizations around New Haven and several pet organizations. As I said before, all we were missing were the cherry blossoms. Maybe next year.

Weekend Reflection

When I left home I had only one dog with me. When we passed by a bank building I noticed that I was walked two, three actually if you count his little shadow. This was last weekend...when the sun was out. This is Milo, a beagle labrador mix and he's seven years old. He's also a Pet Therapy Dog. I take him to our local hospital each week to do his thing. We visit patients who absolutely love visits from a dog. He loves it too.

For more weekend reflections, have a look at James Meme.

Just as Nice

Even though the Cherry Blossoms are now a memory in pink, there are so many other trees and flowers in bloom. In my backyard are two pear trees that are showing their regalia. Beautiful, blooming spring!

Two Weddings and a Funeral?

Sounds like a movie to me. Last Saturday outside of St. Stanislaus Church in New Haven were parked three limo's. Two white and one black. Just kinda struck me as funny, almost as if as soon as the wedding would be over a funeral would begin.

Be-a, Be-a, Be......

I wonder how this...... Can turn into this.....

And then this!!! This is the newly graffiti painted wall on Water Street painted by Reo, Aoke, Rage 3, and Seme. I think I got their names right! I blogged about them last November 30, 2009. The new wall is a tribute to the characters Warner Brothers Looney Tunes.

Reo assured me that the wall was kid friendly. They work so fast. There was another scene painted last week and when I drove by this week it had completely changed.

They work with very little line drawing on the wall before they begin to spray, just from a drawing on paper. The rest is left up to talent, the spirit and a steady hand. Reo said his hand got rather tired spraying the red circles. I have to say I never thought about the hazards of graffiti art to ones hands. Thanks guys for this great wall of art.

That's all folks!

That's all folks sound bite Looney Tunes sound bites

We Remember

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, the day in which we remember the six million Jews and so many others who were murdered during World War II by the Nazi's. The Greater New Haven Holocaust Memorial sits in Edgewood Park on Whalley Avenue and was dedicated in 1977. It was the first such memorial to be built on public space.

There are six large prongs to represent six million Jews who were murdered in the various death camps. Holding the prongs together is a barbed wire replica to represent the imprisonment in the camps. In the base of the memorial is interred earth and ashes from Auschwitz.

The base of the memorial is the Star of David and there are six trees planted. The granite stones above bearing the names of the death camps surround the perimeter of the main memorial. The architect for the project was Augustus Franzoni of Stamford, Connecticut.

May their memory be for a blessing

and may we never forget.

A Lazy Day in New Haven

The sun was out and the sky was blue. A gentle breeze cooled the air from the 80+ degree weather we had earlier this week. Everyone was out enjoying the day.....in Wooster Square

.......on the campus of Yale University.

......on the Green in New Haven.

Rainer Maria Rilke says in his Letters to a Young Poet, "Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night."