While we were enjoying a walk in St James’s Park on a delightful fall day, we came across these pelicans enjoying their own stroll. Pelicans were first introduced to the park in 1664 as a gift from the Russian ambassador, and now over forty live here. Current pelican residents include Isla, Tiffany, and Gargi, and recent additions include Sun, Moon, and Star. They all enjoy sunning on their favorites rocks and being fed fresh fish between 2:30pm and 3:00pm every day (though during the pandemic staff feed them away from public view). While the pelicans are free to roam they rarely go far from the lake. Which is probably just as well. Because, you know, social distancing and all. And, don’t worry, pelicans, we're not going to eat you. Sorry, turkeys.
Dropped Bowl with Scattered Slices and Peels
We are in sunny and warm Miami (sorry, rest of country with crazy snowstorms and weather) for the Thanksgiving Holiday and came across this massive public artwork installation by artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, who are known for their large-scale installations in city settings. Located in downtown Miami, Dropped Bowl with Scattered Slices and Peels captures a moment when a bowl of orange slices and peels drops to the ground and shatters. The artwork includes bowl fragments in cast concrete, peels in steel plate, and orange sections in reinforced cast resin all with an overall weight of over 124,000 lbs. With the oranges and bright colors, Dropped Bowl certainly captures one aspect of Miami. And, depending on how your holiday is going, it might be an accurate representation of Thanksgiving for some people (not ours, thankfully). Whatever the case, we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!
Tower Bridge
During my trip to London this week, I got an up close and personal look at the iconic Tower Bridge on a foggy and rather moody night. Built over 120 years ago, it is an engineering marvel and I never get tired of seeing it, especially with the new lighting system installed for the 2012 Olympic Games. Across the water is the Tower of London, the famous prison (residents included Anne Boleyn and Guy Fawkes) and site of numerous executions by hanging, beheading, and being burned at the stake. On a less gruesome note, visitors to the bridge can experience spectacular panoramic views as well as take a look inside the Victorian engine rooms to see the steam engines that once powered the bridge lifts. The City of London is required to raise the bridge to “provide access to and egress from the Upper Pool of London for registered vessels with a mast or superstructure of 30 feet or more.” This service is free of charge and available with twenty-four hours notice any time, day or night, 365 days per year. Which is good to know. Just in case I find myself on the Thames with a thirty-foot superstructure. Which, come to think of it, might be a good way to spend Thanksgiving. But however you celebrate, enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend!
Happy Thanksgiving from DLG!
Every Thanksgiving more than 3.5 million spectators cheer on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade along the two-and-a-half-mile route while 50 million viewers watch on television and over the Internet. The first parade took place in 1924 as a way to kick-off the Christmas holiday shopping period. Macy’s promised parade-goers “a marathon of mirth” in its advertisements, and the parade featured floats such as the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Little Miss Muffet, and Little Red Riding Hood; animals from the Central Park Zoo, including bears, elephants, camels, and monkeys; musical bands; and, of course, Santa Claus in his sleigh pulled by reindeer. The parade was so successful it was repeated yearly, except the zoo animals were thankfully replaced by the now iconic character balloons. The night before the parade, I watched workers inflate these incredible balloons. I was going to offer to help since I have pretty good lung capacity but they seemed to have everything under control. Happy Thanksgiving to all!