A Hudson River Sanctuary

It has been awhile since I have felt truly inspired to write… so many apologies! Summertime leaves an anxiousness with me and I cannot sit still too long! This summer has been occupied with visitors, my own travel and then just some lazy hot days in general, accompanied by my latest addiction… getting lost at Hogwarts!!! Hehehe.. I picked up the first Harry Potter Book Memorial Day weekend and am currently just finishing the fourth.. 3 more to go!

The River! …My favorite place to relax and get away has been alongside the banks of Riverside Park… This evening I set out on what I planned to be a quick run to release my built up energy for the day, however it turned into a little longer park visit than anticipated… By the time I set out for my run, the sun was setting and the park lights glowed along the river pathway… It is completely safe to still run as it gets dark because there are so many people out and about doing the exact same thing! Seriously... the park was bustling this evening… so many people getting lost in their own worlds and groups taking in one of the most beautiful nights I have yet enjoyed… In the midst of my run, to my luck, the strap on my tank-top broke completely, causing me to screech to a halt and walk instead to casually keep myself looking and feeling together you might say! As annoying as this seemed I think it was natures funny way of telling me to slow down and absorb the world around me… As I did this… I came upon the 65th Street pier, jutting out toward New Jersey… where a giant movie screen was displayed at its end with hundreds of people sitting all around watching the classic 1949 film “On the Town”, with Gene Kelly, and Frank Sinatra… The water all around glistened with reflections of the city lights, and I just wandered around taking in this amazing atmosphere! Couples, families, friends gathered, watching, chatting and simply enjoying a mid-week summer evening, as sweets smells of river water wafted through the air…. As I continued my walk an older man silhouetted to my left was drawing in his last fishing line for the day over the river rail where his bicycle leaned against as another gentlemen on a bench opposite him, kicked back with a cigar, laughing heartily with a buddy as they poured out Bourbon into plastic cups… Up the path a little further a man in a top hat strums relaxing notes on his guitar and a family of four sits at a picnic table under the lamp behind him, catching up on their day as their two dogs rest in comfort on the grass besides them… Rollerbladers, runners, and bicyclists zoomed up and down the path as well and food and drinks flowed easily at a favorite riverside restaurant in the midst of the park… This place sincerely is everybody’s backyard to share, relax and unwind!