Happy Winter (?) Solstice

Yesterday’s New York Times said there was a cherry tree blooming at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Today was so warm and beautiful that I got the bike out, did a bunch of errands, then rode over to the Gardens. Sure enough, in one corner of the Japanese garden, there’s a tree in full bloom, and despite what the article said, it still looks to be going strong. And in fact a second tree, in the northwest corner of the Cherry Esplanade, is also in bloom, but looks pretty weak.

Is It Spring Yet? Unfortunately not, poor confused cherry tree.

The Japanese Garden

The Music Pagoda With the Boathouse in the background.

Lullwater Bridge

Lullwater Bridge

Binnen Falls

The Boathouse

Very thin indeed…

The Camperdown Elm The oldest tree in Brooklyn.

The Oriental Pavilion

The Oriental Pavilion Recently restored with the original colors.

The Concert Grove This nice spot once had a beautiful view of the lake, but Robert Moses fixed all that with the world’s ugliest skating rink.

Beethoven “And they all forgot my birthday again…”

Subway Tracks The Q line as it comes out from under the Gardens.

Lady Liberty, Jr. A replica Statue Of Liberty, cast around 1900 to stand on a warehouse on 64th Street, and now stranded in the parking lot of the Brooklyn Museum.

And to all a good night Christmas decorations at Park Place and Underhill Avenue.