PJ's Studio: 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Liberty State Park

I’ve wanted to visit Liberty State Park in New Jersey,

ever since I saw photos of the 9/11 Memorial.

It did not disappoint.

I figured that if I was going to visit,

I might as well do it during the spring so that I could enjoy the flowering trees.

So, when the park reported that their cherry trees were peaking on Instagram,

I hustled over - only to discover that it was fake news.

There were a few Okame trees in bloom,

but the Kazan’s which I had hoped to catch, weren’t ready for prime time yet.

C’est la vie.

Here are some other blogs from spring in New York.

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2018/04/roosevelt-island-cherries.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2021/05/riverside-park.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2022/04/manhattan-skyline.html

Happy sneezing!

Sunday, May 17, 2026

Dance Parade 2026

This was the 20^th year of the Dance Parade.

I stumbled on it by accident a few years ago,

and was very impressed with the wide range of costumes on display.

The dancing is lovely too.

You get a real sense of the melting pot that is NYC when watching.

Costumes, music and dance all melded into unique patterns.

After several days of cool weather, it was a balmy 78 degrees and sunny for the parade.

Maybe a bit too warm - especially for the dancers.

As with all NYC parades, gaps in the action can be a bit tedious.

But with visuals this pretty it’s worth sticking it out for at least a while.

https://danceparade.org/

Here are some blogs from the Tartan Day Parade…

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2014/04/men-in-skirts.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2016/05/men-in-skirts-2.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2018/04/tartan-day-parade.html

Cheers!

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Brooklyn Botanic Garden – 4/17/26

Thanks to some unseasonably warm temperatures in mid-April, NYC had a blink and you missed it spring.

The Kazan cherry trees – which are the stars of the season, bloomed in only two days!

So, I did what any rational New Yorker would do – I raced over to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden before it was too late.

Since I have so many photos of the Cherry Esplanade that I’ll never be able to top,

my true goal was to catch the tulips,

which typically bloom simultaneously with the Kazans and change every year

In addition to the area near the conservatories, they are now planted in the Shakespeare Garden, and the Osborne Garden near the Eastern Parkway entrance.

Sadly, the Osborne Garden was severely damaged by this winter’s storms and the trellises are now heavily scaffolded while they do repairs.

This unusual breed of tulip actually has multiple flowers blooming from the top of a single stem. It’s the first time I have seen one like that.

Much to my surprise, I was greeted with a lovely scent when I arrived, because the lilacs were blooming early. I rarely get a good shot of them – they just aren’t that photogenic – but I always shoot them anyway, just so I can enjoy the smell. 😉