Sandy Hook. Paul Goldfinger photograph. Jersey Shore. 2015. © Wedding day. Click on image to see the road runners roasting on the roaring fire.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT “If Love Were All” Live at Carnegie Hall: “Rufus Does Judy”
Archive for the ‘Blogfinger contest’ Category
Genghis Khan on the steppes of Central Asia? No, it’s Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook.
Posted in Blogfinger contest, Blogfinger Presents, Jersey Shore gallery, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Photography at The Jersey Shore, tagged Blogfinger Jersey Shore Gallery on May 11, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Trees bloom in Firemen’s Park.
Posted in Blogfinger contest, Music from the movies, tagged Name that tree contest on April 22, 2022| 7 Comments »
Shadberry tree. Blogfinger photo. April 22, 2022. (currently flowering in Firemen’s Park) Paul Goldfinger photo.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor.
This tree, the shadberry, is also called Serviceberry and Amelanchier arborea. Other names include Shadbush.
The tree blooms in mid-April with its 5 petaled white flowers. The bloom coincides with the up river run of the American shad fish which heads up the Delaware to spawn. The neighbors feed it and watch for it to bloom each spring, although the bloom only lasts for a few days. Later there will be red berries. So far, no shad fish have appeared in Ocean Grove.
Fishing during the shad run used to be a big commercial endeavor in Pennsylvania, but the shad was almost wiped out due to over-fishing and pollution. It is making a comeback, and there is a shad festival along the Delaware in late April.
Over 10 years ago, 4 families got together and bought 8 trees for the park. All 8 have subsequently grown to maturity. In addition to the serviceberry, we bought a shade tree locust, two red maples, a ginko (below), and 2 flowering chestnut trees.
The ginko has an amazing leaf. They are rare around here, but it and the serviceberry can be found all over New York City.
If any of you live near an an OG park want to do this, contact the CMA, and then the DPW will plant it.
JULIE ANDREWS from Camelot
Ocean Grove non-fishing pier photo by Bob Bowné.
Posted in Blogfinger contest, Caption contest. Participate, Photograph by Bob Bowné, tagged Blogfinger caption contest, Eva Cassidy on Blogfinger on February 25, 2022| 5 Comments »
“Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore.” Winning caption by Caesar. Ocean Grove non-fishing pier. September 26, 2015. Photo by Bob Bowné. © Click to enlarge. Special to Blogfinger.
EVA CASSIDY Live at Blues Alley (A wonderful jazz club near Dupont Circle in D.C. which I used to frequent during my med school years in Washington.)
This coin is from the wreck of the Spanish treasure galleon Atocha which went down in a hurricane in 1622.
Posted in Blogfinger contest, tagged Blogfinger contest on February 20, 2022| 1 Comment »
17th century silver Spanish coin. The gold “frame” is not part of the coin. When I wear this coin Eileen says I have the Tony Soprano look. Paul Goldfinger photos. Side one.
Side 2 Not exactly pocket change. PG
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor@Blogfinger.net
The Atocha was loaded with treasure (gold, silver, jewels and jewelry) when it sunk in a hurricane off Key West in 1622. The wreck was scattered, and most of the treasure was not found until 1985 by American treasure hunter Mel Fisher, who searched for years. Among the loot were rosaries with emeralds–destined for the Vatican, gold carved rings, gold coins and silver coins.
The silver was mined in Peru and rolled into lengths like a tootsie roll that could be cut into coin blanks. Then a wooden form with an engraving on the end was used to hammer the carvings into the silver, much as they did during the Roman Empire. This coin was minted in Potosi, Peru (now Bolivia)
The coins were shipped in wooden chests. The wood dissolved leaving an amalgam of silver coins all stuck together. It was a huge job to separate them while preserving the coin details.
Many people invested in his search, and when the bulk of the riches were found, they received a portion.
I purchased this silver coin from the family of one of the original investors. It is “grade one” which means that much of the detail is preserved.
One side depicts the symbols of the two royal houses of Spain: the castle and the lion. It is about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.
The writing has to do with King Phillip III and where the coin was minted.
Comment from Rosemary of Ocean Grove who sends us an interesting account of Mel Fisher:
“It is a compelling story and I continue to be amazed by the tenacity of the Fisher family, they searched for the Atocha for 16 years before finding it, Mel started every day by saying “Today’s the day” and, one day, it was indeed the DAY. Others had searched for the this vessel but what made the difference is that Mel Fisher sent someone to Spain to research the original 17th century documents which pinpointed the location of wreck in a different area slightly away from where other would be treasure hunters were looking.
“Even after finding it, he litigated for 6 years or so with the State of Florida which tried to claim the treasure.
“The case worked its way up though the Appellate Courts eventually winding up in the Supreme Court which found in favor of Mel Fisher and his investors. Really a fascinating story.”
Thanks, Rosemary.
MILES DAVIS AND GIL EVANS. “The Maids of Cadiz”. From the Miles Davis album Sketches of Spain. This album is perhaps his most famous and most beautiful. Cadiz is a port in southwest Spain which had been the home of the Spanish navy.
John Tyler, 10th President of the United States (1841-1845.)
Posted in Blogfinger contest, tagged Blogfinger contesr on November 27, 2021| 8 Comments »
Hollywood Cemetery Richmond, Virginia overlooks the James River and is in a historic neighborhood adjacent to the VCU campus. It reminds one of Central Park with rolling hills and vales. Paul Goldfinger photo. 4/15/16 © click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger. Re-posted from April, 2016.
We visited the grave of President John Tyler (1790-1862). He was a Whig and was elected Vice President in 1840 with William Henry Harrison, President. But Harrison died after spending only one month in office, and Tyler was the first President to succeed to the office from the VP spot. Tyler had the dubious distinction of making everybody, including his own party, mad at him, particularly over his support for the southern states.
His best achievement was to annex Texas. He was a Virginian and a life long politician whose last office was as a member of the CSA House of Representatives. He was married twice and had 15 children, so it seems he took some time off from the oval office.
Tyler is buried in Richmond, Virginia, at the glorious cemetery known as Hollywood (for the Holly trees). It is a marvelous place to visit, and Tyler is found in the Presidents Circle, a fine spot way up overlooking the James River. He is buried with his second wife and his daughter Julia who passed at the age of 20. A small Confederate flag is stuck into the ground at his site.
His nearby neighbor is President James Monroe whose monument is undergoing some renovation.
The Hollywood Cemetery contains a special section for 28 Confederate generals, and another area for several thousand enlisted men many of whom died at Gettysburg. You can imagine the task of bringing those bodies back to Richmond. Jefferson Davis is also there in a place of honor.
The property is huge and quite gorgeous now with cherry blossoms all around. Students from Virginia Commonwealth University are nearby for jogging, hiking, and socializing .
Photo by Paul Goldfinger. ©
LARRY SPARKS: “Smokey Mountain Memories”
The other side of Asbury Park: 4th Avenue.
Posted in Blogfinger contest, Photographs by Blogfinger, tagged Would you like to take a walk on October 20, 2021| 17 Comments »
4th Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey. It is a lovely street with a canopy of plane trees like you see in Europe, and a variety of house styles. Blogfinger photo. May, 2015. It’s a nice street to take a walk. Something good will come from that. Click on image to enlarge the dogwood tree. ©
SHE AND HIM
note: Comments relate to our “name that town” contest with this 2015 springtime image. You can add more comments now.
Central Park conversation.
Posted in Blogfinger contest, Caption contest. Participate, tagged Blogfinger caption contest on September 17, 2021| 11 Comments »
If you eat all the blueberries in that bag you will regain your memory, your energy and your libido. (Penny wins the caption contest) Re-post. Paul Goldfinger photo.
Spring begins at the Jersey Shore. Magnolias in bloom…
Posted in Blogfinger contest, Photography at The Jersey Shore, tagged Spring Lake on May 23, 2021| 3 Comments »
Paul Goldfinger video. Watch it carefully and play the music as you watch. Hit the music button first and then hit the video button.
This Spring Lake home is on Morris Avenue, near that beautiful downtown. Spring Lake is a real town, with no mega events, no parking issues, a strong sense of community, and a government that represents the citizens.
There are 3 churches there.
BRUNO MARS “When I Was Your Man.”
“What’s Left.”
Posted in Blogfinger contest, Blogfinger Presents, Photographic Gallery, Black and White, Photography at The Jersey Shore, Photography by Paul Goldfinger, tagged Allenhurst on May 22, 2021| 4 Comments »
Allenhurst, NJ. Paul Goldfinger photo ©. Autumn, 2018. Click to enlarge
SARA BAREILLES “She Used to be Mine” from the Broadway show Waitress. Composer Sara Bareilles.
“She is messy, but she’s kind
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie
She is gone, but she used to be mine.”
She is lonely most of the time
She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie
She is gone, but she used to be mine.”
The First United Methodist Church in Bradley Beach. Who was James Bradley?
Posted in Blogfinger contest, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Photographic Gallery: New Jersey, Photography: Jersey Shore Gallery, tagged Blogfinger name that town contest on May 12, 2021| 12 Comments »
The First United Methodist Church (1886) at the corner of Lareine and Madison Avenues in Bradley Beach. There is no sign outside. Paul Goldfinger photograph. October, 2015. © The wing shown below is visible along the right edge of the building.
This is a wing of the church on Madison Avenue. We don’t know what its function is, but now you almost know the rest of the story. Paul Goldfinger photos. 2015 ©
This is James Bradley, the founder of Asbury Park, who was also a pioneer in OG and Bradley Beach. Paul Goldfinger photo Feb 7, 2016. This is at the foot of Sunset Park, with James facing the Paramount Theatre. ©
James Bradley, a wealthy businessman from New York, founded Asbury Park. He was an admirer of Ocean Grove and bought the first lot from the Camp Meeting in 1870. He liked the area so much that he purchased 500 acres south of Fletcher Lake along the ocean. That land became Bradley Beach.
In 1886 he dismantled an Asbury Park Dutch Reformed church and somehow brought it to Bradley Beach and created the First United Methodist Church. As many of you Grovers know, if you bike or walk in this area, you can discover many neat things. Stephen Goldfinger came upon this landmark during a walk last week. He was following Pennsylvania Avenue into BB where it became Madison Ave. We went over to check it out and “found” this beautiful historic church.
—Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO. “It’s Not Exactly a Sonata—-For Renata.”
From their album Claire de Lune:
blogfinger.net 