Dave Wrote: HI Jim,  I haven’t sent you any pictures in a while. It is full summer here in Rome, NY. 85 degrees F. and very humid today. Here are some shots of a male Chestnut-sided Warbler I took last week. Things have slowed way down both birding and bird photography. The Peregrine Falcons in the city of Utica had another successful nesting again. I have been shooting them and will send you some pictures of them.    Dave

07 12 2023 Dave Cesari

07 12 2023 Dave Cesari

07 12 2023 Dave Cesari

07 12 2023 Dave Cesari

07 12 2023 Dave Cesari

JIM WROTE:  I went with Gloria to numerous art galleries and art museums in New York City during the last 7 days.  We saw all forms of art from line drawings to portraits to art of the great masters to abstract art to……. whatever.  Gloria arranged for a 2 hour class at the Metropolitan Museum of Art – it was called Plein Air Painting.  They told me Plein Air painting is when an artist leaves their studio and goes outside to draw/paint the landscape they see.  Well, I am not an artist but I got invited anyway and I went on the Plein Air event in Central Park for two hours and here is a photograph of what I painted – Yikes  – I did better when I was in first grade but it was a fun challenge:

My Plein Air result

Then I took the above photo of my Pein Air painting to PhotoShop!!! – I gave each result a name:

“Light thru the tree”

“The Escapee”

“The Eye”

“Together”

“Oh MY”

As you swing through life, and you do not know what you are doing – enjoy it – like I did at the Plein Air experience.