194/365 free draw, coney island, my 600th post

178/365 coney island revisited

(oct 8, 2012 - written and photographed before Hurricaine Sandy)

A chilly and damp day.  The clouds hide the sun.  My friend and I wait outside for a car to take us to Coney Island.  We drive under the el, and soon arrive at our destination --- right by Nathan's Famous Original Frankfurters. 

Took a walk a few blocks over and eyed the cyclone for a while through the camera lens.  The grey look of the photographs reveal the day, if nothing else.

We sat on the boardwalk a while beofre walking down to the water.  I took my shoes off and let the water cover my toes.  Its been such a long time and it felt so good.

Then we made our way towards the Wonder Wheel, snapping pictures, and me trying to convince Evie that it was a good idea to go on it.  She was apprehensive, but went along.  She'd never been on it before.  I have, but not in 35 or 40 years.  We chose one of the stationary cars, not the swinging ones.  That thing sure went high and it stops when you reach the top, making it seem like the cage is just suspended in midair.  And it doesn't stop a one turn around, but does it again.  I tried to get a couple of shots through the gate, don't know how well I did.

me

evie

pics of me taken by Evie Tirado



We ended our coney trip at Nathan's, having gone full circle.  Had a frank and Nathan's fabulous french fries, and an orange drink.  Then a trip to the sweets store to get a cashew covered caramel and marshmallow.

(Photos taken in October, before Hurricane Sandy hit... not sure if everything still looks like that afterwards. especially that merry go round and children's rides section right off the beach.  Heard the Cyclone was damaged as well.)

*A free-write is a type of automatic writing, where you just go with your stream of consciousness non-stop. There's no thought to spelling or grammar, and no editing of words. Supposedly this opens the mind up to greater creativity. They can be 5, 10 or 20 minutes long. Suggestions for freewrites are always welcome. Visit Evie, with whom I freewrite, at the space between colors.

49/365 coney island

This 15 min freewrite* is about Coney Island.

I remember going on surprise trips at midnight with my parents, because they were hungry for hot dogs.  We'd sit in the car and eat, and bring home cotton candy and jelly apples, if we got there at the right time.

In daytime, there'd be times we'd eat by a ledge tht was right by Nathan's. Just wide enough to fit the paper plateful of hot dogs.  I would be me, my sister, and my mom and day.  Such good times.  We'd all get Nathan's famous french fries, and chow mein sandwiches.  My sister and father would often eat clams on the half shell, and frog's legs.  Eeek.
But after all the eating came a chance to walk around, up and down the side streets, where there were games to play and rides to experience.  The Magic Carpet Ride.  The Caterpillar, one of my favorites... the heavy canvas would close around the whole ride, ruffling its pleats, until you were enclosed.  Magically dark on a bright summer's day.
The Wonder Wheel was right off the boardwalk.  My sister was always afraid of that ride, but would come along anyway, because we were all going.  She'd really hate the swinging cages, and I think we'd mostly go on the stationary ones.
And then there's the beach.

*A free-write is a type of automatic writing, where you just go with your stream of consciousness non-stop. There's no thought to spelling or grammar, and no editing of words. Supposedly this opens the mind up to greater creativity. They can be 5, 10 or 20 minutes long. Suggestions for freewrites are always welcome. Visit Evie, with whom I freewrite, at the space between colors.