Category Archives: Merrick

Merrick, New York, USA. January 24, 2019. During winter sunset, golden reflection of trees and building fills windows of Merrick Public Library on south shore of Long Island.

Missed the Rainbow, Caught the Puddle

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
January 31, 2019

Flash Flood

Driving on Long Island’s south shore at the end of yet another flash flood, I turned north toward the Merrick Library on Merrick Avenue and faced a fierce sunset.

I wanted to capture the fleeting sky show reflected on water, but the nearest body of water, a pond, was about a half mile away. So I turned west onto a soggy side street across from the library, saw a golden-orange reflection in a puddle, and pulled to the curb.

But a telephone pole and its wires were too prominent, so I slowly drove on, and as I passed a parked car discovered a lake of a puddle – the biggest one I ever saw this far inland from Merrick’s jagged shoreline. 

Merrick, New York, USA. January 24, 2019. After flash flood, reflection of colorful winter sunset fills large puddle in road of suburban town on south shore of Long Island. (© 2019Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. January 24, 2019. After flash flood, reflection of colorful winter sunset fills large puddle in road of suburban town on south shore of Long Island. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

After parking, I slowly walked around and around the puddle, all the while lifting and lowering and leveling my iPhone to capture the blaze. 

Puddle Sunset

Later, back at home, I saw a flood of pictures on local news and social media of a full double rainbow that appeared before the sunset and before I paid attention to the sky that late afternoon.

But if I’d caught the rainbow, I’d have missed that fiery puddle sunset.

Merrick, New York, USA. January 24, 2019. After flash flood, reflection of colorful winter sunset fills large puddle in road, on south shore of Long Island. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. January 24, 2019. After flash flood, reflection of colorful winter sunset fills large puddle in road, on south shore of Long Island. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Sunset Puddle:  MY GALLERY

Site:  Merrick Library

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Photo Illustration: Cammanns Pond in Merrick, New York, USA, © Ann Parry, FromLongIsland.com

Cammanns Pond: Or, New Year’s Eve in Space

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
December 31, 2018

Cammanns Pond

Tonight, ten days after the shortest day of the year, and hours before the stormy last hurrah of 2018 would become the dawn of 2019, I stopped at Cammanns Pond on my way home.

Struggling through the downpour, the light from the street lamp behind me surrendered before reaching water’s edge.

Merrick, NY, USA. Dec. 31, 2018. A raft of ducks sleeps hidden at Cammanns Pond during rainy New Year's Eve. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Merrick, NY, USA. Dec. 31, 2018. A raft of ducks sleeps hidden at Cammanns Pond during rainy New Year’s Eve. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Rain coated the windshield seconds after each sweep of wipers, and dashboard lights bounced on the glass and water, so my bullseye view was light from distant buildings slashing an abyss.

But, after countless visits, I knew waterfowl must be near. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I covered the instrument lights with an infinity scarf, I saw hints of a silent, nearly still raft of ducks midway between shores.

Aiming my iPhone from the space between steering wheel and windshield, I captured rain smeared photos of two bare trees standing sentinel in front of the pond.

Going outside, I stood behind one tree trunk then the other, to avoid throwing a shadow, and leaned out to take photos of the ducks, pond, shores and beyond.

Shores & beyond

Then I sat silent and still in my car as ducks slept at the Merrick pond, on the deluged south shore of Long Island…

on the northeast coast of the United States on Earth as it orbited the Sun, in a spiral arm of the Milky Way, in the Virgo Supercluster…

as we made our way in the universe this New Year’s Eve…

forty years after the world understood global warming and still had a chance to avoid the extreme, destructive weather Earth’s now experiencing due to the climate crisis.

No home is an island.

• NASA: Global Climate Change Resources
• Bloomberg: Climate Changed
• NYTimes: Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change

fyi fLI
In 1890 Hermann Cammann bought the Carmen farm house property on the north side of Merrick Road and rebuilt a larger version of the house, across from where Cammanns Park is now.

Cammanns Pond:  PHOTO GALLERY

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Merrick, New York, USA. May 3, 2018. Francine Goldstein poses with one of many appreciation trophies she's received from AIDS WALK NEW YORK, a fundraising walk and run in Central Park.

AIDS Walk NY: Francine Goldstein’s 600K Marathon

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
May 4, 2018

A very caring, very determined FRANCINE GOLDSTEIN needs your help reaching her goal of $600,000 in total donations over the 30 years – yes, 30 years – she’s walked the walk for AIDS WALK NEW YORK.

Merrick, New York, USA. May 3, 2018. Francine Goldstein looks forward to her 30th year of participating in AIDS WALK NEW YORK, a fundraising walk and run in Central Park on May 20, 2018. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. May 3, 2018. FRANCINE GOLDSTEIN embraces the challenge of having a successful 30th year of fundraising for AIDS WALK NEW YORK. (© 2018 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

AIDS WALK NY 2018: Francine’s Donation Page

Thirty years ago, Francine’s closest friend was diagnosed with AIDS and lived about only 30 months longer. As Francine and her husband visited her during those painful months, they saw how GMHC – Gay Men’s Health Crisis organization – was the one source of help. She promised her friend to do everything possible, so no one else would have to suffer that way, and ever since then Francine’s kept her promise. 

Merrick, New York, USA. May 3, 2018. Francine Goldstein looks forward to her 30th year of participating in AIDS WALK NEW YORK, a fundraising walk and run in Central Park on May 20, 2018. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. May 3, 2018. Francine Goldstein looks forward to her 30th year of walking in AIDS WALK NEW YORK. (© 2018 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

AIDS WALK NEW YORK is famously the world’s biggest single-day fundraiser for AIDS, and over the years our family has known Francine, I’ve seen first hand it’s always the right month, the right day, the right time and place for her to ask someone to sponsor her. She’s seriously dedicated to raise funds to help – through GMHC’s prevention, care and advocacy programs –  thousands of people affected by the disease in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

A quarter century ago, AIDS touched my family. Touched? It slammed, smashed and destroyed someone I grew up with and loved and wordlessly expected would be around – would BE – for so many more days and decades. It’s a big reason I’ve joined countless others cheering Francine on.

Merrick, New York, USA. May 3, 2018. FRANCINE GOLDSTEIN holds special poster AIDS WALK NEW YORK created for her. At top of poster is photo of Sen. JOHN E. BROOKS presenting her with NYS Senate Liberty Award. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. May 3, 2018.Francine Goldstein holds special poster AIDS WALK NEW YORK created for her. At top of poster is photo of Sen. JOHN E. BROOKS presenting her with NYS Senate Liberty Award. (© 2018 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

May 20th, the day of the walk, is a couple of weeks away, and Francine’s about $15,000 away from raising $600,000. For 30 years and counting, she’s been running a marathon, and her white and red race shirt says: “AIDS WALK NEW YORK • GMHC END AIDS. LIVE LIFE.”

UPDATE: May 13, 2018:  Francine’s about $9,600 away from her goal, and AIDS WALK 2018 is a week away.

AIDS WALK NY 2018: Francine Goldstein’s Donation Page

Francine Goldstein:  my PHOTO GALLERY

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