Neither more nor less

That's all for the fireworks . All the images were taken with a Canon 5D and a Canon image stabilized 70mm to 200mm f 2.8 zoom lens . Making these images was very different from how it was making such images back in the old days when I used film . Though the current digital process is simpler and probably technically superior, the 4th of July scene in the old days of film in NYC was more interesting at the level at which people actually experienced the holiday in the nieghborhoods ,especially in "Little Italy" .If I can find some of the old negatives I will post some 4th of July nieghborhood views from the past

This is the first of two or possibly more posts of fireworks pictures .It seems that for now I can't post anymore .

I was too far away for the best pictures and for the full impact of the event. Closer up, near the East River one can see the shells explode and fill the entire sky ,feel the shock on ones body of the exploding shell and smell the sulfur . But from the roof top where I was, I was too removed to experience any of those things . I did what I could do to capture as much of the spectacle as I could . I've tried to select and present a diverse ,nonstandard selection of images of exploding fireworks .

Jim's friend Kristielee invited Jim to come to a party on her roof and watch the 4th of July fireworks . I tagged along and enjoyed an evening on a roof with a view of a skyline with colorful lights that can be seen every night of the year...lights that are not fire works .We were surrounded on three sides by cell-phone antennas .Lots of radiation exposure I'm sure but as yet no strange headaches or unusual growths to report . Many fireworks parties could be seen all around .

Jim and Kristielee worked together recently on a mosaic picture of her mother Beverly . The mosaic isn't quite finished yet but enough is completed to be able to see the relation between a picture of Kristielee's mother and the mosaic . On the right side, elements of the mosaic can be seen to be protruding . These protruding pieces are broken bits of pottery that was made by Kristielee 's mother . On some of them the initials BW and a date can be seen.

The fireworks display was spectacular and will have it's own separate posting .

Ray's candy store was making a lot of orders of Belgian fries last night . People were eating them all up and down ave. A . Ray finally made some money too. All kinds of people ,most of them at least slightly drunk , were out in front of 113 ave. A . Some were flexing thier beer muscles . Some altercations and near fights but nothing seriously violent . Lots of people in the crowd . Jewels was there wearing his new suit of armor . Gerry, in the blue cap , from 75 Green Street stopped by . Gerry was a fellow artist/squatter at the "Cave " with Jim "Mosaic Man" Power .Many there that I didn't know ,performers , musician ,drifters ,travellers whatever...

The night of the 3rd of July at Jim's encampment was like many nights , uneventful .Jim and Jim's assistant John were both working on mosaics with John working on the mosaic that was supposed to have been in England 3 days ago . Jim displayed a gift that had just been given to him .It was a flag themed, heartshaped medalion that was designed in the USA but made in China . A flower had been placed in a water bottle adding a little delicacy to a rude sidewalk encampment . Probably the most dramatic thing to be seen was Jim's " satyresque" shadow cast on the sidewalk .

Red stopped by and flexed his bicep.

Not too many years ago the night of the 3rd of July was a busy night for the fire department .Fireworks everywhere all night long ... and fires too . Today it's very different. I heard but one firecracker report last night .

But the FD had other problems last night in front of Nino's Pizza . The crew of a firetruck had gone into Nino's to buy pizza and while in side, a man in a blue cap climbed to the top of thier truck . A call came over the police radio that a man was on top of a firetruck at ave. A and St. Marks Pl. . I headed to that location in a hurry . By the time I arrived the firemen had talked him down from their truck . The police then arrived but took no action against the smiling man in the blue cap. The man in the blue cap hung around for a while smiling and then started a fight with a dog .The man -dog fight ended with no injuries . I approached the smiling man in the blue cap and asked if he minded if I took his picture .He gestured no and smiled as I took the first picture . The light wasn't right so I turned him around and took another picture but by this time as you can see he was no longer smiling.

Jim was busy last night planning some future projects for his website . Right now like many things in Jim's life his website needs some attention . Jim is always planning and organizing ,planning for the future, though most wouldn't suspect that from the look of his camp and it's environs . There is some humor in all this occasionally as when it appeared that " the Donald " might just be Jim's guru and lodestar on Jim's path to riches .

This mosaic is on the outside wall of a sushi restaurant on St.Marks Pl. at ave. A . As can be seen it is dedicated to the people and was completed some time ago .

Last night while I was off following NYPD and taking pictures of bullet holes , Jim and Jesse were under attack back on St. Marks Pl. . Two men and one woman started making noise and then pushed in the door to the building in front of which Jim and Jesse were sleeping . The door crashed in all the way to the basement floor since the building is currently under construction and the ground floor has been temporarily removed .If they had stepped in it would have been one hell of a ten foot step down. But they didn't step in. Instead they turned to confront Jim since he was now awake and asking them what they were doing . They began throwing pieces of wood and whatevere else was at hand at Jim . Luckily a police car was just driving by and saw the troublemakers . The police car stopped and two officers got out at about the same time that three or four plain clothes officers from down the street walked on the scene.
The disturbance was brought to an end quickly .The three trouble makers were lucky, they were not arrested but simply told to leave the area ,which they did do . Jim and Jesse went back to bed to sleep and the next day the door was hoisted back into place and secured with rope .

This isn't the first trouble that Jim has encountered late at night since he has been living on the sidewalk at 120 St. Marks Pl. There have been other more dangerous encounters with some in the late night drinking crowds that gather at and around the bars surrounding Jim's encampment . One night young men with knives confronted and threatened Jim. A fight ensued and luckily many of the bar patrons stood up and went to the street to defend Jim .It is a dangerous ,uncertain and uneasy task to live in the street as Jim and Jesse do.

The mosaic piece that Jim was working on last night didn't get finished and thus didn't fly to England today but it does appear that it won't be long before it is finished .

These mosaics are located in Astor Pl. near Cooper Union . St. Marks Pl. begins at Astor Pl. and ends at the entrance to Tomkins Square Park. there are more mosaics to come .

It's Friday night and Jim is working on a mosaic that must be finished by tomorrow because later in the day it will be on it's way to England by plane .The din of music ,voices and the clanking and rattling of chains as bar- goers lock and unlock their bikes to the steel tubular scafolding near where Jim lives and works is so loud that it's hard to converse without yelling . Jesse has some rawhide and Jim and Jesse play with the bonelike leather mouthful on the street in the midst of the people walking up and down the sidewalk. Around 2:30 AM they go to bed . But more is to happen in the neighborhood not too far away .

An hour later and not far away away 6 shots are heard in the night . NYPD rushes to the scene where a car has a bullet hole through the two front windows . No one was hurt .The shooter ran. No suspects were found and at least one witness did not want to talk to police .