Archive for December 2024
…and the show must go on
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned yesterday, a humble narrator is back on his feet (somewhat), and raring to get back to his various obsessions.
Saturday last found me at a familiar spot nearby Pittsburgh’s Sly Fox Brewery, and the Highline real estate development it is located in. This structure is a former rail terminal warehousing building, one which offers an elevated POV over both the Monongahela River that overflies a section of CSX’s rail network which I’ve spent a lot of time photographing over the last year. I didn’t stop into the brewery, I’d mention, as I don’t think introducing alcohol into my equation was a smart move at the moment. It was about 25 degrees out, and windy.
The point of view I was enjoying, however, was somewhere I’d been dreaming of visiting during my long recuperation, during the recovery period of the broken ankle. You’d think I was planning something Machiavellian during all of this downtime, but you’d be disappointed. Most of my intellectual voltage was being spent trying to figure out how to take a bath without killing myself.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This structure used to be a warehouse connected to the PLERR (Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Rail Road) yard which formerly surrounded it. The rail yard has been redeveloped into a series of condominiums and a large entertainment and restaurant complex (52 acres) called ‘Station Square’ which seems to be on a downward trajectory at the moment, and the operation is currently losing its anchor tenants like ‘Hard Rock Cafe.’
The so called ‘Highline’ building, and Station Square, are owned by a NYC based real estate company these days. The terminal building, in particular, has been converted over to residential and commercial usage – they’re very much following the NYC EDC’s failed formula for the Brooklyn Army and Bush Terminals here.
Normally not a place I’d haunt, as familiar fires of gentrification burn hotly here, but there’s beer and seating in an area that’s absolutely lousy with locomotive and maritime sightings.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was cold, I was standing outside for about two hours in a steady wind with atmospheric temperatures no higher than 25 degrees. Your humble narrator had prepared for the climate with long johns and my winter coat, but the ankle was singing its song down below. Saying that, I was pleased as punch to be outside and suffering in the weather again.
Pittsburgh decided to offer me a show at some point, and in rapid fire style – interesting things began to pass through the camera’s frame. To wit, that Towboat pictured above was transporting multiple mineral barges down the Monongahela River. The boat is the Megan Ames, which is – I’m told – based out of Morgantown, West Virginia.
I presume that’s coal in the barges, but I don’t say something is ‘something’ unless I know it is for sure. Back tomorrow.
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
it… IT’S ALIVE!!!
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Welcome back to the tyranny of the new, lords and ladies. Pictured above is a street in Pittsburgh’s Beechview section, which is characteristically hilly. This shot was from a false start attempt at a shooting day from a couple of weeks ago, when I erroneously believed that I was ready to get back behind the camera. I wasn’t.
Accordingly, this one was shot out of the moon roof of my car. It’s street photography today, as in its photos of streets on offer.
Today marks the return of new postings here at Newtown Pentacle, nearly three months to the day since I broke my ankle in three places and dislocated my left foot. I’m going to be getting back up to speed slowly, or at least that’s the plan. It still hurts, a lot.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
For the last couple of weeks, the Docs have had me return to wearing normal footwear and leave the walking boot/brace behind me. Everyday seems to be a bit better than the last, although there’s still a good amount of random pain encountered.
This shot depicts a snowy expanse of Dormont, the Pittsburgh Borough which HQ is found in. I’ve been mainly running errands and driving to Doctors appointments for the last month, and finding anything interesting to look at or photograph during this sort of daily round has been a challenge. My ‘PT’ office, for instance, is in the middle of a giant shopping center so the only ‘view’ on offer there is one of Target, Macy’s, or Whole Foods. There’s a Dick’s Sporting Goods too, but there you are.
I’ve only started carrying the camera around with me, all the time, in just this last week.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A few social engagements have been attended, pleasant intervals which have benefited the mood here at HQ greatly. Our Lady of the Pentacle kept me alive and as well as I could be for the last few months, but I’d have had to go to a rehab or nursing home to recover if it wasn’t for her never ending labors and devotion. She bore the burden heroically.
I went out shooting just this last Saturday and will be displaying my captures here all week, at this – your reborn Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Archives #050
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
If everything is going to plan as this post is being written, on Friday the 6th of December, this should be the last of the archives postings.
Presuming that the weather was on my side this week, as the forecast suggests it will be – and that my ankle problems weren’t too severe when I started revving up again – there should be new material appearing here next week. Can’t wait to see whatever it is that Pittsburgh wants to show me, but one remains a bit hobbled. There’s still an entire month of PT in front of me, after all.
2013’s ‘moist verdure’ joined in with the railfanning cultists at MTA’s annual nostalgia train subway ride.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Queens used to enjoy taunting me to photograph her pains, and would often serve up interesting ‘amuse bouche’ appetizers at my doorstep, something which – so far – which Pittsburgh doesn’t do that often. Here, I’ve got to go and find it, but there you are. Can’t have everything served on a silver platter.
2016’s ‘loathsome tittering’ offered yet another hullabaloo breaking out on my old corner in Astoria.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally…
These archive posts are reaching into Newtown Pentacle’s backups, and are pulling posts that went public on this date, in their respective years, going back to 2009. This practice will continue until I’m back on both feet full time, and new photos and stories can be gathered. For anyone who hasn’t heard the news, I broke my left ankle at the end of September.
2021’s ‘almost illegible’ is right about when I had decided to move out of NYC. It also contains an excellent recipe for lemonade, a favorite joke, and a recommendation for listening to the Who. Rough year, 2021.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Archives #049
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned the other day, this week’s posts are being written on Friday the 6th of December, and with any luck at all I’ve been out for some sort of limited walk by this point. The broken ankle situation has been traumatic, and I’m exhibiting somewhat phobic behavior towards flights of stairs – particularly during descent. This is natural, I guess, but every rise and run that I cross reminds me vividly of the fall which snapped my ankle in three and condemned your humble narrator to months of painful hell.
2011’s ‘An Oil spill… in Queens’ detailed a location on the Queens side of Newtown Creek from which oil was seeping from the bulkheads into the water. In the years since, containment and a plan for remediation are underway, or so I’m told.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One hopes that ‘overstatement’ isn’t the reaction to that declaration.
This was a dramatically painful and literally crippling injury. Required surgical correction, which itself was painful in the extreme, and the recovery period was marked by two months of constant nerve activity which felt like a burn. It’s expected, I believe, to be a bit apprehensive as you approach the very same physical tasks which ended so badly not too long ago. Gun shy, me. Step shy, actually.
2018’s ‘frenzied letter’ showed off a few night shots gathered around Newtown Creek and summarizes the locations where they were gathered.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Since the surgical cast came off, which was a little over a month ago, your humble narrator has been ‘playing ball’ with the physical therapy operation connected to the Surgeon’s office. Things there have been going very well, and I think that my PT folks are actually a little surprised at how fast my recovery is moving along. ‘A plus-plus’ is how they’ve rated my situation. It’s why I’m wearing shoes again rather than one of the braced walking boots.
I’m walking slowly, however, and with a pronounced limp. Still having problems with the ‘push forward’ part of my gait.
These archive posts are reaching into Newtown Pentacle’s backups, and are pulling posts that went public on this date, in their respective years, going back to 2009. This practice will continue until I’m back on both feet full time, and new photos and stories can be gathered. For anyone who hasn’t heard the news, I broke my left ankle at the end of September.
2022’s ‘ruptured hopes’ was gathered during my last weeks in NYC, after a lifetime tenancy. I wanted to see everything, one last time.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Archives # 048
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Circumstance and weather often decide how active your humble narrator is at any given time. Sometimes it’ll actually be bad weather that draws me out and about, contravening logic and sense, whereas any random injury or odd medical situation can idle the camera and force me to shelter in place at HQ for extended intervals.
The recent ankle situation is one of those random injuries, for instance. Normally, it’s two short walks (approx 3-5 miles) and one long one (8-10 miles) every week. Given that the ground in Pittsburgh, at this writing, is covered in a half inch of hard clear ice and I’m recovering from a busted ankle – discretion is the better part of valor.
In 2013’s ‘linger strangely’ I apparently needed to release a poop into the wild, the urgency of which was a torment while transversing from LIC back to Astoria while on a photo walk. Furthermore, I decided to write about the experience. Y’know… Pittsburgh has public bathrooms deployed all over the place… just imagine that, New Yorkers.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m sure it’s going to be agony when it warms up this week and I attempt my first outing. This week’s posts are being written on Friday the 6th, as a note. I know where my first photo session will be, and I’ve been planning it for roughly a month since the cast came off. It’s as important to know where you’ve been as it is to have a plan for where you’re going.
2015’s ‘cyclopean endeavor’ saw a humble narrator focusing in on the Queens side progress of the Kosciuszcko Bridge replacement operation. This was just a part, of course, of a multiple years long series of posts.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Back in Astoria, when the weather wasn’t on my side, or I just didn’t feel like wandering around Newtown Creek at night, I’d set up the tripod on my porch and shoot the moon. Like Subways entering the station, moon shots are HARD to pull off, but they’re all about the technical side of things. The satellite is moving quite a bit faster through the sky than the naked eye would suggest, and the combination of a super bright subject set against the fuligin darkness of the night sky… t’aint easy. More fails than wins.
These archive posts are reaching into Newtown Pentacle’s backups, and are pulling posts that went public on this date, in their respective years, going back to 2009. This practice will continue until I’m back on both feet full time, and new photos and stories can be gathered. For anyone who hasn’t heard the news, I broke my left ankle at the end of September.
2017’s ‘second search’ saw me playing around with the moon, camera wise.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 