Photo Blogging

It was 1972 and I was a Boy Scout, my scoutmaster would plan big events for each Summer, this year was a 50 mile(over 5 days) hike in the Western Sierra called the Silver Knapsack.  To prepare for this hike we had 3 practice hikes.

The first was in Arroyo Seco in Pasadena, the second was somewhere near Santa Clarita(north of LA) and the final was in the Eastern Sierra near Bishop.   I was unsure what lake we had hiked from either South Lake of Lake Sabrina.

I’ve visited both lakes of the past few years to shoot Fall Color and hiked up each trail a bit to see if I could see something familiar to confirm which lake we hiked out of.  Having looked at hike report videos on hikes from each lake, I was pretty sure that we hiked from Lake Sabrina to Blue Lake(and then on to the Emerald Lake, Topsyturvy and Dingleberry Lakes).

So, as part of my journey to the Eastern Sierra for Fall Color, I decided to hike to Blue Lake.

On The Road – 🐾BillinGlendaleCA – Returning to Blue LakePost + Comments (25)

ema

Like most Americans, I’ve watched the Times Square ball drop on TV for years. But I’d never wondered about the aftermath until this past December 31st, when a single question popped into my head: What happens to all that confetti? (11:40)

Hours later, I was standing in the middle of Times Square at 2:30 AM, covered in biodegradable paper scraps, eyes stinging, watching the most satisfying industrial cleaning operation I never knew I needed to see.

Getting In (Sort of)

Let me be clear: I wasn’t in Times Square for the ball drop itself. People camp out on 6th Avenue overnight for that privilege. The NYPD starts admitting revelers around 3 PM and closes the whole area by 7 PM. I sauntered in around 11 PM with a press pass and made it to 48th and Broadway, one block north of the action. I had a decent view of the ball but zero interest in arguing with the NYPD about better access.

Which turned out to be perfect, because the ball drop? Fine. The cleanup? Chef’s kiss.

Three Things TV Gets Wrong

First, the crowd looks massive on TV. In reality, it’s more fragmented than you’d think. A million people do show up, but they’re corralled into small pens separated by wide-open lanes. I expected 7th Avenue packed curb-to-curb for blocks. Instead, spectators occupied maybe two lanes for one block at a time. The rest? Empty, except for an absolutely massive number of NYPD officers. We’re talking hundreds upon hundreds in a relatively small area.

Here’s something unexpected: Right after midnight, those officers who’d been all business for hours, turned to each other, embraced, and wished each other Happy New Year just like everyone else. Protocol paused for one human moment.

Second, the ball drop looks better on TV. But you know what doesn’t? The confetti.

The confetti drop is spectacular in person. They start releasing it around the twenty five-second mark, and suddenly the air fills with thousands of multicolored biodegradable squares mixed with wish-filled paper strips. It’s magical. This year, there was even a second drop five minutes past midnight for America’s 250th anniversary, a celebration of a country that used to be great and, one hopes, will be again someday.

Third, and most importantly: the cleanup is riveting.

The Main Event

Almost immediately after midnight, the NYPD starts moving barricades to the sidewalks. Revelers wander through ankle-deep confetti, tossing handfuls in the air, taking pictures, still riding the party high. Then the NYC Sanitation Department arrives, and it’s genuinely cinematic.

Picture this: You’re standing in the middle of 7th Avenue looking south toward 42nd Street. The street is empty except for a thick carpet of confetti and debris. Suddenly, four NYC Sanitation bosses appear, walking side-by-side down the center line, gesticulating wildly and yelling at stragglers to clear out. Behind them? A fleet of sanitation trucks approaching like a motorized cavalry.

The operation runs on two fronts. The truck convoy sweeps up and down 7th Avenue, mechanical brushes spinning, while an army of street sweepers and workers with leaf blowers attacks the sidewalks, pushing everything into the street for the trucks to collect. It’s coordinated, efficient, and, – I cannot stress this enough – deeply satisfying to watch.

The whole thing takes about three hours. When I left at 2:30 AM, the area was essentially clean, though trucks were still making final passes.

The Moment I’ll Remember

At one point, two sanitation trucks pulled up back-to-back right in front of me. I was fiddling with my camera, not paying attention, when a worker noticed me filming and gestured: Watch this.

The smaller truck began dumping its load into the larger one in a surprisingly complex mechanical ballet. At several points, the worker casually stuck his hand into the middle of crunching metal to help the process along. He was fine (and clearly experienced), but I’m fairly certain that violated at least three OSHA guidelines.

The Confession

I need to admit something: Before December 31st, 2025, I had never once thought, “You know what sounds fun? Watching an industrial cleaning operation.”

And yet there I was at 1 AM, in the middle of Times Square, absolutely captivated by the DSNY’s choreographed confetti cleanup. My only regret? Not bringing goggles. I spent the first days of 2026 mainlining Visine to clear the debris that had lodged itself in my poor eyes.

Worth it. 

Should You Go?

For the ball drop? Only if you can afford a hotel or restaurant with a view, and even then, caveat emptor. While sitting in a cordoned-off area, a tourist approached me with his kid on his shoulders. He’d paid $700 for his family to have “an experience with a view” at a nearby restaurant. Neither the experience nor the view delivered. He asked if watching from the street was better. (It was and I hope they enjoyed it.)

For the cleanup? Absolutely. Show up around 12:30 AM, bring goggles, and prepare to be unexpectedly delighted by municipal efficiency in action.

It’s the kind of thing you’d never think to do, and precisely the kind of thing that will delight you and maybe make you fall in love with the city.

So now, after publicly admitting that I find trash trucks tantalizing, I want to know: Has anyone else found themselves unexpectedly mesmerized by a mundane municipal task? Or did you spend your New Year’s in a much more sensible (and less dusty) way?

On The Road – ema – How Do They Do That?Post + Comments (47)

pat

I have been putting together calendars for several years.  I get them printed at Walgreens, and wait until there is a 50% discount (normal price is $25).  I give them to several friends and relatives.

I like the photos from the Walgreens but the backgrounds they offer are despicable.  Fortunately I can choose a solid black.

I select photos that correspond more or less to the month.  These are some of my 2026 calendar photos.

On The Road – pat – Favorite PhotosPost + Comments (16)

Great mix of single posts this week!

We have a set of posts for next week, but after that we’re wide open, so if you have been thinking of submitting an OTR post, this would be a great time!

Albatrossity

After last week’s tour of the Raptors of Flyover Country, we’ll fill the next few Monday morning OTR posts with Herons and Egrets, which will morph into a grab bag of Other Birds That Eat Fish. We do have some lovely herons and egrets in North America, and lots more in other parts of the world, so hopefully we can learn about some of those as well.

On The Road – Albatrossity – Herons and EgretsPost + Comments (19)

ema

I am usually a day or two behind reading BJ so I missed WaterGirl’s comment about documenting the subway Thanksgiving dinner. I will try and film it for you next year. Until then, here are some big balloons from this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (1:22:16).

Quite a few of the balloons were flown vertically this year which was a bit odd. All the balloons were flown very low because the forecast called for strong winds (meh, it was a bit breezy that’s all), but to see so many float upright down 6th Ave. just looked out of place.

Which one is your favorite balloon? My favorite part of the parade is all the kids and adults yelling the name of the balloons and going absolutely crazy with delight when Santa appears.

On The Road – ema – Big BalloonsPost + Comments (8)

lashonharangue

After two nights camping on Isla Dazante it was time to move as the regulations limit stays in any one location. We decided to take it easy and paddle a relatively short distance south toward the Baja coast.

On The Road – lashonharangue – Sea of Cortez [2 of 2]Post + Comments (15)

lashonharangue

Our recurrent canoe trip on the Green River in Utah was canceled this past year due to excessive heat and nearby fires making the air unhealthy to breathe. So instead we went on a kayaking trip in the Sea of Cortez south of the city of Loreto in Southern Baja California.

On The Road – lashonharangue – Sea of Cortez [1 of 2]Post + Comments (10)