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Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts

Monday, 30 June 2025

Fire Hydrants

A Hydrant In The Flowers
 
Location: Elm Creek, Manitoba, Canada
Address: Gladys Street Fire Department
Date: Oct 2014
Website: https://www.rmofgrey.ca

    You can't park in front of them. Dogs like to pee on them. In case of a fire you hope that one is nearby. We are talking about fire hydrants. Here are some of the most interesting hydrants that we have encountered.
 
Hook & Ladder 8 Fire Truck New York City.

    Now we could do a whole blog just on fire trucks (and maybe we will). When the fire department shows up to fight a fire, it is a hydrant they need to attach their hoses. Only then can they get the water they need to put out the flames.

USA HYDRANTS
 
American Flag Painted Fire Hydrant Queens New York

    On Ditmars Blvd. in Queens, New York we found this hydrant next to Astoria Park. It was all painted like the American flag. It stood out amongst the other plain hydrants. We are uncertain if it was special for any other reasons.
 
A Gold Fire Hydrant At Irvine Spectrum Centre
 
  At the Irvine Spectrum Center in California we spotted this shiny, gold fire hydrant. This must be a special hydrant, but sadly it was not real gold.
 
Hydrants From The World Trade Center.

   The New York State Museum is located in the state capital of Albany, New York. It includes an entire Fire Engine Hall. It also includes items collected from where the World Trade Center towers fell. These are two different types of hydrants (shown above) that survived the disaster.

GREECE HYDRANTS
 
Tortoise And Hydrant In Athens Greece.

 This hydrant was located near the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It was pretty insignificant except for the tortoise right beside it. We know dogs like to pee on things to mark their territory. We don't know if this tortoise just finished marking the hydrant as his.

CANADA HYDRANTS
 
Hydrant Painted Like A Minion Near Dildo Newfoundland.
 
 On the highway towards Dildo, Newfoundland we spotted this Minion painted hydrant. In the movie Minions there is one scene where Stuart, the one eyed minion, actually hits on a fire hydrant.
 
World's Largest Fire Hydrant Elm Creek Manitoba.

   The world's largest fire hydrant sits next to the Elm Creek Fire Department in Manitoba. There used to be a bigger fire hydrant in South Carolina but it has since been taken down so we redeclare this the world's largest. It is about 29 feet tall and took six months to build. It was unveiled on Canada Day in 2001.

World's Largest Fire Hydrant Elm Creek Manitoba.

 A regular fire hydrant sits next to the giant one. You definitely would not want your fire department or your large fire hydrant to burn down.

Dalmation Fire Hydrant Fire Station 314 Toronto.

 Dalmation dogs were used back when firefighters travelled in horse drawn fire wagons. Since then they have become beloved companions even to modern day fire fighters. At Fire Station 314 in Toronto, this hydrant dalmation keeps an eye on the street out front.
 
Sailor Hydrant Lawson Road Scarborough.
 
 In Scarborough, Ontario there is a sailor hydrant near the Highland Creek Royal Canadian Legion.

A Hydrant In A Field In Milliken Park.

   In Scarborough, Ontario there is another hydrant located in Milliken Park. The only issue here is that the hydrant is all alone in the middle of a field. We are not sure when this hydrant may be called into service. Perhaps a picnic fire?

Exposed Fire Hydrant Berczy Park Toronto

  Near Berczy Park in Toronto we saw this hydrant exposed while some construction work was taking place. You can see by this photo how big the pipes are. This helps keep a water pressure between 50 and 100 psi.

Broken Hydrant Magic Noodle Yonge Street.

    The hydrant in the photo above was sheared off when a car drove over it and into a restaurant on Yonge Street in Toronto. A hydrant could send out as much as 5,500 litres a minute. Umbrellas are a good idea until the fire department can get the water shut off.

No Dog Peeing Sign In Toronto.

  Most places do not want your dog to relieve themselves against their walls etc. We have not noticed any signs near hydrants. It seems the fire fighters are fine sharing the hydrants with their four legged friends.

Dogs March With Hydrants In Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

  In the Toronto Santa Claus Parade every dog carried its own hydrant with them. It seems marking your territory just wasn't enough.

Mr T Sits On This Fire Hydrant in T And T Filmed In Toronto.

  Our final hydrant on this list has a celebrity connection. Mr. T filmed his television show T And T in Toronto. In Season 3 Episode 12 he sits on the hydrant pictured above waiting for a limo to pull up to a hot dog stand. It is at the corner of Queen Street West and James Street. This episode was probably filmed in 1989 or 1990. Is it possible that this is still the same hydrant from 35 years ago? While hydrants can remain in service for up to 50 years, we have to report that the hydrant currently in that spot is a newer design.

Map of Our World
World's Largest Fire Hydrant

Post # 348

Thursday, 20 June 2024

Gillie & Marc

     Gillie & Marc Logo

       Gillie & Marc are a married couple who are known for the sculptures that they create together. Their work can be found on public streets all around the world. They are best known for their sculptures of Rabbitwoman and Dogman. They also have a strong focus on endangered animals. You can find out more about the artists and where their sculptures can be found at gillieandmarc.com. Below are some of the Gillie & Marc sculptures we have encountered in our travels. Many of their sculptures are on temporary exhibition before they move on to a new location.

    Paparazzi Dogs

    Gillie & Marc Paparazzi Dogs San Francisco USA
     
      These paparazzi dogmen were the first Gillie & Marc sculpture that we recall seeing. They were located on Powell Street in San Francisco. They were taking photos of people coming out of an H&M store inside the Elevated Shops building. The dogmen are a combination of Marc and his weimaraner dog named Indie.

    Coffee Table Of Love
    Gillie & Marc Coffee Table Of Love Manhattan Park Ave
     
     In New York City at Park Ave and East 46th Street you will find Coffee Table Of Love. Dogman is joined by Rabbitwoman for a cup of coffee. There are two more stools at the table for passerbys to join the half animal, half human couple.
     
    Coffee Table Of Love Rabbitwoman New York.
     
      Rabbitwoman in based on Gillie and an unknown rabbit. Rabbitwoman holds a coffee and looks across at Dogman.
     
    Coffee Table Of Love Dogman New York.

       Dogman holds a coffee and looks across at Rabbitwoman.

    Love Negotiation
    Love Negotiation Gillie & Marc Toronto Canada

      In Toronto, Canada there is another Rabbitwoman and Dogman sculpture on Scollard Street. This time they are sitting at a smaller coffee table with no room for anyone else to join them. 
     
    Love Negotiation Dogman Gillie & Marc Toronto CanadaLove Negotiation Rabbitwoman Gillie & Marc Toronto Canada

     When we took these pictures there had been a recent snowfall so the sculptures had a layer of snow on them. These versions of Dogman and Rabbitwoman had some colour in them. Dogman was sporting a blue suit and Rabbitwoman wore a red dress. Neither of them was dressed for the weather.
     
    He Was On A Wild Ride To A Safer Place With Rabbitwoman & Dogman
    He Was On A Wild Ride To A Safer Place With Rabbitwoman & Dogman

      At the time of posting this blog there was another Gillie & Marc sculpture in Toronto at David Pecaut Square. Dogman and Rabbitwoman are sharing a tandem bicylce with a rhinoceros. You can join them in the last seat. This sculpture is temporary and will leave Toronto in 2025. Who knows where it might end up. 
     
    He Was On A Wild Ride To A Safer Place With Rabbitwoman & Dogman.  Love The Last.
     
      The rhino is there to represent the campaign called Love The Last. This is meant to raise awareness of endangered animal species. We tried to see their sculpture called The Last Three in New York City, but it was gone when we got there. The sculpture represented the last three northern white rhinos on earth. Only two remain alive today.
     
    The Travellers Have Arrived

    The Travellers Have Arrived Cosmopolitan Hotel Las Vegas

      While other sculptures show Dogman and Rabbitwoman enjoying coffee or riding a bike, this sculpture in Las Vegas is quite different. The two half human, half animals are riding a donkey naked through the Cosmopolitan hotel. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!

    Saturday, 20 May 2023

    Lake George

    Lake George New York State
     
    Location: Lake George, New York, USA
    Address:  2 Canada Street
    Date:  September 2010
    Website:  tikiresort.com

      Lake George is located in the northern part of New York state. It is located beside the Adirondack Mountains. The area is a popular tourist destination to enjoy the mountains and steamboat rides on the lake. After falling in love with Maui, Hawaii, we visited Lake George for the Polynesian dinner show. If you can't make it to Hawaii then you might want to head to Lake George in New York state and visit the Tiki Resort.

    Polynesian Dinner Show At The Tiki Resort in Lake George.

       We enjoyed a dinner, a few drinks and the show. It featured Hawaiian dancers and drummers all the way from Schenectady.  One of us even got to participate. A few lucky dancers were chosen to shake their stuff based on the fruit shouted out by the band. "Coconut" to the right, "Pineapple" to the left and "Papaya" to the rear. By the time we were done we had danced up a fruit salad.

    Lake George Mallard Duck

         We were only in Lake George for one night to catch the Tiki show. The next morning we decided to see what else was going on in town before heading to New York City. As we approached the waterfront this duck quacked out to us.
     
    Minnie Ha Ha And The Mohican Steamboats At Lake George
     
      Across the water at the pier we could see the Mohican and Minnie Ha Ha steamboats getting ready to take tourists out for a relaxing trip around the lake. We hear that in the fall, the colours are lovely.

    Uncle Sam Magic Forest Lake George

        As we headed out of Lake George, we were in for one last treat. We noticed a giant Uncle Sam in a parking lot. We pulled over and went to check him out. This Uncle Sam is 38 feet tall. He was designed for an Ohio restaurant called fittingly, Uncle Sam's. He then stood outside of the state fairgrounds in Danbury, Connecticut until coming to Lake George to stand in the parking lot of the Magic Forest amusement park.

    Uncle Sam And Santa In The Magic Forest.

      Behind Uncle Sam we noticed someone else very special. It was Santa Claus! What more could you ask for in a town? A Tiki Resort and Santa are two of our favourite things.

    Santa Claus Lake George

      Sadly, Uncle Sam has returned once again to Danbury and Santa has disappeared. The Tiki Resort is still doing shows so that is more than enough reason to spend a day in Lake George.  Coconut!!


    Map of Our World
    Tiki Resort , Minnie Ha Ha

    Post # 323

    Monday, 20 March 2023

    Kelly & Ryan

    Live With Kelly & Ryan Niagara Falls Canada

    Location:
    New York, New York, USA
    Address:  77 W 66th St
    Date: June 2017
    Website:  kellyandryan.com

      LIVE with Kelly & Ryan is a morning talk show filmed at ABC studios in New York City.  The show has left the studio and travelled to Canada on three occassions.  Back in 1996 the show filmed from Niagara Falls, Ontario and the hosts were Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee Gifford.  In 2006, the show returned once more and this time Kelly Ripa joined Regis as a host. In 2017, the current hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest filmed a pair of episodes and this time we were there.  Ryan Seacrest has announced that he will be leaving the show so we found ourselves looking back.

    Sheraton Fallsview Hotel

      We didn't actually have tickets to the show but we obtained ourselves a bird's eye view.  We had a room at the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel which overlooks the Oakes Garden Theatre where the taping of the show was to take place.

    Sheraton Fallsview View Of Niagara Falls

      The hotel also offers a great view to look across and admire the American and Horseshoe Falls.

    Kelly & Ryan Stage Preparations Niagara Falls

         As we looked down from our balcony, we had a perfect view of the stage below.  The day before the taping we could watch the crews getting everything ready for the big day. The proximity to the Falls means that even if there is no rain in the forecast, you always have a chance of mist. The main desk on stage remained under a tarp for protection.

    Kelly & Ryan Stage Oakes Garden Niagara Falls

       Since we had arrived the day before, we were able to go down into the gardens and get a close up view of the stage. This is what it would be like to be one of the lucky audience members in attendance when the show went live.

    Crowd Wait To Enter Kelly & Ryan Taping Niagara Falls

      The audience members started to fill up the street at the bottom of Clifton Hill, waiting for their chance to enter the gardens.

    Kelly & Ryan Live From Niagara Falls

      While the crowd squeezed into the gardens, we admired the beauty of Niagara Falls and were quite happy having our own private viewing area. It may have been way in the back, but we had an unobstructed view. 
     
    Kelly & Ryan Lobby Of Sheraton Fallsview Niagara.

       As show time approached we headed down to the hotel lobby.  Rumour had it that the stars themselves were in the hotel and getting ready to walk across to the Oakes Garden Theatre. Next thing we knew we had a front row seat as Kelly & Ryan were greeted to cheers from their fans.

    Live With Kelly & Ryan 2017 Niagara Falls.

      We headed back up to our private viewing suite.  We were just in time to catch the start of the show.

    Kelly & Ryan And Their Fans Niagara Falls.

      Kelly & Ryan addressed the crowd of mostly Canadian fans.  It is only a short walk or drive across the Rainbow Bridge to get to New York state for any American fans in attendance.

    Kelly & Ryan Live From Niagara Falls.

      Kelly & Ryan sat at their big white desk. The desk was nice and dry after being protected under tarps waiting for the hosts to arrive. 

    Kelly & Ryan & Justin Trudeau.

      To make the show even more Canadian, one of the guests was Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The highlight of his appearance seemed to be that he wore R2-D2 and C-3PO Star Wars socks.

    ABC Studios New York City.

      Since Kelly & Ryan had been nice enough to visit us in Canada, we decided to see more of them when we were in New York City. The show is filmed at ABC studios at West 67th Street and Columbus Ave. in Manhattan.

    Kelly Ripa Bench In Central Park.

      If you follow West 67th Street into Central Park you will see a row of benches as you enter the park.  One of those is dedicated to Kelly Ripa.

    Kelly Ripa 30 Years With Disney Bench In Central Park

          The bench congratulates Kelly Ripa for over 30 years with the Walt Disney Company which owns ABC. Kelly has been with LIVE for over 20 years and shows no signs of stopping. Her next co-host will be her husband Mark Consuelos.  If they choose to do another taping from Niagara Falls, we know where we will be watching from.


    Post # 321