GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: christmas tree, holidays, photography
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Christmas Tree, 2007.
This tree stands in the plaza between the New York State Theatre, the Metropolitan Opera House, and Avery Fischer Hall -- I walk past this tree twice every day on my way to the library where I get free wifi. It's a lot prettier at night than it is during the day (I think it is very ugly in the daytime). In the background, you can see the lights from a few buildings that look out over the western side of Central Park in Manhattan.
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
I was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year until last weekend. I live in the North Georgia mountains, and we went shopping in a little town called Dahlonega, a gold rush boom town once upon a time, now a touristy kind of place. It's the county capital and has a gold domed courthouse. It sits in a bit of a valley surrounded by the Smokey Mountains and has an old fashioned town square, totally decked out for the holidays. There was a wintry nip in the air and the tops of the mountains were covered in snow. I parked my husband at my favorite coffeehouse in these parts while I looked for him a gold panning set. It was great, something out of a Norman Rockwell print.
I miss living in the city sometimes, but I'm having wonderful adventures out here in the wilderness.
Posted by: carolyn13 | December 19, 2007 11:10 PM
I anxiously await the day when we have government officials willing to stand up and say "We are not going to slaughter another ancient tree, only to waste electricity adorning its corpse" and set a valuable example about all kinds of conservation. 'Course, I gotta convince my wife to quit doing the same to the house each year, first... (We do use an artificial tree, though.)
Posted by: Jerry D. Harris | December 20, 2007 11:08 AM
The first fruits from your new camera? Very nice. rb
Posted by: arby | December 20, 2007 11:30 AM
That's a nice picture.
You're getting used to your camera.
Posted by: Chris' Wills | December 20, 2007 11:34 AM
I just saw the real first digital picture from three days ago, things have been piling up in the reader. You'll have fun this Christmas. A lot more fun than a camera with, you know, film and stuff. Happy holidays to you and your readers. rb
Posted by: arby | December 20, 2007 5:26 PM