Clear Hole in the Sky

September 11, 2023. Sunset 7:11 PM. Brooklyn, NY.

Looking towards the Freedom Tower, the view now blocked by the trees that have grown up since 2001. A quick thunder and lightning storm just passed, clearing the air and opening to the blue and gold sky just above.

labor of love

Sept. 2, 2023. Sunset 7:37 PM. San Francisco, CA.

Greetings to and from my neighbors! Happy healthy Labor Day.
Thanks Norman for holding down the fort.

Big Blue Supermoon

August 30, 2023. Sunset 7:41 PM. San Francisco, CA.

"Did you see the moon?" Norman from San Francisco to me in Brooklyn. And sadly I didn't see it here!!! The big beautiful blue supermoon. I won't be holding my breath until next time since it won't occur again until 2037. I miss my friends and neighbors and the dogs from San Francisco, too!!

I left my bell in San Francisco

August 27, 2023. Sunset 7:46 PM. San Francisco, CA.

"Only Tony and me" - NT
It looks so nice and foggy and cool there. Still muggy here in Brooklyn, though I am missing that big loud bell.
Welcome back from your summer with your family, Tony!! It looks so nice and foggy and cool there.

tropical good night

August 15, 2023. Sunset 7:56 PM. Miami FL.

"It's cloudy over here-- So not as clear as yours"

-- "This one is a little less cloudy"- Ana L.

so moody...

more Moxi, less deer

August 15, 2023. Sunset 7:53 PM. Brooklyn, NY.

Here we are just around the corner from the Mona Lisa of Williamsburg with my sister, Lisa, visiting from Montana--
Very different sunsets around here from the recent sunrises at her home out there!

lost time?

August 13, 2023. Sunset 8:04 PM. Benicia, CA.

"...I lost time today and ended up doing a little gig with a good friend of mine in Benicia. Here is the sunset..."
- Thea Farhadia
Big sun over a tiny Golden Gate Bridge-- Thanks Thea!

So right AGAIN!

August 6, 2023. Sunrise 3:31 AM. Norrbotten County, Sweden.
Nice pic: Right?—Joe

From Joe P via Nancy M
“Does Hutch’s sister still post sun pics? Cousin enjoying long days, Norrbotten Sweden”

Hannah says, “another good one”

August 2, 2023. Sunset 8:17 PM. San Francisco, CA.

Thanks for the updates from the West Coast from my niece Hannah who is taking care of our cat and taking advantage of the cool weather and beautiful sunsets while we steam away here in Brooklyn.

AI Sky?? NOT

July 29, 2023. Sunset 8:14 PM. Brooklyn, NY.

We’d just finished ringing little bells on the subway while riding over the Williamsburg Bridge. Stepping off the train into air freshly washed and still a bit moist, we turned away from the sunset to see this golden sky exploding behind us.

smell the sunset

July 28, 2023. Sunset 8:15 PM. Brooklyn, NY.

The corner of Bedford and Broadway on this hot steamy Friday evening. This neighborhood now has a smoke shop on every block (literally), and the beginning of the weekend around here amps up what has become the iconic smell of this neighborhood - everyday - all day.

right down the street

July 27, 2023. Sunset 8:22 PM. Ocean Beach, SF, CA.

"it's a good one! So beautiful. Right down the street". - Hannah

Front door and back door "good mornings"

July 17, 2023. Sunrise 5:51 AM. Emigrant, MT.

Front door and back door "good mornings" from my sister Lisa

almost there

July 7, 2023. Sunset 8:34 PM. San Francisco, CA.

"Getting ready to go ring the bell"
- Hannah

Right!

July 4, 2023. Sunrise 6:34 AM. Miami, FL.

From Joe’s daughter-- “Sunrise today from Ella’s balcony in Little Havana…nice; right?”

celestial indifference

July 3, 2023. Sunset 9:25 PM. Michiana, MI.
"Sun setting over Lake Michigan" -LB

Interesting trivia? I only just realized that the sun rises or sets over 4 of the 5 Great Lakes in Michigan. AND the state sports 2 times zones.

With the relationships between our arbitrary borders on Earth and the celestial indifference to them in mind-- today -- July 4th is the last day for the latest sunset of the year at this latitude.

While the sun has been rising later and later for several weeks now, shrinking the day from that end (about 4 second per day), the sunset will now begin its own shutting down of the day earlier-- slowly- but still earlier.

Thank you Lisa for these.

tiny deer and ufo?

July 1, 2023. Sunrise 5:39 AM. Emigrant, MT.

from my sister, Lisa- "picking up William this morning to go to the family reunion. SUNRISE"
There are so many tiny, amazing things here. I am especially fixated on the little deer who appear to be watching the sunrise as well as that round green orb that appears to be in the sky.
What IS that????-BH

wow

June 26, 2023, Sunset 9:15 PM. Emigrant MT.

"sunset last night" from my sister Lisa

Garden Of Memory Summer Solstice 2023

June 21, 2023. Sunset 8:34 PM. Oakland, CA. Congratulations to the 2nd year of reopening for the annual Solstice celebration at the Garden of Memory in the Chapel of the Chimes. Many thanks to the Cardew Choir for incorporating the dailybell sunset bell observance into their own 4 hour performance of Pauline Oliveros’ “Heart Chant” and “Rock Piece”.
Here’s what Tom Bickley had to report about the moment---“The Sunset Bell ringing was quite a draw. People asked if it would be upstairs as usual. We explained that we were the main location. Later an audience member reported that on the upper-level people rang keys, bells, etc. at sunset, too.”
Also thanks to friends Jenny Holland, Betsy Willson, Emily Klion and Sharon Plumeria from previous years for gathering forces and carrying on the tradition together.
Hopefully some of the participants from this year’s sunset bell-ringing crossing of the East River in New York will send in some documentation—which I look forward to sharing (I failed to take any photos or video)…

perfect solstice sunset celebration for dogs

June 21, 2023. Sunset 8:44 PM. Shelter Island, NY.

Fern and her daughter, Willow on vacation having a sunset sniff on the Solstice.
Thanks Connie!

This just in –

June 21, 2023. Sunset 8:30 PM. East River between DUMBO and Wall Street.

These photos were taken by Emily Whitfield who came to the event with her friend Joyce Burstein (a friend of Léonie) Such an unexpected trail of connections and pleasant surprise. That last photo in the series (5) is one of the guys who worked on the Ferry with his little bell. On my return trip, I couldn't find my ticket and his co-worker, who also had a bell- waved me on- This whole event was unexpectedly over the top delightful!
Emily's pictures captured everything that evening (except for the sound)-- For that-- grab some bells and ring along as you scroll through the pictures- or check out one of the earlier postings from that evening.
—post from Emily Whitfield-
“Had a great time ringing in the Summer Solstice with friends and random strangers on the ferry from Dumbo to Wall Street. As the dailybell event creator/artist Brenda Hutchinson puts it: Sunrise and Sunset, 2 things everyone can agree on, every day!”

East River Ferry Crossing-- from the Solstice team!

June 21, 2023. Sunset 8:30 PM. Solstice Sunset Bell Ringing.

Here is the first batch of photos to arrive from the terrific dailybell team who invited people waiting in line or the Ferry at the DUMBO landing to celebrate in the longest day of the year together as we made the very short (4 minute) crossing of the East River to Wall St.

These are the photos that Joe took- they include our signs, cards we distributed to everyone along with bells to ring and keep. Many thanks to everyone who showed up to help-- Joe Pokrifka, Mary Buchen, Hannah Hutchinson (and her friend- Sara??), Charlie Charles, Joyce Burstein and Emily Whitfield.
PS (If any of you have photos or videos, please send them- I failed miserably to document anything) It would be nice to hear all those little bells.

East River Ferry Crossing WITH SOUND!!

June 21, 2023.Sunset 8:30PM. East River Crossing, NY. June 21, 2023. Sunset 8:30 PM. This just in from Charlie Star Charles who is an intern at Harvestworks this summer- The only documentation with sound from our crossing! (The boat is much louder than I remembered) Thank you Charlie, Carol Parkinson and Harvestworks for your support!

Coming Soon!! The Summer Solstice--

If you are around the East River in Brooklyn on Wed- please join us for a short, bell-ringing ride across the river at sunset --
We are joining Make Music New York this year as part of the mutli-site day long festival. Rain or shine
Location/Map:
East River Ferry Landing -- DUMBO TO Wall St./Pier 11
Old Fulton St and Furman St. Brooklyn, NY 11201
East River Ferry Schedule
Ferry Departs at 8:17 PM. Sunset at 8:30 PM

another Montana sunrise-- letting sleeping dogs (and cats) lie

June 17, 2023. Sunrise 5:34 AM. Emigrant, MT.

"this morning at 5:15 AM" from my sister, Lisa

bad air ... earliest sunrise ... a peek at the Moxi

June 11, 2023. Sunrise 5:24 AM. Brooklyn, NY.

Good morning from Brooklyn. Arriving here last night, the air was sweet and clear. I optimistically opened a window only to find the air this morning to be that lovely, but deadly smoky orange- well into the Unhealthy for Sensitive People range.

On a completely different note- We are sitting in the earliest sunrises of the year here at 5:24-- for another week and then the slow creep forward....

color blind-- busy noses

June 10, 2023. Sunrise 5:35 Emigrant, MT.

View from my sister, Lisa's house.

"Tucker, Riley and Huck ignoring the sunrise"—Lisa

cast iron magnet

June 8, 2023. Sunset 8:30 PM. San Francisco, CA.

This was a bell magnet night. We were just catching up with Kiki (the dog), Matt and his brother and mother who were visiting from the Midwest when Riley (the person) who used to live 2 doors down came by with his friend and their 2 very LOUD motorcycles. If you look closely, you will notice the woman wearing 2 different shoes. She had to make a mad dash out the door and grabbed the nearest shoes that fit from top of pile of childrens’ shoes but the door. Last, but not least, our friend Elisabeth just returned from Sardinia, and she came by with a lovely new bell for us.

(This is the bell—it’s a #5, which is my lucky number—thank you Elisabeth)

Thank you everyone! It was a wonderful surprise to be together this evening.

Happy Birthday Bill

June 2, 2023. Sunset 8:26 PM. San Francisco, CA.

Today would have been my brother’s 61st birthday. It’s hard to imagine him as a grey-haired man. Here we are in the summer of 2009 a few months before he passed away. He'd recently celebrated his 47th birthday, and he and my 2 youngest nieces had come out to stay with us to help renovate our bathroom. Bill had a particularly annoying time (using a toothpick) with clearing the mastic between some tiny tiles I'd chosen. I can still hear him muttering under his breath every time I go into the bathroom, and it still makes me laugh.

One moment of repose-

June 1, 2023. Sunset 8:46 PM. Sardinia, Italy.

"Sunset in Castelsardo, Sardinia just now"-Elisabeth Beaird and Richard Marriott
(I looked up the weather, and it's as lovely as it looks-- 70's)- BH

sweet and sour

May 27, 2023. Sunset 8:22 PM. San Francisco, CA.
Our only post this month, (though we've been ringing away into the fog everyday)-

This was an unexpected eruption of joy at seeing each other this evening! At the same time we are saying goodbye to Tony who returns to China in 2 days for the summer. We'll miss him-- 路平安，旅途愉快!

What’s in the bag? Some lemons for the road- redistributing them from another neighbor's spring harvest-- In New Jersey, everyone tried to give their tomatoes away at the same time each year.

Here-- it's the lemons.

Happy sunset Rae!

April 26, 2023. Sunset 8:15 PM. Olympia, WA.

“happy sunset to you, Brenda! thinking of you”.
- Rae Diamond
(this is sooooo silvery)- BH

Joe's friends and family weighing in at all hours

April 22, 2023. Sunset 7:56 PM. Saint Helena Island, SC

Yesterday’s sunset from my cousin Roseanne in Saint Helena Island SC

April 25, 2023. Sunrise 6:29 AM. Raleigh, NC

Dawn in Raleigh, NC yesterday c/o Nancy Moore posted to FB
- Joe P

Thank you guys! -BH