One year ago New York City looked and felt very different, but now in the middle of May change has started to take hold and hope is in the air. Here is a look back at the first five months of 2021.
January: A Snowy Owl came from the tundra to land on a baseball field in Central Park, where she was mobbed by angry crows and photographed by crowds of birders. Birds have been considered omens; this one was considered a celebrity.February: Snowfall, and a Tufted Titmouse eating peanuts from a woman’s hand in Central Park. During the pandemic birding became an enormously popular safe, outdoor activity. February: snowfall, and Central Park at its most picturesqueMarch: the museums cautiously reopen, with precautions. Masked people in the Greek and Roman galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of ArtApril: masked visitors at the Museum of Natural History April: outdoor meditationApril: young musicians from the Manhattan School of Music played jazz in Central ParkApril: people enjoying the parks again.April: flowering trees and a model in Central ParkMay: Street performers are out again. May: using the park as an open-air gymMay: cherry blossoms and a child who has grown up looking at people with covered facesMay: a glimpse of a normal, post-pandemic lifeMay: a trumpeter performing in Central ParkMay: Wrong way? People are confused about wearing masks, but the Centers for Disease Control has issued clear guidance. Vaccinated persons no longer need to wear masks outdoors or indoors. The difficult part is knowing who has been vaccinated.
DeborahShapiroPhotos 
Terrific artistry!
Sent from my iPhone
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Thank you, Hans! Great to hear from you.