LIGALY "Out Idol" and a rugby weekend

Friday night, we volunteered as judges for LIGALY's annual "Out Idol" competition. We've done this in years past, but they changed the format a bit this year. They broke the group of contestants into two for the first round, so we only had to endure judge four of them, with four more going next week. In the past, we would have had all eight perform in a single first round evening. Apparently, some complained that this took too long.

Of the four performing for us, two were quite good and two... well, let's just say they're not destined to make their fortunes singing.

Making the evening (and weekend) even more fun, Jeff was out for a visit. He's always fun to have around, and he went with us to Idol.

Then, on Saturday, Marc and Jeff went off to do some errands, while I headed for a rugby pitch in the northern part of the Bronx. Believe it or not, it was a lovely setting. It's not what I think of when I think "the Bronx," but I tend to think of the parts around the Cross-Bronx Expressway, and this is a far different place.

The pitch (that's rugby language for "field") :) was in Van Cortland Park, named for Stephanus Van Cortlandt, the first native-born mayor of New York, and home of the oldest building in the Bronx, the Van Cortland Mansion, seen below.


Van Cortland Mansion

There are modern buildings nearby...



I liked the statue of the tortoise and hare that you can see near the bottom of that photo. Here's a closeup...



The park had acres of fields, and they were being used for all sorts of games: softball, rugby, cricket (yes, they were playing cricket there!) and others. The trees lining the fields look like they have been there for ages, especially the ones on the rocky hills. It can't be easy to grow there!


Big trees in the background

I noticed that one of the rock outcroppings was being used recreationally...



Of course, any rugby match will bring nice things to look at...



But I think we'll save the rugby photos for another day!