Syracuse-scapes	Queer like... Fearless
The Sacred	The Mundane
Atmospheric Phenomenon	Flora and Fauna

There are only two sorts of folks that live in Syracuse, and it isn't about being born here, or coming to live here at a later point in life.

It is about whether or not you are one of those people who love everything about Syracuse, including the extreme winter weather. Those who love this city and its surrounding regions -- first and foremost -- appreciate the abundant, clean and readily available water that comes as a result of those harsh, snowy winters. Then there are the verdant summers filled with an amazing variety of farm fresh foods, much of which can be bought at reasonable cost in the many local farmers and super markets. Or you can enjoy localvore meals and regional specialties expertly prepared in the head-spinning number and variety of resturants. There are baked goods, locally roasted coffees, Finger Lakes wines and craft beers, pizza and wings like no place else, and more and more -- as a trip to the New York State Fair late in the summer demonstrates -- Syracuse is a foodie town.

Then, of course, there are those folks who wish they were anywhere but here, yet somehow can't figure out how to leave.

In her love song to America entitled "Soldier Blue," Buffy Sainte-Marie captures something of this same experience, but on a wider scale.
Find her lyrics here. The original (1970) version from the movie soundtrack of the same title can be heard here.

I happen to be a transplant to Syracuse, having lived most of my life "downstate" (as my regional dialect reveals almost immediately upon uttering even a single word). I have nearly always lived in New York State, except for the first 5 months of my life (I was born in Indiana), and my college and graduate school years which were spent in Virginia and Tennessee. I moved here nearly a quarter century ago and have, not too long ago, purchased property on a hill south of town so that I can stay throughout eternity.

In this photo-essay is my intention that the images will mostly speak for themselves, but for the few captioning elements. It is my desire that you see the wonderful, quirky, beautiful and awful city I have come to know as my home through my eyes via the lens of my camera, as I experience her these days, in my retirement years.

Thanks for stopping by.

Rebekah Tanner
June, 2023

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