i went back to Ohio

 but my city was gone,

there was no train station,

there was no downtown. ( Chrissie Hynde)

it hurts to share this story..........but i just heard some disturbing details from what transpired in my beloved Bayridge on what used to be a wonderful Norwegian Day of celebration. I wasn't there but spoke to one or two of the 11209 holdouts.

.seems the PLO was staging their monthly protest against Isreal, Trump, Covid  or fill in the blank, on 5th ave between 71st & 72nd........there were Police there so we can assume they had a permit.....but maybe not...because  the Norwegian Parade was slated to start at 80th street and 3rd...and cross from 3rd ave to 5th ave at Bayridge Pkway and continue along 5th ave to Lief Eirikson Park....obviously both things can not occur at the same time..........so apparently the Parade changed their route and decided to stay exclusively on 3rd ave.....disgraceful but understandable.......5th ave was once the Glorious road for this Viking Stroll....but just like the St Patricks Parade before them, the organizers decided to move it to 3rd ave.

not good enough for the PLO......desperately seeking attention and or altercation they left their barricades and decided to march up 5th ave towards the bridge.......no permits , no police barricades and NOBODY to stop them..........they just marched down the middle of the ave and traffic was forced to divert.......they then apparently turned onto 86th street......once a throughfare of business anchored by Century 21 but now sadly a wasteland of fast food franchises and storefronts for rent.........still seeking that attention they turned onto 3rd ave and marched back towards to the 70's......the same stretched that housed the Norwegian Parade a few hours earlier........until they came to the Salty Dog and a post parade celebration of Civilized America......they had the bullhorns with them and they stopped and demonstrated in front of the Bar........obviously hoping for a fight that they could tape, edit and deliver to the evening news....the Dog Closed their Front doors and urged their customers to stay inside.

apparently this is a pretty common occurrence in my old hometown...... i saw it coming in the 90's......i clearly remember the local police telling my friends to cross 5th ave and NOT walk on the public sidewalk past the Mosque at 68th st because it was their holy day and my friends were possibly inebriated........i knew it was time to go and i am grateful that i did........but it still stings to think these miscreant slobs and cockroaches have devoured the corpse.......after Sweater Nite 25 i may be done with Brooklyn for life.

I was stunned and amazed

My childhood memories

Slowly swirled past

Like the wind through the trees

Ay, oh, way to go, Ohio