Well, we’re back home at the cottage after a lovely and, at the same time, exhausting weekend.

This morning we shared a cup of coffee in the Secret Garden, which, it turns out, Don loves. It’s quieter, more secluded, and slightly magical. He’s starting to let go and relax. He needs to rest and heal.

I drove into the city on Saturday morning. We had decided that Saturday was for pleasure; we would just have fun. Sunday would be for packing and all the emotional and physical stress that would bring.

First stop: Prince Street down in Soho. Don has been following a guy named Louis Mendes, who is famous around NYC for his Polaroid Portrait street photography. He is 78 years old now and he has taken more street portraits than you or I can imagine over the course of his career. He uses a vintage Crown Graphic Press Camera. He is usually stationed near B & H Photo (one of my favorite places). Anyway, Don has had several talks with him, and I have also met him and chatted with him. He has taken our portrait. We both follow (on Instagram) one of the many photographers he has mentored, Jean Andre Antoine, so we set off to try and meet him. He is usually stationed on Prince Street, near Broadway.

To our delight, he was there. What an amazing soul he is, gentle and kind.

We spent a lot of time talking to him; Don especially.

There’s the camera. A Polaroid back has been added to the camera. It’s the coolest camera – from the 40s.

Don has his Holga camera with him. We both have one of these inexpensive Japanese cameras – toys, really – that have a cult following. Each one is different, with distortions and vignetting that are never predictable and always amazing. There is a massive group of Holga followers and a lot of them post on IG under the #holga hashtag.

Anyway, we asked Jean Andre do a portrait of each of us. I cannot believe how amazing his work is, how extraordinary his eye.

A picture of the picture. Just by chatting with me and watching me, he knew to ask me to lean on the ledge, telling me to put all my hair to one side. I usually detest photos of myself, but I really love this one.

And Don:

Isn’t it amazing? Jean Andre’s street photography is extraordinary.

Don has really been taken by both Louis’ and Jean Andre’s work, and…he’s going to study with Louis. Don has a great eye, loves photography, and really wants to engage with people and take their portraits. It’s something he can do when he’s not acting. I’m really excited for him. He’s so passionate about it and I think the thought of studying with Louis is helping him through this transition. If you’re interested in doing so, google Louis Mendes and you’ll learn all about him. The whole idea – since the film is expensive – is that the photographer only has one shot at the portrait. So he has to know what he’s doing.

After this, we walked north to Greenwich Village and Washington Square.

This incredibly talented classical pianist somehow rolls a piano into the park (I have no idea how) and plays for hours. We sat down and listened to him and the music was lovely.

Also: I fell in love with the text on the piano, which Don tells me is a message that Woody Guthrie used to have on his guitar.

It wouldn’t be Washington Square without something like this.

The park was full of New Yorkers. It’s such a great place to people watch. If you look on the left side of the photo, you can see a dog who was having the best time playing in the water.

A rainbow was just what we needed to see, because Sunday was all about packing up the apartment, loading up the car and heading home, officially ending the six months that Don has lived in the city.

All packed and ready to go. Don wisely hired three guys who do bike deliveries for the restaurant next door to lug everything downstairs for us. Going back and forth, up and down four flights of stairs would have been exhausting for us.

The front of the apartment building, taken while I waited for Don to come back with the car. Thankfully, there’s a loading zone right next door, so I kept watch over everything and Don pulled in, put the hazard lights on, and we loaded up the CR-V. An hour and a half later, we were home. Then we unloaded everything.

We were really tired at the end of all of this.

Right now, Don is happy to be home. It’s a big adjustment. He’s also sad, of course, that the show has closed and he would jump right back in if he could. But we’re coming to terms with things as best we can.

I’m back to my particular reality, which is mowing the lawn. That’s on the docket for today.

Don needs to rest his legs and knees, so I’ve told him firmly that I will handle it this week.

Glad he’s home. Sad the show is over because I know how much he loved every minute of that experience. Now we begin to readjust to being back in the same house together. He’s had his routine in NYC. I’ve had mine here. Now, we try and mesh.

Happy Monday.