Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of a window washer on a skyscraper, but you get the idea. This is window washing in NYC – a job that has a lot of perks but is not for the faint of heart.

I have learned a number of things about window washing. It is dangerous. It’s a good job for voyeurs. Stories and cliches abound about the things window washers see, propositions from the wife home alone, and the access washers have to the homes of the wealthy. There are various ways to access windows, such as scaffolding, window hooks, and belts, as seen in the photo. Some windows are accessed strictly by walking on a ledge with no safety equipment, just holding on with one’s hands – this is how the windows of my office are cleaned.

The squeegee is the tool of choice – most nonprofessionals are inclined to use paper towels or rags, which just moves the dirt around. The squeegee goes back to the squilgee of the middle ages used by fishermen to clean boat decks. The modern single-bladed version of today was invented by Italian immigrant and window washer Ettore Steccone in 1936. It continues to be manufactured and is the choice of pros. The composition of the rubber is still a closely guarded secret and apparently continues to give the Ettore the edge over the competition. The future of window washers, however, does not look that bright. Many innovations in windows have made washing easier, such as telescopic and water fed poles. Most new windows tilt in a way that they can be cleaned from the inside. And then there are windows made from self-cleaning glass developed by Pilkington of the UK and also made by PPG, Asahi Glass Co., and Saint Gobain. The glass is manufactured with a special titanium dioxide photocatalytic coating – dirt is broken down by UV light and washed away by the rain…

The temptation to use the word juxtaposition is particularly great in NYC. I was surprised that a search of this blog returns only two uses since its inception. So, I use it again – if there is need for the word juxtaposition, the scene in the photo (taken in Prospect Park, Brooklyn) has to be one of those times. In many decades living here, this is the first time I have witnessed this act in public in NYC.

Islam, like all major organized religions, has many rituals and laws, and the daily prayers, or salat, are one of the pillars of the faith. The purpose, number, times of day, place, preparation, dress, movements, and positions are all prescribed. These prayers are required of every adult Muslim and are performed on a traditional prayer mat, or musalla, five times a day: 1. Fajr – Before sunrise, 2. Zuhr – After the sun begins to decline from its zenith, 3. Asr – Mid-afternoon, 4. Maghrib – Just after sunset, and 5. Isha – night. The supplicant faces qibla (Arabic for the direction faced when praying), which is towards the Kaaba in Mecca.

I found the scene encouraging to see such a group together – Islamic women praying, Hispanic families having a picnic, Caucasian children and an older woman in the playground, and two black children fishing in the lake behind me…