About four years ago (gosh, that's been too long ago), my friend Rena and I went to New York City.  We left on Thursday evening, rolled in on Friday morning.  Ate at Big Daddy's diner, had a nap, and hit the town running (not literally-we took the subway and cabs)...we had a lot to do after all.  We were there mainly to hit up some awesome Broadway shows, but of course we had to see the sites too.  I can tell you January in NYC....frigid! and windy!  There were times where I literally could not feel my hands (yes, I had gloves).  The worst was taking pictures on top of the empire state building...had to take my gloves off to work the camera controls.  One of our stops was the Statue of Liberty.  This, of course, was post 9/11 and so much has changed since then, especially security wise.  I'm sure it's like that at all our national monuments.  I just remember being highly screened before getting on the ferry, and most definitely at the foot of lady liberty (metal detectors, taking the shoes off, getting the air puffs blown on you, the works).  Really, though who can question that process....I certainly didn't mind at the time.  It's something most of us don't experience daily.  Anyway, I talk about the security because as I was reviewing this picture I noticed something I never have before.  You see...when I took this shot, and up until just a few moments ago, all I noticed was the lines, the shape of the stairs, the way the light hits, the way the color of the light bulbs have turned what is a simple grey into an amber, and the chrome rails winding up the staircase, but I just now realized that there are floodlights all up the structure, a security camera in the top left, and what seems like other security devices around.  I just find it odd that I've never notice.  I don't think I noticed then.  I did notice the visitors, people of every race, every age....and just thought how neat it was that there, which marked the entry into America for so many, that a great representation of our country was standing on that ground.