thelastleafgardener

[thelastleafgardener]

The photo featured atop this entry is of a tufted titmouse who is taking in the sights of Central Park. I took the image this past Saturday, April 15th 2017. I have posted a very similar one here in my last post on tumblr. In any event, on the day that I witnessed this bird, watching, I had come to the park to distract my mind, from the sadness I was feeing over having been blown off by someone who had planned to meet with me (which I subsequently blogged about this past Monday). Therefore, I was honored and humbled to see this tufted titmouse, as well as to meet another bird type; who can be seen in the second picture. If you have been following me here on tumblr and/or on Facebook, you probably know that after some research, I had thought the creature was a Savannah sparrow. And, you may also know, that I have recently learned that this creature is a White-throated sparrow, which I discussed in one of yesterday's entries here on Blogger.In any event, last Saturday when I encountered the tufted titmouse as well as the White-throated sparrow, I saw a number of bird types, including an American robin, who can be seen in the third photo. As you can see, this creature is doing some flora-ing (what birds call the act of observing flowers, a habit which is discussed in the book Words In Our Beak Volume One.) And this robin certainly had reason to be impressed by the flowers that are blooming in NYC's Central Park! Therefore, in honor of today's celebration of Earth Day, I'm sharing a few images (pictures four-ten) of the flowers which I saw in the park last Saturday; for upon my reflecting on this experience, a poem comes to my mind which is Hamatreya. The work is by Ralph Waldo Emerson; and in honor of Earth Day, and this National Month of Poetry, I've posted a copy of it below:

Bulkeley, Hunt, Willard, Hosmer, Meriam, Flint, Possessed the land which rendered to their toil Hay, corn, roots, hemp, flax, apples, wool, and wood. Each of these landlords walked amidst his farm, Saying, “’Tis mine, my children’s and my name’s. How sweet the west wind sounds in my own trees! How graceful climb those shadows on my hill! I fancy these pure waters and the flags Know me, as does my dog: we sympathize; And, I affirm, my actions smack of the soil.” Where are these men? Asleep beneath their grounds: And strangers, fond as they, their furrows plough. Earth laughs in flowers, to see her boastful boys Earth-proud, proud of the earth which is not theirs; Who steer the plough, but cannot steer their feet Clear of the grave. They added ridge to valley, brook to pond, And sighed for all that bounded their domain; “This suits me for a pasture; that’s my park; We must have clay, lime, gravel, granite-ledge, And misty lowland, where to go for peat. The land is well,—lies fairly to the south. ’Tis good, when you have crossed the sea and back, To find the sitfast acres where you left them.”  Ah! the hot owner sees not Death, who adds Him to his land, a lump of mould the more. Hear what the Earth say:—   EARTH-SONG                 “Mine and yours;          Mine, not yours.          Earth endures;          Stars abide—          Shine down in the old sea;          Old are the shores;          But where are old men?          I who have seen much,          Such have I never seen.                   “The lawyer’s deed          Ran sure,          In tail,          To them and to their heirs          Who shall succeed,          Without fail,          Forevermore.           “Here is the land,          Shaggy with wood,          With its old valley,          Mound and flood.          But the heritors?—          Fled like the flood's foam.          The lawyer and the laws,          And the kingdom,          Clean swept herefrom. 

        “They called me theirs,          Who so controlled me;          Yet every one          Wished to stay, and is gone,          How am I theirs,          If they cannot hold me,          But I hold them?”

When I heard the Earth-song I was no longer brave; My avarice cooled Like lust in the chill of the grave.  A line in this poem, “The earth laughs in flowers," has often been attributed to e.e. cummings, but as you can see, it actually appears here in Hamatreya. A slight misquote, its meaning taken out of context is quite different than in the poem which is a fact that Karen Joslin has written about. Joslin points out that "The full line in the poem reads: “'Earth laughs in flowers, to see her boastful boys Earth-proud, proud of the earth which is not theirs; Who steer the plough but cannot steer their feet Clear of the grave.'" And she says, “Out of context, it’s warm-and-fuzzy imagery. In context, it’s an illustration of nature’s supremacy, mocking the arrogance of a humanity which thinks it holds dominion over Earth – an immortal force created long before we existed and which will remain long after we’re gone. I find the quote more interesting with the nuances of meaning the poem presents, and I can’t help but wonder if Emerson would be dismayed to see it printed on coffee mugs as a happy pick-me-up."And yet, I like it as a happy pick-me-up, too. For me, it’s an excellent reminder to live in the moment, to pay attention to fleeting instants of beauty, and to appreciate what I have when I have it. Because as Emerson points out, the nature of life is transitory. But unlike Emerson, I don’t look at death as something to be feared; I’d rather look at life as something to be celebrated." On another note, I also wrote (on Blogger) about the poem, Hamatreya, back in 2011, but without the keen insight of Joslin's. Be that as it may,  I think that Hamatreya, is the perfect poem as a means to pay homage to Earth Day!

[thelastleafgardener]

Yesterday on TLLG's FB Page, I mentioned that on the afternoon that I encountered a Savannah sparrow in Central Park, I had also come upon an American robin playing with a piece of string.

There were other bird types that I saw on that same day including a tufted tit mouse, who can be seen in all the images accompanying this posting.

According to Cornell, a tufted tit mouse is "a little gray bird with an echoing voice, the Tufted Titmouse is common in eastern deciduous forests and a frequent visitor to feeders. The large black eyes, small, round bill, and brushy crest gives these birds a quiet but eager expression that matches the way they flit through canopies, hang from twig-ends, and drop in to bird feeders. When a titmouse finds a large seed, you’ll see it carry the prize to a perch and crack it with sharp whacks of its stout bill."

I first met this bird type in 2012 when I was graced the  creature visiting my rooftop garden, and if you'd like to read about my encounters with a tufted tit mouse during that time, please refer to my blog clicking here. UPDATE I'VE JUST LEARNED THE BIRD I PERCEIVED TO BE A SAVANNAH SPARROW IS A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW! INFO @ http://bit.ly/2pZH7id

[thelastleafgardener]

The Savannah sparrow seen in the first picture accompanying this entry (is one I took of the sweet creature when was in Central Park), tells me that he still on the fence as to where to stand re Crayola's recent ousting of the color known as Dandelion, which is a topic I discussed in a recent entry on Facebook. Although this Savannah sparrow knows Crayola still has other shades of yellow, this creature's concern is that those who make a crayon drawing of this bird type, will not be able to capture the bird's unique trait which is a "telltale yellow spot before the eye." As I said, this Savannah sparrow is on the fence re Crayola's decision. A reason for the ambiguity is while the bird is aware that Crayola will continue to offer other hues of yellow, the question is for how long. For according to one of the Savannah sparrow's sources, "previous colors that were discontinued were maize, raw umber, and orange yellow. In other words, less job security when you’re in the yellow family." I can understand the Savannah sparrow point, for this bird is proud of "telltale yellow spot before the eye," and with good reason (as evidenced by all of the photos included here; each taken in Central Park this past Saturday). UPDATE I'VE JUST LEARNED THE BIRD I PERCEIVED TO BE A SAVANNAH SPARROW IS A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW! INFO @ http://bit.ly/2pZH7id

[thelastleafgardener]

Remembering Herbert Buckingham Khaury, known professionally as Tiny Tim, who was born on this day, April 12th, in 1932. He died on November 30th in 1996 at the age of sixty-four, which was the one year anniversary of my father's death (he died at the age of sixty-nine). Tiny Tim was an American singer, most of the time ukulele player, and musical archivist. He is best remembered for his hit "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" sung in a high falsetto/vibrato voice, as evidenced in the music in my You Tube video featuring tulips growing in my garden. I have had a lot of fantastic tulip varies growing here over the years, and pictures of them, along with cool facts are included in both the digital version and soft-cover version of the book I wrote with Cam, "Words In Our Beak Volume One."* Additionally, I've written a number of blog posts re this flora type @ http://bit.ly/2oymCLO *References: Soft-Cover Version: http://bit.ly/2nrBJDj Digital Version: http://bit.ly/22V3uqt

[thelastleafgardener]

The first image accompanying this entry is from a review of Mo Williams's book, "The Pigeon Needs a Bath.” I'm familiar with Mo Williams's book series re pigeons because of my sister. This past summer when visiting me in NYC, she took me to see an exhibit based on Williams's works. The exhibition was featured at The NY Historical Society from March 18, 2016- September 25, 2016. Mo Williams, the exhibition, and my sister's visit, all came to my mind today when I witnessed a pigeon enjoying a bath in my rooftop garden; as evidenced in photos one-six. This bird type is introduced in the book, Words In Our Beak Volume One, which I helped Cam (a female cardinal) write). The book is available in digital as well as soft-cover format. In any event, during our story, we introduced the pigeon when discussing how blessed it is to be a bird in NYC for many reasons; one of them being a bird rehab facility known as The Wild Bird Fund (WBF). The WBF happens to be near to where I live and I have brought birds to be treated there, beginning with a pigeon that Richard K Bloom helped me rescue a few years ago. Rest assured, Cam and I will go into more detail re this bird type in subsequent volumes of Words In Our Beak, in the interim, we are continually entertained by the antics of pigeons.

[thelastleafgardener]

What an honor it is to be in the company of mourning doves and to witness them enjoying the amenities in my garden, such as one of the water sources I provide. Most birds drink by dipping their bill in water and throwing their head back to swallow. Pigeons and doves are able to immerse their beaks and can drink continuously (as seen in image five).

[thelastleafgardener]

Today, April the 8th, is an official time to celebrate an unofficial holiday, which dates back to the 1940's and is known as Draw A Bird Day. In honor of the event, I've posted a drawing of a blue jay that I did as a very young child (image one).

As you can see, drawing was not my strength! When it comes to pictures of birds, I'm better off rendering them photographically, rather than with crayons, but being an accomplished drawer is not a criteria for participating in this holiday.

Here's what MNN (Mother Nature Network) has to say re the event: "Although it's not a recognized holiday, it's celebrated worldwide on April 8 as a way to find joy in life's simple pleasures and to help people temporarily forget their suffering. According to the Draw A Bird Day website, the holiday dates back to 1943 when a 7-year-old British girl named Dorie Cooper went to visit her uncle who'd been wounded in the war. The man was distraught after losing his leg to a landmine, so in an attempt to distract him, Dorie asked him to draw her a bird. He drew a picture of a robin, and Dorie laughed, saying he wasn’t a very gifted artist but that she’d hang the drawing in her room anyway.

"The young girl's honesty and acceptance lifted the soldier's spirits, and every time Dorie visited after that, he and the other wounded soldiers would have a contest to see who could create the best bird picture. In a matter of months, the ward's walls were covered in bird drawings. Tragically, Dorie was hit by a car three years later and killed. At her funeral, her coffin was filled with bird pictures drawn by soldiers, nurses and doctors from her uncle's hospital. She was remembered as the little girl who brought life and hope to a ward of suffering, and since her death, people have been honoring Dorie by drawing birds on her birthday."

MNN goes on to say that "anyone can participate in celebrating Dorie's life by drawing a bird on April 8 and sharing it with someone."

Therefore, in memory of Dorie Cooper, I'm honoring the day by posting the following images of bird drawings that were on a chalkboard inside a store on the UWS of NYC (images two-five); as well as a drawing of a bird that was on a pop-up chalkboard (as seen below) outside a shop near to The Wild Bird Fund, the only bird re-hab facility in NYC (image six).

Moreover, I'm including an ink drawing of a bird in image seven, which which I featured in a post on Blogger.

And with that, I'll give a thumbs-up to Draw A Bird Day, via my drawing of a turkey (image seven) from bygone years as as a means of paying homage to Dorie Cooper, the holiday's creator, who would surely laugh at my drawing skills, but who might've enjoyed my photos of our avian friends.

[thelastleafgardener]

Late this afternoon, I spotted a first time visitor (to my knowedge it’s the first time) from the fauna community in my urban garden (which many of you know is on a rooftop in NYC). He/she was alighting on the branches of my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines) as seen in the first image atop this entry.

And, as you may recall, these kiwi vines were featured in my garden-themed movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame... almost; which is a film narrated by the male kiwi vine. It can be viewed within my Vimeo Library by clicking here. Additionally, a clickable link for viewing this mini movie is included in the iBook version of Words In Our Beak Volume One. In any event, the newbie bird I just referred to is biggest one that I've seen in my garden. At first because of the bird's markings I thought he/she might be a Northern Flicker, but the long lens on my camera confirmed that this bird was much larger than a Northern Flicker. I studied the newcomer through the camera's long lens and  made the determination he/she was a Peregrine Falcon. BUT it turns out I was wrong, and could’ve spread Fake News, had not my knowedgeable FB Folllowers let me know that my newcomer was an American (or Common) kestrel! Pls see my TLLG FB posting for details. Meanwhile, I've seen the falcon type at The Raptor Trust, a bird facility in New Jersey that I became familiar with when I helped rescue a Northern Flicker. And now, they are currently selling my postcards (the ones which are fauna-themed; and thumbnails of them can be seen in the third image directly above) in their gift shop. But I digress! Getting back to the bird who visited me: unfortunately, in terms of him/her, I witnessed he/she having an early dinner, dining on an innocent mouse. They can be seen together in images 4-6 above. I must admit that seeing this mouse's fate was unnerving. I know these events are part of nature's food chain, nonetheless it's unnerving to see an innocent mouse being eaten alive! Then again, perhaps, I now have my own exterminator?

[thelastleafgardener]

"Come again?," asked a male duck, as put his foot up near to his ear, while swimming in one of Central Park's lakes. He is well aware that this expression takes the literal meaning of the phrase-return-to ask someone to repeat a statement, either because it wasn't heard clearly or because its truth is being questioned.

[thelastleafgardener]

This tribute, “THANK YOU Ethel Merman!,” was produced by yours truly a number of years ago. I’m posting it here today on the anniversary of her death (d 2-15-1984). Btw, a link to this mini movie is included in Words In Our Beak, Volume One, which is a book (set in my rooftop garden in NYC), that is written in the voice of a female cardinal. Moreover, I blogged about Ethel Merman (in 2012).

[thelastleafgardener]

I've seen members of the Canadian Geese family, when tandem cycling on the portion of the green way that runs parallel to The Hudson River in NYC. And I've also seen them in Riverside Park, as well as Central Park, which is where all the images posted with this entry were taken.

The last time I saw a goose hanging out in NYC, I let my mind wander and found myself wondering how the term, goosebumps, came into being. According to Wiki, "the phrase 'goose bump,' derives from the phenomenon's association with goose skin. Goose feathers grow from stores in the epidermis which resemble human hair follicles. When a goose's feathers are plucked, its skin has protrusions where the feathers were, and these bumps are what the human phenomenon resembles."

And now, I know, and so do you, dear reader, just how this bird type became associated with the term, goose bumps. If you would know more, I recommend that you check out the aforementioned Wiki link.

[thelastleafgardener]

It's #lameduckday! And this mallard in Central Park, doesn't appreciate the term, so he's giving the (ahem) finger! For more info, click here.

[thelastleafgardener]

How ducks conduct themselves is just one to #HoldenCaulfield's (”The Catcher in the Rye”) Questions (Info @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2017/01/tuesdays-truths-week-twenty-seven.html#more).

[thelastleafgardener]

In honor of today’s holiday, #BubbleWrapAppreciationDay, which occurs on the last Monday in January, please, check out my Vimeo video: “It's a Wrap! Bubble Wrap!” More info @ https://www.facebook.com/TheLastLeafGardener/posts/1196260060423365

[thelastleafgardener]

It's the ninth day of Christmas! Someone gave their true love gifts that included drummers drumming! One of those drummers can be seen in the first two images atop this entry. The gift of drummers drumming was proceeded by yesterday’s gift of eight-maids a milking. And, if you are familiar  with the song known as The Twelve Days Of Christmas, dear reader, then you probably recall that on the seventh day of Christmas, someone's true love gave to them these gifts: seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four birds a calling (or a colling or a coaling), as well as the gifts of three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. This was discussed in my last post here on tumblr. the question is, in a “typically” sized NYC apartment what does one do with  nine drummer's drumming, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four birds a calling (or a colling or a coaling), as well as the gifts of three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree?

[thelastleafgardener]

Yesterday was the sixth (of twelve) day of Christmas and it is a "holiday" that I wrote about three years ago in an entry on Blogger, where I included the first image (of a figurine) that’s atop this posting. If you'd like to refer to that post, please click here.

In any event, if you are familiar with the twelve days of Christmas, you may recall, that on this sixth day of Christmas, someone's true love gave to them, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four birds a calling (or a colling or a coaling), as well as the gifts of three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

As I mentioned in a recent Blogger posting, John R. Henderson, has studied the meaning behind the lyrics to the twelve days song, and has posted his findings on a web-page which he has titled the 12 Birds of Christmas. 

Here's what Henderson points out re the bird (geese) type associated with the giving of six geese a-laying on the sixth day of Christmas:

"The important element is the 'a-laying' part. The Egg represents the creation cycle of birth, death, re-birth. And what about the number Six? Because of the shape of the number, which is a continuous, spiraling curve without angle, it too represents the cycle of life. Geese also represent Water, another of the four life-giving elements."

Mr. Henderson's ideas have truly given me something to keep in mind the next time I happen to see geese. My encounters with this bird type (the Canadian variety) have taken place in Central Park as well as when I've been down by the Hudson Riverside on the westside of  NYC.

Pictures two-seven feature geese (albeit not a-laying) that I've taken of this bird type, who enjoys the Hudson River during all seasons. I always enjoy observing geese in the Hudson River, and I hope the images above gives you an idea of some details re their antics, dear reader. Meanwhile, the sixth day of Christmas has come and gone as today marks the seventh day of Christmas and the last day of 2016! The seventh day of Christmas is when someone’s true love gave them seven swans a swimming. And here’s what the aforementioned John R. Henderson has to say re swans and the seventh day of Christmas: "A message to celebrate the beauty of the unknown. Swans are birds of elegance and mystery. Seven represents mystery and elegance, largely in part to the movement of the seven planets (only seven were known until 1846). Planets moved unlike all the other stars and had their own intricate patterns – nothing was more elegant and mysterious. Oddly, although the swans are swimming they represent Air, which as an element includes the sky and the heavens." At this time, I only recall seeing swans in a park not too far from where I grew up, however I haven't seen a swan in recent times. Be that as it may, Mr. Henderson's ideas have truly given me something to keep in mind the next time I happen to see a swan a swimming. Meanwhile, swans for the seventh day of Christmas, will have to be represented by the swan-themed ornament featured in the eighth image atop today's entry.  I got it at More & More Antiques, an (an exquisite shop located on Manhattan's UWS), that is now selling my fauna-flora-insect-themed postcards. Steve Mohr, the shop’s sole proprietor, is currently carrying each type of my postcards, and each type of them have also been given to the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (at their request) on a consignment basis. Moreover, the gift shop at The Raptor Trust (a bird rehab facility in new Jersey), is currently carrying my fauna-themed postcards. Meanwhile, all of these postcards can also be viewed within a post on Blogger; as well as within a store-front page on my web-site, patriciayoungquist.com

Every image within my postcard collection is from the iBook and ePub version of Cam's book, Words In Our Beak, Volume One.

All of these postcards, as well as the book, Words In Our Beak, Volume One, make great gifts to offer to friends and family on this seventh day of Christmas; as well as during any of these remaining twelve days of Christmas; or the remaining days of Chanukah (which ends tomorrow, Sunday, 1-1-2017); or the remaining days of Kwanza (which also ends tomorrow, 1-1-2017).

However, while it's true that Chanukah and Kwanza may end tomorrow, tomorrow, is also the beginning of a new year, and let me take this opportunity to wish you, and yours, all the best in your new YEARS to come!

[thelastleafgardener]

Today also happens to be the fifth day of the twelve days of Christmas. And according to a  Christmas-related web-page, "The 12 Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and last until the evening of the 5th January - also known as Twelfth Night. The 12 Days have been celebrated in Europe since before the middle ages and were a time of celebration."  This aforementioned web-page also proclaims that "The 12 Days of Christmas are now most famous as a song about someone receiving lots of presents from their 'true love'." And, indeed, according to that song, on this fifth day of Christmas, someone's true love gave to them “five golden rings.” An  ornament rendered to represent the gift of five golden rings can be seen in the first image atop this tumblr entry.

John R. Henderson, who has studied the meaning behind the lyrics to the twelve days song, has posted his findings on a web-page which he has titled the 12 Birds of Christmas.

Here's what Henderson, who associates pheasants with the fifth day of Christmas points out re this bird type and the giving of five golden rings on this fifth day of Christmas:

"They may not sound bird-like to you, but these are ring-necked pheasants. Not native to Europe, pheasants had been introduced there during Roman times and were quite common throughout Europe before the rise of Christianity. Pheasants were symbols of the element of Fire and sensuous sexuality. The number Five also represents sensuality and magic. Ever wonder why there is so much emphasis, rhythmically, to this verse?"

Mr. Henderson's theory has certainly given me something to keep in mind the next time I happen to see a pheasant. My encounters with this bird type have been minimal, the last time I saw a pheasant was this past spring. He can be seen in the second image atop this posting. The pheasant's name is Donald. I took his picture when I met him at The Wild Bird Fund, a bird rehab facility located in the UWS of NYC. I had gone there to check on the status of Super-Bird, a Northern Flicker that I had helped to recuse; so meeting Donald was a pleasant surprise!

Up until that time, my only encounters with pheasants had been placing figurines (that had been rendered to look like this bird type), within my indoor succulent garden. Images of my pheasant-themed figurines hanging out there can be seen in pictures three-five. In the third photo, my pheasant-themed figurines are surrounded by an array of figurines, including ones made from parts of Christmas trees. These are the pigs seen at the bottom of the image in both the right and left and corners of the picture, as well as the upper-left of the mirror portion of the image, but this one's obscured by my pencil cactus.

Most of the other figurines in this picture are from More & More Antiques (an exquisite shop located on Manhattan's UWS), that is now selling my fauna-flora-insect-themed postcards. 

Steve Mohr, the sole proprietor of this shop is enthusiastic about my collection and at his suggestion, I may offer my cards in boxed-sets in the coming year. Therefore, I've already created cards featuring thumb-nails of each of my postcards, which can be seen in the pictures six and seven. Steve is currently carrying each type of my postcards, and each type of them have also been given to the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (at their request) on a consignment basis.

Moreover, the gift shop at The Raptor Trust (a bird rehab facility in New Jersey), is currently carrying my fauna-themed postcards. Meanwhile, all of these postcards can also be viewed within a post on Blogger, as well as within a store-front page on my web-site, patriciayoungquist.com. Every image within my postcard collection is from the iBook and ePub version of Cam's book, Words In Our Beak, Volume One.

All of these postcards, as well as the book, Words In Our Beak, Volume One, make great gifts to offer to friends and family on this fifth day of Christmas; as well as during these remaining twelve days of Christmas; or the remaining days of Chanukah; or the remaining days of Kwanzaa!