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Sunday, January 1, 2017

The Octave (or The Eighth Day) Of Christmas AND The Start of a NEW YEAR!







It's the first day of a new year! I'm wondering, dear reader, how did you ring in 2017? As for me, I spent mine doing my usual routine of seeing an annual display of fireworks (sponsored by The Midnight Run) in near by Central Park. This event is something I've blogged about since 2010 (at the end of my first full year on Blogger)!

The photographs atop this entry feature some of the images that I took of last night's fireworks display; and as you can see, they certainly lit up the trees and the sky! I can't help wondering what this does to any birds that might've been sleeping in those tree-tops!

In any event, today is also the last day of Chanukah as well as the last day of Kwanzaa. Moreover, it's The Octave of Christmas or the eighth day of Christmas; the day when someone's true love gave to them the following gifts: 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.

As I mentioned in a recent posting here on Blogger, 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 a bird type associated with the giving of eight maids a milking on this eighth day of Christmas:

"Here be eight Magpies. Magpies are black birds with milky white patches. Magpies are birds full of power and are portents used in fortune-telling. Eight has many different meanings symbolically, but one very important one is a new beginning. Different numbers of magpies can mean different things, "five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never told," but eight magpies remind us to put the old behind us as we start afresh. It seems significant but must be only a coincidence that by some reckoning that New Year's Day is the Eighth Day of Christmas."

At this time, I don't recall ever seeing a magpie, although I certainly have heard a lot of interesting facts re this bird type.  Be that as it may, Mr. Henderson's ideas have truly given me something to keep in mind if I ever happen to see a magpie.

Meanwhile, the gift of eight maids a milking on this eighth day of Christmas, will have to be represented by the ornament featured in the image directly below.


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 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! I've already created promo cards that feature thumb-nails of each of my postcards! They can be seen in the following pictures.



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 prior post here 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 first day of a new year — eighth day of Christmas; as well as during any of these remaining twelve days of Christmas; or the remaining days of Chanukah (which will ends today 1-1-2017); or the remaining days of Kwanza (which also ends today, 1-1-2017). That's it for now, except to say Cheers and to wish you and yours good happenings in the new YEARS ahead!

ADDENDUM FALL 2018: 

The non-hardcover version (or versions)  of Volume One within the Words In Our Beak book series that are mentioned in this entry may only remain available for a limited time, but hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can now be found wherever books are sold. Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

This is a photo of my three volume book series, "Words In Our Beak." Information re the books is another one of my blog  posts @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2018/10/one-sheet-book-series-info.html
MY BOOK SERIES

Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

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