Yet another chance to test your powers of observation!

Both photos atop this entry features the table in my garden where pumpkins and squashes are the centerpiece. The first image was featured in a prior blog post. The picture directly below it shows some changes that were made (this past Wednesday) to the centerpiece. 

Can you spot them?

Another chance to test out your powers of observation!

Two weeks and one day ago, in my blog entry for October 15th 2021, I posted a copy of the image which is atop this entry and I stated:

A few weeks ago, Juan V was here and arranged pumpkins and squashes which I received from a program at the Greenmarket. 

They are included in the photo on the left (which features one of my urban hedges aka garden shelving).

However, this past Wednesday he added something to the "installation."

Check out the photo at the right. Can you tell what's new?

By the way my garden is the setting for all versions of my books that have "Words In Our Beak" in their title.

Juan was here again today and made an "adjustment" to what is on the bottom shelf. 

Check out the photo directly below and see if you notice the chsange that was made. 

Sunday's (10-17-2021) Sentiment: Here's another chance to test your powers of observation!

As mentioned in a recent entry here on Blogger,  few weeks ago, Juan V was here and arranged pumpkins and squashes which I received from a program at the Greenmarket. 

However, this past Wednesday we discovered my autumn anemones are in bloom again. 

Some of them grow in a container that is on the ledge surrounding my garden and we altered the pumpkin/squash arrangement that is on my table (see photo at the bottom).

Can you tell what's new?

By the way, my rooftop garden is the setting for all versions of my books that have Words In Our Beak in their title.

TEST YOUR POWERS OF OBSERVATION!

A few weeks ago, Juan V was here and arranged pumpkins and squashes which I received from a program at the Greenmarket. 

They are included in the photo on the left (which features one of my urban hedges aka garden shelving).

However, this past Wednesday he added something to the "installation."

Check out the photo at the right. Can you tell what's new?

By the way my garden is the setting for all versions of my books that have Words In Our Beak in their title.

Tuesday's Truths WK 224

Here is Tuesday's Truth for segement 224: My web article (that includes a few of my photos), titled Guess the Pumpkin's Weight — A Halloween Tradition, was published by iLovetheUpperWestSide yesterday morning. Howevever, I was unable to share the link to it because of the lengthy outages on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp that occured throughoout most of the day... so here it is now and I hope you enjoy it.

Monday's Memo: Facts re Daylilies

"Don't fence me in," certain daylilies growing within Theodore Roosevelt Park seemed to be saying (as evidenced in the photograph atop this entry) when I passed by them on my way home from the greenmarket.

I've seen this flora variety on countless occasions but I must confess I may not have noticed their expressive details (featured in the following sequence of pictures).

I was so intriged by my sighting that upon my return home I did some research to see what I could find out about them.

One of the things I learned (from a web-page named Florgeous where an article by someone who identifies herself as Rebekah P) and "shoulda" known is this: "each daylily flower remains open for just one day."

Grow NYC's compost is in the bag!

Every Sunday, under all types of weather conditions, I take any food scraps I have as well as pieces of foliage from pruned plants and trees (that grow in my roof extension garden) to a Greenmarket that is sponsored by Grow NYC and is located alongside The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and I put them in their compost bin.

From there the folks who work at their Compost Station transport everything to Governor’s Island where it is ultimately turned into soil that’s suitable for house plants and/or a great “product” to use as fertilizer if one has an outdoor garden.

Today individual bags (an example is featured in the image atop this posting) of their “concoction” were given to those who bought any food scraps (as well as pieces of foliage from pruned plants and trees) to their compost bin.

So glad to have been a recipient of a bag of it.

Iris Day 2021

While cutting through The American Museum of Natural History's Theodore Roosevelt Park (on my way home from the greenmarket and compost drop off) I saw patches of Irises, the flower variety featured in the images atop this entry. 

My seeing them reminded me that Iris Day (celebrated one week and one day ago) was an event I've written about in bygone years here on Blogger. In case you didn't catch my 5-8-2017 post about this holiday, you may reference it by clicking here. 

Whenever I see Irsies I think of Vincent van Gough and today was no exception. 

However, in addition to recalling this artist's paintings of irises, I also thought of what Mary Oliver (the poet) had to say in relation to them:

"Praying

It doesn’t have to be

the blue iris, it could be

weeds in a vacant lot, or a few

small stones; just

pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try

to make them elaborate, this isn’t

a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which

another voice may speak.”

These words are something I constantly need to be reminded of when I sit down to write most anything.

My H.F. Clematis Vines are in bloom again...

This Sunday is Mother's Day and like any new mother joyful over moments of her new child's life (such as the first time she sees a smile or hears her child's first utterance), so am I with my H.F. Young Clematis, that I have in my garden. 

I've had them in my garden since the early 2000's and each spring when they are born again after a winter's long nap, my spirits are lifted. 

It's been quite a number of years now that they have come back in the spring, and a few days ago they made their first appearnce for this year of 2021.

Some pictures featuring details of this year's buds and flowers are atop this entry. 

As you can tell, their blooms and buds tend to be nearly as large as the light bulbs on the string lights which hang over my garden.

I've mentioned them prior posts here on Blogger, they are another great find from the greenmarket at Union Square.

Sightings in Theodore Roosevelt Park

"Adjacent to the American Museum of Natural History on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Theodore Roosevelt Park is rated one of the top five small parks in New York City," states a web-page.

Today I passed through there after dropping off my compost at the nearby greenmarket.

I came upon many lovely sights, including a squirrel.

Fred (or Freddie), A Touring Pumpkin

It's been a very rainy (understatement) chilly day in NYC, but that didn't stop Freddie the pumpkin from continuing with his greenmarket tour.

He's been making the rounds (visiting various greenmarkets in NYC) since the first Sunday in October (when he debuted — wearing a face-mask — at the Greenmarket alongside The AMNH (American Museum of Natural History) on the UWS.

He wants people to guess his weight and whomever comes the closest will win a bag of local produce.

Contestants write their guess along with their name and contact info on a piece of paper and give it to the person monitoring his space.

And evidently, on this Saturday, which is the last Saturday in October, the winner will be annouced at the Greenmarket at Tucker Square and where I saw him today).

You would think with the array of pumpkins that are in my garden, which I've carried up five flights of stairs, that I might have an idea, but I don't, I just put down a wild guess, for you have to be in it to win it as the saying goes.

#ClapBecauseWeCare Session 26 ETC

IMAGE CREDIT

For my 176th segment of Tuesday's Truths which is falling on the twenty-first of April, I'd like to begin by saying that one month ago today on March 21st, which was a Saturday, headlines were being made that NYC would be in a two week lockdown starting on Sunday night (the 22nd of March).

#ClapBecauseWeCare Session 24 ETC

A #ClapBecauseWeCare Participant

The 24th Session of #ClapBecauseWeCare took place last night (Sunday, April 19th) and through my long camera lens I discovered that someone in a building northwest of me has put a banner (see photo at the top of this entry) on his balcony in support of the on going #ClapBecauseWeCare movement to pay homage to first responders, front liners and essential workers who are keeping everyone as safe as possible during the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sunday's Sequel to Friday's Post

MY GARDEN IS THE SETTING FOR "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

Hope NYC peeps are enjoying this snowfall!

It has come before I’ve had a chance to winterize my garden (which I’ll be doing next Wednesday) and it has come on the date that Winter’s Eve (the tree lighting at Dante Park) is scheduled to take place. I feel sorry for the Chinese dancers who are scheduled to perform there.

Be that as it may, garden winterizing is a topic which is covered in the second volume of my book series, Words In Our Beak.

By the way, with the Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanza seasons approaching, please consider giving these books to those near and dear to you!

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

Gourds & Pumpkins Put a YES in November!

No sun--no moon!

No morn--no noon!

No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--

No sky--no earthly view--

No distance looking blue--

No road--no street--

No "t'other side the way"--

No end to any Row--

No indications where the Crescents go--

No top to any steeple--

No recognitions of familiar people--

No courtesies for showing 'em--

No knowing 'em!

No mail--no post--

No news from any foreign coast--

No park--no ring--no afternoon gentility--

No company--no nobility--

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member--

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,

November!

The first week of November comes to a close tonight and before that happens, it's high time for me to share Thomas Hood's poem (which is posted directly above) about this month, which has been something I've done in bygone years when writing about November.

Because it's usually true that there are no flowers in November or if there are they can be few and far between, at least in my rooftop garden where a lone flower is blooming on my Anemone (as seen in the image below)...

... where she is posing with two of my pumpkins (a Fairytale as well as a "standard" variety).

Honoring the (5) Great "new brand" Pumpkins (National Pumpkin Day 2019)

IMAGE CREDIT

Today is not part of my blog posting schedule for this week, but this entry is being published in honor of National Pumpkin Day!

One can hardly think of pumpkins without thinking of The Great Pumpkin made famous by Charles Schultz's Peanuts character, Linus, who can be seen with Sally (directly above) taking delight in a pumpkin patch, where they are awaiting the arrival of him/her.

This year I have five great "new brand variety" pumpkins and a few "standard" pumpkins, all of which I got from various farmers in the tri-state area who come to the Greenmarkets on the UWS.

The H.F. is in bloom again!

H.F. CLEMATIS IS FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

H.F. CLEMATIS IS FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and like any new mother joyful over moments of her new child's life (the first time she sees a smile or hears her child's first utterance), so am I with my H.F. Young Clematis that I have in my urban garden. She is another great find from the greenmarket at Union Square.

From the moment a bud first appeared on the vine when she was in my place, and traveled boldly up the pole, to its magnificent unfolding, and I was in love! This H.F. Clematis has been with me since the early 2000's but the pictures atop this entry were taken yesterday. They feature views of her doing her thing — climbing up the utility pole in the Northwest corner of my rooftop garden.

As you can see, she is very photogenic, so I am most grateful that she has allowed me to take pictures of her and share her stories, which are both included in volume two of my book series, Words In Our Beak.

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

The stories are told from the perspective of a female cardinal who is featured on the covers of all of the books. They makes a perfect gift for anyone who loves birds, flowers as well as gardening.

Additionally, Words In Our Beak is a great gift to give to anyone who is a mom on Mother's Day, which is tomorrow, May 12th.

The Color Purple in the Cauliflower Family (Tuesday's Truths WK 98)

The picture atop today's entry is a screenshot of something I saw in my FB newsfeed from Grow NYC, an organization which sponsors the greenmarkets that I've written about here on Blogger.

When I was at their UWS market this past Sunday, which is now alongside the main entrance (Seventy-Seventh Street) of The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), I saw the a number of farmers who carried this vegetable (and photographed it as evidenced in the next picture) that Grow NYC has "missed" and color wise, I can certainly see why.

Now having been introduced to this vegetable, I've done some research to learn more about it, and the facts that I've come upon are the subject of this ninety-eight segment of my Tuesday's Truths series.

According to a number of sources, including, thekitchn.com, "Purple cauliflower gets its beautiful hue, which can vary from pale to jewel-toned, from the presence of the antioxidant anthocyanin, which is also found in red cabbage and red wine... is mild and slightly sweet with nutty nuances...."

They go on to explain that one can "cook with colored cauliflower just as you would with white cauliflower! You can roast it, steam it, mash it, rice it or make it into a soup. And, of course, you can also eat it raw."

Cooking is not my strength, but the recipes included in the article sound delish, so don't read the aforementioned web-page when you are hungry.

Galeux d’Eysines, Bumpy Gourds, & The Muscovy Duck, what's bumps got to do with it? (Tuesday's Truths WK 95)

In yesterday's blog post, I mentioned that while on my way to a greenmarket and the green-flea (on the UWS) this past Sunday, I noticed (as did many others, including the police) that a raccoon was looking down (from the tree tops near some scaffolding) on all who passed by. I also mentioned that I was at the market longer than I anticipated, so I never did find out what happened to the creature; for when I returned all evidence of the incident, including on-lookers and policemen were gone.

One of the reasons for my tarrying at the greenmarket was that I spotted a pair bumpy looking pumpkins (pictured above) at Gaia's Breath Farm's "vending" stand and took the time to ask about them. I learned from a kind woman working there that these are a variety known as a peanut pumpkins, a term which I immediately googled after putting the one I got atop the urban hedge in my rooftop garden.

According to a gardening-related web-page, "the peanut pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima ‘Galeux d’Eysine’) is an heirloom pumpkin varietal notable for its distinctive peanut-like growths peppering the exterior of its pink hued rind. Certainly unique looking, some might say unattractive, the 'peanuts' are actually a buildup of excess sugar in the flesh of the pumpkin."

I was not surprised to learn that some say the Galeux d’Eysine was "unattractive" because of having peanut-like growths. However, it is the peanut-like growths that drew my attention, because they reminded me of my own lumps and bumps (that I deplore so much that I rarely alllow my picture to be taken, but for purposes of this entry, one is included towards the end) which I have as a result of being born with the medical (neurological) condition, Neurofibromatosis Type-One.

Monday's Musings: It's not just for the birds, raccoons also do people-ing.

Yesterday I reported on TLLG's Facebook Page, the following: when I was walking up Columbus Avenue, heading towards the greenmarket and green-flea on the UWS, there was a large raccoon who was doing some people-ing from a treetop near to some scaffolding; as evidenced in the picture atop this entry, where the creature can be seen seen "spying" on all who happened to pass by.