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Friday, August 31, 2012

HEY JUST WAIT A MINUTE! It's NOT QUITE TIME to "Say Good-Bye to the Summer!"

Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

It is the last day of August, and the start of the Labor Day week-end in the United States. Many folks here seem to consider this the end of summer; but in fact summer does not "officially" end until September 21, 2012, which is three weeks from today! I never understand why folks rush life. In winter, I find many folks can't wait for spring; in spring those same folks can't wait for summer; then, at the end of August, they say, summer's over.

And, indeed, in terms of full "amenities" (restrooms, life guards, concession stands) at the beach, summer will be over with the end of Labor Day, but the ocean will still remain, as will many days filled with beautiful weather to visit her!

Yet I feel caught up in the frenzy and the pressure to cram everything I can into this Labor Day week-end; even "my" visiting finch seems to be rushing things, as evident in the photo-op he "allowed" me to snap of him as he flew in for a quick bite to eat in my urban garden!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

"If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr . . . " Week No. 31

Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

Yesterday afternoon, in my urban garden, "my" visiting cardinal and one of "my" visiting finches were having quite the conversation over their lunch! The focus of their discussion was Pablo Picasso of all people! And why not? Did you know, dear reader, that Picasso once said, "Everyone wants to understand painting. Why is there no attempt to understand the song of the birds?”

It's amazing to hear what birds have to say, and I look forward to eavesdropping on their chatter today, as you may have surmised from the Virtual Stories (garden themed movies) which are in my Vimeo Library) but, I'm also mindful that today is Tuesday, so Juan V will be coming soon to work with me in my garden! Hopefully we will find that I've conquered the problems Juan V discovered when he was here last time!

Meanwhile, since that today is Tuesday, it (also) must be tumblr in TLLG land, and without further ado here is the link to take you there!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Monday's Musings OR Madness?

Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
Where's a BIB when you need one?

Sometimes, on my Blogger Pages, I like to pick up where I left off on a given post before moving on to another topic. Perhaps this is because I've written novellas, short stories and even a play, all of which, to some extent require a continuity with a given character. "Your reader deserves to know if you got the part," Mr. C. Michael Curtis once said (in a letter) to me in response to an essay I submitted to the Atlantic Monthly. The essay discussed how an audition for a Broadway play (that I had with Dustin Hoffman) led to an understanding of a childhood trauma, and, no, dear reader, even though Mr. Curtis praised my writing, he did not publish my essay.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Another Year Older and Deeper in Debt


The image accompanying today's posting may look familiar to some of you as I posted it last year on TLLG's Blogger Pages in a post about the "appearance" of mushrooms in my urban garden.

This picture was taken on my fifth birthday, and I'm including it today as it's my birthday. I was born on my maternal grandparents' anniversary, and since I am their first grandchild, they would often say that I was their anniversary gift; but, if truth be told, they were my best birthday present, and are what gave me, at an early age, an appreciation for the elderly, which is the driving force in my project on indiegogo.

And with that I'll end for the day, as at "press" time on Blogger, I'm distracted with the news of a shooting today near the Empire State Building and can hear media helicopters buzzing all around!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Monday's (Garden) Madness! GRRRRR and GREAT


According to Holiday Insights, today, August 20th, is National Radio Day, and besides the fact that I enjoy listening to the radio as opposed to watching television (I've not had a TV since the 1980's), I want to honor this "holiday" by once again thanking radio announcers who have interviewed me about how my eye conditions have affected my work as a photo-artist. (My only other involvement with media associated with radio was as a film extra in Woody Allen's Radio Days.)

Friday, August 17, 2012

O Mio Babbino Caro

Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

On Tuesday, August 7th 2012, when Juan V came to work with me in my garden (he comes every 10-12 days), he said, "we've got a real problem." 

The problem he spoke of was an infestation of spider mites on my beloved Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), and, as many of my readers know my Actinida kolomikta has been busy peparing for the sequel to my first garden themed movie (which he narrated), titled The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost! 

As most gardeners know, by the time one can see spider mites, the infestation is already problematic. And since I'm visually challenged, by the time I would notice them, it would probably be too late. Even when Juan V showed them to me, I still couldn't detect them, especially on the back side of foliage.

Monday, August 13, 2012

ONE YEAR LATER! Whatever happened to my name tag project?


Salve! Mihi nomen est__________

OR




For those of you who pay attention to detail, you may recognize the first image at the top of today's blog entry, as it was one I used at the top of an entry which I posted here on Blogger one year ago today, when I first introduced what has come to be known as The Name Tag Project, and, if you want to refer to that particular post, please click here.

The second image is of one of my "visiting" house finches sitting a top of the name tag I made for my Rubus calycinoides (Ornamental Raspberry). This bird was not only reminding me to fill her feeder; but she seemed to know I've had so many false starts getting my name tag project underway, and was offering to tweet about it for me once I complete it! So, with an offer such as hers, I am returning to my name tag project to post this update regarding it on the "year's anniversary" of my having announced it.

Before I continue with the specifics of The Name Tag Project as it relates to giving voice to the things which live in a garden, let me digress by sharing with you a few (short-short) back stories on my feelings regarding names.

In cyber-space, I'm known as The Last Leaf Gardener, and if you want to read how I came upon that name, please click here.

However, in "real" life, my name is Patricia Youngquist. I'm not thrilled with the name Patricia these days because too many people have it. Youngquist is OK , as it's a Swedish name, which comes from a plant that can survive under any condition. (Although I've put this "fact" to the test far too many times and have often wished the translation was ability to have a more cushy life.)

As for growing up, my surname being at the end of the alphabet was somewhat of a hazard because I was (and am still) legally blind and could not see the blackboard when teachers seated their classrooms in alphabetical order. In those days I was called "Patti," Patti with a "ti;" and not Patty with a "ty" like Peppermint Patty and Patty Duke, who were "icons" in my childhood. At that point I went through my "Pat" phase, but I still was unsure how it felt, so I would (cringe, cringe) sign my name "Pat (ti optional)."

Saturday, August 11, 2012

POP QUIZ

Taralli

Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
Salad Greens
Patricia Youngquist uses words and images to tell stories about her passions. Based in New York, she currently is authoring a series of nature books on birds of the city. Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
Foeniculum vulgare
A Surprise Posting With a POP Quiz
 (on an unscheduled day for TLLG's Blogger activity.)

QUESTION: What do the things in the images above have in common?
ANSWER can be found by clicking here.

Friday, August 10, 2012

I'm bacccccccccck . . .



Today is the eve of August the Eleventh, and I'm bacccccccck, as promised (on 7.30.12), from my mini "hiatus" from blogger, after spending time to be with my sister during her much welcomed annual visit.

Prior to my sister's arrival — as I was composing my entry on 7.30.12 (which discussed the loss I was feeling over my absent cardinal) — my intent was to have today's post be a return to another loss in my urban garden. This loss being the death of my very sweet mini Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi) who lived in a lovely bowl (pictured above) before succumbing to the awful heat wave and periods of drought we've had in NYC this summer.