WW*: How Birds Lost Their Teeth (*Wednesdays Wisdom)

It's March 1st and I want to remind readers of this blog that rather the month comes in quietly like a lamb, or comes raging in like a lion, today is also #NationalPigDay. I've discussed the origins of this holiday in prior entries here on Blogger.

On another note, something else is also occurring on this day, and that is the fact that today is #WorldBookDay and info about this event is trending on Twitter. It is a nice change between the usual ranting and raving (in tweets) re topics related to politics as well as celebrities.

It seems everything's coming up tulips! (Tuesday's Truth for Week 82)

I accidentally deleted all the content from this post when in the midst of adding an addendum to it. As soon as  I retrieve the content from an archival file, I will update it.

Here's to Chris Deatherage!

The text image atop this entry is a letter written by the writer E.B. White to Gene Deitch on 2/3/1971.

At that time, Deitch had been hired by a Sagittarius Pictures to produce a feature-length animated movie to be based on White's book, Charlotte’s Web.

It was very important to E.B. White (as you can see in this letter), that in any animated feature based on his book, Charolette's (a spider) voice should remain true to her very being. And so should the other voices in the story, including Wilbur (a pig) and Templeton (a rat).

Because of my love for Cam (the cardinal pictured below)...

CAM, THE NARRATOR OF "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

...who I've been helping give voice to her book, Words In Our Beak Volume One (the hardcover variety can seen in the next image)...

SEE PRESS RELEASE

... I can certainly relate to how vulnerable White must've felt when entrusting his beloved characters to others involved in any project related to his story. My heart goes out to him upon learning how much he endured while going through the this process.

I am very blessed that my book formatter, Chris Deatherage, (who also serves as an editor) truly understands voice and spirit, and he definitely removes his hat when he enters my rooftop garden where Cam spends much of her time and where her story is set.

Cam and I are awestruck upon having seen the fantastic work that Chris has done with formatting and editing volume two of our book series.

ADDENDUM FALL 2018: 

The digital 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.

MY BOOK SERIES

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books. 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.

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2021:

When the third volume of the hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak was released, I withdrew from promoting my former versions of Words In Our Beak. 

The very first one is an iBook and went into Apple's book store in 2015.

This was followed by an ePub version...

... that is available on Amazon and was also published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's digital versions were published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud in 2017.

Its press release can be read by clicking here.  

Now with the release of BIRD TALES....

... I've been advised to make mention of my early versions of volume one of Words In Our Beak, they do vary ever so slightly in content from the hard-cover version of volume one.

As of this addendum, I do not intend to create digital or soft-cover versions of Words In Our Beak Volume Two or Words In Our Beak Volume Three.

Saturday's Sequel: My last convo with Ellen.

The woman seen in the image atop this entry was taken in bygone years and features my dearly departed friend, Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman, whom I've known since the third grade.

Ellen passed from this life on February 11, 2018, which is something I discussed in this past Saturday's blog entry, the same day a memorial service was being held for Ellen in her home state, Illinois.

I think the last time she and I spoke may have been exactly a month before her death, and I say this because I recall telling Ellen that the gutters on the rental apartment building where I live had burst and fallen off the building. This accident was probably caused from the heavy snow falls that we'd been having in NYC, starting with January's "bomb cyclone."

A photo of the gutters that crashed off the building where I live and landed in the backyard of a neighbor can be seen in the next image, which was taken from the vantage point of my rooftop garden.

The EXIF info associated with this picture indicates I took it on on January 11, 2018, which was (as I've been saying), one month before Ellen died.

At the time when I heard the loud crash when the gutters fell, I thought chunks of ice and heavy snow had fallen from buildings across the courtyard, as this has been the case for many years.

However, when I ventured out on to my rooftop garden, to see what had caused the unusually loud noise, I saw the fallen gutters in my neighbor's backyard. Over the years Ms. S (the tenant who lives there), her young daughter, their cat, and their friends, have spent a lot of time out in the yard — no matter what the weather conditions are occurring. Therefore, it was more than a lucky thing that nobody had been there at the time.

The orange arrow that I've affixed to the image indicates a frequently used hula hoop in Ms. S's yard.

The smaller orange arrow directly across from it is pointing over the fence that separate the building where she lives from the one where I live; and the "stocky" arrow is pointing towards where one of the gutters had been prior to falling.

A Reason One Might Stay "on the fence" (Tuesday's Truths WK 82)

OTHER STARLINGS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB VOL 3"

OTHER CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB"

OTHER CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB"

There have been quite a number of occasions when I've been in Central Park where I've encountered various members of the wildlife community on one of the many fences.These creatures include a European starling, a white-throated sparrow, a female as well as a male cardinal, black squirrels and "ordinary" squirrels (as evidenced in the photo atop this entry).

Whenever I come upon this situation of seeing a creature on a given fence, the expression "on the fence," comes to mind. As you most likely know, dear reader, "on the fence," refers to one who is undecided about a position that  he/she is taking on a given issue.

The 2nd Anniversary of Harper Lee's Passing

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB"

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB"

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB"

Whenever I see blue jays at at the wreath-style bird feeder in my rooftop garden, or alighting on the branches of an Ailanthus Tree in my courtyard, or in the treetops of Central Park; I think of Atticus Finch (a main character in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird.

For Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman (Ellen)

It's hard to believe that it's only been six days since I received this notification on Facebook:

"SUN 3:14PM
Douglas McConnell
Patricia - give me a call when you get the chance. Hope all is well."

I phoned Douglas McConnell immediately, and he gave me the heart breaking news that his sister, Ellen had died. She can be seen in the image above in a photo that was taken many years ago.

I've known Ellen since childhood and I'm heart broken.

Doug also informed me of an event taking place in her honor (today) and extended an invitation, but I'm not in a position to travel to Illinois.

In any event, I initially met Ellen in the third grade and we went through elementary school, as well as high school, together.

We reconnected in the late 1980's or early 1990's and we stayed in touch touch via handwritten cards, as well as letters, and phone convos ever since.

The last time that I spoke with her was not so long ago and she was thrilled to be having a "date" with her son, Bennett.

She continued to be enthused about my book, Words In Our Beak Volume One, and was, as she's always been, convinced that it makes a great gift.

It's safe to say that Ellen was one of Cam's (the cardinal who is the protagonist and narrator of the story) biggest fans.

Therefore, Cam and I are dedicating volume two to Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman.

I already miss Ellen so much and feel blessed to have had her as a friend for so many years, for as it has been written, "a faithful friend is a sturdy shelter... whomever finds one, finds a treasure..."

Happy New Year — Chinese New Year that is.

The figurine, who is featured in the image directly above, joins me today in wishing you, dear reader, a very  Happy New Year — Chinese New Year that is. This date of 2-16-2018 marks the beginning of the Lunar Year, which happens to be The Year of the Dog.

This occasion has nothing to do with the calendar year being named The Year of the Bird in honor of the one hundred year anniversary of  The Migratory Bird Act.

In Honor of Hippo Day 2018

Today marks a holiday known as Hippo Day! One way that I am celebrating it by paying homage to Happy Hippo, whose likeness has been rendered into a ballon that has participated in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as seen in the pictures directly above this entry.

In Honor of 2018's Ash Wednesday...

IMAGE CREDIT

... there will be no post today.

Tuesday's Truths, the seventy-fifth week. Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day (ETC)

Cupid (the figurine seen in the image atop this entry) joins me today in welcoming you, dear reader, to the seventy-fifth week of my Tuesday's Truths series. He wants to make sure that we heed the certain words (posted directly below) uttered by Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, 

All in the morning betime, 

And I maid at your window, 

To be your Valentine. 

Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes, 

And dupped the chamber-door; 

Let in a maid, that out a maid 

Never departed more.

For indeed, tomorrow is Saint Valentines Day! This year it coincides with Ash Wednesday, which means today is Shrove Tuesday.

Therefore, because Valentines Day is on Ash Wednesday (marking the onset  of Lent), you may not want to give your special someone chocolates, or champagne, but, you probably want to give the person who is near and dear to you a special gift! May Cupid and I suggest giving him/her a version of the book, Words In Our Beak Volume One.

"WORDS IN OUR BEAK" MAKES A GREAT GIFT ANYTIME

Here's the info on how to buy all the versions:

HARDCOVER:
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2AFZDCz
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2zxVujM
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2AAnB26
book culture On Columbus: http://bit.ly/2FsC1Uf

SOFTCOVER:
Magcloud: http://bit.ly/2nrBJDj

DIGITAL (TWO OPTIONS):
ePub: http://amzn.to/2kzWGw0
iBook: http://apple.co/2nHZMBq

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

The digital 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.

Moreover, I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop garden in NYC,  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 books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

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.

SUMMER 2020 ADDENDUM: 

                             

"Never say never," the saying goes, and I suppose that applies to saying, "I no longer....," which I did in my 2018 addendum and now I'm here to announce at the advice of Chris Deatherage, my book series formatter, who is also my web-master (for patriciayoungquist.com) I now have some versions of the greeting cards that are referenced in this blog post available via FAA, please click here to view them.

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2021:

When the third volume of the hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak was released, I withdrew from promoting my former versions of Words In Our Beak. 

The very first one is an iBook and went into Apple's book store in 2015.

This was followed by an ePub version...

... that is available on Amazon and was also published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's digital versions were published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud in 2017.

Its press release can be read by clicking here.  

Now with the release of BIRD TALES....

... I've been advised to make mention of my early versions of volume one of Words In Our Beak, they do vary ever so slightly in content from the hard-cover version of volume one.

As of this addendum, I do not intend to create digital or soft-cover versions of Words In Our Beak Volume Two or Words In Our Beak Volume Three.

Monday's Musings: Remembering The Gates (Not Bill and Melinda)

The picture atop this entry, as well as the two that are directly below, are images of greeting cards featuring views of The Gates; a public art exhibition that opened in Central Park in 2005 and lasted through 2-28-2005.

According to a web-page, "The Gates tempted millions of people to visit Central Park. The 7,500 structures in this epic public artwork – 'gates' holding saffron-colored fabric – lined 23 winding miles through the iconic park."

I saw the exhibit on a number of occasions including times that weather conditions were full shine, bitter cold temperatures, rain, hail, sleet and snow. I even have a swatch (which was given to me by someone on one of the teams who were involved in setting up the installations) of the "saffron-colored  fabric" that was used.

Sunday's Sequel (Re Thin Ice on the Lake ETC)

CANADIAN GEESE ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB" VOL 2

CANADIAN GEESE ARE FEATURED IN "WIOB" VOL 2

In yesterday's blog post I mentioned that there was nothing lame about NYC's ducks, especially those who are Mallards. Within that entry, I stated this was because these ducks didn't let a sign — warning that thin ice was a present danger — stop them from walking on a lake in Central Park.

Today I'm following up on that entry to let you know that Canadian Geese also walk on the lake in spite of the fact that signs are posted that the ice is thin; as evidenced in the images atop this entry.

When I came upon this pair of Canadian geese walking on the lake, I was moved by their apparent companionship for one another. This is not an uncommon trait re this bird type.

As I mentioned in a last Sunday's blog post, these creatures "mate for life, and will begin searching for a mate between 2-3 years of age. If a mate dies, the goose will try to find another mating partner."

For me, the love between these geese is apparent in the images featured above, but another fact is also apparent which I never gave much thought, and that is their tongues! I have now learned some cool facts re the tongues of geese, and will close my post with this link to an article that discusses the tongues of Canadian Geese; as well as the tongues of other avian creatures.

Nothing Lame about NYC Ducks!

There are a number of warnings signs (such as the one featured in the image directly above) posted near bodies of water in Central Park, including the lake, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, as well as Turtle Pond. In spite of these signs, there are those who do not heed the warning and walk on the "thin ice."

Honoring Saint Apollonia

It's Toothache Day (according to Holiday Insights). And I most certainly wish a toothache only lasted one day, as I've had many, and have had to put my money where my mouth is when it comes to dental fees! However, I should not despair, for today is also the Feast Day of Saint Apollonia.

According to a number of sources, including an article published in The Catholic Herald UK, she is hailed as the patron saint of dentistry.

The aforementioned article includes the image that is posted atop this blog entry and author of the takes issue with the image and states, "my difficulty with such art is that Apollonia has a vacant, wan and almost insipid facial expression. I don’t think this captures her feisty spirit: she was a deaconess in a time of great persecution and a defiant rebel."

I confess that I've only recently learned of this saint (who I've now called upon to intercede on my behalf re the horrendous (painful and costly) dental procedures which I've been enduring for months), so I can't comment on the author's remark that Saint Apollonia is portrayed with an "almost insipid facial expression which the author feels doesn't do justice to Apollonia's "feisty spirit."

Perhaps my figurine rendered in the likeness of a tooth fairy (as seen in the picture directly below) is one who more accurately represents Apollonia's personality?

However Apollonia may or may not be represented in a painting is not of much importance to me, what matters is her powerful intercession, which I hope she continues to do on my behalf, as I have more dental procedures to endure in the coming days.

Thursday's Testimony: Gulls Just Wanna Have Fun... (when all is said and done)

This past Monday, I saw the seagulls (featured in the images atop this entry) when I was at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park (where I met a Bufflehead Duck for the first time, which I discussed in this past Tuesday's blog post). In any event, seeing these playful gulls reminded me that gulls just wanna have fun, right Cyndi Lauper? That's all gulls really want....

WW* Get Cam's book for your sweetheart! (*Wednesday's Wisdom)

YES, another reminder to all lovebirds,

MOURNING DOVES HAVE A STORY IN "WIOB" VOL 1

who love birds,

soon it will be Valentines Day!

Bufflehead Duck in Central Park's Reservoir (Tuesday's Truths 74th WK )

Welcome to week seventy-fourth of my Tuesday's Truths series. Let me begin by saying that yesterday I took a walk in Central Park, and when I was walking around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, I encountered a bird type whom I've never seen before. He can be seen in the photographs atop this entry.