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Sunday, March 31, 2019

Remembering Eleanor Roosevelt & Other Females (including birds) Today and Beyond

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT IS FEATURED IN VOL  1

The following tweet is a reminder to me that as of today, March the thirty-first, Women's History Month is coming to an end for 2019.

"As #WomensHistoryMonth comes to a close, take a stroll to 72&Riverside to pay your respects to Eleanor Roosevelt, a truly inspiring, influential public figure. She greatly expanded the role of the First Lady, and advocated for advancements in #humanrights & #economicequality."

It was posted on Twitter by The Riverside Park Conservancy and as you can see they recommend that one "take a stroll to 72&Riverside to pay (their) respects to Eleanor Roosevelt..." 

ER's statue (pictured atop this entry) stands at that location and I have passed it on countless occasions. Moreover, one of Eleanor Roosevelt's quotations, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent," is included in volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak where the stories are told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal who is quite the spokes-bird for both genders of the avian community.

So, even though Women's History Month may be ending today, the legacy of many women as well as of female animals continues. In the case of cardinals it is through this book series.

2019 ADDENDUM: 

Hardcover versions of all three volumes can now be found wherever books are sold.

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK 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.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

An Encounter with Central Park Visitors

CANADIAN GEESE ARE FEATURED IN VOL 2

Kaitlin, the one limbed Canadian goose featured in the image atop today's post is a bird I met her last Saturday when I was in Central Park and discussed her particulars in last Sunday's blog entry. I saw her again yesterday when I was walking through the park on my way to the Eastside.

Her survival skills of coping with a missing limb are to be applauded and I'm thankful she is still around to enjoy the lawn near Turtle Pond which is the same place that I saw her last week.

Friday, March 29, 2019

The Influence of Georges Seurat (d 3-29-1891)

FEATURED IN MY WEBSITE'S B & W GALLERY

The image of my photographic print, Sophia, atop this entry is one from a collection of my black and white photographs featured on my website.*

Sophia appeared in a couple of my exhibitions in NYC and was one of my pictures that was  ultimately discussed on a radio program (The Al Lewis Show) for WBAI hosted by Karen Ingenthorn Lewis.

The image was printed by me using a technique I developed at the inspiration of Georges Seurat, who is known for devising the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Everything's TRYING to come up crocuses...

THE STORIES IN MY BOOKS ARE SET IN MY GARDEN

I'm modifying the title of a song (Everything's Coming Up Roses) made famous by Ethel Merman for the title of today's blog post for  I'm inspired by the appearance of a lone white crocus flower (from the Jeanne d'Arc family) poking out of her home (which is a container she shares with my kiwi vines in my garden).

Crocuses are considered to be a sign that spring has sprung and they've been appearing throughout Central Park, but they seem to be hesitant to wake from their slumber in my place, as evidenced by the photo atop this entry, where you this flower type standing alone amongst the "pin-striped" foliage of other crocus flowers who may still be sleeping.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

I'll be missing the Dark-eyed Juncoes, BUT... (Wednesday's Wisdom)


I'm starting out today's blog post by featuring a mini essay by E.B. White, which is the same way I began yesterday's post, albeit with a different one of his essays. I chose to use it because of his poignant observation of Dark-eyed juncoes, a bird type who is on my heart and in my heart, as they often are — especially at this time of year.

The first day of spring was celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere last week; and I (as I often do) felt a twinge of sadness, for the coming of spring means the sweet Dark-eyed Juncoes who visit the area where I live and who spend some of their time in my garden will soon be leaving, after all, they are snowbirds.

They only "hang out" here from late fall through VERY early spring. Two of them stoped by this past Monday to nestle in my containers of flora and nibble on seeds. One of them can be seen in the picture atop this entry, but they were not here long enough, nor were they close enough for me to get a decent photograph of them.

Thankfully I haver a number of images of them from bygone years during winter ...

JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1
JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1
JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1
JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1
JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1
JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1

... as well as early spring....

JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1
JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1
JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1
JUNCOES ARE INTRODUCED IN VOLUME 1

... which you may recognize from prior entries here on Blogger. And in terms of my not getting a decent picture of them the other day, I ought to heed the wisdom of E.B. White's aunt (which I've also mentioned here on Blogger) re a so-called missed opportunity; but I'll quote from the entry I've just referenced.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Monday, March 25, 2019

The Feast of The Annunciation (Monday's Meditation)

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3
I'm in the process of preparing a submission for an exciting project, so I've been going through hundreds of my photographs featuring birds who visit my garden as well as my images of avian creatures who visit nearby parks (Central plus Riverside) and who spend their time on the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean.

BUT I have a confession to make, trusting my choices of pictures and words to include in my proposal is mind boggling. Unfortunately, I've been turning to many people for their opinions because  I have somehow convinced myself that the thoughts of others are more worthy than mine. In this sense, I've been like a mockingbird,* the bird type seen in the picture atop this entry with his/her beak open ever so slightly.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Saturday (Yesterday) In The Park


"Another day in the park... Everyday is the Fourth of July," are lyric lines from the song "Saturday in the Park," by the rock band, Chicago. I have quoted the song in prior posts here on Blogger when I've published an entry re my spending a Saturday in the Park, which is something I did yesterday.

I went to Central Park to see if turtles were coming out of hibernation on the third day after the official onset of spring in our hemisphere. There were only a couple of turtles swimming (such as the one seen in the image posted above) in Turtle Pond, which means many of them are still hibernating under the water; for usually that pond is oversubscribed with this type of creature.

Saturday, March 23, 2019

People are noticing a Great Blue Heron in CP


The screen shot atop this entry is of a tweet re the appearance of a Great Blue Heron who was seen in Central Park. It was in my Twitter feed yesterday. Not being a fan of using the word "hot" to describe a bird (or anything else for that matter unless it is weather or the temperature of food), I responded.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

A Reminder from Pigeons + Emily Dickinson (On this World Poetry Day 2019)

PIGEONS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

It's World Poetry Day and a poem that I'm thinking of is one by the poet Emily Dickinson:

 “Hope is the thing with feathers, That perches in the soul, And sings the tune--Without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm, That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I've heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me.”

Yesterday I read a mediation by Dr. James Campbell ("In Praise of Pigeons") on Dickinson's poem and part of it stated: "When I imagine that 'little bird' of which Dickinson wrote, I automatically think of the starlings and the sparrows of my Indiana childhood.  I might even imagine the colorful and aggressive blue jays or cardinals that I still enjoy watching.  But when I think of hope and birds and bird songs, I never ever think of a pigeon...."

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

March 20th 71 YRS AGO


I cannot let this day pass without giving a shout out to one of my favorite authors, E.B. White, whose essay, TOMORROW SNOW, (which is posted above) was published seventy-one years ago today.

Birds + The First Day of Spring 2019 (Wednesday's Wisdom)


The first day of Spring for year 2019 in this hemisphere will officially begin at 5:58 P.M. EDT, and a lot of people are like Earl (seen in the Mutts comic strip atop this entry) are very excited about birds returning to their area. I'll be glad to see avian creatures return too, but I confess that I'm a bit melancholy about what the onset of spring means re certain feathered friends who visit my rooftop garden.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Saint Joseph's Day 2019


I cannot let this day pass without giving a shout out to Saint Joseph whose feast day is today (another Tuesday's Truths). I've published a number of post about him here on Blogger, including an entry where I discussed his influence on my home and my rooftop garden.

It's beginning to look a lot like Spring in my garden. (Tuesday's Truths WK 118)


For Snoopy, it is Woodstock returning from the other side of the doghouse that causes him to think Spring must be near, for me its the fact that my crocuses are poking their heads out from under their mulch that makes me think the season is truly upon us.

Monday, March 18, 2019

My FAA Tote Bags

MY MANDARIN DUCK TOTES ARE ON FAA

Someone bought one of my tote bags from FAA (Fine Art America) that feature an image of the now famous Mandarin duck swimming in The Pond located in Central Park. She got it as a gift for her son and emailed me a photo of him "carrying" it. The picture she sent me is featured atop this entry (with her permission).

Moreover, she followed up with a lovely email stating, "The pouch with your photography really is absolutely beautiful. Great quality material and photo.  They absolutely make spectacular gifts.  My son loves his and we have it hanging on our kitchen chair to see every day..."

Friday, March 15, 2019

The Ides of March

IMAGE CREDIT


Today, March 15th, is widely known as "The Ides of March," words made famous by the play, Julius Caesar (believed to have been written in 1599), where one character warns another to "beware" them.

However, the significance of The Ides of March was well established before the playwright, William Shakespeare ever wrote that play. I was not aware of certain facts re The Ides, Et tu, dear reader?

That being said, in honor of this day being The Ides of March, I will refer you to an informative article on the true meaning behind the line, "Beware the Ides of March," please click here to read.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

March 14 = Learn About Butterflies Day

CATERPILLARS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 1

BUTTERFLIES ARE FEATURED IN VOL 1

On this unofficial holiday (Learn About Butterflies Day) it's good to remember words of wisdom from Jonathan Livingston Seagull who once stated, "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly."

With 2019's official onset of spring (in this hemisphere) occurring next week, it's an especially wonderful time to become acquainted with these insects. Both have visited my rooftop garden and are included in my collection of fauna-flora-insect-themed postcards (images of these cards are posted atop this entry).

Moreover, these insects are featured in volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak.


MY BOOK SERIES

--------

Volume One: ISBN: 9780996378529
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2AFZDCz
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2zxVujM
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2AAnB26
book culture On Columbus (a bookstore on the UWS in NYC): http://bit.ly/2FsC1Uf

Volume Two: ISBN: 9780996378536
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2q75g8e
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DY0mz0
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2G65m6H


Volume Three: ISBN: 978099637853
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2IzH2iu
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IYkmpA
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2vedQot

EACH OF THESE BOOKS CAN BE ORDERED FROM ANY PLACE SELLING BOOKS BY GIVING THEM THE TITLE, OR ISBN, OR MY NAME, PATRICIA YOUNGQUIST.

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Make Sure Clocks are set Correctly! (Wednesday's Wisdom)


Days have passed since the onset of 2019's DLST and people are still discombobulated — just like Mooch! Once again the Mutts characters are spot on re consequences of Day Light Savings Time!

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Side Affect of Day Light Savings Time (Tuesday's Truths WK 117)


This one hundred and seventeenth segment of my Tuesday's Truths series falls a couple of days after the onset of Day Light Savings Time for 2019 and I think this Mutts comic strip expresses how many feel about adjusting to the annual time change!

Saturday, March 9, 2019

Saturday in the Park (S)


Usually anytime that I'm in a park on a Saturday, I find myself thinking of the golden oldie ("Saturday In The Park") performed by the band, Chicago. This past Saturday was no exception, except it wasn't a "Saturday in the park," rather it was a Saturday in the parks. The first one being Riverside Park, where I was moved by a "scene" I observed soon after I arrived: Two young boys were just leaving the site of a snowman that they had been creating.

One turned back to give their "sculpture" a final goodbye...

... then their creation was left to himself and/or for passers-by to enjoy...


... before the snowman would inevitably melt away and be gone forever!

Later that afternoon I came upon a coquettish looking snow-woman...


... in another park (Central Park ) with no evidence of her creators in sight; but there she stood, waiting to meet her inevitable fate once the sun came out in full force.

Friday, March 8, 2019

Identifying with Sally Brown


The Peanuts Comic Strip (as many of them do) posted atop this entry spoke to my heart the other day when I saw it in my FB Newsfeed. I am a landline cordless phone user who  has been without my phone service since November of 2018. This is due to a cable issue with Verizon which will supposedly be resolved April 3rd of this year.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

The times they AREN'T a changing... (Wednesday's Wisdom)


As you can see, dear reader, the mini essay which is posted atop this entry was published on this day of March sixth in 1954. E.B.White wrote the piece and the sentiment within the it causes me to put a spin on Bob Dylan's lyrics: "...The times they are NOT a changing..."

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Mallards Doing the Otis Redding Thing (Tuesday's Truths WK 116)


In yesterday's post here on Blogger, all but one of the bird types included were ones I'd seen when in Central Park this past Sunday.

The birds in the photograph atop this posting (mostly Mallards) are ones I saw the Saturday prior to that when I was walking along the portion of The Greenway (on the UWS) which is parallel to the Hudson River.