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Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Wednesday's Wisdom: Keep your eyes are on the sparrow....

This photo features aone young House sparrow jmping out of a puddle in Central Park while a male House sparrow stays in there. This bird type is featured in my three volume book series, "Words In  Our Beak." Info re these books is in another post on this blog @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2018/10/one-sheet-book-series-info.html
HOUSE SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN WIOB VIEW 1

This photo features two House sparrows. One, a male,  is in a puddle. The other a young sparrow is on the sidelines. The picture was taken in Central Park. This bird type is featured in my three volume book series, "Words In  Our Beak." Info re these books is in another post on this blog @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2018/10/one-sheet-book-series-info.html
SOME BIRD TYPES FEATURED IN WIOB VIEW 2

You aren't living life to the fullest if you aren't appreciating Houses sparrows enjoying a puddle. As you can see from the images atop this entry, a young one changed her mind on spending time in a Central Park puddle, jumping out to move to the sidelines. Whatever the case may have been in this situation, the bird type seen here is featured in my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.

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

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Window Crash Victims Should Always Be Evaluated (Tuesday's Truths WK 197)

This photo is of a bird who died on the sidewalk  near 115 CPW in NYC. His/her death was probsbly the result of a window crash..
WINDOW CRASH VICTIM TAKEN TO THE WILD BIRD FUND


Whenever I'm having a bad day (which is all too frequently lately), I think I'm not so bad off as I needn't worry about having a window crash. This past Sunday (9-27-2020) I found the victim of such a tragedy on CPW (seen in the image directky above) on the UWS in NYC

I brought the creature to The Wild Bird Fund (WBF), but alas life was over for this sweet one.

This organizartion has recently been reporting that a large number of warblers have been involved in window crashes as this is migrating season. They have advised folks to bring birds they spot on the ground, who may appear dead, to their facility, as the bird could be alive, but very dazed and confused.

I did not think the sweet creature I came upon was alive, but I still took him/her to The WBF on the off chance I had misinterpreted his/her demise.

Unfortunately, this absolutely adorable innocent creature was dead upon arrival at The WBF, but I do take solace in taking this bird to them, because he/she will have a better burial than what might've occurred had his/her presence been ignored AND by my bringing a bird to The WBF, I think it increases their chances of raising awareness and/or obtaining funding.

By the way, The WBF along with a rescue story is referenced in my book series, Words In Our Beak.

This is a picture of my three volume book series, "Words In our Beak." Ino re the books is on my blog @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2018/10/one-sheet-book-series-info.html

Monday, September 28, 2020

Monday's Musings: White is still being worn! Labor Day 2020 Three Weeks Later

This is an image of a chalk board with the words I am back written on it.

Today is Monday, September 28th and I realize the last time I published a post here on Blogger was on Sunday, September 20th 2020. Eight days is certainly not a long duration but if you follow this blog regularly, you know that I publish on a more frequent basis, so I aplogize to those of you who may have been expecting content during my mini absence. In any event, as of today, it will  be three weeks since 2020's Labor Day. My blog entry for that holiday discusses the question of wearing white after this holiday passes (in any given year) from  the point of view of Jewel, the Muscovy duck seen in the next image.

JEWEL HAS A STORY IN VOLUME THREE

After all, she wears white throughout the year. (Stories about her are featured story in volume three of my book series, Words In Our Beak).

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


As you may know, dear reader, the stories within these books are all set in my rooftop garden. This is a place where various flora wear white after Labor Day, in fact in the case of my fall blooming anemone variety, known as 'Honorine Jobert' (and seen below), only begins to show her colors after Labor Day has come and gone.

This photo features a variety of anemone flowers known as 'Honorine Jobert.' They bloom in the fall and the ones seen here are white and this type of flower is featured in other posts on my blog @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search?q=Anemone
ANEMONE FLOWERS 

This photo features a variety of anemone flowers known as 'Honorine Jobert.’ They bloom in the fall and the ones seen here are white and this type of flower is featured in other posts on my blog @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search?q=Anemone
ANEMONE FLOWERS

This photo features a variety of anemone flowers known as 'Honorine Jobert.’ They bloom in the fall and the ones seen here are white and this type of flower is featured in other posts on my blog @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search?q=Anemone
ANEMONE FLOWERS

This photo features a variety of anemone flowers known as 'Honorine Jobert.’ They bloom in the fall and the ones seen here are white and this type of flower is featured in other posts on my blog @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search?q=Anemone
ANEMONE FLOWERS

This photo features a variety of anemone flowers known as 'Honorine Jobert.’ They bloom in the fall and the ones seen here are white and this type of flower is featured in other posts on my blog @ https://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search?q=Anemone
ANEMONE FLOWERS

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Outdoor dining is for the birds IF they practice social distancing....

A male House sparrow and a few Mourning doves in my garden.
SOME BIRD TYPES FEATURED IN WIOB VIEW 1

A male House sparrow and a few Mourning doves in my garden.
SOME BIRD TYPES FEATURED IN WIOB VIEW 2

As you can see from the images atop this entry, a lone male House sparrow changed his mind on where to dine. Perhaps the Mourning doves were not practing social distancing (AKA wellness distsncing)... Whatever the case may have been in this situation, the bird types seen here dining in my garden, are featured in my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.

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

Saturday, September 19, 2020

In Memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg

 
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died last evening (which also happened to be the first night of Rosh Hashanah) and the significance of her dying at this particular time was discussed in a blurb stating, "On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed — how many shall pass away and how many shall be born, who shall live and who shall die, who in good time, and who by an untimely death, who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by wild beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by earthquake and who by plague, who by strangulation and who by lapidation, who shall have rest and who wander, who shall be at peace and who pursued, who shall be serene and who tormented, who shall become impoverished and who wealthy, who shall be debased, and who exalted."  [This blurb was posted on FB by Reverend Barnes.]

As for RBG's role in a 2016 opera (featured in the You Tube video above), the dearly departed Justice said, “When I was in grade school, the class was separated into robins who sang out, and sparrows who mouthed the words. So, I was a sparrow. But The Duchess of Krakenthorp was much fun for me, because I wrote most of my own lines, and I explained—no surprise—the most valorous members of the House of Krakenthorp are women!” 

And, like Justice RBG, I was in grade school, I had a music teacher (Mrs. Creath) who made kids mouth their words if she felt their voices weren't good enough to be heard at "concerts" for the P.T.A. 

I was not silenced by her but I was put down by other teachers, so I empathized with a boy named Kenny when she told him to just mouth the words "due to his bad singing voice," that I mouthed the words also. 

Thankfully "our" dearly departed RGB did not let being silenced in grade school let her stay silenced throughout her life.

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Tuesday's Truths WK 196: Birds are Bird Watchers!

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

A few days ago in my post here on Blogger, I explained the term (people-ing") that is used when birds watch people, but just like humans, birds enjoy watching birds too, as evidenced in the image atop this entry. It features a House sparrow watching a Mourning dove or is the Mourning dove watching the House sparrow?

Whatever the case may be both bird types were at a feeder in my rooftop garden when I snapped this photograph. This garden is the setting for  my book series, Words In Our Beak...


MY BOOK SERIES

... and the two bird types seen here have stories included in the series which covers the antics of an array birds.

Monday, September 14, 2020

Monday's Memo: Zenaida macrouras (AKA Mourning doves) are a symbol of peace.

MOURNING DOVES HAVE A STORY IN VOL ONE
MOURNING DOVES HAVE A STORY IN VOL ONE

I recently read, "unassuming (Mourning) doves sustain a special place in human lore. Not flashy, but vital, they remain a gentle and enduring symbol of peace, a beauty we can all appreciate."

I'll second that truism with photo-ops (posted directly above) of my visiting Zenaida macrouras (Mourning doves).

As you may know, they are a bird type who have fascinating stories within volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak.


MY BOOK SERIES

Sunday, September 13, 2020

National Grandparents Day 2020

MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS ARE FEATURED IN MANY BLOG POSTS
I don't want the day to pass without mentioning that today, being the first Sunday after Labor Day, is a holiday known as National Grandparents Day. According to Holiday Insights the holiday "originated in 1978 when then President Jimmy Carter declared it to be the first Sunday after Labor Day."

I've read that "the impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide."

I am the first grandchild of my maternal grandparents (they can be seen in the snapshot, atop this entry as well as in the image below which I featured in a recent post here on Blogger.

MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS ARE FEATURED IN MANY BLOG POSTS

In any event, both of these photos were taken in bygone — way bygone — years and I hope the Welsh proverb, "perfect love sometimes does not come until after the first grandchild," proved true for my maternal grandparents.

I feel very fortunate to have grown up near my maternal grandparents' home, and I've always been appreciative of the wisdom, as well as the heritage they provided — although my maternal grandmother might've begged to differ a she never liked the fact that I moved to New York City.

A Way To Conquer Ohrwurms

MOURNING DOVES HAVE A STORY IN VOL ONE

Upon my seeing the Mourning dove (featured in the picture above) in my garden, I nearly got a case of the ohrwurms (earworms).

As Mashable explains, "...An 'earworm' is the common term for having a tune, or part of a tune, stuck on loop in your head. The scientific name is 'involuntary musical imagery,' abbreviated to INMI. You can also call it 'stuck-song syndrome,' but 'earworm' really does seem to sum up the condition. The term comes from the German word #ohrwurm which has no direct English translation..."

But getting back to the young dove who nearly (and most likely unwittingly) triggered a case of ohrwurms in me, it was my seeing his/her brown eyes that made me think of songs such as Don't it make my brown eyes blue? (Crystal Gayle), You My Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison) and Looking in Your Big Brown Eyes (Bob Marley).

In the event my mentioning these songs to you, dear reader, has caused you to have ohrwurms, I will tell you this, one cure to rid yourself of this situation is to do as Mashable suggests and think about something engrossing... and might I suggest that "something" Mourning doves. They are a bird type who have fascinating stories within volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak.


MY BOOK SERIES

Saturday, September 12, 2020

My eyes are on the House sparrows...

HOUSE SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN WIOB
HOUSE SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

I came across the photos (which are posted directly above) just the other day when organizing my photo-library. They were taken on October 24th 2015, which happens to be the day my dear friend, Donna DeSolis (DD) might've been celebrating her birthday with me had she not died a few months prior (in June of 2015). As readers of this blog may recall, I created at the request of DD's son a video commemorating her life and it may be viewed on Vimeo and/or You Tube.

As for these two pictures I am which I am now referencing they feature House sparrows enjoying a meal from a bird feeder in my rooftop garden. The sparrow with dark features an a black "bib" is a male. In a recent entry here on Blogger, I discussed this characteristic (bib) which is a feature of male House sparrows in a recent entry here on Blogger. However, my seeing these photos at this time caused me to think of a poem by Mary Oliver, which is posted below.

In the song sparrow's nest the nestlings,
those who would sing eventually, must listen
carefully to the father bird as he sings
and make their own song in imitation of his.
I don't know if any other bird does this (in
nature's way has to do this). But I know a 
child doesn't have to. Doesn't have to.
Doesn't have to. And I didn't.

Ms. Oliver is referring to a song sparrow in this particular poem, "Blue Horses" (from "To Be Human is to Sing Your Own Song"). I have pictures of that bird type too within my photo collection, an example of one whom I saw in Central Park is featured in the next image.

SONG SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN OTHER BLOG POSTS

However, it the House sparrow whom I've included in my three volume hardcover book series, Words In Our Beak.


MY BOOK SERIES

Friday, September 11, 2020

9/11: The 19th Anniversary


Today, September 11th, 2020  marks the nineteenth anniversary of the Nine Eleven terrorist's attacks. As I've stated in my prior entries re this tragedy, I interviewed for a job at One World Trade Center, just thirty-one days prior to the terrorists attacks: August 10, 2001.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Are humans bird watching or are birds watching us? THAT IS THE QUESTION!

HOUSE SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

Upon (most recently) my seeing the House sparrow (perching on a portion of a railing that surrounds my rooftop garden) which is depicted in the image directly above, I can easily interpret the term "bird watching," to mean whom is watching whom?

Are we humans bird watching as we observe our avian community or are they the ones who watch us? In volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak...


MY BOOK SERIES

... the story's narrator (who happens to be a female cardinal) explains that when a bird watches a person, the activity is called, "people-ing."

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

American Robins Bring Joy to Others (Wednesday's Wisdom)

AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE
AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE
AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE

As I mentioned in a recent entry here on blogger, "Young American Robins initially have speckled plumage and no red breast, but as their post-juvenile molt progresses, the orange-red feathering of the breast starts to appear, as well as their pale belly." 

The one who is featured in the image atop this entry seems to be in that phase of his/her life. in this picture he/she is alighting upon the string lights which hang over my rooftop garden.