Inspiration From Patrick McDonnnell

Indeed, George Eliot! AND thank you, Patrick McDonnell for publishing another one of your amazing drawings  (a copy is posted directly above) and quotation citing. What a nice way to ring in the first day of fall, in the Northern hemisphere (in states that have Eastern Standard time, it offically begins today at 3:21 PM)!

As many of you may know, I am a huge Mutts fan and I've featured McDonnell's drawings and strips in a number of my blog posts.

On another note, McDonnell and his cast of characters are part of what inspired me to create my photo-comics. They are featured in my digital book, BIRD TALES.

It features a number of birds participating in a variety of activities and is dedicated to all birds and everyone who loves them. An interactive book for people of all ages to enjoy together and is now available via Apple Books.

BIRD TALES is my second book with Apple. The first one, Words In Our Beak, was published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's iBook version was published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud. 

Following this, Ingram Spark published a hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak Volume One  (with slight variations), and they also published hard-cover versions of Words In Our Beak, Volume Two and Words In Our Beak, Volume Three. 

All versions of Words In Our Beak have a goal which is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. The setting for my books is my rooftop urban garden in New York City, my stories are 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.

Mourning doves, the bird type featured in  the photograph directly below, where they re sitting on a pumpkin in my garden, are included in this book all my versions of Words In Our Beak as well as in BIRD TALES.

While I believe this bird type likes autumn, I don't think their likely to do the George Eliot thing and fly around in search of other autumns, their interest seems to be invested in sticking around to nosh on seeds during all types of weather, as evidenced in the photograph below.

Wednesday's Wisdom is from SOUR PUSS!

I'm a sucker for Mutts and have published many blog posts about this amazing strip. 

You can read them by clicking here.

Mutts, as well as other comic strips, are part of the inspiration for my newly released book, BIRD TALES.

This book is a collection of photo-comics (a medium, as I've mentioned here on Blogger, that is a means of sequential storytelling that use photographs rather than illustrations). The inspiration comes from photo-novels, also known as fumetti. They are popular in Italy and Latin America.

It features a number of birds participating in a variety of activities and is dedicated to all birds and everyone who loves them. An interactive book for people of all ages to enjoy together and is now available via Apple Books.

It's National Aquarium and Zoo Month! (Tuesday's Truth WK 218)

Sharing a copy of a 1970's Peanuts strip (atop this entry) because the month of June, which begins today is known for many things, among them is bringing attention to aquariums.

In 1982, President Ronald Regan declared the month of June to be a time to learn more about them (as well as zoos) and this fact about the month of June, dear reader, is the essence of my 218th Tuesday's Truths segement.

"Spring is just around the corner?"

Atop this entry is a copy of a Mutts comic strip created by Patrick McDonnell. It was initially emailed to me this morning, February 21, 2021. We are still dealing with a lot of snow here  in NYC and as you can see in the next set of three pictures, Mourning doves, visiting my snowy garden appear unphased to know that spring does not seem to be around the corner.

They are a bird type featured in my book series, series, Words In Our Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

The books make a perfect gift for someone who may be in quarantine or lockdown due to consequences of the coronavirus because the stories in them can bring the outdoors into the homes of those who cannot go out and about.

It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is here and I've been publishing a number of posts in the month leading up to the "holiday." I do realize it can be a rough day for some. If that "some" includes you, dear reader, know you are not alone, so find love and joy where you can (there's a lot of it out there).

An Inspiration from The Great Pumpkin

BOOK COVER FOR GREAT PUMPKIN CAROLS

According to a FB Pagefor the Charles M. Schultz Museum, "Following the success of the 1966 TV special 'It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!,' Hallmark published a whimsical booklet of Peanuts Pumpkin Carols." (A copy of the booklet cover is seen in the image to the left, or the first picture in time-line view).

"As declared by Linus, and according to the front cover, 'Halloween is becoming a forgotten holiday. We dedicated followers of the Great Pumpkin must do something to rekindle the Halloween spirit. Let us not rest until the universe resounds with pumpkin carols.'

⁠

"🎼 The booklet includes eight pumpkin carols, set to well-known Christmas tunes, of course. Carols include: Great Pumpkin is Coming to Town, Pumpkin Wonderland, I’m Dreaming of the Great Pumpkin, Pumpkin Bells, The Twelve Days of Halloween, I Heard the Bells on Halloween, and O Pumpkin Cards." (Image and text are taken from the aforementioned FB Page for Peanuts @).

Upon my seeing a copy of the 1966 booklet, "THE PEANUTS BOOK OF PUMPKIN CAROLS," I thought of one of my 2020 Halloween-themed products titled. "The Pumpkin Choir" (totes as well as a note-card). They can be seen in the next two images to the right (respectively).

THE PUMPKIN CHOIR TOTE

THE PUMPKIN CHOIR NOTE-CARD

For your information, my photo of pumpkins caroling or ("The Pumpkin Choir") is included in volume two of my book series...

BOOK JACKET (FRONT) WIOB V2

PAGES 44 AND 45 WIOB V2

Words In Our Beak, in a section that describes how Halloween decor impacts the lives of wild birds. Information re the entire series (jackets pictured below) can be found by clicking here.

MY BOOK SERIES

I realize Halloween is twenty-one days from now and I don't like to rush the entrance of the holiday, but due to time needed for shipping (in the event you'd like to purchase items mentioned here), I thought it best to give a heads up now.

Tuesday's Truths Week 192: What a difference a week makes!

IMAGE CREDIT

As many of you may know, a number of people were impacted by Hurricane Isaias, which took place in NYC, one week ago (on August 4th 2020) and I was no exception, in fact I had a Wizard of Oz moment.

A Couple of Thoughts Re Session 63 & 64 (Tuesday's Truths WK 182)

MUTTS'S CHARACTERS ARE FEATURED THROUGHOUT MY  BLOG

For this 182nd segment of my Tuesday's Truths series, I confess that (in the midst of this coronavirus  pandemic) it has been hard for me to focus on my projects, which I find distressing.

In terms of this blog, I had big goals set aside for 2020, which I mentioned at the onset of the new year, but now it seems I'm having a great struggle to think about anything but the impact of COVID-19. Like Earl, the dog featured in the Mutts comic strip atop this entry, I'm questioning how to clear my mind and focus on other mattes besides the #ClapBecauseWeCare tributes that I've participated in since two days after they began this past March.

The tributes and the reasoning behind them are very important and I'm glad to pay homage to these events and to the people for whom we do them, but I recognize, I must get back to focusing on my writing projects as time is marching on with out me.

Going forward re this blog, I hope to continue to draw attention to the #ClapBecauseWeCare efforts, but also get back to what I was trying to accomplish pre-COVId-19.

The 15th Session

JULIE, THE WOMAN WHO TOOK PHOTO-OP S OF MY GARDEN
SEE THEM BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE 

The 15th night of clapping and cheering (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare) to honor first responders and healthcare workers who are keeping New Yorkers as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic took place a little over an hour ago.

Many people participated but I only took a few pictures (one of which can be seen in the photo atop this entry).

Identifying With Spike

IMAGE CREDIT

I am with you on this, Spike, for due to the effect the coronavirus pandemic is having on NYC I have been following the pleas of our mayor and governor by sheltering in place ever since two weeks ago (March 21, 2020).

Yesterday it was very cold outside yesterday, as you might surmise upon looking at the following series of pictures, here you can see an American robin all puffed up in effort to keep warm.

AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME 3

His/her survival techniques even caught the attention of a male Northern cardinal who did some bird watching (bird staring if truth the told) when he noticed the robin.

A 2020 "Worm Moon" will appear today! (Monday's Memo)

As you can see in the Mutts comic strip posted atop this entry, Earl has asked Mooch if he knows why this March 9th 2020 is called The Worm Moon, and a little worm, overhearing the convo, pops up from the ground to say, "YES!"

How about you dear reader, do you know why this Monday's moon is called The Worm Moon?

Fear not, if you don't, The Farmer's Almanac has the answer and so does Patch!

Friday Follow-Up: Fredia, another PEANUTS's character, celebrates her debut!

IMAGE CREDIT

This past Tuesday, March 3, 2020, for my 165th segment in my Tuesday's Truths series, I offered my congratulations to Lucy van Pelt who is still going strong after making a debut 68 years ago!

Today as a Friday follow-up, I'm giving a shout on to another one of  Charles Schultz's characters, Frieda, who made her debut 59 years ago today.

You've got this! Way to go, Lucy van Pelt! (Tuesday's Truths WK 165)

IMAGE CREDIT

For this 165th segment of my Tuesday's Truths series, I'd like to offer my congratulations to Lucy van Pelt who is still going strong after making a debut 68 years ago!

Here's what Charles Schultz had to say about her: "Lucy comes from that part of me that's capable of saying mean and sarcastic things, which is not a good trait to have, so [she] gives me a good outlet. But each character has a weakness and Lucy's weakness is Schroeder."

I appreciate all of Schultz's characters as evidenced by the number of blog posts I've published about him and his Peanuts comic strip.

House Sparrows Watching

I came across an oldie but goodie Mutts comic strip (posted directly above) and it reminded me of a couple of house sparrows whom I saw in Central Park last Sunday.

Boxing Day 2019

Unlike the characters in The Mutts comic strip (posted above), on this day after Christmas,  I am stirring, but like them I'm exhausted, so I'll keep it short.

Today is Boxing Day "which is only celebrated in a few countries; mainly ones historically connected to the UK (such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) and in some European countries. In Germany it is known as "Zweite Feiertag” (which means 'second celebration')."

It's 2019's first day of fall in NYC.

In honor of the onset of Autumn in New York, I'm sharing some comic strips by Patrick McDonnell whose strips (Mutts) almost always warm my heart.

On this first day of fall in NYC, we don't have much fall color and won't for a few weeks, so, on this first day of fall, I'll leave you a poem (Song for Autumn) by Mary Oliver, and with photos of what the leaves on the trees in Riverside Park will look like in the coming months, that as if they repeat what they've done in by gone years.

Song for Autumn
(By Mary Oliver)

In the deep fall

don’t you imagine the leaves think how

comfortable it will be to touch

the earth instead of the

nothingness of air and the endless

freshets of wind? And don’t you think

the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,

warm caves, begin to think

of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep

inside their bodies? And don’t you hear

the goldenrod whispering goodbye,

the everlasting being crowned with the first

tuffets of snow? The pond

vanishes, and the white field over which

the fox runs so quickly brings out

its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its

bellows. And at evening especially,

the piled firewood shifts a little,

longing to be on its way.

A Cicada's Perspective (Throwback Thursday)

Nearly two tears ago, here on Blogger, I published an entry about cicadas that includes the mini essay by E.B. White which is posted directly below.

"At eight of a hot morning, the cicada speaks his first piece. He says of the world: heat. At eleven of the same day, still singing, he has not changed his note but has enlarged his theme. He says of the morning: love. In the sultry middle of the afternoon, when the sadness of love and of heat has shaken him, his symphonic soul goes into the great movement and he says: death. But the thing isn't over. After supper he weaves heat, love, death into a final stanza, subtler and less brassy than the others. He has one last heroic monosyllable at his command. Life, he says, reminiscing. Life."

Over the past few weeks, maybe even several weeks while hearing cicadas the essay always comes to my mind. Now, on this throwback Thursday, I'd like to share with you the Mutts comic strip atop this entry where a cicada points out not much has changed since he/she went underground and that insect is absolutely right.

Meanwhile, in the aforementioned posting I also stated (and included a copy of the same picture used at the conclusion of this entry)  "Additionally, a web-page for the Home Depot (which includes the image directly below) states: "If you live anywhere from the Midwest to the East Coast and you’ve ever been outdoors in spring, chances are that you have heard the distinctive sound of the annual cicada. The tinny buzzing sound seems to go on forever, but it really only lasts for a few weeks in late spring. This year though, the love song of the cicada will become a deafening roar for people from North Carolina all the way up to New England when billions of the Brood II Magicicada species emerge from deep beneath the earth for their time in the sun – an event that only happens once every 17 years."

IMAGE CREDIT

Sunday in the Park with Cardinals

IMAGE CREDIT

In my early morning blog post for today, I featured Marquis quote, "Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday."

That quotation seems to be the story of my life these past couple of months because I have been unable to finish my proposal for a photo book project I am hoping to do with Steidl.

I had intended to submit my work to him this past April or May at the latest. However, this past May I took a U turn from the work I had been doing on the proposal and focused on my other book and or movie project, Imperfect Strangers.

Remembering Donald Robert Perry Marquis

This week's Monday Musing is from a quote associated Donald Robert Perry Marquis (which is featured in the Mutts comic strip atop this entry). Marquis was born on this day of July 29th in the year 1878.

According to a Wiki Page, he was "a humorist, journalist, and author. He was variously a novelist, poet, newspaper columnist, and playwright. He is remembered best for creating the characters Archy and Mehitabel, supposed authors of humorous verse. During his lifetime he was equally famous for creating another fictitious character, 'the Old Soak,' who was the subject of two books, a hit Broadway play (1922–23), a silent movie (1926) and a talkie (1937)."

Friday's Funnies