Pinecones and Cardinals Spend Time With my Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi)

 I have a couple of newcomers to my garden: Pinecones!

They are on my Larix Kaempferi! 

A partial view of this evergreen tree can be seen in the image atop this entry.

Close-ups of the pinecones who have made their home in her branches can be seen in the next two images. 

I was so intrigued by the presence of these pinecones that I researched on pinecones and found lots of interesting content.

It's May 15th! Time to honor Horton (again)!

Today is May 15th, a date that evidently has significant implications to Dr. Seuss, for he mentions it at the beginning of Horton Hears a Who (featured in the image atop this entry) The Seven Lady Godivas and in If I Ran the Zoo. 

This past March, the latter of the aforementioned books along with five others (featured in an uncredited web-image below) were pulled from any re-publication in the future, due to accusations that they contain racist's  undertones.

But getting back to the date of May 15th, acccording to multiple sources, it was also the day that Seuss was elected as editor-in-chief of the Dartmouth school newspaper, The Jack-O'-Lantern.

As for me and May 15th, I have referenced it's connection with Horton hearing a who while being in the Jungle of Nool in a number of posts within this blog.

Remembering Peggy Wood: “Progress is being made.”

Today, May the 8th, I might have been getting together with the celebrate the birthday of  my dearly departed editor, Peggy Wood, had she not passed away on the last day of December of 2014. Peggy was the editor of the very first version of Words In Our Beak Volume One, which was an iBook digital version (photo of the cover is featured in the image atop this entry). It was released after she died.

Bird Day 2021 (Tuesday's Truths WK 214)

Yesterday shortly after Juan V (JV) left from working with me in my garden, I had a visitor who happened to be a male Northern cardinal.

This incident was most welcome after having made my place more beautiful with yesterday's plantings. In any event the handsome creature is featured in the sequence of images atop this entry which serve as a play-by play to his discovering peanuts I had placed in a small petri-dish-style bird feeder, that hangs in close proximity to my lush pair of kiwi vines.

One of these vines is the narrator of my garden-themed movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame...almost, which can be viewed on my You Tube channel and/or my Vimeo channel. 

In this mini movie, the vine talks about what it is like to live within my rooftop garden which is located on the Upper Westside of Manhattan.

A few years after this kiwi vine experienced nearly fifteen minutes of fame by talking about my place, a wildbird, known as a female cardinal named Cam, also expirenced fame by narrating a three volume book series about my place.

When do my pictures say the words or when do my words paint a picture?

It is such an honor to have mockingbirds visit my garden (which one is doing in the image atop this entry), but today for my Wednesday Wisdom segment, I can't find the words to describe the feelings such visitors provoke in me.

Therefore, I will use the words that Henry David Thoreau used to describe when another bird type (a sparrow) how he felt visited his garden.

Here is what he said: “I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.”

This quotation has been referenced in a number of my blog posts including one published on an anniversary of one of Thoreau's birthdays (July 12th 2017).

Usually I'm not one who is at a loss for words, which is a good thing since I'm a writer but today, when it comes to describing the feeling I had the other day upon seeing a lone mockingbird in my garden, I don't have much to say. 

Perhaps I'm thinking that my words about this have all been said by me (in prior posts) or have been said by writers whom admire.

Another possibly for lack of words might be due to the fact that I've taken a picture of what  I saw and it might suffice due to it being one of those picture says a thousands words things.

According to a web-page, "the idea that a picture can convey what might take many words to express was voiced by a character in Ivan S. Turgenev's novel Fathers and Sons, 1862: 'The drawing shows me at one glance what might be spread over ten pages in a book.'"

April Downpours Did Not Deter Visiting Birds (YAY)!

Today's April showers were more like downpours and lasted from early morning throughout the night. Fortunately they not deter a number of birds from visiting my garden, including a Northern mockingbird, the avian creature featured in the photos atop this entry.

Northern Cardinals Love One Another

How special to come upon this lovely avian couple (the Northern cardinals featured in the images atop this entry) during a short walk in Central Park.

For years now, I have spent a lot of time there, but for a little over one year that has not been the case due to consequences of the coronavirus.

Visits from Northern Cardinals

Cardinals both female and male used to visit my garden on a more than frequent basis but not very often lately. This is something I mentioned in a prior post here on Blogger during the last time a male cardinal came to my place which was on 1-27-2021.

Yesterday I was surprised and thrilled when a female and male cardinal spent time  in my garden. Pictures of this occurance are featured atop this entry.

There are many theories on what it means to have a cardinal visit someone. A web-page for Birding Hub suggests  "A visit from a red cardinali (male) is often interpreted as a visit from one of those four archangels that offer us inspiration and direction in times of need."

Daniel Szczesniak of US ORNS ONLINE states  "...When a cardinal appears in your yard, it’s a visitor from heaven..."

Writer Joe Oliveto believes "How you might interpret a cardinal’s appearance will depend on several factors, including your religion, current circumstances, and overall cultural beliefs." He  offers a guide that covers some of the more common ways people have interpreted the sight of a cardinal throughout history.

All of these interpetations are interesting but i find it odd that they don't include the female cardinal and I don't often subscribe deeper meanings to being visited by a cardinal. Rather I think they come to because of the ammenties (bird baths, peanuts, seeds, edible flora, suet and a feeling of safeness).

National Peanut Month 2021

The month of March arrived the other day and whether this month comes in like a lion or a lamb, it will always be known here in The United States as National Peanut Month.

Peanuts are a legume appreciated by members of the wildlife community including squirrels who over the course of many years, have stopped by my garden on countless occasions to eat them. This is evienced in the picture directly below.

Peanuts are also enjoyed by members of the wild bird community. In fact they are so popular with Northern cardinals, that my visiting cardinal Cam and her husband Mac, named one of their daughters,“Peanut,” in honor of this taste treat. These three cardinals can be seen (respectively) in the next sequence of photographs.

The stories of this cardinal couple along with the stories of an array of bird types are featured in my three volume hardcover book 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.

A Bernie Sander's Meme Featuring Cam and Mac! (Thursday's Testimony)

Does anyone happen to remember when a House sparrow alighted on Bernie Sander's campaign podium in 2016? It was adoreable. Here's the link to a recording of the incident in case you missed it and/or want to refresh your memory). My recalling that sparrow plus seeing all the Bernie Sanders mitten-memes inspired my idea to create a meme with him wearing my cardinal-themed face-mask.

"Birds are like teenagers They don't write. They don't call." (Wednesday's Wisdom)

CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

Cardinals used to visit my garden on a frequent basis but lately not so much and I was thrilled when one stopped by a few weeks ago. He is featured in the images atop this entry. I never know the reason for their absence. When I expressed this concern to a neighbor, he told me, "Birds are like teenagers They don't write. They don't call."

It's just another day?

CARDINAL THEMED FACE-MASK AVAILABLE VIA FAA

As we face this day of 1-15-2021, two weeks into a new year, I am reminded of some lyrics in a song written by Linda and Paul McCartney which state, "......Ah, it's just another day. It's just another day. It's just another day."

Indeed it’s just another day and a number is not going to instantly bring about changes to the consequences of where we are today (with the on-going coronavirus pandemic and with our political unrest).

A wise thoughtful, prophetic FB peep (SR) pointed out, “…presidency isn't the answer. This goes beyond politics… So for now do no harm. Try to promote peace and do good deeds. Leave others alone unless you have something positive to offer."

If we heed the wisdom of SR we can make this day and the ones to come more than "...just another day."

Special Time-Sensitive Offer from Fine Art America re my Images

Fine Art America, AKA FAA (the place that does my fulfillment for my art "merchandise"), offer for free shipping ends tonight, November 22nd at midnight EST. 

I have several varieties of greeting cards and a fraction of them can be seen within the images included in my poster which is atop this entry.

Some of my other greeting cards can be seen within the folllowing sequence of photos:

Some of my photo-art is now availabe in jigsaw puzzle format!

One week ago today (11-12-2020), I announced on FB that Fine Art America (FAA) an online, print–on–demand art marketplace and fulfillment service company (who helps artists, like me, sell their images as wall art, home decor, apparel, and other lifestyle products), now have the ability to render artwork in frameable jigsaw puzzle format.

All of their packaging can be seen within my "poster" atop this entry.

Admittedly, the thumbnails may be hard to decipher, so I'm taking the liberty to show you larger images of my jigsaw puzzle's boxes.

Fred (or Freddie), A Touring Pumpkin

It's been a very rainy (understatement) chilly day in NYC, but that didn't stop Freddie the pumpkin from continuing with his greenmarket tour.

He's been making the rounds (visiting various greenmarkets in NYC) since the first Sunday in October (when he debuted — wearing a face-mask — at the Greenmarket alongside The AMNH (American Museum of Natural History) on the UWS.

He wants people to guess his weight and whomever comes the closest will win a bag of local produce.

Contestants write their guess along with their name and contact info on a piece of paper and give it to the person monitoring his space.

And evidently, on this Saturday, which is the last Saturday in October, the winner will be annouced at the Greenmarket at Tucker Square and where I saw him today).

You would think with the array of pumpkins that are in my garden, which I've carried up five flights of stairs, that I might have an idea, but I don't, I just put down a wild guess, for you have to be in it to win it as the saying goes.

Wednesday's Words: A Resilient Pigeon's (now named TAM) Update

THE WILD BIRD FUND

I’m offering this blog post as a follow-up re the status of an injured pigeon whom I initially discovered in my garden this past Saturday (10-10-2020) and whom I spoke about in Monday's (10-12-2020) entry here on Blogger.

The collage directly above gives a pictotial overview of the pigeon's fate, and below is a copy of what I baiscally said (italicized text) about it on Facebook:

As of this posting, my injured pigeon, now named TAM,* after the people who weighted in on what I should/could do and someone who helped me capture him (for transporting to The Wild Bird Fund (WBF).

[*TAM: “T” for Tina Pina, pigeon advocate and artisan, “A” for Amanda Remsberg, bird re-habber, and “M” for Martha, AKA MB, the woman who helped with my rescue.]  

MB can be seen in the next photograph (which was taken in 2016) where she is standing in my garden. 

We were working in my garden during a time, the now often full-time wearing of face-masks could never have been imagined. However, re-purposing plastic bags into rain gear was quite the norm. 

In any event, the weather, was very similar to the conditions taking place in March of 2016 and when an attempt was made to sweep/clean behind the container housing my Smoke Bush (which is a large dark-green box seen to MB’s right in the image, or to the lower left in photo view), a dead pigeon was discovered.

AN UNFORTUNATE PIGEON

I began to weep, and MB, unaware of my recent experiences in discovering an injured pigeon, warned me to take it easy. As the work in the garden continued, a planter that is home to my fall blooming anemones which butts up against a large planter that is now housing my Sweet Autumn Clematis and toadlilies (seen in the following image)...

TOAD LILIES WITH OTHER FLORA

... was moved and in doing so, my injured visitor’s hiding place was discovered and she was able to pick him up and set him in my bathroom..

A SAFE PLACE FOR AN INJURED PIGEON

...until we could (within an hour’s time) take him to The WBF. 

Alas, I had no brown paper grocery bags on hand as I don’t buy many groceries and when I do, in the interest of recycling take a bag from any store as I carry a cloth bag. Therefore I lined a box with one of my bedsheets, placed the pigeon in it.

Then I put his box in a Christmas gift bag — the only bag I had on hand — for transporting.

TRANSPORT FOR AN INJURED PIGEON VIEW 1

MB drove me to The WBF...

THE WILD BIRD FUND

... where the intake person mentioned how remarkable it was that this creature survived the heavy rains of the past few days.

Out of an abundance of caution, convo exchanges between rescuers and rehabbers is extremely minimal and I neglected to ask how I might follow-up on his condition (they do not take phone calls).

Moreover, I “coulda” offered to release him in my garden, but the thought did not occur to me as I was focusing on helping him get the care he needed at the time.

On another note, my first experience in rescuing a pigeon and having him transported to The WBF is included in volume one...

WORDS IN OUR BEAK VOLUME ONE

... of my three hardcover book series, Words In Our Beak.

MY THREE VOLUME SERIES

I hope Tam will recover as one of my other rescuees (named Thursday) did under the care of The WBF, and if I'm able to find out Tam's prognosis, I'll be sure to post it on Facebook and on this blog.

Another New Yorker Wears My Face-Mask

NEW YORK STATE LOGO

I love that NYC residents (for the most part) are wearing face-masks in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (the coronavirus). Hence in this post, I'm including (directly above) a copy of a modified I-HEART-NY image (that I saw uncredited on the web-page for the state of NY's Twitter account). I love it even more when they are wearing face-masks which I've designed. 

Therefore, this past Monday, I was thrilled, when by chance I happened to see my friend's (RF) partner (CM), who can be seen in the next image)...

MY DRAGONFLY-THEMED FACE-MASK

... at an outdoor space on the UWS, wearing my dragon-fly themed face-mask.

I knew RF had purchased my cardinal-themed mask back in June because she emailed me a picture of her wearing it (a copy of that particular image can be seen below and is one you might recognize as I've featured it in prior entries here on Blogger).

MY CARDINAL-THEMED FACE-MASK

If you'd like to see and or learn about my collection of face-masks (which include one with my kaleidoscopic image printed on it, as well as one that has my impressionistic black and white photo printed on it and of course the ones seen here), info can be found within a page on my website, patriciayoungquist.com

Soon it Will Be Halloween (27 Days)

In just a a little under one month's time, 2020's Halloween will be here. Last year on that holiday I was on the UES heading west when I encountered a woman wearing a panda bear mask. She can be seen in the image atop this entry.

Who could have known that less than one year's time, most every one throughout the United States and other parts of the world be (or should be) wearing face-masks to prevent the spread of a pandemic known as COVID-19 (the cornavirus).

NATIONAL READ A BOOK DAY 2020

IMAGE CREDIT

According to a number of sources, September 6th is Read a Book Day, a web-page has this to say re the holiday:

"Break out your reading glasses and favorite mug of hot coffee, because it’s National Read a Book Day! Some people just can’t stop reading, but most of us tend to put reading on the back burner with other 'maybe later' activities like hitting the gym or cleaning the oven. Life can definitely get in the way of our reading time, but National Read a Book Day is the perfect opportunity to make some time in your life to read. Whether you’re a sci-fi fanatic, a non-fiction buff, or a not-so-often reader, there is a book out there just for you. This holiday literately reminds us that entertainment isn’t limited to what you can watch on a screen or hear through your speakers. Books can bring whole new worlds to life, not to mention shed light on world events and share perspectives on the human experience in a way that other mediums just can’t. In a world of increasing technology and screen-based communication, National Read a Book Day encourages us to switch off and turn the pages for a while."

Please let me add to what the aforementioned web-page says re today's holiday by saying, if you buy one to celebrate the event .....well, I suppose you should get something you’ve had your eye on for a certain amount of time...that's another story...

But, if you buy two or more books to honor the occasion. might I recommend one of them be a celebration of nature via stories (set in an extraordinary rooftop garden in New York City) that are told from the perspective of a female cardinal as is the case with my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.