Friday's Follow-Up Re A Visiting Jay

Atop this entry is a copy of a Mutts cartoon created by Patrick McDonnell. It was initially posted in celebration of the 2018 Winter Solstice and I thought of the sentiment expressed by Mooch during the nor'easter which occured in NYC this past Monday (2-1-2021).

As I said in my blog post about the event (which I published the next day) an array of bird types (including a lone American robin, several Dark-eyed juncoes, a number of House sparrows, an entourage of Mourning doves, and a lone Northern mockingbird) spent a lot of time in my garden during this storm. 

The day following the storm, which happened to be Groundhog Day, a Blue jay stopped by my place.

2021's Ground Hog Day + NYC's 1st Nor'easter for this Year (Tuesday's Truths WK 203)

Results are in! A couple of hours prior to this seemingly pensive Blue jay (seen in the picture directly above) alighting on the branches of the smoke bush that I have in my garden, NYC's spokes-groundhog predicted an early spring. However, Phil, the spokes-groundhog for nearby Pennsylvania predicts six more weeks of winter.

Lesson from a Junco

JUNCOES ARE IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

I haven't seen much of the bird variety known by the name Junco hyemalis (Dark-Eyed junco), this  winter season so I was thrilled when a couple of them showed up at my place the other day. One of them is featured within the photographs included in this blog post.

Groundhog Day 2020

It's Groundhog Day and those who are not fans of winter (I don't mind it) are happy to know that neither NYC's groundhog (in Staten Island) Philadelphia's Punxatawney Phil, saw their shadow and folk lore has always seen this is a sign of an early spring.

Regarding seeing one's shadows, I wish I had not seen mine on January 18 2020 when I was taking photographs for an article I was writing about the first snowfall of the decade, because when I moved in order to not have it be in my picture, I fell and broke my greater tuberosity.

Thursday's Testimony: Confronting Shadows

Maybe because Groundhog Day 2019 has only recently passed, I've been a little obsessed with the topic of seeing/not seeing one's own shadow and am learning to confront mine as Carl Jung suggests everyone should do.

REMEMBER It's Hedge Hog Day Too!

Before this morning comes to an end, it would be remiss of me to not write about the fact that in addition to it being Groundhog Day (as I mentioned earlier this morning in two posts here on Blogger), today is also known as National Hedge Hog Day.

According to many sources, including Non-Stop Celebrations, "Hedgehog Day dates all the way back to the Romans. They looked to see if a hedgehog saw his shadow in the moonlight. If so, he’d return to his burrow and winter would hold on for six more weeks. And in Europe the tradition of Candlemas included the belief that a sunny Candlemas meant winter would linger. A cloudy day heralded the arrival of spring. At some point the Romans brought their beliefs to Europe and the beliefs melded into watching the hedgehog emerge from hibernation during the day. On a sunny day he would see his shadow and there’d be six more weeks of winter."

They go on to proclaim that "Hedgehogs are resourceful. They are covered with stiff, hollow hairs they use to defend themselves. When they sense danger they roll into a ball so that their hairs stick out like spines, causing pain to anyone silly enough to touch.

They have an amazing sense of smell and can find food buried under an inch of soil. They often prefer to travel and look for food at night. That may be why the Romans preferred moonlight over sunlight to check for the hedgehog’s shadow."

Moreover, they state, that February the second "is also the release date for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, way back in 1994." 

In honor of Hedge Hog Day and Sonic, I've posted an image of a Macy's Ballon that is rendered in her likeness atop this entry. In this picture Sonic is making her way down Central Park West as she participates in a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In North America, there are no native species of hedgehog, so the animal as a weather predictor has been replaced with the native groundhog. However, in my home these creatures are honored by being represented by figurines.

So after you are done celebrating the groundhog's prediction on this day, why not take a moment or two to learn about hedgehogs, the forerunners of this holiday?

Results are in...

Results are in (an update on this morning's post): NYC's spokes-groundhog did not see his shadow, nor did Phil, the spokes-groundhog for Pennsylvania. This supposedly means we are in for an early spring in the northeastern portion of the USA. My update comes with another comic strip from the amazing Patrick McDonnell.

These groundhogs are probably much more reliable than humans when it comes to weather (and most likely other matters); but do remember this wisdom from Bill Vaughn: "The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and then disappears."

Groundhog Day 2019 Let the ceremony Begin!

It's Ground Hog Day 2019! The Staten Island Zoo at 614 Broadway in West Brighton, opened at six o'clock this morning and the Groundhog Day ceremony began at 7:00 a.m.

At 7:30 AM, NYC will find out the results of our rodent's prediction. Meanwhile, in other parts of the country folks are awaiting their spokes-groundhog to weigh in...

In honor of this pre-celebration excitement I've posted one of Patrick McDonnell's comic strips atop this entry. Stay tuned for the outcome of the groundhog's prediction.

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.

Sunday's Sequel Regarding Canadian Geese (The bird type featured in Friday's post.)

CANADIAN GEESE ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME 2

The photograph atop this entry features a prominent (and feisty) member of the Canadian Geese family. He/she is spending time in the lake within Central Park while a lone female Mallard duck (at the left) observes (with amusement) the silly goose.

Prominent Member of the Canadian Geese Community says "Six MORE WKS OF WINTER!" (What a SILLY GOOSE!)

CANADIAN GEESE ARE FEATURED IN VOL 2

CANADIAN GEESE ARE FEATURED IN VOL 2

It's a little after nine o'clock in the morning on Friday, February 2, 2018, which among other things, happens to be Ground Hog Day. This is always the case (at least in the United States) on the second day of the second month of the year.

At this hour, in my time zone (E.S.T.), two well known ground hogs (who "serve" under the names of Punxatawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck) have made their predictions regarding the onset of 2018's spring season.

In Pennsylvania, Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter, while on Staten Island, the rodent did not see a shadow and predicted an early spring would be coming to the NYC area.

The predictions are in for 2018 from the creatures representing NYC and Pennsylvania, however, they are not the only groundhogs who serve as meteorologists, please refer to an article written by Jason Bittel which was published by The Washington Post (2017) to learn more.

Meanwhile, since I have published a number of blog posts on subjects related to Groundhog Day (in bygone years), I'm letting another creature weigh in on the matter re 2018's Groundhog Day.

This particular one is a prominent member of the Canadian Geese Community who spend much of their time within the lake in Central Park. I came upon this silly goose while walking in Central Park yesterday and he/she brought to my attention the fact that his/her reflection could be seen in the lake; as evidenced in the photographs atop this entry.

Moreover, the goose wondered if seeing one's reflection qualified as a prediction that there will be six more weeks of winter. I realize that seeing a reflection of one's self is different than seeing his/her shadow; but I do concede that this goose makes a good point! What say you, dear reader?

CANADIAN GEESE ARE FEATURED IN VOL 2

"Saturday in Park ..."

I've just returned home from taking a walk in Central Park, where it is currently twelve degrees, and the real feel is less than that. However, these cold temperatures did not deter a number of folks, who like yours truly, often heed the wisdom found in the lyric lines of the song, Saturday in the Park, by the band called Chicago.

The lines I'm thinking of go like this:

"...Funny days in the park

Every day's the Fourth of July

Funny days in the park

Every day's the Fourth of July..."

For indeed it was a very funny day in the park! Even a lone squirrel was attempting to make a snow angel, as evidenced in the image below.

And a couple of other squirrels proved they were New Yorkers because they were "wearing" black as seen in the next set of pictures.

A web-page for hercampus.com has this to say as to why us folks who live in NYC wear black: "Wearing black is our way of letting the world know that we are not guests of New York making our way through the city like any other transient visitor. We are the inhabitants of the infamously uninhabitable– survivalists in the place that reveals who has what it takes. New Yorkers wear black as a symbol of pride, a badge of honor, an indication that this is the city to which we belong."

Even though I mostly wear black, I'm not sure about this observation, I think it's a little precious sounding, but one thing that I am pretty sure about is this: If today were February second, (which is Ground Hog Day), NYC dwellers would probably be looking at six more weeks of winter, for as you can see (in the middle photo above), this little creature saw his/her shadow!

The 2 WK (almost) Anniversary of STELLA

American robin

As of today, March the 27th 2017,  it will be one week since the "bombogenesis" nor'easter (snowstorm) named, Stella, did her (ahem) "magic" in many parts of the northeastern part of the United States. The snow which fell during her time in NYC, where I live and have my rooftop garden, was not our first snowfall for March of 2017.

The picture atop this entry, which was taken in my place, shows an American robin alighting upon the branches of my kiwi vines, during a snowfall that occurred here on a little over three weeks ago on the10th of March. Some folks in NYC found it unnerving because during the month of February, we had some very warm days, which followed our groundhog's prediction of an early spring.

However, that aforementioned snowfall during the month of March, when an early spring had been predicted, was not a first for NYC.

In his mini-essay, TOMORROW SNOW,  (which was published on March the 20th in 1948), E.B. White discussed this phenomenon.

Because I grew up in Illinois, I'm no stranger to snow occurring during the month of March. And, I do recall some severe snow storms happening in this month. However, I never got to observe the antics of wild birds as I did during Stella. I've written about it in my recent entries here on Blogger, which I posted on March 14th, March 15th, March 16th, and, March 18th.

Today I'd like to share something new that I learned re the small songbirds (who are also called perching birds or passerines): "They have very little feeling in their feet because their feet have few nerves and blood vessels. This adaptation allows songbirds to land on cold perches such as wires when the weather is frosty." 

During Stella, I certainly observed a number of small songbirds (including an American robin), who seemed to cope well in terms of having their tootsies tolerating the elements.

American robin

American robin

This continued to be the case five days after most of the snow from Stella had melted, but stubborn patches of frozen-snow remained.

American robin

FAKE NEWS is FOR THE BIRDS!

"Fake News is  FOR THE BIRDS!," claimed this American Robin, when he/she paid a visit to my rooftop garden (in NYC) yesterday. For as you can see, he/she is very puffed up! This what birds do to keep warm. It seems this particular guy/gal, took NYC's groundhog's prediction of an early spring literally (the prediction was real; but the reality could prove to be fake news); and this robin traveled here in anticipation of warmer temps! However, it was quite chilly yesterday!

He/she is fortunate to be a bird in that he/she can puff up; and does not have to pack winter wear when flying!

Imagine the cost he/she saves by not taking an airline that would charge extra fees for him/her to bring an extra coat on board!

Ground Hog Day: One Week Later

It's been one week since Groundhog Day; and, as you may know dear reader, on that day, the NYC creature, a groundhog named Staten Island Chuck, did not see his shadow! Hence, this fact meant that he predicted an early onset of spring; as seen in the You Tube video which is posted atop this blog entry.

However, on this one week anniversary of his early spring prediction, nine inches of snow fell in Central Park, which is near to where I live in my studio apartment. I have a terrace garden (on a rooftop) at my home, and, it is a place where I grow a variety of flora. It is also a place which is visited by an array of fauna.

The following images show how three of my bird feeders (one of them, a "wreath style" feeder is indicated by an orange arrow in the first image, which includes one of my "house-style" feeders...

THE STORIES IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK" ARE SET IN MY GARDEN

THE STORIES IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK" ARE SET IN MY GARDEN

... looked after the snowstorm. As you can see, it appears that my place received close to the same amount of snow as the nearby park. I'm very happy to report that the heavy snowfall did not deter birds from visiting my place, nor did it stop them from partaking in nourishment!

It's Candelmas Day

Earlier today I posted an entry (here on Blogger) in honor of this year's Groundhog Day. Now, I've just discovered another interesting fact re this holiday! According to Holiday Insights, (HI), "The (tradition of groundhogs predicting the onset of spring) is based upon Candlemas, the day that is the midpoint between Winter and Spring. A famous Candlemas poems goes:

'If Candlemas be fair and bright, 

Winter has another flight. 

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, 

Winter will not come again.''

Here's what Wiki says re Candlemas Day (which is today): "Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It falls on February 2, which is traditionally the 40th day of the Christmas-Epiphany season. While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them on Candlemas. On Candlemas, many Christians (especially Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans and Roman Catholics) also bring their candles to their local church, where they are blessed and then used for the rest of the year."

In bygone years,  I created Christmas cards based on The Feast of the Presentation, using a photo I took of a snow sculpture of the Blessed Virgin that I saw in Central Park on the first day of 2001.

My cards can be seen within the images atop this entry. And subsequently I discussed these cards in a radio interview with Karen Lewis for WBAI. The interview is posted on my website, and if you'd like to hear it, please click here.

In any event, as Wiki stated, "While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them on Candlemas," and this happens to be my practice, so I'll be removing Christmas decor from my main living area today; and storing it until next year.

My outdoor Christmas trees (that are standing in my rooftop garden) will still be standing there for a while. They are decorated with bird feeders, which I replenish constantly, and leave up until spring.

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

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...

MY 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 urban garden in New York City. 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.

"The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and disappears." (REPRISED)

Today is Groundhog Day! This is a "holiday" with events whose celebrations date back to 1887 in the United States. However, traditions re this day started long before that, and the Romans looked to hedgehogs — not groundhogs — to forecast the ending of winter or the arrival of spring. However, when folks migrated to Pennsylvania, there weren't any hedgehogs to be found — so they used a groundhog instead!

One of my hedgehog figurines, who has spent time in my indoor succulent garden, has always been a bit "miffed" that the "role" of predicting the weather was delegated to a groundhog! Therefore, to appease him, I included his photograph, which is very similar to the one at the top of today's blog entry, in blog posts that I've made here on TLLG in bygone years. You may refer to those entries by clicking here as well as here.

My other hedgehog figurines seen in the pictures below,

have no aspirations to take over the duties of the groundhog at will-he/she-see-his/her-shadow events, especially in NYC.

Wednesday's Wisdom: February 1's Holidays

Here's to a Happy February, dear reader! A new month is upon us! And since it is beginning on a Wednesday, a day I usually designate on Blogger to be Wednesday's Wisdom, I'll let you know  that according to Brownielocks (a web-site that takes note of traditional and "bizarre" holidays, much in the same manner, as Holiday Insights), one of the holidays occurring today is Change Your Password Day; hence my reason for posting this Zits comic strip atop this Blogger entry.

News re this holiday proves that the these times, they are a changing. Knowing this fact regarding today, makes me, once again, think that Oscar Wilde might have re-thought his opinion when he stated, "It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information."

Not that being prompted re changing your password is useless information, but having a holiday dedicated to it? And having this holiday fall on February the first; the very day which coincides with The Eve of Groundhog Day, when many folks as well as creatures are preoccupied with what the groundhog will report tomorrow, as evidenced in the Mutts strips posted below.

However, not everyone is preoccupied in spending their Ground Hog Eve by changing their passwords as a sign of paying homage to Change Your Password Day. Some are celebrating different holidays that also fall on February 1st.

News About SONIC!

Sonic, the hedgehog can be seen here, in a photo from bygone years where she is racing along the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade route!

And to think I nearly forgot that February 2nd's holiday of ‪#‎GroundhogDay‬ was Sonic's day too! She shares this day with a groundhog because the animal type she represents was the first ever to be given the task of predicting the onset of spring!

I spoke about this on Fb earlier this week.

But Sonic has other things to celebrate besides the commonality of hedgehogs and groundhogs serving as predictors of the onset of spring! 

Sonic the Hedgehog's media presence occurred on February 2nd, albeit a number of years ago, and this ultimately led to her likeness being rendered into a Macy's balloon!

Sending in the clowns...

Last week at this time, John Montone from 1010 WINS was calling out to Mayor De Blasio to "send in the plows," to areas of Queens that were still buried under snow from the ‪#‎blizzardjonasnyc‬jonas. Readers of this blog may recall that yours truly was interviewed by John Montone regarding one of my art exhibitions. In any event, I'm not sure if De Blasio heeded the call to "send in the plows," but and he did not even meet with ‪#‎StatenIslandChuck‬ this morning, in honor of #Groundhog Day to witness his prediction re the onset of spring for 2016.

And in spite of the fact that we had 28.5 inches of snow fall in parts of NYC on 1-23-16— Chuck "predicted" that spring will arrive early this year.

Maybe Chuck's a people pleaser, telling te crowds what they want to hear, as do some prophets. But as I said earlier today, in an entry on Facebook,"The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and disappears."

In any event, rather spring will come early or not, remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, ‪#‎ValentinesDay‬ will come in twelve days, on February 14, 2016.

Therefore, I am sending in the clowns (that are already visiting me for this upcoming holiday), to my Fb community as a reminder that there are not too many days to get the ones you love something for Valentines Day.

And I'm following the advice of some lovebirds who visited me yesterday! They suggested that folks give the ones they love the gift of Cam (via her book, "Words In Our Beak Volume One," for #ValentinesDay! Info @https://www.facebook.com/TheLastLeafGardener/photos/a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615/930275623688478/?type=3&theater