National Umbrella Day 2020

Today, February 10, is National Umbrella Day and in honor of the occasion, I'm posting a photo of a figurine holding an umbrella atop this entry.

According to a number of holiday themed sites, including National Today, "the origins of the utilitarian holiday remain a mystery, it’s been celebrated since at least 2004."

Not only does the umbrella help keep us dry from the rain, but it also protects us from the heat of the sun as evidenced in my next picture taken at a beach in Ocean Grove New Jersey nearly eight years ago.

National day goes on to proclaim, "Umbrellas can also be used as a fashion accessory. While the umbrella is primarily practical, they also decorate cocktails. These brightly colored paper umbrellas make for fun party favors especially when visiting sunny locations.

A Rainy Day in my Garden

THE JAPANESE MAPLE IS FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

Raindrops keep falling on my leaves,"but that doesn't mean my eyes will be turning red, no cryings not for me;" instead I am continuing to heed the wisdom of Elizabeth Lawrence when I spend time in my garden — even on rainy days!

Ms. Lawrence is known to remind folks that "even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."

Not only have I taken the time to watch the leaves turn, I've taken the time to appreciate "rain drops on foliage," as evidenced in the pictures atop this entry featuring leaves from my Japanese Maple (AKA 'Tamukeyama') as well as leaves from my Smoke Bush.

Rainy Days are FOR THE BIRDS!

IMAGE CREDIT

As far as I know, birds (other than the ones in the Peanuts comic strip atop this entry) never have to use an umbrella when the rain is falling.

In the first volume of the Words In Our Beak series, which is pictured below...

SEE PRESS RELEASE

... Cam, the protagonist (who is the cardinal featured on the book's cover and in the following pictures taken in my rooftop garden, where her story is set) explains that the reason birds tolerate rain is because they have "something" on their feathers that makes rain drops just slide right off.

CAM, THE NARRATOR OF "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

CAM, THE NARRATOR OF "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

CAM, THE NARRATOR OF "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

Cam goes on to say that this "something" on the feathers "is an oil that coats feathers and provides waterproofing, which is important since the only thing worse than being cold, is being cold and wet."

Tuesday's Truths WK 37-B: The 142nd Anniversary of Paul Reeves's Ride

Earlier today in an entry for my Tuesday's Truths series, I posted an interesting fact regarding the Savannah sparrow, and now, before I let this Tuesday pass, I want to state another truth: Today is the one hundred and forty second anniversary of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

In Honor of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

CAM, THE NARRATOR OF WIOB

Today, February 27th, 2017, would be Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 210th birthday; and although I have been very familiar with many of Longfellow's works, the wild birds who visit my rooftop garden, as well as the flora I grow have reinforced his quotation, "The best thing one can do when it's raining is let it rain," Cam, the cardinal pictured above.

Cam and I have referenced this quotation in the book, Words In Our Beak, Volume One...

... when we explain how birds withstand rain, as she is doing in the first photograph above; and, as a pair of blue jays and a lone mourning dove are doing in the images below.

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

MOURNING DOVES HAVE A STORY IN VOL 1

The book also references Longfellow's wisdom re rain in terms of flora, especially when it comes to the flowers of a Paeonia suffruiticosa (Tree Peony), as seen in the photos directly below.

LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

As I once said here on Blogger, the quote,"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain," is attributed to Longfellow. And it seems the mourning dove seen in the image above, applied that wisdom in coping with yesterday's snowstorm.

He/she closed his/her eyes and took a nap, as if saying, since I've no place to go: LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! Mourning Doves are such sweet birds! I'm pleased that Cam agreed to share a lot of information re this bird type in her book, Words In Our Beak Volume One. This book makes a great gift for Valentines Day, which as of this posting is only four days away!

ADDENDUM FALL 2018: 

The non-hardcover version (or versions)  of Volume One within the Words In Our Beak book series that are mentioned in this entry may only remain available for a limited time, but hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can now be found wherever books are sold. Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

MY 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.

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is let it rain."

The photographs posted above are of one the many flowers that only recently bloomed on my Paeonia suffruiticicosa (Tree peony).

These pictures were taken only two days after the flowers had bloomed. Flowers that took much longer to open than the beautiful flowers my beloved Paeonia suffruiticicosa produced last year. 

I posted content about them a few days ago in my blog entry, Blessed are those who mourn . . . , where I mentioned my concern for my dear friend KM, whose sister, MH, had suddenly died, and whose surviving family members were not letting her know of the occurrence. 

Soon after that blog posting, New York City, where I live, and have my terrace garden, experienced an unusually heavy downpour that had me thinking that I had it all wrong when it came to quotations. I thought it was the April showers that brought the May flowers, not the May showers that drowned the flowers.