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.

My Garden-themed Note-Cards

I received a notification from Fine Art America (FAA) that "someone" purchased my greeting cards and one of them, A NYC Rooftop Garden is featured in the image atop this entry. 

The other one, Echinacea Triplets, can be viewed in the  screenshot directly below.

FAA does not disclose the name of a given buyer but every now and then a buyer lets me know which is the case with GK, the woman who purchased these cards. She notified me that she had bought them and I'm grateful for the sale and that she took the time to let me know. GK and I met over ten years ago when Vivianne Tvilling (owner of äskling a boutique that was on the UWS for a number of years) had an event.

As for these particular cards, they feature views of my garden, which is the setting for my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.  These are directed to children and adults who are curious about gardening as well as birds and want to learn about them from a unique perspective.

MY BOOK SERIES

The stories are set in my garden and these books are narrated by a female cardinal whose picture is on the cover of each volume. 

They make a perfect gift anytime but especially during the Easter season which began on April 14th 2021 and lasts until May 23rd.

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).

I need help (Tuesday's Truths WK 205) and pls note on-going updates posted at the end

These are times of struggle for many as I truly know. In terms of me, I have had a series of unfortunate circumstances, including ones related to my oral health.

The latter has resulted in my inability to chew food properly which has interfered with my being able to swallow. I’ve come close to choking on a number of occasions.

Taking a Cue From Mourning Doves

MOURNING DOVES ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

The other evening after the sun went down, I noticed at least seven mourning doves sitting in my rooftop garden. Due to their coloring and the darkness of the sky, they nearly blended in with the blacktop surface; so it was hard to observe their behavior and impossible (given the constraints of my camera equipment) to photograph them.

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 Facts Re Male Wood Ducks (ETC) Tuesday's Truths WK 114

Hello and welcome to Segment 114 of my Tuesday's Truths series. In this post I'll be telling you (along with other points of interest) some cool facts re Wood ducks, the bird type featured in the image atop this entry, who seemed to be giving me the stare (or glare) when I saw him in Central Park this past Friday.

Interesting Facts re Female Wood Ducks ETC Tuesday's Truths WK 105

MY MANDARIN DUCK ART WORK IS AVAILABLE VIA FAA

Welcome to my 105th "episode" of Tuesday's Truths, dear reader!

A few weeks ago when I was in Central Park to catch another glimpse of the now famous Mandarin duck, I was successful in my endeavor to have another look at him, and he seemed to be doing the same thing as evidenced in the photo atop this entry...

56 Yr Old Peanuts Strip Speaks to me Today!

CONFESSION: I'm a hunt and peck typist which slowed me down in writing my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.  If only I'd known Snoopy could type (as evidenced by the PEANUTS comic strip which is included with this posting and was published on this day of December 2nd in 1962); I might've asked him!

Sunday's Suggestion: Mark your Calendars!

As I've been saying for the past three days (Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, and yesterday) here on Blogger, FAA (Fine Art America), the place who renders my photographs on to greeting cards as seen in the examples below, including one of my many images of the now world famous Mandarin duck ... 

AVAILABLE VIA FAA

... as well as two of my many kaleidoscopic images ...

AVAILABLE VIA FAA

AVAILABLE VIA FAA

... and one from the number of images within my Words In Our Beak book series ...

AVAILABLE VIA FAA

... is offering free shipping on all merchandise through tomorrow, Monday, 11-26-2018 .*** (at midnight EST), so please mark your calendars. My cards are perfect for the many upcoming holidays as well as for any occasion; and people seem to always enjoy receiving a card through the mail.

Small Business Saturday 2018

Today is Small Business Saturday, and folks in cyberspace are promoting it with hashtags including #ShopSmall or #SmallBusinessSaturday, as well as with images such as the one featured atop this entry. 

A well known small business's web-page who is using a copy of this particular image has this to re this Saturday's annual "observance:"

Small Business Saturday "always happens the Saturday after Thanksgiving .... Small Business Saturday was started in 2010 as a way to encourage shoppers to patronize businesses that are small and local. This was in counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and e-commerce stores.  Started almost surprisingly by American Express, it wasn't until the next year in 2011 that the day became official with governors, mayors, senators and even President Obama voicing support for Small Business Saturday. "

I certainly recall the onset of putting Small Business Saturday on the calendar back in 2010, for I discussed the topic in an entry here on Blogger at that time.

As a published author and creator of photographs that can be reproduced on to greeting cards, various surfaces for wall art; as well as on household items or on to things for personal use, I consider myself to be a small business owner, albeit without a brick and mortar store.

And I certainly appreciate it when any brick and mortar store is willing to carry my books and or "products" that have incorporated my photographs.

Birds & their Reflections

VIEWS THIS + MY OTHER MANDARIN DUCK IMAGES ON FAA

The Mandarin duck (seen in the image above) returned to Central Park yesterday! And when I saw him in a manner that SEEMED to indicate he saw his reflection, it got me curious about the matter.

ANNOUNCEMENT: My Mandarin duck images are now available via FAA (Fine Art America)!

AVAILABLE VIA FAA

A well-respected birder in the NYC area suggested I put some of the photographs that I've taken of the Mandarin duck (who has been visited the Boat Basin on the Hudson River and who has been spending time in Central Park) up on Fine Art America (FAA); so that they could be rendered into wall art and greeting cards; as well as be printed on an array of "products," such as notebooks and essentials for the home.

11/4/2018 Happenings: The NYC Marathon AND Fine Art America Deadlines

CAM, THE "NARRATOR" OF "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

Today, the first Sunday in November (the 4th), is the New York City Marathon and thousands upon thousands folks will be racing throughout the five boroughs. And as you can see in the first picture here, Cam, the cardinal who is the story teller in my Words In Our Beak book series,* is also racing. She is "running" across a table that's in my rooftop garden.

In Honor of the Eve of Card Reading Day

When it was brought to my attention (by a newcomer to my home who is the Queen of Hearts figurine, seen in the image atop this posting) that today was the eve of card reading day, I thought she was talking about Tarot card readings! For as soon as she announced today's holiday, she went on to exercise her bragging rights in her role of being a representative for the Queen of Hearts!