Today, 2/02/22, is known as Twos-day! Tuesday's Truths WK 230

Welcome to my two hundred and thirtieth segement of Tuesdy's Truths.  I realize my last  post re this series was published on November 16th 2021, a little over two months ago and that particular post was published soon after I had an accident which resulted in my needing to have a surgical procedure known as Open Reduction/Internal Fixation Surgery.

Upon discharge from that surgery I had to wear a pump for a couple of days...

.... unfortunately something with the pump malfunctioned and I nearly died as a result.

Blue jays continue to beat the heat in my garden! (Tuesday's Truths WK 220)

No, the  Blue jay seen in the picture atop this entry is probably not using his/her feathers as a means to hide from the camera.

Friday's Fact: I often give into a Blue jay's wide-eyed look...

During last week's snowstorm, a young Blue jay visited the Smoke Bush which I have in  my garden. From the vantage point of that shrub's branches, this bird seemed to be giving a wide-eyed look, as seen in the images atop this entry.

This is something cats and dogs also do when they want something to eat).... 

It's a look I find hard to resist and I want to oblige so I was most thankful to still have seed (from the generous MFH and her husband RH) at my disposal.

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.

Sunday's Sentiment: Remembering my Grandfather's Appreciating Trees

My maternal grandfather, Albert Elmer Herman Lewis Melahn, can be seen in an unndated snapshot (directly above) with a tree he had just planted. He died in the mid to late 1970's on this day of January 24th.

“A new day. A blue jay. A new beginning...."

Blue jays visit my garden frequently and the other day was no exception. My latest visitor can be seen in the image atop this entry as well as in the ones directly below.

Upon my seeing this creature, I thought of some lines from a poem by Eleanor Farjeon which go like this, “A new day. A blue jay. A new beginning...."

You may recognize her name as she wrote the hymn, "Morning Has Broken," which is usually associated with Cat Stevens whose recording of it popularized the song.

This bird type, which sometimes gets a bad rap, has influenced me from an early age when I drew (albeit not very well) the creature's picture.

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:

Friday's Fact: Blue Jays have a balding stage!

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

In yesterday's entry here on Blogger, I mentioned that Blue Jays can be quite the bird watchers, given the opportunity.

I'm following up on that post with information that I recently learned re this bird type and that is jays "of ages have a 'bald stage' in which all capital-tract feathers, those on the head, are dropped nearly simultaneously, resulting in individuals being nearly bald for about a week."

A jay experiencing this visited my garden the other week and he/she can be seen in the photograph atop this entry (as well as in the ones directly below) where he/she is alighting on one of my bird feeders.

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

As you may know, dear reader, the Blue jay bird type, has a story within volume three of my hardcover book series, Words In Our  Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

Blue Jays are Bird Watchers!

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

BLUE JAYS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

When the Blue jay on the left in all of these photos (directly above) was asked what he/she was doing, his/her reply was straightforward.

He/she stated, "I'm birdwatching."

You might recognize these pictures, dear reader, as they are included in yesterday's (9-2-2020) blog post where the eating of peanuts is discussed.

As for the Blue jay bird type, they have a story within volume three of my hardcover book series, Words In Our  Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

A Day in the Life of my Pyracantha coccinea

A squirrel was digging up the soil in the container (in my rooftop garden) that houses my shrub known as a Pyracantha coccinea (also called Orange Charmer). I’ve never seen a squirrel in my place but that doesn’t mean one hasn’t been here. As soon as I realized the creature was there, she/he jumped into a tree within my courtyard and then to another tree (an image of this creature can be seen in the picture atop this entry.

Thursday's Testimony: Clouds and Jays Inspire Mary Oliver (AND Yours Truly)

Upon my seeing clouds (reflected in the windows of a building across the courtyard as seen in the image atop this entry); coupled with my seeing a Blue jay enjoying nourishment (from a feeder that's in my garden)...

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

... I thought of a meditation which references a poem by Mary Oliver. 

This meditation "establishes an atmosphere of loving kindness with the “smile”; relaxes and awakens through the body; and guides us into a spacious presence. We then rest in that presence, letting go of any controlling, and simply allow life to be as it is. It’s in “letting be” that we come home to the luminosity and tenderness of natural awareness......We close with a verse from Mary Oliver…"

I lounge on the grass, that’s all. So

simple. Then I lie back until I am

inside the cloud that is just above me

but very high, and shaped like a fish.

Or, perhaps not. Then I enter the place

of not-thinking, not-remembering, not-

wanting. When the blue jay cries out his

riddle, in his carping voice, I return.

But I go back, the threshold is always

near. Over and back, over and back. Then

I rise. Maybe I rub my face as though I

have been asleep. But I have not been

asleep. I have been, as I say, inside

the cloud, or, perhaps, the lily floating

on the water. Then I go back to town

to my own house, my own life, which has

now become brighter and simpler, some-where I have never been before….

On another note, Blue jays are referenced in my book series, Words In Our Beak...

MY BOOK SERIES

...which are a great read anytime, but especially during the lazy, crazy days of summer.

UPDATE ON PABLO, THE JAY

A very sad start to this week. I was all set to meet the injured baby Blue Jay (whom I wrote about in a recent post here on Blogger) and help with taking him to The WBF (Wild Bird Fund) this morning, when I received word that he had died during the night.

At least, the sweet creature was not left to die on an Upper Eastside Street as had been the case with his dead parent, whom he was found with by the dear Gloria Criollo.

Though he suffered greatly seeing his parent killed (presumedly by a car) and then left alone, he received physical warmth (heating pad) and nourishment (chopped up blueberries); both at the wonderful advice from bird-rehabber extraordinaire, Amanda Remsberg,  in our version of tele-med for an injured bird; he did die in dignity surrounded by love.

Pablo, the jay, needs a prayer for healing!

THIS BIRD TYPE IS FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

Last night when I checked something on FB, I saw a notification that I had received a photo from someone (Gloria Criollo) who is a friend in "real life" and on FB.

Because it is unlike GC to message images I decided to phone her before I clicked on it to see if she had sent me anything as I know people who have had their account hacked these days.

Plus I had intended to phone her anyway due to the Father's Day holiday (today) and because her husband, Pablo, died from COVID-19 (coronavirus) this past April, which is something I mentioned within an entry here on Blogger on April 20, 2020, I wanted her to know she was in my thoughts, always, but especially at this holiday time.

As it turned out, GC had sent me a photo. It is of a bird that she saw crying in the street as the creature stood next to a dead bird who had probably been hit by a car while he/she was on the streets of NYC.

Summer Solstice 2020

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

In under three hours (at 5:44 PM EDT) on this day of June 20, 2020, the the summer solstice will occur in the Northern Hemisphere. The summer solstice, also known as the June solstice occurs when the Sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky. This event marks the start of summer in the northern half of the globe. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the June solstice marks the start of winter, when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky.)

This date marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, "occurring when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year. (By longest “day,” we mean the longest period of sunlight.) At the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year."

It certainly is a hot last day of spring and a blue jay came to my garden to beat the heat in my "outdoor pool" as seen in the image atop this entry.

Jays got this: There's nothing like a relaxing bath! Tuesday's Truths WK !84

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

Yesterday a fledgling Blue Jay spent time splashing around in a bird bath that's in my garden! Then he/she hopped up on the ledge surrounding my outdoor space to dry off before taking another dip...

Monday's Musings 2: Session 35 & N'tl Bird Day

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

The photo-op directly above is from tonight's (May the fourth) #ClapBecauseWeCare session, where many participants announced: "May the fourth* be with you, first responders, health care professionals and essential workers. BRAVO! BRAVO!"

*"May the Fourth be with you," is the catchphrase of Star Wars Day on May 4th, the unofficial holiday celebrating the Star Wars franchise. It is a pun on a famous line from Star Wars, May the Force be with you.

Engaging Conversations

An engaging phone conversation is something yours truly has always appreciated, as evidenced by this photo of yours truly taken in bygone (way bygone years).

In a recent FB post on my personal FB Page,  I mentioned how grateful I was that Jenny from Santa Barbara had phoned me to see how I was faring in the lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic while still dealing with the aftermath of my broken greater tuberosity.

As I stated in that entry, it was such a blessing to speak with someone who didn't set their phone down and walk away from it while still talking to me, making it so difficult for me to hear.

I am mortified at myself for wasting precious moments of life struggling to hear someone who is doing so many things while talking to me.

I guess that's the point. People who do this are talking TO me NOT talking WITH me and I've gotten so used to it I hadn't realized how it made me feel...

Until....

Until I had A REAL conversation with Jenny last week.

AND MUCH TO MY DELIGHT, IT HAPPENED AGAIN!

This past Friday, I had a real and wonderful conversation with an out of NY state a woman named MH, who I only know through Facebook and she phoned me for the same reason that Jenny had: To see how I was faring in the lockdowns brought on by the pandemic while still dealing with the aftermath of my broken greater tuberosity.

I have often phoned people who I know are alone to see how they are doing and I hope it means as much to them as it does to me.

In any event, in the aftermath of my loving with conversation MH, I felt a sense of mourning for all the time lost straining to hear those who are talking away from afar while I hang on their every word and I could not even sleep.

SO...

Rather than fight the tossing and turning, I got up, and for the first time since living in my place, I went into my garden when it was still dark and uttered my own types of prayers while birds waking from their slumber chirped away, engaging with each other in their lyric conversation.

Eventually I went back inside to work on my column submission and heard a bird singing at the top of his/her beak and was thrilled (understatement) to see an American robin had stopped by!

AMERICAN ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

I was not the only one to enjoy the red-breasted songster.

Is he/she or isn't he/she an American Crow? ("Controversy" over this one's ID!)

The photos posted atop this entry were taken in The Hallett Center. It is an area (within Central Park) that I visited this past Saturday afternoon when I was walking in the company of a couple who lives on the Eastside of NYC.

A View From The Triplets's Bridge

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

I had some very sweet moments witnessing a House sparrow eavesdropping on a convo between an adult and fledgeling American robin who were spending time in a brook that runs under The Triplets Bridge in Central Park (as seen in the image directly above).

Very near to this scene, a family of House sparrows were bonding...

SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

... and another American robin seemed to be enjoying his/her reflection while taking a drink, evidenced in the following pictures.

ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME 3

ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME 3

The American robin bird variety was not the only one enjoying the brook's water, a lone blue jay fledging was making discoveries as you can see in the next series of photos.

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

Additionally, a lone Mourning dove as well as a pair of European starlings took advantage of this lovely spot, as you might surmise from the two photographs posted below.

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

By the way,  all of these this bird types are featured in my book series, Words In Our Beak.

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES