Bulb Planting 2021

This past Wednesday was unseasonably warm for November which was a perfect time to plant tulip bulbs. Nearly every November for a number of years (and often under nasty weather situations),  Juan V has planted an array of tulip bulbs in my garden (a partial view of it can be seen in the image atop this entry).

In any event over the years the bulbs he has planted have produced extraordinary and unusual tulips, many of which are included in volume one of my book series, Words In Our Beak as well as in posts within this blog.

On occasion, once my tulips have had a blooming period, certain varieties have come back the following year or even years; but for the most part, in spite of them growing in awesome containers, filled with rich soil, they have a short duration in my place.

We were not able to plant bulbs in 2019, and then, because of the long lasting lockdowns in 2020 due to consequences of the coronavirus pandemic; nothing was planted.

Therefore, this year's bulb planting was quite special. The bulbs we chose  — if all goes well — will produce tulips at different times so the activity in my garden should be on going.

E.B., A Visitor Who Has a Bird's Eye View of my Roof Extension Garden

This past Friday E.B (seen in the photograph directly above) is a man who lives acrooss the courtyard came to visit my garden. 

I guess he was so relaxed he forgot his phone which I took over to his building and he met me in the lobby. I initially came in contact with E.B. during #clapbecausewecare sessions which were something many New Yorkers participated in during the lockdowns that took place throughout the darkest evenings of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the last sessions took place on 6-25-2021 and E.B. can be seen participating in that particular session in the next photo.

In any case, during the time of lockdowns and clap/cheeer sessions, E.B. purchased all three volumes of my Words In Our Beak hardcover book series.

It was wonderful to hear him say whenever he has had guests visit his NYC apartment he shows them my books, and then from his window he points to my garden to let his vistors know that it is the spot where my stories take place.

On another note, we have been trying to work out a time to meet  together ever since E.B. took me to lunch (in November of 2020)....

... and at that time we promised each other he’d visit my garden.

I’m very thankful he could come by last night especially since he is leaving NYC for the summer but we hope to get together in the fall when he returns, and fyi, when I say E.B. has a bird's eye view of my garden, I mean it literally for his surname is Bird!

Meaning Associated with the "Flower Moon" (Wednesday's Wisdom)

Last night when I was speaking by phone with my friend CF (who has been "temporarily" living out of the city for a little over one year, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the need for her and her husband to move into the house where his mother lives, which is in a  NJ town); she remarked on how beautiful the moon looked —  something that would've been harder to view in NYC than in the rural area where she is staying.

It was only my hearing her remark which prompted me to remember that I had heard about how the moon would appear when listening to the morning news and I had made a mental note to myself to go out to see it.

However, after dealing with my computer pick up, and issues related to reinstalling my machine, I forgot all about it.

After she told me about what she had seen, I immediately went to the end of my street to see if I could catch a glimpse of it as I could not see it (even through a long lens) when standing in my garden.

When I got to the corner, I could catch a glimpse of it but in my excitement re the possibility of seeing it, I only had my pocket  camera with me, not my long-lensed DSLR.

With city lights it is difficult to observe the brightness of the moon without going deeper into Central Park.

However doing that at night is not safe or wise, so I took a few snaps from the stret corner and just reflected on the phenomenon of this special moon, known as the Flower Moon. 

Many sources re last night's moon offer wise words and concur on how it came to be called the flower moon, aand in honor of this recnt event, I wil share them in this segement of Wednesday's Wisdom:

"The Full Moon of May is known as Flower Moon to signify the flowers that bloom during this month. ... Other names for May’s brightest Moon phase are Corn Planting Moon, Mother's Moon, and Milk Moon, from the Old English Rimilcemona which means Month of Three Milkings, when cows were milked three times a day."

Be that as it may, re this May moon, upon seeing it, I found myself singing the Cat Steven's lyrics, "....I'm being followed by a moon shadow, moon shadow...."

MONDAY'S MEMO: MAKE NF VISIBLE

The month of May is set aside for many things, among them are raising awareness re certain medical conditions such as Osteoporius and ALS.

My chilhood friend, Ellen McConnell Blakeman died as a result of the latter and I dedicated volume two...

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

MY BOOK SERIES

They are directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. 

On another note, May is also the month for raising awareness re NF, the acronym for Neurofibromatosis, a condition I was born with, and a condition which at this juncture, I seem to be struggling with more than ever and am having a very difficult time in my life.

I have written a book length piece ("Imperfect Strangers") about it, but efforts to find an agent have been futile. As some of you may know, I've posted a video re my endeavor which can be viewed within my Vimeo channel as well as my You Tube channel.

VIEW ON VIMEO
VIEW ON YOU TUBE

At the moment times have been more challenging than ever what with a dental procedure that I've been mentioning here on Blogger; on going issues with my eye-sight, new pain from NF and dealing with consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

I do not want to go the self publishing route with this book (as I did that with my three volume hard cover book series, Words In Our Beak), as I  have had very little success getting the word out re the existence of these books.

NOW, every day seems heartbreaking as my struggles mount.

In any event, today, May 17th, as explained in the video posted atop this entry is the day NF based organizations set aside to make aspects of this condition visible.

Remembering Albert Loth Youngquist (born on this day in the 1920's)

Thinking of my father who was born on this day of May 13th in the 1920's and died in 1995. If truth be told, a big part of him died the year after I broke my wrist (as seen in the copy of a anapshot which is posted atop this entry) during the summer of one of my elementary school years, for he moved out of our house after the following summer.

Brittle bones are a consequence of having Neurofibromatosis (NF) and I mention this because I was born with this condition and the month of May is designated as Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month.

As some of you may know, I've written a book length piece titled Imperfect Strangers, re living with this condition and I've been querying agents for representation.

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.

National Nurses Day 2021

On this day in 1974, "New Mexico nurses initiated a resolution in 1981 to have May 6th declared National Recognition Day for Nurses. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Board of Directors took up the banner and promoted the proposal. In 1982, the United States Congress designated May 6th to be National Recognition Day for Nurses and President Ronald Reagan signed the proposal."

My maternal grandmother, Clara Fitchie Melahn, seen in the photo (atop this entry) taken when she was a young woman, was 74 years of age at the time Regan signed the proposal. She had been long retired from nursing as she had left her career when she had children.

My grandmother had quite an influence on me, but the only experience I had being a nurse is when I played one (in the 1980's) on a soap opera, "One Life to Live. 

National Garden Meditation Day 2021

According to a web-page for National Calender Day, today, May 3rd is National Garden Meditation Day. Here is part of what they have to say re this hoiday: 

"National Garden Meditation Day, annually on May 3rd, encourages everyone to take time for one’s self and relax. Working in the garden, tending to the plants and flowers, or resting quietly on a bench on a beautiful day in the garden are forms of meditation. Both can be restorative to the soul and a refreshing way to be out in nature. Meditation and gardening offer many benefits. When you couple it with the outdoor peace of a garden, you also get to enjoy the benefits nature has to offer."

Part of my National Garden Meditation Day was spent working with Juan V (JV) in my garden and the photo atop this entry shows how it looked when we finished in the early afternoon. At the northend of my garden I have a newcomer.

2021's First Sunday in May

Under "normal" circumstances, The TD Five Boro Bike Tour would be occurring today, as it always takes place on the first Sunday in May. 

This annual event began on June 12, 1977 (an image of the event from Bike New York's web-page) and it was known as the Five Boro Challenge with 250 participants. 

Going forward it took place every year on the first Sunday in May hosting up up to 32,000 riders from every state in the nation and 65 countries around the world with the exception of last year when it was cancelled as NYC was in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic related lockdowns.

"It's May! It's May!"

"It's May! It's May," are a couple of lyric lines from "The Lusty Month of May," a song featured in Camelot. May is also known as National Bike Month.  Moreover it is the month associated with raising awareness re a number of serious health conditions including Osteoporosis, Lupus and ALS.

Both my dear childhood friend, Ellen McConnell Blakeman, for volume two of my Words In Our Beak book series is dedicated (seen in the next picture) and her father died from ALS.

Her younger brother Douglas McConnell is very active in raising awareness re this disease through a foundation named A Long Swim, which is referenced in my aforementioned book.

Even though I've self-published my three volume book series about birds, I don't want to go the self-publishing route again as it proved to not be a good means to getting much recognition in book stores or in securing interviews. 

On another note, the month of May is also dedicated to raising awareness to the nerve disorder known as NF or Neurofibromatosis.

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.

"....the thing with feathers that perches in the soul...."

TM, a woman who lives in Queens, sent me a copy of the photo seen atop this entry, which she took while on a walk. 

I guess she thought of me when she saw the chalkboard quotation because a few years ago (in March of 2019), I read a mediation by Dr. James Campbell ("In Praise of Pigeons") on Emily Dickinson's poem titled “Hope is the thing with feathers” and shared it with TM.

Part of Campbell’s meditation stated: "When I imagine that 'little bird' of which Dickinson wrote, I automatically think of the starlings and the sparrows of my Indiana childhood.  I might even imagine the colorful and aggressive blue jays or cardinals that I still enjoy watching. But when I think of hope and birds and bird songs, I never ever think of a pigeon...."

The meditation goes on to talk about the orator's experience with pigeons and he adds, "But those pigeons were persistent, muscular, determined....They never let me forget that they were there..." 

And he continues his thought re Dickinson's poem repeating the line, “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune--without the words, and never stops at all…. But it’s not a delicate little bird, easily frightened away.  Hope is a New York City pigeon – persistent, determined, muscular, cooing at us even when we do not want to hear her song, reminding us that where we are today is not where we shall end.  The exiles will return. There will be justice and equity for the poor of the earth..."

More info can be found within another entry on my blog. Btw, pigeons and references to poems (including other ones by Emily Dickinson) can be found in my hard-cover book series, Words In Our Beak. 

MY BOOK SERIES

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. 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 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 (or should not) and about.

Northern mocking birds are flashers! (Tuesday's Truths WK 209)

In last week's (3-23-2-21) segement of my Tuesday's Truths series, I pointed out that the avian creatures known as Northern mockingbirds (one is featured in the photos atop this entry) shared a similar behavior as the bird type known as European starlings, which is their uncanny ability to excel in mimicry.

For this week's segement, I am calling attention to a "quirky" behavior that Northern mockingbirds can be found doing from an early age: They are flashers!

There are various theories about why mockingbirds flash their wings -– to startle insects, ward off predators, attract a mate. So far, there is no scientific consensus on why they do this. But I do know why this bird type does other things and what they can teach us about finding our voice!

I've included one of them, named Harper, in my the third volume of my hard-cover book series, Words In Our Beak. This bird type is referenced in all the books but Harper has her own chapter in volume three, where I include a number of facts as well as photo-ops about mockingbirds.

MY BOOK SERIES

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. 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 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.

Monday's Musings: Scoping out the options? (following up on 3-26-2021's entry)

In this past Friday's blog post, I mentioned that a female cardinal was once again spending time in my garden. She is the subject in the photo atop this entry. 

Bird re-habber and TLLG blog reader, Amanda Remsberg (AR) upon seeing the aforementioned posting asked, "Have they ever nested in your garden? She looks to be sizing up the options."

I hope AR is right but I'm not sure if enough of my garden is offering enough foliage or blooms at this early date which would make for better nesting, so this cardinal may pass on my location.

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).

Play ball or play blueberry? (Robins might make a good maccot for baseball.)

The media is reporting baseball season will soon be upon us and that with the enforcement of social distancing (a precaution still taking place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus), those who enjoy the sport will be able to attend games (you won’t see me there). 

From the looks of the picture (atop this entry), a certain American robin visiting my garden might make a good mascot as he appears to know how to  catch "fly blueberries,”  and that skill could be an inspiration to players to catch fly balls. 

In any event, American robins enjoy eating blueberries as well as indulging in other behaviors.

Mockingbirds and starlings have common behaviors! Tuesday's Truths WK 208

For this 208th segement of my Tuesday's Truths series, I'd like to tell you a behavior that the bird types (European starlings and Northern mockingbirds) featured in the photos atop this entry have in common.

Tar Beach Officially Opened Yesterday

The sighting of a Mourning dove using my rooof extension garden as his "tar beach" took place in my garden yesterday on the first day of spring. He can be seen in the two images atop this entry.

It felt a little cold to me but then I don't have feathers to keep me warm. However for this avian variety, the moment temperatures start to warm up a bit they lie with their tummy down upon the soil of a garden bed or in this case, being a New Yorker, they are familiar with tar beaches so they improvise. 

They fluff out their feathers, relax their wings, draping them outward to expose fully their "back and rump to the morning sun. A great many birds sun themselves, often in postures that give maximum sun exposure to the head, neck, and upper surfaces of the body and wings. Sunning may drive out parasites from hard-to-reach places or release vitamin D and boost energy reserves with solar radiation. And it may just feel good, too." (To read more re this quoted text, please click here).

This place is the setting for 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.

Robins: A harbinger of spring?

Spring 2021 sprung in the area where I live a  few hours ago (5:37 A.M. EDT.).

In many areas, the bird type known as a robin is thought to be a harbinger of spring as the one in pictures atop this entry might indicate (they were taken in my garden a few days ago). But I don't see robins being a sign of spring in my place, for they spend time here year round.

Friday's Fact: Mockingbirds can recognize a human's face.

In a recent post here on Blogger, I mentioned that birds are quite the watchers. As a follow up to that entry, I'd like to add this fact: 

According to a study about mockingbirds, "As they build nests, raise young and feed on insects, they keenly observe and remember everything that comes near their territory... 'Mockingbirds can recognize a human after only 60 seconds of contact,' Levey said. 'I would challenge most humans to do the same.'"

The photo-ops atop this entry of a Northern mockingbird (taken in my garden) do seem to suggest that this bird type does recognize me.

I am always intrigued when this avian variety visits my place and I've included a number of photo-ops and facts about them within my book series, Words In Our Beak.

 

This bird type is referenced in all the books and have their own chapter in volume three.

MY BOOK SERIES

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. 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 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.