Blogger Patricia Youngquist is an author and a photographer. Her recent e-book, BIRD TALES, is interactive and includes the Blue jay featured above. Prior works include versions of WORDS IN OUR BEAK, where the stories are narrated by Cam, a female cardinal. Additionally, some of her photographs have been licensed by Fine Art America to reproduce as wall art and on to an array of surfaces for various products! Do view both side-bars for specific details on all of this.
I am with you on this, Spike, for due to the effect the coronavirus pandemic is having on NYC I have been following the pleas of our mayor and governor by sheltering in place ever since two weeks ago (March 21, 2020).
Yesterday it was very cold outside yesterday, as you might surmise upon looking at the following series of pictures, here you can see an American robin all puffed up in effort to keep warm.
His/her survival techniques even caught the attention of a male Northern cardinal who did some bird watching (bird staring if truth the told) when he noticed the robin.
JULIE, THE WOMAN WHO TOOK PHOTO-OP S OF MY GARDEN
SEE THEM BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE
Last evening I participated in the 8th session of the 7PM clapping/cheering nightly event (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare). As I've been saying in recent posts here on Blogger, this event honors first responders and healthcare workers who are keeping New Yorkers as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic.
Many people participated but I only took a few pictures as it is hard to clap and use a DSLR at the same time.
The photo featured atop this entry is of a woman who lives in a building across the courtyard (and slightly west). She has been a regular participator.
That session was personally wonderful for me, as I've been thinking about the welfare of someone who lives in a building directly across the courtyard. His name is BH and he can be seen in the set of pictures directly below. I've known him for many years but I had lost his phone number.
I even messaged someone who is is in my FB Community (who has also known him for many years) in the hopes she'd give me his cell number. Suddenly I happened to remember the building's' switchboard phone number.
I had dialed it on countless occasions when touching base with my dear friend, VB, who had lived in BH's building for years before he got sick in 2014 and ultimately moved to an out-of-state nursing home facility. Even though VB has been gone for nearly six years now he and I still kept in touch.
In our Thursday night (4-2-2020) phone conversation, he had inquired about the welfare of BH, who recently lost his longtime partner.
I phoned BH last (after I had talked with VB) and told told him VB had asked about him. I also told him about the clapping/cheering sessions as I knew his apartment had a view of many participants and of my garden.
What a blessing it was to touch base with BH by phone last night and then again through tonight's tribute. Like yours truly, BH has had to remain home since the evening of March 21st.
I'm sure there are many others who are in our situation and who likely welcome the nightly 7:00 PM session in order to feel we can do something! Because the ritual begins promptly at 7:00 PM, I now think of the lyric lines, "Seven, seven, that's the time...," from "Sentimental Journey."
I'll leave it at that for tonight, dear reader, but not without including this You Tube video (posted below) of Ella Fitzgerald singing, "Seven, seven, that's the time we meet at seven...".
Earlier this evening the 8th session of the 7PM clapping/cheering event (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare) took place to honor first responders and healthcare workers who are keeping New Yorkers as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic.
Many people participated but I only took a few pictures as it is hard to clap and use a DSLR at the same time. The photo featured atop this entry is of a man across the courtyard who has been a regular participator.
Earlier this morning, I published an entry here on Blogger which documented day seventh of the Clapping/Cheering Sessions (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare) being held to commemorate and encourage health care professionals, first responders and essential workers who are taking care of NYC during this pandemic. All we have ben asked to do is to stay at home and shelter in place.
I've been doing this since the night of March 21, 2020, the eve of the day when the mayor and governor's mandate went into effect. This lock down is a concerted effort to slow down the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Admittedly, it is easier for me to shelter in place because I have a garden right outside my door. It is atop a roof extension. One of the European starlings visiting my rooftop garden the other day kept me company as he mesmerized me while I watched him during a "battle" he was having with a grape as seen in the picture directly above.
Last evening was the 7th time that the 7PM clapping/cheering session (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare) took place to honor first responders and healthcare workers who are keeping New Yorkers as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic. Once again, many people participated but I only took a few pictures as it is hard to clap and use a DSLR at the same time.
The first photo featured directly below is of a woman across the courtyard who appears to be taking cell photos of the event.
Perhaps she can see some of the people I can only hear cheering and clapping as the buildings to the east and west obstruct my views but they don't obstruct sound.
It was wonderful to hear the heartfelt cheers ringing through the courtyard in a concerted effort to honor those who are going far beyond their call of duty to help all of us get through this.
Last evening was the 6th time of the 7PM clapping/cheering session (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare) taking place to honor first responders and healthcare workers who are keeping New Yorkers as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic. Many people participated but I only took four pictures as it is hard to clap and take photos at the same time. Three out of the four pictures I took are of the same couple and those images are posted atop this entry.
