"If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr . . . " Week No. 33 + also in Honor of Charlie Brown...

Today is Tuesday, so in TLLG's cyber venues, it must be tumblr! But it is also October the second, and, therefore, the anniversary, of the Charlie Brown comic strip, which is one of my faves (as evidenced by my previous posts here on Blogger), even though the strip debuted in 1950 — long before I was born!

Subsequently, in 1967, Woodstock was introduced by the strip's creator, Charles Schultz, a man I have admired here in cyber-space as well as "real life!"

It has been said that Charlie Brown was a character who was "possessed of endless determination and hope, but who is ultimately dominated by his insecurities . . . "

Watching Leaves Turn

This past November, on two occasions here on Blogger, I referred to a quote by Elizabeth Lawrence. The quote is this, "Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." 

"YA-BUH-DA-BUH-DUE"

Because I have missed a couple of days of posting re my garden upheaval, I thought I'd post today even though it's not one of my scheduled days, and besides, today is an important day in United States history, as forty-two years ago today, the first episode of The Flintstones, a cartoon series, aired on television, making the phrase "YaBaDaBaDo" popular (the word is pronounced as it is spelled in the title of today's blog entry).

I cannot take credit for remembering the significance of today; as it is Cam (a cardinal who regularly visits my terrace garden) who reminded me of this fact. 

It came up in a conversation I had with her when I was discussing my sequel to one of my garden themed Virtual Stories (mini movies and flip books) within my You Tube Library. 

The one Cam and I were discussing is titled Words in my Beak (Book One), and it featured her exclusively. I was letting Cam know that in the sequel I may include the other birds (Cam's entourage) which also visit here. At this time the birds who come to my garden to nosh include Cam's child, as well as her significant other, house finches, mourning doves, and blue jays.

Cam was apprehensive about sharing the spotlight and pointed out to me that the book's title is "my beak" and not a plural pronoun! Cam explained that her beak is very versatile, and, she told me that one of her ancestor's beaks was the basis for the way birds' beaks were used in The Flintstones! Then Cam referred me to the following video on You Tube!



I had forgotten that in this cartoon series a tip of a bird's beak was "used" as needle for a record player (a turtle); and that its beak followed the groove of the record. Cam glowed with pride for her bygone ancestor whose beak inspired the Flintstones' record player needle. And, in fact, Cam had been gesturing so much as she related the story that she nearly lost her balance (as seen in the image below) from atop the rim of my 'Tamukeyama' (Japanese Red Maple)'s container, a place where Cam loves to perch.

She seems to gravitate towards that vantage point as it gives her a bird's eye view (excuse the pun) into the apartment of the building directly east of me. If it were me, I would not choose that view, as I don't care for television; and, besides, the woman who lives there is constantly using her window sill as an ash tray, as seen in the images below.

Cam is much more tolerant of cigarette smoke than I am; my father had a horrific death due to a bout with emphysema, brought on by his nearly two pack a day Pall Mall habit. Part of his dying words were, "When I die, the cost of cigarettes will sky rocket as the tobacco company will miss my revenue."

The Last Friday in September

Today is the last Friday in September and what a month it has been for the things that live in (and visit) my terrace garden! For, as those of you who follow me here on Blogger (or on TLLG's Facebook Page Pinterest  Boards, or tumblr) may recall, my urban (NYC) garden has been going through a major upheaval, and I’ve been quite concerned about the well being of the things I grow. Additionally, I've been a bit worried about the survival of the birds which visit my place.

These birds include Cam, a cardinal, and her entourage of house finches, mourning doves, and also, perhaps, as of this week, blue jays. Stories about these birds can be found in blog entries which I've made by here and here as well as here respectively. 

The blue jays are newcomers to my garden; and I discovered one, in a chance encounter, this past Tuesday when I was preparing for Juan V, and, as I mentioned in a tumblr post, I had no idea if I'd ever see it again! However, it appears it has returned (although at this time I have no way of telling if it's the same one); and that it has brought along a camera-shy friend — as evidenced by an image of the two of them sitting in my  Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Tamukeyama’ (Japanese Maple)’s container, an image I've posted at the top of today's blog entry.

This wonderful tree was also visited by Cam this morning, which I am considering a mini miracle, because I was not sure if I'd her see her again! I actually prayed for her safety, as  a result of yet another trauma to my garden: a trauma which occurred after the "renovation" was "completed," and after Juan V and I had put most everything back where it needed to be. 

If you'd like to read about this latest upset in my garden, which was the result of an accident in my hood, you may read about by clicking here.

Ta da! I've put a SQUARE PEG in a ROUND HOLE!

September 22, 2012

September 25, 2012

Once again, due to the upheaval in my urban (NYC) terrace garden,  I'm posting on a non-scheduled day, but I want to play catch-up so I can return to my "regularly scheduled program" on Friday, September 28th 2012.

The First Day of Fall in 2012: It is the "BEST of TIMES" (AND) it is the "WORST of TIMES . . . "

September 2011

Second Tuesday in September 2012

Third Thursday in September 2012

Today, September 22nd 2012, is "offically" the first day of autumn; and I'm spending it in the throes of the upheaval in my rooftop garden (located in NYC) an upheaval that has interrupted my life, as well as the lives of the 80+ things which I grow here, and the lives of the occasional bee, loner cardinal (who I've now named Cam), and Cam's entourage of House finches, Mourning doves and House sparrows.

The disruption has thrown my Blogger posting schedule off a bit; and I apologize if you visited me here on days I've agreed to post only to find nothing new; but, as you read along, I'm sure you will realize why this occurred, for, as you know, under most circumstances I keep a schedule I've committed to!

Be that as it may, you my recall that in my last entry here on Blogger, which was Friday, September the Fourteenth, I posted an entry where I discussed a few of the things which I had lost in my garden due to their dying or their need to be relocated.