A Post In Honor of George Washington's Birthday

Last Monday, February 15th, our nation celebrated Presidents' Day. It is a holiday that is celebrated here on the third Monday in February. The holiday of President's Day was originally established in 1885 in honor of President George Washington, and was traditionally celebrated on February twenty-second, the actual birthday date of George Washington, which is today.

According to history.com, "the holiday became popularly known as President's Day after it was moved as part of 1971's Uniform Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three day weekends for the nation's workers." 

Be that as it may, George Washington's was born on February the twenty-second, and the switching of the day to observe this, was a topic E. B. White wrote about in his correspondence with Gluyas Williams in 1971. White's humorous attitude toward our government's switching the celebration is something I discussed in my post this past President's Day and I included E.B. White's musings on the matter. On another note, George Washington has been linked to the creation of our American flag, and that is the reason I'm including photo-ops of my patriotic friends within my entry for GeorgeWashington's birthday.    

However, it seems there is some controversy over Washington's involvement with the creation of our flag, which you can read about in a Wiki Page by clicking here. For my focus in this blog post honoring George Washington's birthday is to provide information on an interest I share with him which is birds.

The Children's Hour Reprised

Today is homecoming at Rutger's University, and although the weather is one of Autumn's best, a somber spirit looms over the football field where this afternoon, spectators will pause for a moment of silence before the Rutger's team takes on the team from Tulane. The somber spirit is because one of the students from Rutgers, Tyler Clementi, an eighteen year old freshman has died from what was apparently suicide. He allegedly jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge, a bridge that goes over the Hudson River, and connects New York City to New Jersey.

September evening still can make me feel this way! (Sixth Cycling Trip for 2017)

It is very rare that I let anyone take my picture, let alone pose for one. But this past Thursday, when I was at my foot doctor's (Dr Q) office, I asked his admin person to take a photo (which can be seen atop this entry) of me wearing my boot cast, as it's my fifth week of having to do this. 

National Lighthouse Day 2020

IMAGE CREDIT

Today is National Lighthouse Day and Snoopy knows how to celebrate as evidenced in the image of a Peanuts comic strip atop this entry).

I'm familiar with receiving that stare from birds visiting my garden when I have yet to fill my bird feeders or share my fruit with them (via plates placed atop an urban hedge (shelving) as well as a table.

Most likely anyone who has been around any animal knows "the lighthouse stare" as does anyone who has ever waited tables.

On another note, re lighthouses themselves, I love visiting them and two of the ones that I've taken pictures of can be seen are featured in the next set of images.

THE FIRE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE VIEW ONE

THE FIRE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE VIEW TWO

THE LITTLE RED LIGHTHOUSE

The Little Red Lighthouse is located in NYC under the George Washington Bridge, a bridge which is referenced in volume one of my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

Thursday's Tandem Tales For 2018: Ride Two

This past Tuesday in honor of the beginning of the month of May for 2018, I posted an entry here on Blogger, reminding readers that this month is Gifts from the Garden Month. 

However the month of May is associated with many holidays and observations, not just gardening, and one of the things recognized in May is that it is National Bike Month. 

On evening of the first of May, but not necessarily in honor of this fact, my bike captain and I took our second tandem ride for 2018. The temperatures were much warmer than when we took our first ride for the year of 2018 (which I wrote about in a prior entry here on Blogger).

In any event, this past Tuesday, we did one of our "standard" rides which is cycling up the westside greenway (it  runs parallel to the Hudson River) to the lighthouse AKA The Little Red Lighthouse).

A partial view of it (with a partial view of The George Washington Bridge) can be seen in the photo atop this entry. I have published many entries here on Blogger that feature a more complete view of these structures and if you'd like to see these particular posts, please click here as well as here.

Usually when we cycle to The Little Red Lighthouse, we have a picnic on the grounds and enjoy the sunset. However, it was rather crowded with boisterous people and there wasn't an available picnic table.

Aside from the loud conditions that were occurring at our usual picnic spot, ZW (my captain) made the smart executive decision to have our picnic in an area known as Hudson River Park.

What FLORA Knows RE Time Passing

Once upon a time I saw a Mary Englebreit greeting card where the text read, "Time flies whether you are having fun or not." And indeed time does fly, calling to my mind, two of my favorite quotes invloving the passing of time.

Dr. Seuss's "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?," is one of them.

The second quote re time passing that I appreciate is Kermit's quote: "Time is fun when you are having flies." 

Wednesday's Wisdom: Back in the Saddle (After all, May is National Bike Month)

Last evening I went tandem cycling with my captain, ZW, for the first time since I had an accident (not related to bike riding) in May of 2016. (Incidentally, the photograph atop this entry is of an unknown cyclist who rode in front of me as I was trying to take a picture of last night's sunset!)

In any event, prior to the last time that ZW and I cycled (4-14-2016), she and I had been cycling on a frequent basis since 2009! Much of this has been chronicled in posts on my social media venues. ZW and I have participated in large cycling events that covered between fifty and seventy-five miles; including The Five Boro Bike Tour (five times), The Tour de Bronx (twice), and Twin Lights Ride (once).

Additionally we have participated in smaller group rides in the winter time, including one which took us to The Lights in the Heights (twice). Moreover, we have had persons join us when we cycled to Piermont as well as to the State Park off River Road. And, on our own we have cycled many miles around and outside the city, including a trip to the beach at Coney Island. However, our usual route is to cycle up the greenway (along the Hudson River)

to The Little Red Lighthouse which is in close proximity to The GW (George Washington Bridge).

And our usual route was what we did last evening. I am very grateful that I was able to endure the ride (with energy to spare) after not having cycled for over one year; and near to the time of the anniversary of my accident. What a great way to ring in the month of May, which happens to be National Cycling Month!

Thursday's Tandem-Cycling Tale: Inwood Park

The photograph atop this entry features Trudy Hutter, an avid (understatement) cyclist, who is also a coordinator for The Weekday Cyclists in NYC. They meet on Tuesdays to ride in Central Park and on Thursdays, they ride to different locations in NYC and its surrounding areas.

I am not a member of this group, because, due to my visual challenges I am not able to ride a bicycle; unless it is as a stoker on a tandem. Therefore, I'm grateful to say that I have been able to participate in tandem cycling, ever since the opportunity was presented (2009) to persons with vision loss. At that time ZW was assigned to be my captain, and we've been cycling ever since.

It is through ZW that I met Trudy, and she she has joined us on her single bike on occasion, including when we've ridden to Piermont, a popular cycling destination for New Yorkers. The town is north of the hamlet of Palisades, east of Sparkill, and south of Grand View-on-Hudson, on the west bank of the Hudson River.