My Sweet Larix Kaempferi

Douglas William Jerrold, the English dramatist and writer, is reported to have said, "He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain."

I thought of this quote when I came across one of my favorite strips from Mutts, which I've posted above today's blog entry. As you may recall, dear reader, I am a Mutts fan, and if you want to refer to Blogger entries where I've referenced this fantastic strip, please click here, and you may also click here to "catch" my tumblr post which includes yet another Mutts strip.

My sensibility towards the 80+ things which I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden can be quite similar to Jerrold and Mutts; as there are moments when I want to hold an umbrella over some of the things I grow; especially when they are suffering from too much rain; as they did this past May. Too much rain, however, was hardly the issue this past week, as NYC was under a very oppressive heart wave for a number of days, and I wanted to stand in my garden with my umbrella, to give a few of the less heat tolerant things that I grow some shade, as there is nowhere to prop one up, and there is little, if any, shade in my garden.

. . . and so now we've got to say goodbye TO the summer . . .

The title ". . .  and so we've got to say goodbye TO the summer", for today's blog post, is not a misprint, for I am well aware of the Brian Hyland lyrics, to the "Bobby Vinton classic", Sealed With A Kiss, are, " . . . and so we've got to say goodbye FOR the summer"; however, since today is the second day of autumn and the last Saturday of September, it seems appropriate to put a spin on the lyrics.

Perhaps, my tendency to put a spin on lyrics comes from my departed father who often did this with a number of songs as discussed in a previous post which you may refer to by clicking here. 

His "spin" on Hyland's song was, ". . . and so we've got to say goodbye to the plumber."

In Honor of Squirrel Appreciation Day

Today marks another holiday known as Squirrel Appreciation Day. According to Holiday Insights (HI) this day "is an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate your tree climbing, nut gathering neighborhood squirrels. (And) It's held in mid-winter when food sources are scarce for squirrels and other wildlife."

HI admits that "Not everyone likes squirrels. While they are fun to watch skirting around the yard and trees, they are aggressive at bird feeders. Squirrels tip almost any bird feeder and spill the seeds in search of the particular seeds they want."

This is evidenced in the Mutts comic strip posted atop this blog entry.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be . . ." tumblr. Week Twelve "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

It's Tuesday, so it must be tumblr but before I  lead you there, here's a little (as usual) digression: The images posted above are of my still-flowering-in-December Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) and White Swan Echinacea both of which I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden. 

Additionally, my Helichrysum bracteatum (Strawflowers) and the roses, from all three of the shrubs that I have of them, are still thriving. This is quite unusual for this time of year in New York City, as by now we have usually had some snow.

Halloween Decor Can Be Hazardous To birds (Another Tuesday's Truth for Segment 99)

In one of the entries on the Facebook Page for Mutts, a comic strip that I saw prompted me to add another segment to today's Tuesday's Truths series (I published one re ducks earlier this morning).

A copy of the Mutts strip which I am referring to can be seen atop this entry. With the strip this "commentary" is stated on the FB Page for Mutts: "As Halloween approaches, please keep your animal pal's safety in mind. Keep chocolate, candy, and other "people treats" out of reach. Remember that masks, wigs, and costumes can be frightening to animals. Use caution with holiday decor, as some items can be toxic or pose choking hazards. Be extra careful when lighting candles, especially when there are active pups or 'batty' kitties around. Any other tips you'd like to share?"

Monday's Memo: It's N'tl Napping day!

I beg to differ with Mooch on this first Monday in Day Light Savings Time (DLST) the future is getting here fast enough...

Have yourself a . . .

Tis the day of the Eve, on TLLG, and I am wishing those who celebrate a very Merry — with this bit of cheer from one of my faves, Mutts. In between hanging your stockings by the chimney with care, you might wanna visit posts that feature this strip* that are out there!

*Please click here for a "list"of previous posts that include Mutts. AND, as for a little background on the tree (whose images you see above), it's M.R.'s first Christmas tree! And it's shining brightly with lights from yours truly who highly recommends battery operated lights when your tree is far from an electrical outlet. I referred to this "style"of lights in my December 23rd entry on nybg's (New York Botanical Garden) tumblr which you may refer to by clicking here.

"That was the week that was, it's over . . ."

According to Wiki, once upon a time (in the 1960's), there was a popular television show called "That Was The Week That Was" which opened with a song, whose lyrics included, "That was the week that was, it's over, let it go . . ."

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.

Patrick McDonnell has got this! "A little bird seed or a source of water goes a long way for wildlife!" (Wednesday's Wisdom)

I completely agree with this bird featured the Mutts's drawing atop this entry (as anyone who reads this blog I'm a huge fan of Patrick McDonnell (the creator of the Mutts strip and related cartoons). Be that as it may,  it has been beyond bitter cold the past few days (and continues to be). I spent much of this last Saturday pouring hot water over the frozen water in my bird baths (that are in my garden) in order for the ice to melt and allow my visiting wildlife to take a drink or two.

"Spring is just around the corner?"

Atop this entry is a copy of a Mutts comic strip created by Patrick McDonnell. It was initially emailed to me this morning, February 21, 2021. We are still dealing with a lot of snow here  in NYC and as you can see in the next set of three pictures, Mourning doves, visiting my snowy garden appear unphased to know that spring does not seem to be around the corner.

They are a bird type featured in my book series, 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.

Wednesday's Wisdom: Cherish All Beings

The Mutts comic strip which is posted above was released one year go today, September 27, 2015. In honor of the anniversary of Patrick McDonnell's publishing this, I'm offering it as this week's WW (Wednesday's Wisdom).

And, as you may know, dear reader, especially if you follow this blog, where I've featured a number of Mutts strips within my entries, many of McDonnell's comic strips are full of insight and inspiration.

Wednesday's Wisdom is from SOUR PUSS!

I'm a sucker for Mutts and have published many blog posts about this amazing strip. 

You can read them by clicking here.

Mutts, as well as other comic strips, are part of the inspiration for my newly released book, BIRD TALES.

This book is a collection of photo-comics (a medium, as I've mentioned here on Blogger, that is a means of sequential storytelling that use photographs rather than illustrations). The inspiration comes from photo-novels, also known as fumetti. They are popular in Italy and Latin America.

It features a number of birds participating in a variety of activities and is dedicated to all birds and everyone who loves them. An interactive book for people of all ages to enjoy together and is now available via Apple Books.

House Sparrows Watching

I came across an oldie but goodie Mutts comic strip (posted directly above) and it reminded me of a couple of house sparrows whom I saw in Central Park last Sunday.

"They sang him a ballad, and fed him on salad . . . "

Temperatures in New York City (where I live), have been pushing sixty degrees or more for the past several days, which is is quite unusual for this time of year in our area. However, today is December the Fifth, and in sixteen days it will officially be winter; hence, a good reason to include Mutts, one of my favorite comic strips, in today's blog entry with his "prophecy" regarding the inevitable "W" word which is inevitable.

A Couple of Thoughts Re Session 63 & 64 (Tuesday's Truths WK 182)

MUTTS'S CHARACTERS ARE FEATURED THROUGHOUT MY  BLOG

For this 182nd segment of my Tuesday's Truths series, I confess that (in the midst of this coronavirus  pandemic) it has been hard for me to focus on my projects, which I find distressing.

In terms of this blog, I had big goals set aside for 2020, which I mentioned at the onset of the new year, but now it seems I'm having a great struggle to think about anything but the impact of COVID-19. Like Earl, the dog featured in the Mutts comic strip atop this entry, I'm questioning how to clear my mind and focus on other mattes besides the #ClapBecauseWeCare tributes that I've participated in since two days after they began this past March.

The tributes and the reasoning behind them are very important and I'm glad to pay homage to these events and to the people for whom we do them, but I recognize, I must get back to focusing on my writing projects as time is marching on with out me.

Going forward re this blog, I hope to continue to draw attention to the #ClapBecauseWeCare efforts, but also get back to what I was trying to accomplish pre-COVId-19.

"If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr . . . " Week Nineteen

  
The last day of January is already here, and my beloved friends from the comic strip Mutts, are already began celebrating one of our February holidays, Groundhog Day, which will take place this Thursday, February the 2nd.

Follow-Up Friday: Musings on Mutts AND an Update re "Words In Our Beak Volume One"

As anyone who follows my cyber venues knows, I am a big fan of the comic strip Mutts, created by Patrick McDonnell. McDonnell  has influenced my work as an artist/writer and raised my awareness re the plight of animals. Over my years in cyber-space, I've written about my appreciation for the strip's cast of characters. My musings re this strip include a number of entries here on Blogger. The strips posted atop this entry are two of McDonnell's most recent ones. As you can see, they have a seaside setting. Another strip with a seaside setting can be seen below.

Birds + The First Day of Spring 2019 (Wednesday's Wisdom)

The first day of Spring for year 2019 in this hemisphere will officially begin at 5:58 P.M. EDT, and a lot of people are like Earl (seen in the Mutts comic strip atop this entry) are very excited about birds returning to their area. I'll be glad to see avian creatures return too, but I confess that I'm a bit melancholy about what the onset of spring means re certain feathered friends who visit my rooftop garden.

Remembering Donald Robert Perry Marquis

This week's Monday Musing is from a quote associated Donald Robert Perry Marquis (which is featured in the Mutts comic strip atop this entry). Marquis was born on this day of July 29th in the year 1878.

According to a Wiki Page, he was "a humorist, journalist, and author. He was variously a novelist, poet, newspaper columnist, and playwright. He is remembered best for creating the characters Archy and Mehitabel, supposed authors of humorous verse. During his lifetime he was equally famous for creating another fictitious character, 'the Old Soak,' who was the subject of two books, a hit Broadway play (1922–23), a silent movie (1926) and a talkie (1937)."