In Honor of Saint Patrick's Day

In honor of Saint Patrick's Day, a couple decided to re new their vows in the presence of their Irish friends. The event took place at a wooden church, which they posed in front of after the ceremony took place, as seen in the photo atop this entry. A close-up of the happy couple can be seen below,

and, if you follow me on Blogger, then you probably see a lot of familiar faces in the first image.

Happy Lá Fhéile Pádraig — Saint Patrick's Day (Enhance any of your celebrations with . . . "Dogwood Yawning")

Top of the mornin' to you, dear reader, with a salutation that you are likely to hear on this day, Lá Fhéile Pádraig — Saint Patrick's Day ( a day which provides an excuse to hoist a green beer to celebrate), but did you know that this greeting actually comes from New Zealand and not Ireland? This bit of trivia was brought to my attention when I spent time in Galway, Ireland, some years ago, and learned that New Zealanders coined the phrase — because they believe they are at the top of the world. Whether the phrase belongs to the Irish or not, the color green seems to, and the city of Chicago honors the Irish by dying Lake Michigan a kelly green color.

The Consequence of Reporting on Sturnus vulgaris (European starlings)

On Sunday, March 16th 2014, the day before a number of folks were due to celebrate the Saint Patrick's Day holiday, I realized another holiday was taking place. The holiday I am referring to is the 124th anniversary of the arrival of the bird type known as Sturnus vulgaris (European starlings) in New York City, the city where I live and have an urban garden that this bird type is now visiting. It appears they truly enjoy noshing here as evidenced by the photos above.

Saint Patrick's Day 2019

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, dear reader! As you can see, I'm honoring it with a cartoon by Dan Regan, that's posted atop this entry and was sent to me in bygone years.

For Conor McDonald on his 30th Birthday

Today is the thirtieth birthday of Conor McDonald. He can be seen in the picture atop this entry with his father, NYPD Detective Steven McDonald who died as the result of a heart attack, nineteen days ago on January 10, 2017; at age fifty-nine.

According to a news alert, "Steven McDonald was his son’s present age, 29, when he was shot in the head, throat and spine by a troubled, teenaged shooter on July 12, 1986. It happened in Central Park. Steven McDonald was newly married and his wife, Patti Ann, was three months pregnant when the shooting happened.

"Conor Patrick McDonald was born on Jan. 29, 1987, and he was baptized by John Cardinal O’Connor in Bellevue Hospital on Steven McDonald’s 30th birthday.

"Over the years, the family marched together in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

"In 2010, Conor followed his father into the NYPD. In 2016, Stephen McDonald beamed with pride, wearing his dress uniform, when his son was promoted on two different occasions at Police Headquarters: first to detective, and later in the year to sergeant.

"After Steven McDonald suffered a massive heart attack on Jan. 6, Conor kept a vigil at his father’s bedside with his mother.

"On Sunday morning, he posted a Facebook photo of him marching next to his dad’s wheelchair in a recent Saint Patrick’s Day parade.

"Now, he’s sharing a photo (the one atop this entry) that speaks volumes about the love and respect they had for each other.

'"I’ll see you on the other side Daddio,” he wrote. “I love you forever.'"

Conor McDonald is blessed to have the gift of faith and the assurance that he will see his "Daddio" on the "other side," but I'm still including Paul Simon's song about a parent (albeit a mother but it could easily be a father) and child's reunion being "only a motion away." 

I hope for the sake of Patti Ann, (Conor's mother) that "motion away" will not be for quite sometime, but I thought I'd send out the song to him on what might be a mournful birthday.

Visitor Arrives In Honor of Irish American Month!

This is the first time that whimsical characters are visiting my indoor succulent garden in honor of Irish American Month, which occurs annually in March. Saint Patrick's Day is eleven days from now, and the figurine pictured here has suggested I get moving along if I want to prepare any treats for the upcoming holidays, something she has already done! This is evidenced by the platter of Irish Oatmeal Cookies she has on the platter that she is holding in her photo-op.

I'm not skilled at baking holiday treats, which is something I confessed (on Fb on Saint Patrick's Day in 2014), when I wrote about a NYC treat shop that featured special Rice Krispie Treats that were designed for the Irish Holiday (you can refer to this Fb entry by clicking here).

In any event, if I were to be good at baking, I probably would need to do it much closer to the actual holiday, to avoid eating any goodies before I had the chance to share them!

The Luck of the Irish — NOT SO LUCKY FOR PIGS!

A little over three weeks ago, March 1, 2016, I announced here on Blogger that it was #NationalPigDay. In that entry, I had pictures of pigs that have visited my home from time to time, including a different image of the pig that is featured in the photo (accompanying this entry) of her in my succulent garden, where she has been spending the month of March.

The month of March is known as Irish American Month, and today, March 17th, NYC will have its annual parade. The parade is in honor of this heritage, and in honor of of Saint Patrick’s Day.

At the time that I posted my March 1st entry re pigs, I did not know that they are a part of Saint Patrick’s history, but since that posting, I’ve read the following:

“…when (Saint) Patrick was traveling with some sailors on land after they docked their ship in Britain, they had trouble finding enough to eat while crossing through a desolate area of land. The captain of the ship on which Patrick had sailed asked Patrick to pray for the group to find food, since Patrick had told him that God was all-powerful. Patrick told the captain that nothing was impossible for God, and he prayed for food right away. Miraculously, a herd of pigs appeared after Patrick finished praying, in front of where the group of men was standing. The sailors caught and killed the pigs so they could eat, and that food sustained them until they were able to leave the area and find more food…”

I don’t eat meat and have an appreciation for these creatures as Charlotte (from Charlotte’s Web) did! Therefore I found this information to be disturbing! For while pigs may have met luck to the persons traveling with Patrick, this animal type was not so lucky…

Saint Patrick's Day 2018

IMAGE CREDIT

Today is St. Patrick's Day, and I wish all of those who celebrate it a safe and happy one! As for me, I've written about the holiday a number of times (including entries here on Blogger, so please click this to read those posts).

The Octave of Easter in 2016

Today is the Octave of Easter and this marks the end of the Easter Tide for 2016. However, it is not the end of the Easter season, which continues until Pentecost Sunday, which will occur on May 15, 2016.

EGGS-TRA-ORDINARY FACTS re EGGS

The two images atop this blog entry feature different views of a guy known as Lil Devil. You may recognize him, for he was included as a wedding guest at a ceremony that I wrote about on here on Blogger this past Monday, which was also Halloween. 

Lil Devil can be seen in the fourteenth image included in that post. And in that particular image, he can be seen standing next to the bride! Lil Devil has been coming to my place for Halloween related festivities for a number of years, and at one point he participated in a competition that I wrote about for hometalk. And the following year, Lil Devil was included in an entry on that same venue; an entry which touched on the value of old as well as new friends.

Yesterday, November 2nd, as he was preparing to leave for the year, Lil Devil let me in on an eggs-tra special secret re a holiday that I had not known about: National Deviled Egg Day! Evidently this holiday always occurs on November 2nd. I've had a craving for deviled eggs ever since he shared this information with me!

A Little Shop On A Corner

The photograph atop today's blog entry is a partial view of an awning that belongs to an exquisite  little shop known as More & More Antiques. It is located on the southwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West Seventy-Eighth Street, which is on the Upper Westside in New York City.

I am thrilled; as well as humbled and honored; to announce that Steve Mohr, the sole proprietor of More & More Antiques has decided to feature my fauna-flora-insect themed postcards in his precious shop!

Each postcard has an image on it that has been included in the book, Words In Our Beak Volume One, which is book that is set in  rooftop garden in NYC and the story is told from the perespctive of a female cardinal.

As you may recall, dear reader, I featured images of these particular postcards in a prior post here on Blogger and they are on my web-site, which was designed by Chris Deatherage.

In any event, Steve Mohr's place has been there for over twenty-five years. Mohr's vast knowedge of antiques, coupled with an excellent eye for spotting unusual and interesting collectible pieces, guarantees a fun experience to anyone who goes there.

In addition to offering unique collectibles, More & More Antiques has wonderful items for the home, especially for the various holidays. The way in which the shop's owner, Steve Mohr, displays them is magical! I confess that his talent in positioning the whimsical figurines (which he sells during the various holiday seasons) has inspired a number of the "stories" that I've written for hometalk.

Steve's displays, as well as the helpfulness of Nancy Nelson Mancini (who works there), have been the inspiration (whenever figurines are involved) for entries here on Blogger (as well as tumblr and Facebook) that have to do with New Year's, Three Kings Day, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any patriotic holiday.

If you find yourself in NYC, dear reader, I encourage you to visit More & More Antiques (at 378 Amsterdam Avenue) to check out my postcards and other items in his amazing store! What a treat for me it is to have my cards represented in such a magnificent place!

ADDENDUM FALL 2018: 

The non-hardcover version (or versions)  of Volume One within the Words In Our Beak book series that are mentioned in this entry may only remain available for a limited time, but hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can now be found wherever books are sold. Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

MY BOOK SERIES

Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

Tuesday's Truths WK 19: My fauna, flora, and insect themed postcards have been selling at M&M!

It's time for another Tuesday Truth! Nineteen days ago, here on Blogger, I made an announcement that Steve Mohr, the sole proprietor of More & More Antiques (an exquisite shop on the UWS in NYC), had made the decision to sell my fauna-flora-insect-themed postcards. In that announcement, I stated that "... Steve Mohr's place has been there for over twenty-five years. Mohr's vast knowedge of antiques, coupled with an excellent eye for spotting unusual and interesting collectible pieces, guarantees a fun experience to anyone who goes there.

"In addition to offering unique collectibles, More & More Antiques has wonderful items for the home, especially for the various holidays. The way in which the shop's owner, Steve Mohr, displays them is magical! I confess that his talent in positioning the whimsical figurines (which he sells during the various holiday seasons) has inspired a number of the "stories" that I've written for hometalk.

"Steve's displays, as well as the helpfulness of Nancy Nelson Mancini (who works there), have been the inspiration (whenever figurines are involved) for entries here on Blogger (as well as tumblr and Facebook) that have to do with New Year's, Three Kings Day, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any patriotic holiday."

In any event, I'm grateful that Steve has not only decided to sell my cards, he has also placed them in a "prominent" position (on the countertop where one pays for purchases) in his shop! The photograph atop this blog entry features how my postcards look in Mohr's store.

"It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information." (REPRISED)

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, the Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet is on the mind — as well as in the heart — of yet another visitor to my succulent garden.

He is pictured here — in my succulent garden — standing below my pencil cactus, and where he told his comrades,*"fifteen things (they) probably didn't know about leprechauns."

He thought they'd appreciate knowing this information, given the fact that Saint Patrick's Day (March 17) will be here in six days!

And before he told them fifteen things that they probably didn't know about leprechauns, he reminded them that "It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information," which is a quotation attributed to Oscar Wilde.

When "Irish Eyes Are Smiling," they are probably reading "Words In Our Beak"

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, dear reader.  Mine has been made more so by my annual Irish visitors (an array of figurines). I'm happy to say they still enjoy reading my three volume hardcover book series, Words In Our Beak — as evidenced in the image atop this entry.

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. 

They 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.

Another Surprise Visit Tuesday's Truths WK 167

MOCKINGBIRDS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME THREE

Yesterday as part of due diligence re the authorities request for folks to stay in as much as possible in order to minimize the amount of people outside during this frightening Coronavirus spread, I was rewarded for my efforts as my garden was visited by a few bird varieties whom I could observe from my windows.

"another year over AND a new one just begun . . . " PART TWO-A (January — March 2012)

Happy first full week (ALMOST) of the 2013 year and with that salutation I welcome you to part two (portion A) of my post titled "another year over AND a new one just begun . . . "  

Since tomorrow is January the eighth, which means  the first week of the calendar new year will already be passing, it's high time I complete my garden's year-end review for 2012-2013, as promised in part one of this posting!

And, as I stated in part one, part two will be a quick look back pictorially over the "breaking news" of a given month in my garden from January 5, 2012 through January 5, 2013. However, part two will take place over thirten days, which will include today, where I will cover the events for the months of January-March of 2012; tomorrow, the eighth, where I will cover the events for the month of April 2012; Wednesday, the ninth when I'll cover the events of May 2012; Thursday the tenth when I will cover the events of June of 2012; Friday the eleventh, when I'll cover the events of July 2012; and, Saturday, the twelfth when I will cover the events of August 2012. 

Because the year 2012 brought with it a number of major garden upheavals, including a so-called renovation in September, Hurricane Sandy as well as a nor'easter in October, I will divide the review for those months and cover them over two — three days per month.

On Sunday, January the thirteenth, I will cover the events of September 2012 which occurred between September 1st and September 11th of 2012; then on Monday, January 14th, I'll cover the events from September 12th to September 19th of 2012; and I'll conclude September 2012' s coverage on Tuesday, January the sixteenth.

Then on Wednesday, January the sixteenth, I will cover October 1st 2012 through October 10th 2012; on Thursday the seventeenth, I'll cover October 11th through October 24th; and I'll conclude October of 2012 on Friday the eighteenth of January, when I will cover October 25th through October 31st.

I will cover the month of November 2012, on Saturday the nineteenth; and on Sunday the twentieth, I'll cover the month of December 2012 through January 5th of 2013. 

The numbers of photo-ops (in my Aperture Library) for this particular year in my garden are: 62 for January of 2012; 8 for February of 2012; 1,085 for March of 2012; 983 for April of 2012; 595 for May of 2012; 1,276 for June of 2012; 1,015 for July of 2012; 980 for August of 2012; 7,016 for September of 2012; 5,170 for October of 2012; 1,853 for November of 2012; 220 for December of 2012; and as of January 5th, 2013, there are already thirty-one images. Generally, when a given month has a larger amount of images  it is due to what has bloomed, which is still the case; however because an array of visiting birds came to my garden this year, my image-count for the particular months they spent time here is higher. 

Moreover a number of upheavals occurred in my garden during certain months, and this accounts for varying image quantities per month. And now — if you are not totally confused by my detailed schedule, without further ado, the highly anticipated year in pictures for The Last Leaf Gardener's garden!