Helping people enjoy the natural world around them
As I consider the last 12 months, the places I've visited and the nature I've enjoyed, one consistent theme shines through: great people. So in this last post of 2011, let me just thank my wonderful friends and family. Wish I had photos of ya' all, but do have snaps of a few of you to share...
Read MoreThough I'm not a local, I know that Staten Island has many things to offer -- Snug Harbor, charming Historic Richmond Town, and the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in the city. But I never expected Staten Island to offer me an intimate visit with Wild Turkeys (Melagris gallopavo).
Read MoreThoreau's Walden passed by my eyes many years ago -- high school, perhaps? -- and while I might appreciate the concept behind the man's work, truth be told I found it a bit dull. Enjoying a recent walk through Queens Botanical Garden has made me reconsider his deep documentation of a single landscape.
Read MoreOnce a potter's field, reservoir, construction storage space for new subways, site of a huge anti-war rally, and drug/prostitute marketplace, Bryant Park has certainly seen it all. Before its renovation into a more friendly landscape, heroin sales were so brisk that it was nicknamed "Needle Park" -- not to be confused with the one at 72nd Street and Broadway and the setting for the movie "The Panic in Needle Park." Ah, New York City in the 1970s!
Read MoreWhile I love my home city, I succumb to tendencies of wanderlust. After a September filled with a whopping three trips, I must admit to enjoying some at-home time ... though I regularly catch myself reminiscing about that last jaunt a couple weeks ago -- a lovely vacation to London and the north Cornwall coast. In a desire to see EVERYTHING, there's never enough time for it all, including nature appreciation. Still, we did pretty well. Here are a few of the nature sights…
Read MoreEach September finds us making a solemn trip to the western Pennsylvania mountains for a memorial. It's not a trip we relish but feel compelled to continue. There is a hidden treat: after six or so hours on the Turnpike, we are transported to a lovely countryside that softens the experience.
Read MoreHooray to terrific pal/workmate Regina who shall hereafter be named "Eagle Eyes" for spotting an injured American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)! Not much bigger than my pet cockatiels, this small falcon had an injured wing and was hiding in the arborvitae hedge at Queens Botanical Garden. With the help of ever-willing hubby, we were able to capture this charmer who rather quickly settled onto the pillow inside a large plastic box. About an hour later, we dropped him (her?) off at a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for further care.
Read MoreHurricane Irene is now past and as I sit in my apartment, I'm wondering how things look about 12 miles away in the Arverne section of the Rockaways.
Just a few days ago, I stopped by to visit the peeps once again but the tide was still a bit high and they had not yet arrived. The surf was a little rough (early signs of the hurricane, perhaps?) and I was intrigued by the large numbers of shells and remnants of crabs.
Read MoreThrilled to be back on the American Princess yesterday for another whale and dolphin cruise, and the afternoon was proof positive that it doesn't matter if nothing's jumping - it's simply fun to be on a boat on a lovely day!
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