January 2013
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Right Now
On the Promenade. Update: and your anecdotal experience is backed up by the experts, noting the record-breaking earliest flowering times for the Eastern U.S.
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Sere
Middle English, from Old English sēar dry; akin to Old High German sōrēn to wither.
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After Sandy
A spring tide, springing back, in this case, at low tide. When I was looking at this feature of Brooklyn Bridge Park from the Promenade as Sandy approached, the water was curved high up to the bushes on the right; that night, the water would overflow this area and flood much of the park. I…
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Extreme Birding
Extreme in the sense of the abilities of my camera, that is. These birds were all seen on the piers or de facto bays between the piers at Brooklyn Bridge Park.A comparison of the size difference between Ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) on the left and a Herring gull (Larus argentatus) on the right.A Red-throated Loon…
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18th Avenue Eye Candy
The D train line is one I rarely find myself on, but the elevated stations on its southern, Brooklyn end, have some intriguing glass art. Recently, I got off the train at the 18th Avenue station take a closer look. This is Bensonhurst Gardens, by Francesco Simeti. These are made of laminated glass.Stay tuned for…
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Fog-Wood
A lush fog settled over the city Saturday night. In Green-Wood, with its grand views of the harbor, Statue of Liberty, New Jersey, and lower Manhattan, there was nothing to be seen outside the confines of Brooklyn. Upon entering Green-Wood by the PPW entrance, I heard Blue Jays screaming their heads off, a good sign…
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Winter Walk
A return to Squam Swamp.While silvery gray predominates this time of year, there are other colors of note: A scrim of ice over autumn’s leftovers. Blue-green stained wood, caused by a fungus. Moss gone wild.
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Sidewalk victims
It’s Mulchfest weekend, but someone in the ‘hood thinks like I do. Ὦ ξεῖν’, ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.
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In Greek mythology, Charon the Ferryman carried you over the river of forgetfulness to the underworld. He was supposed to be paid for his troubles. So when I heard that my father, who passed away on Wednesday, “left on the noon boat” I was struck by the metaphoric connotations. His body was being carried on…
Backyard and Beyond 