Back to Life*

I am very fortunate to have an abundance of trees in my neighborhood.  There's a particular set of trees that I pass on my way to the train each day.  I call them "Elegant Line".

 

Of this set of trees I had a particular favorite because, in addition to being able to see it as I walked down the street . . .

. . .I could also see it once I got to the train platform. . .

. . .almost like a parent seeing their child off for the day. . .

Then Hurricane Irene paid a visit.

As if with a knife, she sliced my little tree in half!  But yet. . .afterwards? There it still stood and I marveled at it’s tenacity in Irene's wake!

Unfortunately, a year later, Hurricane Sandy roared through and finished off what Irene started, blowing down what was left of my little tree, leaving only a stump.

However, this year's unusually wet summer has been a gift.  Now, where there was only a stump, new life has emerged. . .and flourished!

Without endings, there can be no beginnings.  Without sadness, no happiness.

*In Memoriam
R.A. Johnson 1921-2011 ~~ C. Wills, 1933-2013 ~~ D. Lanier, 1936-2012 ~~ R. Carpenter, 1946-2013 

~~~ Never forgotten, and very much missed ~~~

Madame Butterfly

With each gust of wind. . .

 . . .she is moved to song.

\

Afternoon Yearning

RePeek: And Still They Rise. . .

My driveway trees have returned again. . .

. . .I wonder how long they'll last this year?

Nature's delights are fleeting.  Enjoy them while you can (see They're Back)!

Grass Skirt

Competition. . .

. . .or symbiosis?

Liquid Assets

Here in the Big Apple, it's been an unusually rainy summer so far, with more predicted next week.

However, the urban hard-scape makes it difficult for the rain to 
find its way back into the earth. Instead, it is channeled 
into the city's sewer system. This system can quickly 
become overwhelmed, especially during 
heavy rain (or snow) storms.

This often results in CSOs ("combined sewer overflows"), which cause untreated waste-water to discharge directly into local waterways.

The use of "green infrastructure", gradually being implemented through PlaNYC and other programs, can help to mitigate this problem. By storing these excess flows for slower release back into the environment, or for future use, which can also be thought of as "yields".

But until such strategies become more widespread, every time it rains, it's like leaving money on the table!

Hmmm. . . .maybe clouds really do have silver linings!