Field of Favors

In her art installation "Favors", Queens based artist, Priscilla Stadler invited New Yorkers to challenge the stereotype that they are cold, rude and uncaring by asking them to do favors for friends, family and even strangers, or to observe and note others doing these things.

Then, she asked them to describe these "acts of kindness" in a single sentence and send them to her, which she later transcribed onto green paper spirals.


Finally, she suspended them, much like hanging vines, from the ceiling of a Long Island City  gallery (the Space Gallery).


She called this "The Field of Favors".

What I found particularly interesting about this project was the way it rendered the abstract,

     that is, those mechanisms which contribute to effective and resilient social systems

                        relationships. . .

                              their nature and quality. . .

                                        often defined by reciprocity and inter-dependency. . .

into a tangible and collective, community experience!

Leave it to the artists!

Leaf Drop

It's that time of year again. . .

free for the taking. . .

Get 'em while supplies last!

Earth Bound

GuestPeek: Permie Peek-A-Boo

Out exploring the nature trails at Orchard Beach (Pelham Bay Park - Bronx, NY) last week. . .
 

. . .saw this little guy poking out his head a moment, before he retreated back inside his itty bitty hole.

An unexpected treat during an afternoon outing!

Storm Recovery

Haverstraw Bay Park, in Rockland County, is located along the Hudson River . . .




 . . . and provides access to the water front for the public's recreational use.

Due to damage caused last year by Hurricane Sandy,  parts of the waterfront have been fenced off, until repairs can be made.

However, it looks like nature has decided to take matters into Her own hands! 

Highrise Tree Pits!

Wild Cherries

This cherry tree. . .












. . .lives next to Poe's Cottage. . .

. . .at Poe Park, in the Bronx!

How cool is that. . . !?

Life Expectancy

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!

Tiny Forest

Gateway

Sea of Green

adrift at "sea". . .

  . . .in mid-town Manhattan!

Pedal to the Metal

NYC launched its bike sharing program this week, with 300 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, for a total of 6,000 bicycles.

There's a station in the pedestrian plaza across from my office building, which seems to be getting a fair amount of use.

It is hoped that bike sharing, among other things, will help to reduce traffic congestion, while boosting air quality and physical fitness for users.

Still Life

Just Getting Started!

At work, last month, we celebrated Earth Day by inviting Anne Pope (Founder & Executive Director) and Kady Ferguson (Director, Zero Waste Program) of Sustainable Flatbush to talk about the organization and all the great things they're doing to green their Brooklyn community.


As an added bonus, they showed us how to make little seed starter pots by wrapping newspaper around a jar and then tucking in the ends.

 

If all goes well, a few baby basil sprouts should be poking their heads out any day now.

Fingers crossed!

Puttin' On the Ritz!