Crows: Love in the City
There are many romantic things to do in the city of Amsterdam, NY, on Valentine’s Day. You could have dinner at a nice restaurant. Enjoy a hot fudge sundae at Fariello’s. Perhaps even stroll by the river to watch the full moon rising. Or you could count crows. Watching big black birds swirling eerily over the city may seem like a pastime better suited to Halloween than Valentine’s Day, but winter is when the crows are in town. On February 14, my husband and I did the dinner and the sundae, but first we shared our Valentine celebration with the crows. We got to our observation point early, to...
Read MorePoison Ivy: A Good Thing
Poison ivy climbing up trees can be a good thing. PI rarely impacts the host tree severely. But the best thing about poison ivy is this: birds love it.
Read MoreGreat Idea: Law on Horseback
Every now and then, I see something that strikes me as a great idea. A Great Idea. Something that works. Something well designed, well-planned, creative, original. Something that has a positive impact on the environment, or wildlife, or people. (See my post on the High Line in New York City.) Here’s an urban Great Idea. Police on horseback. I know it’s not exactly new and original. Law enforcement on horseback dates back to the Lone Ranger, or possibly the Mongols, or Roman centurions, but it just seems like such a positive and effective idea. Police metamorphose from something scary and...
Read MoreMerry Groundhog Day
Best wishes for a joyous and festive Groundhog Day! Thanks to Frank Knight for this lovely close-up of a young woodchuck (groundhog, same thing.) It’s my favorite holiday. You think I’m kidding? Not at all. Don’t underrate the simple pleasures of Groundhog Day. No shopping. No presents. Not a single dish to wash. But the real reason it’s my favorite holiday is this—Groundhog Day celebrates the natural world. Think about it—a holiday that takes its meaning solely from nature. It doesn’t commemorate any human event—a war, a peace, or anyone’s birthday. It can be celebrated by people of...
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