We have a busy yard, both front and back. Things visit, weird things grow. It never ceases to amaze and delight me. We have the usual assortment of squirrels, ground squirrels and chippies running to and fro, jumping from limb to limb in the tops of the trees, and the dogs’ favorite, the ground squirrels that love to get under the decking around the pool. Then there are the birds. Our normal visitors are the noisy blue jays, the timid titmouse, the colorful cardinal pair, the doves, a few pigeons, robins, sparrows and once in a while I"ll spot an exotic visitor such as a Baltimore Oriole or a Scarlet Tanager. Here is the Tanager:

Other bird visitors are not as common. A few weeks back we kept hearing this “bird” all day long on an on-going basis. It was more like a piercing scream than a regular bird call. We didn’t know what it was and could never find it in the thick foliage of our trees. Then one day Rick spied it sitting on a branch in the open next to the yard. It was a kind of hawk or falcon. It took me days to identify it, but finally now know it’s a Broad Winged Hawk. They must have a nest close by. Here he/she is:

And let’s not forget the turkey family that now visits the front yard on a daily basis, and sometimes as much as three and fours times per day! Usually it’s two hens and five babies. I think there used to be six babies, but lately I’ve only seen five. They are getting so big now! One is much bigger than the rest and we think it must be a Tom. Rick has threatened to catch one for dinner but I think he’s just joking. At least I hope he is. And yes, I am feeding the birds out front. I just can’t stand not to and it’s only a few handfuls. Between the squirrels, birds and turkeys there isn’t anything left for the bear to even ponder over. Here are a few photos of the turkey family. Some were taken through the screen since they spook if I get too close to them.

Yesterday I came home to find we’d had a visitor of another kind. Most likely a bear. My first clue was the bird bath in the front yard was turned over. Then I noticed the bird bath in the back yard was also turned over. Hmm…next I find a picket from the fence in front had been pulled off and on closer inspection, muddy prints were found on the fence. After messing around and getting wet turning over the bird bath, this brazen bear climbed over the fence right then and there. We don’t think it was Ursa and cubs because the prints don’t look big enough, plus she never goes over the fence here. So who was it? Below you can see the toe prints in one photo, and the other you can tell whatever it was had long claws and hair! I’m pretty sure it was a bear.

As far as weird things growing in the yard, we had another strange mushroom of the same family [stinkhorns] as the strange ones in the front. I first noticed a strange egg shaped object in one of the flower beds. It was a bit slimy and had a tiny root coming out of the bottom. It was not attached to the ground anymore, so Rick and I brought it inside and cut it open. It looked “mushroomy” to us. There was another one right beside the spot where I found this one, only it was firmly rooted in the ground. We watched and watched over several days. Nada was happening. Then yesterday when I checked on it I was excited to see that it had “bloomed.” Here is what it looked like when I first found it:

And here it is after it bloomed. We think the rain the night before, er, uhm, shall we say stimulated it to grow. Here it is in all its glory.

It STANK! YUCKO! The dogs didn’t even want any part of it. I saved it and wrapped it up and put it in the fridge to show Rick. He thought it was disgusting, so I tossed it into the garbage can in the garage. This morning when I went out in the garage the whole place reeked of the smell of that mushroom! I tossed it outside for the slugs. No wonder they call them stinkhorns.

Yesterday we got brave enough to drive into NYC. Or should I say Rick felt brave enough. I just sat there. Well, not quite just sat there, as you know me, can’t keep my mouth shut. But I only protested at near misses on a few pedestrians and when taxis cut us off. All in all, it went easier than driving into Denver! I know you will find that hard to believe, but it’s actually true. And it only took us about an hour both ways to get right into midtown Manhattan!

We took the George Washington bridge over and even though Rick wanted on the top level of the bridge, we ended up on the bottom level so we didn’t have the view. We crossed the northern tip and came down the east side of Manhattan to 63rd Street. We stayed on 63rd and it took us all the way to 5th Avenue. We were there before we knew it, and there was Central Park right in front of us. We started down 5th not really sure where we were going to park, but Rick had the Apple store in mind. We had only gone a couple of blocks when I spotted a parking garage off to the left. We pulled in. Despite the high cost ($17.00 per hour for the first couple of hours), we decided it was well worth the price. Plus, it was valet parking! [Under the CBS Building.] And, the Apple store was right on the corner. It was our first stop.

All that is visible from the ground of the Apple store is a 32-foot tall glass cube with a big Apple etched in the middle. From here you either take the staircase or elevator down below ground level. It’s not overly large, but brightly lit and inviting. The store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Amazing. It was packed full of people buying ipods, using the internet access, and buying computers.It’s only been open since May of this year. One can only imagine what that kind of location costs!

We went across the street to Central Park and managed to avoid taking a horse-drawn cart ride, and walked for a while instead. We didn’t see much of Central Park [it’s HUGE] but what we did see was very impressive. Beautiful big old shade trees combined with huge boulders and rocks, lots of grass and walking paths. We entertained ourselves watching the horse-drawn carts go by. Some drivers could have cared less and were reading the newspaper as their horse plodded along without guidance. Some were dressed in shorts and t-shirts while others were as smartly turned out as their horses with plumes on the horses’ heads and top hats on the drivers. When I do take a ride around Central Park I will be very choosy about which cart and driver I pick. Definately not the guy reading the paper, nor the ones dressed in shorts. I think it’s something to do with my Mom next time she comes down.

We were pretty hungry, so we headed back to find a place to eat. Mind you, here we are in the “high rent” district. We walked down Madison Avenue, Park Avenue. We passed several little bistro-like places but they looked a bit off-putting to me. One didn’t even have a name listed anywhere to be seen and about seven tiny tables inside set with pristine white cloths. No menus were posted. Another little place just had an apple symbol on a tile next to the door. Only one couple sat inside sipping wine. I told Rick they just looked too pricey. You know if you have to ask you can’t afford it! So, we trudged on. We had noticed a little restaurant across the street from our parking garage, so we headed back there. Unlike the other empty eateries we had just seen, this one was full of people. It was Italian, Bottega del Vino. We asked to look at the menu and it all looked good. We both had sandwiches, toasted on tasty bread. The service was excellent and even though we were tempted to have a glass of wine we didn’t, and shared a bottle of Pellegrino instead.

After lunch we headed back to the Apple store so Rick could purchase his new laptop. While they were configuring his new computer to his specifications we had the time to walk down 5th Avenue. Directly behind the Apple store is F.A.O. Schwarz. Of course we went in! What a store and lots going on! We were entertained by two dancers, a girl and a guy, dancing and tapping their way through Chopsticks and Heart and Soul on the larger than life-sized keyboard.

Our stroll down 5th Avenue reads like a list of Who’s Who. Next to F.A.O. Schwarz is Bergdorf Goodman’s, then you pass such designer stores as Louis Vitton, Prada, Tiffany’s (of course!] just to name a few. Before you know it we’re in front of Trump Tower. Have to visit here! Gleaming rose colored granite and mirrors cover every surface! A large photo of Donald and his lovely wife smile down at you. Tacky? Hmm..maybe just a touch. We indulge in ice cream [gelato actually] that is wonderful. There is also a restaurant in here, and maybe next time we’ll try it out. Alas, The Donald does not make an appearance for us.

Back outside again and I just can’t NOT go into Tiffany’s to browse. We weren’t the only ones just looking. Tiffany’s lighting is all about showing off the jewels. They sparkle and gleam in their cases as if to say “BUY ME.” I tried on a beautiful ruby and diamond band [I’ve had a thing for rubies for some time now, and our 25th Anniversary is coming up after all!] set in gold and platinum. Timeless. Understated and classic. Gorgeous. Expensive? Yes, but not terribly so considering the source. We only browsed the bottom level although there are several more floors of decadence to be explored in the future.

Back in our car, [our parking tab was $41.00] we headed home a different way. This time we drove past Rockefeller Center and through the Lincoln Tunnel. Again, only about an hour’s drive from the parking garage to our driveway. Very surreal to think we just did all that within an hour of our home! On a Sunday, that is. Now during the week it’s a whole ‘nother story! I can’t wait to go again!

We are experiencing all kinds of weird things here in New Jersey. Cicadas are something I categorize with humid, tropical climates. We’ve had the cicada symphony going on now for several weeks. The fireflies have left us and the cicadas have taken root in our treetops. They are so noisy it’s even hard to hear the TV if we have the windows open, which we have tonight. Finally, after record breaking temps for the whole week, we now have a break. Last night after our torrential downpour of rain, complete with a power outage for 4 hours due to a downed line, the cicadas were silent. After that rain I thought they had all drowned. But tonight they are all alive and singing. It’s a strange symphony of sound. From treetop to treetop they seem to be sending signals back and forth to each other. What a noise they all make together! It’s very comforting, but somewhat alien to us. It sounds like we are living in the tropics! They sing in the morning too if it’s hot, but they do their best singing at night. Like now. Awesome.

I know I"ve been bad about adding to the blog over the past week. That’s mostly because my Mom is visiting from upstate New York this week. We like to get her down here about every 5 weeks or so to visit. This time we decided to go to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island while she was here. We know that Rick’s parents want to go when they come in October, so we really needed to do a “trial run” to get the kinks out. Mom was excited about going and didn’t mind being a guinea pig of sorts.

We left the house pretty early [at least early for us] and it only took us about an hour to reach our destination, Liberty State Park, on the New Jersey side. From here we’d catch the ferry out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We had advance tickets because we were going to the Swiss Day Celebraton at Ellis Island, so included in our ferry tickets were passes to the pedestal at the Statue of Liberty. Not everyone gets to go up in the pedestal and stand on the observation deck. You must have a pass that is only available in advance. We just lucked out!

We had a short wait for the next ferry since they run every 45 minutes and one had just left about ten minutes before we arrived. We went through security [just like at the airport] and stood in line. It was already hot at 9:30 a.m. and the sun was beating down on us. At least my Mom thought to bring a hat for her head, and many people had brought umbrellas to keep them shaded. We knew in advance it was going to be in the high 90s, but weren’t really thinking ahead as to what that meant. Sunscreen would have been nice to have as well. 

First stop was Ellis Island as it made the most sense in the way that the ferries ran. Plus our pedestal passes for Liberty where not valid until 12:45. Here is the museum building on our approach. You can see the Swiss flag and all the white tents set up for the festivites.

I had not realized that when Ellis Island was closed as an immigration station in 1954, that the buildings were just left to deteriorate into sad ghosts of what they had once been to so many people. The new immigration museum was opened in 1990 after being completely restored. The effect is certainly stunning, and very interesting. Many interesting exhibits show the steps involved for the immigrants the moment they stepped off the boats, such as the different exams they had to pass, etc. Wonderful photos help tell the stories. Some photos of people are blown up to huge proportions and the images are haunting. Eerie. Each of them are wearing their native garb. We didn’t go into all the exhibits, there just wasn’t time. The brochure states you should allow 3 hours to tour the museum, and I think I agree. The exhibit that showed the building before restoration is extremely interesting…and haunting. What a lot of work!

We had lunch at the Swiss event, brats and german-style potato salad, but it was too hot outside to do much else. Most of the entertainment would come later in the day. So, after lunch we set off for Lady Liberty. Here she is on our approach.

And another shot as we rounded the corner to dock at Liberty Island with the skyline of Manhattan in back of her. What a lovely day!

We wasted no time in going to the pedestal since our passes were now valid. The Statue of Liberty was closed to the public between 2001 after the 9/11 attacks and reopened in 2004 with security upgrades. We had to go through yet another security search. This time with a machine I had never seen before but similar to a metal detector. You had to stand there as little puffs of air hit your body from every direction. They said is was a kind of “bomb sniffer” looking for residue of explosive materials on the body. Okay, whatever. We waited again for the next slot to enter the museum in the pedestal’s lower level. While we waited my Mom was pretty entertained just watching the strange National Forest Service guide sitting there as he kept nodding off for a bit of sleepy-time. He sort of came back to life to give his little speech once we were finally inside but I think he would have been happier just sleeping.

Inside the lower pedestal is the original torch that was replaced by the gold one that Liberty now holds. The upper floor houses a museum of the making of Liberty which is very interesting. We spent only a short amount of time here since we still had the observation deck to see and we wanted to be back at the ferry dock in time for 2:15 ferry. Another short wait to board the elevator that would take us up ten floors to the observation deck. Inside the building you can look up through the glass ceiling to see the inner structure of the statue and the spiral staircase people used to climb up! No thank you! Of course, visits to her crown are no longer possible, and the torch has been off-limits since 1916. Here is the inside of the great lady.

The view is really nice from the observation deck and we walked the whole way around it. It is very narrow and only two people can pass…barely. You must walk down about six flights of stairs to get back down to ground level. We were all pretty pooped out from the heat and the constant on-the-go-day, so we were glad to board the ferry [we timed it just right] and get back to our car. Too bad the return trip took us 2 hours instead of the hour that it should have taken due to construction, traffic, and an accident [someone else—not us!]. We finally arrived home hot and tired of being stuck in traffic at 5:00 p.m.

A very worthwhile trip despite the long ride home! And to think we live that close to sights like that! Two more photos of the Lady and I’ll leave you to it.

I think we’ve found a name for our bear. Not that she cares, but we do. Her name will be Ursa after the ancient bear-goddess and the constellation Ursa Major. Since both the bear goddess and our dogs [Bernese Moutain Dogs] have the area of Berne, Switzerland in common it seems to fit. Here is what I found after searching on the web:

“The bear goddess was known to the Greeks as Artemis (daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo) and in China as Matsu Po, Queen of Heaven and the Sea. According to one source, one of Artemis’s frequent animal incarnations was the Great She-bear (constellation Ursa Major), ruler of the stars and protectress of the axis mundi, Pole of the World. The Helvetian (Swiss) tribes around what is now Berne, worshipped her as the She-Bear, and she is still their heraldic arms. Berne, in fact, means ‘She-bear’, just as Urus means ‘bear’. Sometimes the Helvetians called her Artio, shortened to ‘Art’ by the Celtic tribes who married her to the Bear-king, Arthur. As Artio’s Lord of the Hunt, the medieval god of witches came to be called, ‘Robin son of Art’. In Irish, Art meant ‘God’, but its earlier meaning was ‘Goddess’ – more specifically the Bear-goddess.”