Scribbles and Photos

So, that I love ginkgo trees should be readily apparent from previous posts to this little blog of mine.  They are coming to life these days here in the midst of New York City where they line city streets and are scattered throughout Central, Riverside, and other city parks.  It's a magical thing to see tiny little ginkgo leaves unpack from the tight confines of their winter homes.  I don't have time to do that much writing this week.  Or is it that I lack the brainpower to form full thoughts?    Hmm, at this time of night (after 11:00) and year (March heading into April), I am thinking it is the latter rather than the former. So, herewith a few assorted photos that tell the story of ginkgoes over the past several weeks.  More to follow as the mood and the energy level match up. Looking a bit like dinosaurs as the buds start to break open..... Those leaves are just hankering to bust out...... And burst out they do....... ...

Glowing Ginkgoes The ginkgoes of New York have turned to gold -- right on schedule despite the freak snow storm that painted the city white at the end of October.   Ginkgoes have been around for 7 million years -- surviving the ice age and more recently the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.  Legend has it that Buddhist monks in China saved them from extinction and that ginkgoes were a favorite tree of Frank Lloyd Wright.   There are those who hate the smell of the female ginkgo (yes, there are male and female ginkgoes) -- it emanates from the seed shells and has caused some cities to eradicate  their ginkgo trees  or spray the trees as Washington, DC did this past spring in order to reduce the odor. It's sad to think that we've chopped down trees because we don't like the way they smell.  That stands in stark contrast to those monks who nourished and planted the species in their gardens.  Says something about our disposable culture.  ...

The morning after the storm There was a rare snowstorm on October 29th -- a nor'easter with lots of wet snow.  Enough wet snow to take out 1,000 trees in New York's Central Park and leave swaths of the northeast without power for days.  In Farmington, CT -- where my Mom now lives -- the power is still out.  Her assisted living facility has two generators going and reports that all residents are doing OK. I took a short stroll in Central Park during the height of the storm.  I could hear the crack of the trees as branches big and small snapped off.  It felt a bit like I was a storm chaser -- you know those people who chase tornadoes across the mid-West -- except there was no speeding car or fancy equipment.  Just me, other walkers, and some intrepid runners making our way through a quiet Central Park.  Good to know I wasn't the only idiot who thought a jaunt in the park as branches were falling was a good thing. The storm didn't pile muc...

Gingko & Friends I love writing and sinking my teeth into a post and letting the words carry me where they may.  This results in longer posts (it's like I'm channeling Charles Dickens and getting paid by the word).   For the next couple of weeks, I'm going to try writing in short bursts about something that's on my mind. It's the last week in October and I'm aflutter with anticipation -- the ginkgos that dot the streets of NY and Central Park have already begun to turn and these next two weekends should mark that glorious time of year when green turns to yellow and leaves start to flutter gently to the ground.  It's among my favorite times of year in NYC.  Looking forward to a ramble in Central Park with my camera on Sunday -- one among many who are stalking the vibrant colors.  The only snag in the plan may be the wet snow and rain forecast for Saturday.   A smattering from Octobers past. Twins Branches amidst Yellow Some ...