Discovering Beauty in Everyday Life

I didn’t know about the mended life I did not expect the quiet I did not anticipate the candle life     Soft surrounding flame     Holding onto an orange-hot tip     Black wick I did not expect a rainbow life     Colors melting towards each other     Spring rain passing     New wet leaves Still I know that raging, jealous, microsecond fire     Brassy, logo-driven, neon     Staked to the charred past     Mind igniting Rescued again by the river of time Tossed back into the candle-dappled day I sink into the moment like a stone.

Amazing!!!  For many, many years, the Authorities have been searching in vain for this unidentified Urban Volunteer.  She is wanted in several cities across the Northeast for unauthorized vigilante feeding of native Flora and an occasional Fauna.  Notice the furtive posture and the heavy dark glasses-- both known markers of an Urban Vigilante Volunteer.    Although --call her Madam UVV-- has attempted at the last moment to hide behind a branchlet, it isn't a really successful choice. I hesitate to publish this photo, But it is clearly in our best interests to allow these Urban Vigilante Volunteers to retain their freedom.  After all, somebody has to see that the appropriate things are getting done.  Therefore, be on the lookout.  If you chance upon Madam UVV or another Vigilante Volunteer, please provide them a quiet, unobtrusive warning. Urban Vigilante Volunteer --incognito

It happened in a newborn moment sparkling with imbroglios of fortune catching you with snaggles, burying their burning tendrils in your palm. Where is the symphony, the opera and the rat-tat-tat? Would you settle for that field of growing grain? Stalks whiskered with morning dew, breaking the sunlight into laughter, your touch as dear as astrophysics. Yellow Tulips, Genus Sureptitious, 9 years old!!

Yellow tree is bearing up leaves still stuck along the limbs, how did they get so big? Yellow’s just a little thing compared to Yellow & Green. I had a white-light come to me once but I didn’t know at the time, so here I am earthbound and running chasing after second chances. I knew a man who found a sheep that lived three years in a Scotland cave. It could barely walk and talk and graze with so much unsheared wool. I am like a quiet morning, slowly filling the backyards up without a sound, fresh with pitted peaches canned for winter I have nothing to say to the dead anymore with their put-down trumped-up charges. Just let them be, I said once more and I let colors talk to me. East 94th Street one of two New York Kentucky Coffee Trees

Here we have an example of a fully solar powered home, created solely out of organic materials.  The Urban Architect is well known for creating sustainable habitats:  environmentally, culturally, socially and economically.

This amazing garder (and gardener) is another of the hidden treasures in New York above 96th Street.  (Lexington Avenue @ 100th.   Shhhh.....)   Urban Gardener Harvesting Zuccini and Watermelon

Window Blue, May 2011 > Window Blue, May 2012. Christian, Urban Tree-Bed Consultant, and Person with Hat, May 21, 2011

This is Pink Sherbert, sometimes called Sparkle Water because of the sparkling edges on her petals. Against all weather she has held steadfastly to her mission of beauty. Butter Cream has taken shelter in the lee of a parked car to escape the worst of the wet and wind-swept day.

This well-known scientist is gathering information and data for her upcoming study of spontaneous generation of Tulipa . The tulip is a perennial , bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa , which comprises 109 species [1] and belongs to the family Liliaceae . [2] . More will be revealed. Amazing re-appearance of Yellow Tulipa for the sixth consecutive year

Wait!  Over there on the left bank.  Is something growing there?  Is that a small green leaf poking up?   Nah. It's a simple trick of the eye.  It's too early for a small green leaf.  Nevertheless, I think we had better come back in a month or so...

Today, it was pouring rain. With little to do in the evening, I strolled outside and snapped a random shot of TreeBed #1: Low and behold, it appeared there was a small, pale ovoid  growth in the lower left. I quickly zoomed over and took a closer look... My oh my!

Of the many known genera of the North American Slinky, one of the rarest is  the Tree Bed Watering Slinky shown below at work on East 94th Street..

Look at the beautiful red New Tomato One against the grey bark of it's New York sidewalk Kentucky Coffee Tree! We let New Tomato go to a passerby, by accident really. It revealed itself to a person while I was at the store, and it was gone.  Before New Tomato One left, though, it led us to an amazing new discovery:  Our very first Tomato Twins!

The Miracle 94th Street Tree Bed Squash have yielded a bumper crop of beautiful and tasty blossoms this summer- shared with neighbors, small children and at least one lady bug.  However, they are not destined to grow actual Summer Squash.  Although we are saddened at the seasonal passing of  these fertile friends, the dedicated and happy Urban Volunteers are protecting those still with us with a rim of double string and bamboo. Furthermore, our mighty Urban Volunteers are improving the life of these lovely plants, and their four month old  Kentucky Coffee Trees, with marigolds and yellow snapdragons.                       the Mighty Urban Volunteers

Times are tough in the Tree Bed garden.  Recently some of the admittedly over ambitious squash plants had to be cut back.  They had overtaken about 12 square feet of sidewalk territory, and dog people were unwilling to respect these new boundaries without a string.  It is not possible to secure the base of a bamboo stick in concrete to support the string.   We are rethinking the Fall Planting Strategy.  Stay tuned. 

We are delighted to report that a beautiful tomato has reached maturity and remained unharmed on its vine until time to fall into the hands of the patient and undauntable Urban Volunteers. 1. Tomato is carefully washed and admired 2. Tomato undergoes exquisite and fastidious Preparation 3. Tomato is displayed on an ideal and elegant serving something 4. Innocent Guest is lured in by cheery Sunflower 5. Tomato is served with candles and pretty napkins to Urban Volunteer and Innocent Guest .

Recipe for Elegant Dining 1. Prepare a vegetarian meal with squash blossoms, spinach, yams and homemade Apricot Marmalade. 2. Add candles, pretty napkins, and a half-painted wall in a splotchy color. 3. Add salt, pepper and cottage cheese to taste. It works every time!

Salad Lettuce from Tree Bed Garden Other organic vegetables 1 Weed Toss with olive oil and vinegar   Fried Squash Blossoms Blossoms from Tree Bed Garden 1 Egg Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix Saute in olive oil Garnish with homemade apricot marmalade & maple syrup    Serve Anywhere with Candles and Pretty Napkins  

As it is easy to see, the stalwart Bloomberg Administration has removed 64 Square Feet of sidewalk from our front 'yard'.  Why?  to foster Urban Agrarian Sustainability.  Land in such neighborhoods as this is difficult to acquire and even harder to till. The tenants simply have no proper farming equipment or decently appropriate clothes. Persistence, inch by hard-won inch, is needed by a dedicated cadre of hardy Volunteers. See the bare places among the lettuce leaves in front of the two foot high tomatos? Behind the impatiens?  The competely organic salad pictured below is made from those exact missing leaves!  There is no actual point to the paper bag.