Winter Bench

 It’s a nearly black and white world after a snow. Only the brittle oak leaves add a subtle touch of color. No one waited for the school bus. By midmorning the snow in the trees has formed soft ice balls the size of gumdrops. They dropped on my head in a noisy shower as I contemplated the converging lines of the bench and the fence. 

Autumn Colors In the Winter

 We have reached the stage when most of us are tired of winter. The nandina shrubs in my neighborhood have now changed from Christmasy red and green to the faded slightly gold-tinted shades that remind me of autumn. Although the berries remain, most wildlife avoid them,  knowing that they can be toxic. As they shrivel and turn more of an orange-red they serve only as bright decorations till the spring bulbs begin to flower.

Valentine Chocolates

 You could say that prime Chocolate Season runs from Halloween through Easter. Halloween is just a warm-up, with basic snack sized candy bars. Christmas gets us into the better stuff, but it’s Valentine’s Day when chocolate really shines. This is a good excuse to indulge in rich, beautifully formed bonbons nestled in fluted papers. A heart shaped box makes them even more of a treat. Admire the artistry but go ahead and enjoy them!

One Year, George Maciunas

 George Maciunas became a part of the New York City avant garde movement known as Fluxus. He worked as an artist and graphic designer, among many other pursuits. Plagued by poor health for most of his life, something compelled him to save most of the packaging that came into his home during one year in the 1970s. Perhaps it was the graphic appeal of the sugar bags, milk cartons and plastic lids.  His longtime interest in compiling and organizing charts reveals itself the stacks of boxes and cans. Can the detritus of everyday life become art if we declare it to be so? Mr Maciunas believed this to be true. Go to the Museum of Modern Art and decide for yourself whether or not you agree.

No Bus Today

 Last Saturday night the snow started. On Sunday it changed to alternating freezing rain and sleet. For most of the day, that tiny, icy crystalline sound tapped at the windows. Now we have learned a new word for what was left behind: snowcrete. That’s what you get when a thick later of ice tops several inches of snow. Neighbors worked with tools as varied as flat coal shovels and pick axes to slowly dig out cars and walkways. When the plows finally began to scrape the streets, they shoved the snowcrete onto driveways and sidewalks. The bus stop is not accessible yet. It’s blocked by snowcrete boulders that remain sturdy in this subfreezing weather. At night, our side yard shimmers in the moonlight, ready for rabbits and foxes to skate on it while we sleep.

Pigeon Lady

 Her usual spot is on 5th Avenue near the Metropolitan Museum. A collapsible ironing board holds the large container of food for the pigeons. It’s also her podium. She is a pigeon advocate, a pigeon proselytizer sharing information about why we should admire pigeons. She sees them as a necessary part of the big-city ecosystem. She is not necessarily wrong. Stop and listen to her, amid the cooing and fluttering of feathers as the flock pecks at her feet.

Beautyberry In Winter

 

In the autumn at the height of their ripeness this shrub's berries were a brighter orchid, almost plastic-shiny, nestling among bright green leaves. Now, they are shriveled and the colors have faded like the upholstery on an old chair left in a sunny spot. The birds will still be glad to have them. They are sustenance on frigid days. In the meantime, the tawny stems set off those berries nicely, a perfect complement from the opposite side of nature’s color wheel.