Finally a Heron

For the past several weeks, I've been wondering when the herons would return to the small pond in the park I run through most mornings. Today, one beautiful great blue was on the edge of the water. I slowed down so I wouldn't disturb it. We eyed each other, and then I continued on my way.

Later, a friend and I packed our bikes to ride a section of the D and R Canal Towpath. We started in New Brunswick at Johnson Park near Rutgers University.

After walking the bikes across a slightly flooded spillway, we set out along the path, hoping for a smooth ride and some local wildlife. Unfortunately, due to recent flooding, this section of the path was filled with loose gravel, which made the ride bumpy and slow.

There were turtles and birds. And at the end of the 20 miles (round trip) there was a great blue heron on the edge of a large puddle right there in Johnson Park. I'm sure it was not the same bird, but definitely a relative.

Apparently a better part of the trail is the section that starts off Alexander Avenue in Princeton (near the kayak rentals) and heads toward Frenchtown/Trenton. Next time...

Peaches

Today I ate my first peach of the season which I purchased on Saturday at the foodie mecca, Dean and DeLuca (Madison and 85th). It wasn't that "drip down your chin" kind of peach, but almost, with just enough juice and fragrance to bring thoughts of days at the beach, backyard barbeques, and peach pie. I was ostensibly in the city to go to the exhibit at the Whitney, but after an hour, my friend and I left the museum to browse Madison Avenue. Of course, it wasn't long before I was buying bread, fruit and pastries to bring home!

The peach reminded me, too, of a favorite poem, "From Blossoms", by Li-Young Lee. It was the first poem of his that I ever read, and for years (until my wallet was stolen on a crowded subway in Brussels) I carried a verse with me.

"O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach."

Here's the link for the entire poem. To hear Lee read the poem, is joy itself.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171754

The Poetry of Flowers

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886): gardener, poet, correspondent, recluse, "Belle of Amherst".

Sometime before June 13, 2010, I plan to see the exhibit "Emily Dickinson's Garden" at the New York Botanical Garden. The exhibit has two components: inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and a "poetry walk" on the grounds surrounding the conservatory. Inside the conservatory you'll see typical garden flowers such as foxglove, delphinium, hollyhocks (could they be seven feet tall?), roses, daisies, hydrangea and more. (I use the word "typical" with more than a hint of envy since the flowers on display look nothing like the flowers I try to grow! Seriously, the foxglove must be four feet tall, ditto on the delphinium. If I only had a gardening crew...) Additionally there is a facade of the Homestead (her home) joined by a short path through a garden to the facade of her brother's home. Apparently she spent a great deal of time going back and forth. Outside the conservatory, there are shade gardens, herbs, and the most spectacular row of peonies. Nested in between all of these flowers and plants are placards with poems by Dickinson. Some are small so they fit in with low growing flowers, while the ones outside are like the oversized cards in Alice in Wonderland. I took the time to read most of the poems, though my companions were not that interested. Either way, it's all lovely.

After all that walking and Victorian culture, we drove the short distance to Arthur Avenue for a totally different cultural experience: Little Italy of the Bronx. Since we were there Sunday around 5pm, many of the shops were closed. However, several bakeries were open, including my friend's favorite- Madonia Brothers Bakery (2348 Arthur Avenue/ 718-295-5573). There I bought a puffy loaf of onion bread, ciabatta, and a variety of biscotti. When we walked out of the bakery, we must have had the look of "Where should we go for dinner?" since a couple crossing the street asked us if we would like a dinner recommendation. They raved about Enzo's, a local favorite across the street from where we stood. So, that's where we went.


http://www.nybg.org/