Friday, January 17, 2025

The Pat Dolan Trail is closed

The Pat Dolan Trail is closed until further notice due to maintenance and repair needs. (source)



It's a bummer because I had to walk along the road with lots of cars. But it afforded me a view I don't usually have of my beloved lake/pond, and the connecting stream to Flushing bay. 



I walked to Forest Hills, and saw the high school where Simon and Garfunkel went, and my stepfather. I didn't look for a trail to connect with the lake because the walk was longer than I wanted it to be already. 




I stopped at the donut shop, now called Jerusalem Fresh Bagels and got an apple fritter and coffee. They have non-bovine source milks for your coffee. I forgot to ask until after the milk was already in the coffee, I just assumed they wouldn't. It's a Bukharian hangout, everyone shook the hands of one guy sitting there when they came in. I like tight ethnic communities, I think they're wonderful. I saw I'd walked over 5k, so the walk would end up being 11,666. About 4 miles. 

My destination was the one place I know that sells coffee beans at reasonable prices. My grocery store probably charges twice the price for whole beans. I've been thinking maybe less coffee would be good, but I do love freshly ground coffee. 

I haven't been down to the lake because it's been closed off, I'm getting older and it's a colder winter than past winters. I suppose if they're going to close it off they can do it during the winter when there's less use. I haven't wanted to wildcat it across the highway like I imagine the hobos and delinquents do. I do feel an antisocial anger towards authority, and the desire to go into the one space that has lots of trees and birds. 

Friday, November 15, 2024

Mall to home

I need to walk more, and I succeeded in getting 14.5k steps. I'm down about a thousand steps from last year.

I walked along Queens Boulevard, looking at the places I used to go when I lived in Rego Park and the new buildings. In Forest Hills, I took the route through Willow Lake. I'm usually on the other side, so this is a fun photo for me. 


I ran into 4 people from the Flushing Bay Conservancy group Guardians of Flushing Bay. They were testing the water. This is the source in Willow Creek, not sure where it starts, but there were minnows in the water. 

Felt a bit tired so only did a 5 minute lake meditation. It's gotten colder, and for some reason the cold is getting to me this year, I'm getting older. 

It's a beaver supermoon tonight, it coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit, known as perigee. As a result, the moon will appear larger and up to 30% brighter than usual, creating a captivating visual spectacle.

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Columnar sweetgum

Asked on plant identification of trees Reddit.

My phone said it was a pear tree, but the wise people of Reddit said it was Columnar Sweetgum, which Google redirects to this post. 



Thursday, October 31, 2024

House Sparrow and Fish Crows


I was meditating, but I heard a weird bird I'd never heard before, so I downloaded BirdNET. It didn't pick up the bird I was hearing, but it did identify House Sparrow: "It is extensively, and usually unsuccessfully, persecuted as an agricultural pest. It has also often been kept as a pet, as well as being a food item and a symbol of lust, sexual potency, commonness, and vulgarity."

Reading a comparison query on Reddit, and it turns out BirdNet and Merlin Bird ID were both developed at Cornell. 

I've seen crows and pigeons, even saw a hawk flying around with another bird in its talons while it waited for the bird to quit trying to get away. 

Just googled whether a grackle was a crow, and it's not and both are found in NYC. 

I hear the chirp chirp chirp of house sparrows, and the caw caw caw of Fish Crows, according to Merlin Bird ID.



Saturday, September 28, 2024

Penelope

I don't want to give it away, just watch the show on Netflix.