Despite the gorgeous weather in New York City last Friday, I was mildly melancholy until these few things caught my eye, turning my blue skies a bit less blue.
The first spring blooms spotted! Hyacinths of the season in our building’s garden.
So full of hope!
How do they know it’s time? We had warmer days a few weeks ago…
Royal haircut on the platform of the Parkchester subway station,
just three days fresh.
The old street-mime-will-move-for-money character posing in Union Square. I never stop for the living statues. But Friday I did. I watched the people watching him, who I dubbed, The Copper Mime. A woman reached behind him, giving his right back pocket a hearty squeeze. Then announced, “He’s a real man!” Her friend called out, “Wear a G-String next time.” The Copper Mime did not break his frieze. The young guys on the right were contorting their faces to get him to do something. Nothing. One guy did a frenetic walking on hot coals in barefeet dance. The Copper Mime shifted his stance and turned away from them, breaking his frieze. They were ecstatic, shouting “We won! We won!” They hadn’t paid him a cent.
Always happy to see the plant offerings from New Leaf at Union Square Farmer’s Market. Their Bronx greenhouse, in the Longwood nabe, is huge. They’re always very friendly, if not so specific about some of the plant species. Last summer, I went to the greenhouse for jasmine, but I think I brought home gardenia. New Leaf is part of a community initiative to offer former homeless substance abusers an opportunity to work in a non-traditional environment. Most of the flowers in front of our coop building were bought from them.
The Bronx Trivia Challenge at FromTheBronx cheered me up. I answered correctly to their question on Day 2! Every morning until Sunday April 5th, they’re posting a trivia question about the Bronx. Here’s the question that’s put me in the running for the prize: Which Bronx school has produced more Nobel Prize-winning scientists (7) than any other secondary education institution in the world? Think you know? Check the answer here.