The Wonders Of Central Park

The journeys of a native New Yorker throughout Central Park...

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I love quoting lyrics on my blog:)  But I also enjoy instrumentals.  “Cast Your Fate To The Wind,” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, is a favorite of mine.  They also gave us the classic “Linus And Lucy.” A couple of years ago, “Wind Sculpture” (by Yinka Shonibare) stood at the entrance to Central Park.  I recall that this picture was taken during a nor’easter!  The title “Cast Your Fate To The Wind” brings to mind this quote from a James Patterson novel: “It’s time to let go, to stop fighting the current. And see where it takes us…” (“Sail”) (Photo taken on March 7, 2018)

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"Which came first: the Chicken or the Egg?  The Egg - laid by a bird that was not a Chicken." (Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist)  A couple of years ago, I pondered that question at Central Park's Bethesda Terrace.  I have been watching “Osprey Cam Oyster Bay” on You Tube.  It provides a close-up view of a bird’s nest, 24 hours a day.  I am happy to report that three of the eggs have hatched.  The Osprey Cam reminds me of “The Truman Show,” starring Jim Carrey. The movie’s theme is “On The Air, Unaware.”  I am reminded of when the Voyager spacecraft was leaving our solar system.  Someone said: "It would be funny if the Voyager would hit a wall, like in The Truman Show!”  Sometimes a sense of humor is helpful when contemplating the mysteries of the Universe:)   (Photo taken on February 25, 2018)

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“Living is easy with eyes closed/Misunderstanding all you see…” (“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles)  That type of person also tends to be loud.  This area of Central Park inspires reflection.  Those lyrics deserve consideration for being the most insightful observation in a popular song!  When the Beatles first arrived in the United States, some people complained about the length of their hair.  The critics should have waited a few years until the group actually had long hair. Staying in the 1960’s, my message will now go from the sublime to the ridiculous.  But a good-natured kind of absurd:)  One of the most joyful music videos I have ever seen is the Cowsills rendition of "Hair,” from the "Wonderful World of Pizzazz" TV special.  Each of the group members appears to have extremely long hair.  Of course, the song has become relevant again!  "Long as I can grow it/My hair..."  (Photo taken on April 15, 2016)

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"I know a place where we can go/Still untouched by men..." ("The End Of The Innocence,” a powerful song by Don Henley)  Perhaps this blue jay will tell other birds about Central Park’s Hallett Nature Sanctuary:) On a related note, I have been watching “Osprey Cam Oyster Bay” on You Tube. It provides a close-up view of a bird’s nest, 24 hours a day.  I wonder when the eggs are going to hatch!     (Photo taken on February 4, 2020)

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“And if the wind is right you can find the joy/Of innocence again…” (“Sailing” by Christopher Cross)  Those are musicians sailing on Central Park’s Harlem Meer:) The song “Sailing” is really about the feeling of inspiration.  I hope that Christopher Cross recovers completely from his illness.  He has been affected by COVID-19 and the serious complications which followed.  He has written about it on his Facebook page to educate others.  Getting back to music, Christopher does a fine rendition of a classic song about healing: “Blackbird singing in the dead of night/Take these broken wings and learn to fly…” (“Blackbird” by The Beatles)  I pray for all who are suffering from this worldwide pandemic.  (Photo taken on May 15, 2015)

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“You came and you gave without taking/But I sent you away...” (”Mandy” by Barry Manilow)  Good people are not always appreciated.  But the beautiful Mandarin duck, in Central Park, was welcomed by one and all!  Getting back to the lyrics, it has been said that “baseball is the only place where a sacrifice is really appreciated.”  After laying down a sacrifice bunt, a player is always congratulated by his teammates.  Just as if he had hit a home run:)  (Photo taken on March 2, 2019)

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“I met a young girl/She gave me a rainbow…” (“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”)  For those who appreciate epic Bob Dylan songs, the iconic singer-songwriter recently released “Murder Most Foul.”  All 16 minutes and 57 seconds of it:)  After a rainfall, this small (yet hopeful) rainbow appeared above the Central Park Reservoir.  I will conclude this post with lyrics from a classic song that was not written by Dylan: “As long as I know how to love/I know I’m still alive…” (“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor)  (Photo taken on January 10, 2016)

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“Someday we shall return/To this place upon the meadow/We’ll walk out in the rain/Hear the birds above singing once again...” (”A Lover’s Concerto” by the Toys)  A photo offers a “return ticket” to a pleasant experience.  Central Park was quiet on the day of this picture.  But it was only because of the rainy weather.  “I’m the one who could feel the sun/Right in the pouring rain...” (”Midnight Blue” by Lou Gramm)  (Photo taken on October 24, 2017)

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“It’s run for the roses/As fast as you can...” (”Run For The Roses”)  Jean-Marie Appriou’s relaxing horses, at the entrance to Central Park, are not likely to win the Kentucky Derby:)  According to Dan Fogelberg, the song “deals with the odds that we all have to face in life.”  This brings to mind another song of his: “There’s a light in the depths/Of your darkness/Let it shine...” (”There’s A Place In The World For A Gambler”)  On You Tube, I noticed a particularly insightful comment about the video: “This song live was as close to holy as it gets.  By the end of the song, we were all singing and crying and hugging strangers.”  Obviously, this example of “musical medicine” occurred before this time of social distancing!  (Photo taken on January 17, 2020)

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“Winter, spring, summer, or fall/All you have to do is call/And I’ll be there...” (”You’ve Got A Friend”)  “I feel the earth move/Under my feet...” (”I Feel The Earth Move”)  After losing my balance, I was the one who was moving!  Thankfully, I did not fall.  Central Park is exceptionally beautiful (but potentially slippery) under a blanket of snow.  I feel inspired to mention a few more Carole King songs.  So I will continue on that path:)  “Something inside has died/And I can’t hide/And I just can’t fake it...” (”It’s Too Late”)  “Wondering, wondering, if you have made it...” (”Sweet Seasons,” my personal favorite) “You’ve got to get up every morning/With a smile on your face/And show the world all the love in your heart...” (”Beautiful”)  (Photo taken on January 18, 2020)

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“I’m so tired of getting nowhere/And seeing my prayers going unanswered...” (”I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City” by Harry Nilsson)  Faith can be challenged during stressful times.  However, if we continue to follow our conscience, we may realize that we have received even more than we asked for. Paradoxically, “it is in giving that we receive...” (Prayer of St. Francis)  A cute story also comes to mind.  A child wrote an honest letter to God.  She said: “Thank You for the baby brother.  But what I asked for was a puppy.”  My picture of Central Park’s “Angel of the Waters” was taken during a snowstorm.  Yes, it did snow during this past winter:)   (Photo taken on January 18, 2020)

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As I was taking this picture, I overheard a comment from someone standing nearby.  She said that, if she had all the money in the world, she would have her wedding in Central Park’s Conservatory Garden.  Of course, a song comes to mind: “And even though we ain’t got money/I’m so in love with you honey...” (”Danny’s Song” by Loggins and Messina)  (Photo taken on January 1, 2020)

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“Let Your Love Flow,” by the Bellamy Brothers, is one of the catchiest songs from the 1970s!  So it is possible to sing along without fully grasping the meaning of the lyrics: “Let your love fly/Like a bird on the wing/And let your love bind you/To all living things...”  This Central Park cardinal also reminds me of another song from my music collection.  However, that song is about freedom and a bird of another color:)  “White bird must fly/Or she will die...” (”White Bird,” a 1960′s song by a group with the unusual name of “It’s A Beautiful Day”)  (Photo taken on February 4, 2020)

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“For we watched as on the skyway/The herons circled slowly/While we mere mortals watched them fly...” (”Michelle’s Song,” a lesser-known gem by Elton John)  The Hallett Nature Sanctuary, in Central Park, is excellent for birdwatching.  I especially noticed blackbirds on this particular day.  The path brings to mind lyrics from a wise “journey of life” song by another singer named John:)  “On the road of experience, join in the living day/If there’s an answer, it’s just that it’s just that way...” (”Looking For Space” by John Denver)  (Photo taken on February 24, 2020)

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“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false and to incur my own abhorrence.” (Frederick Douglass)  This statue of the abolitionist and orator is on 110th Street and Central Park West.  Frederick Douglass was standing tall the day after a fierce blizzard had swept through the city.  “The soul that is within me no man can degrade.”  (Photo taken on January 24, 2016)

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This simple story is a reminder that a situation may not be quite as bad as it first appears to be: With tears in her eyes, the little girl told her kindergarten teacher that the only coat left on the coat rack wasn’t hers.  The teacher searched the rack and the classroom but couldn’t find the other coat: “Are you sure this coat isn’t yours?” she asked.  “I’m sure,” the little girl sobbed.  “My coat had snow on it.”  This photo, of Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, brings to mind a famous nursery rhyme: “Mary had a little lamb/Its fleece was white as snow...”  (Photo taken on February 10, 2017)

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Why did the robin cross the road?  Because he (mistakenly) believed it was spring:)  I enjoyed the spring-like weather in Central Park’s Hallett Nature Sanctuary.  But this is the month of February.  So wintry weather will likely be returning to New York City: “The north wind doth blow/And we shall have snow/And what will the robin do then, poor thing...” (Mother Goose)  (Photo taken on February 4, 2020)