Sunday, April 27, 2008

Back Yard


So I’m trying something new. I’m sitting downstairs in my back yard on Saturday afternoon, writing this entry as some little kids play loudly in the back yard of the townhouse next door.

Our little redbud tree (which I neglected to mention yesterday) is blooming pink overhead. There’s a strange bush in the corner of the yard with some really beautiful pink flowers -- I’ll post a photo of it above so someone can tell me what the heck it is. There’s another bush (below) with dark, glossy leaves and little spikes of white flowers. (How can I not know what’s growing in my own backyard?)


It’s so great to write outside! Why haven’t I ever done this before? I usually leave my laptop plugged into the wall and never take it anywhere.

I was going to write today about writing -- why I do it, why I started and can’t stop, that sort of thing. But I’m so into my surroundings that I think I’ll save the whys for another day.

We have a little bench in our back yard that the building co-op purchased a few years ago. Every winter the super breaks it down and brings it inside for storage, and every spring he puts it outside again. We also have a nice outdoor table that belongs to the super, with an umbrella and everything. That’s where I am now.


And I wish you could hear all the noises. In addition to the kids, who seem to be in an above-ground pool shaded with a tarp (which seems so weird to me, in Manhattan), I hear a soft background rush of passing cars on Third Avenue -- more like white noise than anything. A distant car horn. A piece of power equipment (a saw?) in a building nearby. An occasional bird. Layers and layers of sounds. And yet, it’s not noisy. It seems very peaceful!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

the first flower is a dicentra aka bleeding heart (in French it's called "coeur de Marie"); the second one, I don't know by name - we've never been introduced :-)
a lovely piece of here-and-now writing Steve. The sights sounds and emotions associated to a space. I enjoyed your backyard very much.
best on this day

P.S; word verification is getting harder all the time with varying widths in the script - am I the only one having problems with that, I wonder?

Anonymous said...

Lee: Yes! That's it! Dicentra! Thanks. :)

Anonymous said...

Ah Steve, you missed my post where I showed off my white dicentra (Dutchman's Breeches, aka Lady in the Bath --turn a flower upsidedown to see the lady in the old fashioned bath) and my dark pink Bleeding Hearts Dicentra.

Yours is gorgeous -- Love your space and thoughts.
The second one looks familiar, nice...but I am at a loss. Maybe Merle will know.

word verificaction has been arduous this weekend. !

ched

Anonymous said...

You have a lovely oasis in the heart of the city.

Anonymous said...

Dennis thinks the leaves on the second plant look chewy. regarding Andie MacDowell--she is also good in the movie with John Turturo (sp?) where she is dying, (but it is a good movie) and also Multiplicity is just so goofy--she's good with the clones. dennis thinks she's pretty too.

Anonymous said...

what a sweet little space you have to retreat to in the middle of the city!

it's very nice that you can post and blog outside...I'm always quite behind with technology and still hardwired with a pc. but can't complain - I could be computerless and not just wireless-less!

my bleeding hearts are just beginning to show color. I always try to liken city noise to the ocean.....

Anonymous said...

You fully described why I love living in an urban environment! Your backyard is pretty cute by the way - kind of unexpected, really - which is always fun. I spent my Sunday afternoon writing. I'm finishing a chapter on "Unfolding Identity" for a mentor's upcoming book. So far I think it's really quite good...

Anonymous said...

It's beautiful! How wonderful to have green space like this in the middle of the city.

I look forward to reading about why you write, and in the meantime, how nice to join you in your garden. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Dennis could use the computer outside, except it's rainy right now and he's not allowed out anymore.

Anonymous said...

Another here with bleeding hearts in her garden. Mine are white, pale pink and deep pink. Just coming into bloom here in London.
Love your garden, Steve.