The Case of the Unidentified Rooster

I have had items printed in the New York Times twice in my life. The first was back in the late 1980s. I was the Theatre Access Project (TAP) assistant at the Theatre Development Fund. TAP makes discount theatre tickets available to disabled people; they also sponsor sign interpreted performances of Broadway shows. In an effort to increase our mailing list, I sent out press releases. A chunk of one ran in the old Friday Theatre column.
A few weeks ago, my neighbor and I were complaining about the rooster that lives three buildings away. The rooster starts crowing around 5 or 5:30 AM, every day. We have see him, out in his yard (if I crane my neck out over the fire escape). He is a good-looking rooster, nice shiny red feathers. He would not be out of place on a piece of Italian ceramics. But I'm not in Umbria (I wish!), I'm in Brooklyn, and I enjoy my sleep. The upshot of the chat with my neighbor was that I'd write the Times' FYI column. Which I did, and my unattributed question ran last Sunday. My shrink even noticed it, without prompting. Even one of my more favorite blogs, Brownstoner (http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/06/28-week/) picked it up.
The FYI column did not run today; I'm wondering if last week was the end of it. The Times seems to be changing so quickly, it's hard to keep track. It did tell me that keeping the rooster is totally illegal. So I admit it- I'm the one who fingered the rooster.

Another Show

My very talented boyfriend, Tom Bovo, has work in yet another photography show. There is a closing reception for his latest group show on Friday evening, February 27th from 4:00 to 7:00. The Donnie 2009 International Contest & Exhibit is at the Museum of Computer Art, 139 Eleventh Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Tom has three pieces in it, including this one, and received an honorable mention for his work. Free wine and cheese!

My Dog

Technically he’s our dog, but I think of Augie as mine, as I’m sure my boyfriend does, too. It’s been a month since we picked him up from Animal Control in Brooklyn. We met Augie at an adoption event in the basement of St. Andrew’s Church in Bay Ridge. He stood out from the other dogs- he didn’t yap, he wasn’t freaked out. Augie was friendly, calm and remarkably self-possessed for a puppy. When being confronted with the reality of adopting a dog, after years of talking about it, we hemmed and hawed and hesitated. But finally decided we had to take him. I couldn’t understand how anyone could have given up such a wonderful puppy and dumped him at a kill shelter. The form we got from the city said he was given up because he was “too big” (he’s still not 30 pounds).

So in a month, we’ve learned things about Augie. I’ve had dogs before, but he has his own characteristics. He’s a little obsessed with paper products as a food group, particularly used Kleenex and paper towels. He likes naps, running and crawling under cars. He does tend to gnaw on things (he’s teething something awful), but is always open to the suggestion of chewing on a toy instead of the power cord for my Macbook. Augie likes vegetables, and seltzer (he likes sticking his nose in my glass). He is not perfectly trained (hates his crate, and has already destroyed one), but coming along pretty well for seven months old. Augie’s very sweet-natured, playful and smart.

It’s been a huge change in my day-to-day routine. I’ve met more neighbors since we got Augie than I have the year and a half I’ve lived in Gowanus. I haven’t yet been tempted to sleep in instead of walking him, which for me is a lot. I’m becoming more careful about what I leave in his reach: he ate a Pentel pen last week, and got blue ink on his muzzle and all over his tongue.

Considering what Augie’s fate could have been, he’s very lucky. But then again, so are we.

Free Wine and Cheese!

Reminder that tomorrow is the opening reception for my boyfriend Tom Bovo's group show at the Museum of Computer Art in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Click on the link above for directions and address. The reception is at the Museum from 4 to 6.

Dinos at Dusk

There they are- in all their bloody dastardy!

The Wild

I will not reveal its exact location, because I wouldn’t want anyone to be tempted to destroy this Brooklyn landmark. It involves plastic animals- from the jungle, the woods and prehistoric times- and blood. It is either brilliant social commentary, or the result of what happens when someone has too much time on their hands. Here are some shots I took in the daylight: tigers and dinosaurs.

Earlier Today

It was so dark this afternoon, I was sure we were going to get serious weather. The Kentile sign seemed like it was glowing. But it all blew over.
I know Gowanus Lounge could have gotten a better photo from the pool- I really miss it.

Voila

This is what I see out my livingroom window. Sums things up, some how.
I thoughtlessly didn't credit the photographer on my original posting of this photo. It's vaduzuvunt from the Gowanus Lounge Flickr Pool. Always happy to plug gowanuslounge.com

Gowanus- Not just Another Neighborhood

There’s an interesting exhibit in the basement at the Brooklyn Historical Society these days: “Gowanus- Transformations: Celebrating 150 Years of Manufacturing”. Sponsored by FROG (Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus), it’s not all the manufacturing that’s still in the neighborhood, but an interesting cross-section. The curators are Christine Mackellar and Margaret Maugenest, and the photographs of the manufacturers and their wares are by Enid Braun. There are luscious-looking treats from an Indian bakery that supplies many restaurants; the company that does the pyrotechnics for “Late Night with David Letterman”; and the only pasta extrusion die company in the western hemisphere (see photo by Enid Braun). That means the dies that cut the alphabets for alphabet soup are manufactured in Gowanus. Who knew?

The show runs until August 24th. There’s a free, guided walking tour of the manufacturing sites on Sat., June 21, 2-4 PM. It will start at Claireware (pottery maker), on Union Street near the corner of Nevins.

The Wild Parrots of Brooklyn

Some years ago my brother and his family were living in a house in Pasadena. My little niece was very taken with the wild parrots that lived in the neighborhood. You couldn’t always see them, but you could certainly hear them. Later I read about the wild parrots of San Francisco, so I assumed parrots were a California thing.

A few summers ago, long before I had a clue I’d be transplanted to Gowanus, my boyfriend and I were walking to our favorite diner near his house in Bay Ridge. As we’re walking along a sidewalk that borders Leif Erikson Park, I looked down at the grass. And there, six feet from me, was a youthful-sized green parrot.

The parrots have been in Brooklyn since the early 1970s. The species (monk parrots, also called Quaker parrots) is originally from Argentina. No one seems to really know how they got here, though some say they escaped from a cargo at JFK. Their original home was at the Brooklyn College athletic field. They made their nests up in the light towers. Near Leif Erikson is a baseball field called the Dust Bowl, and we’ve watched the parrots building their nests in the light towers there.

The parrots’ third Brooklyn home is closer Gowanus, and that’s in the Gates of Eternity leading into Green-Wood Cemetery. They just love those Gothic spires, and they are quite squawky in their greetings to visitors.

There are many photographs of the parrots in Brooklyn and New Jersey at www.brooklynparrots.com. My personal favorites are the ones of them eating pizza; they also seem to enjoy bagels. There’s also a Brooklyn parrot video: http://www.loftinpro.com/animalplanet.htm. And a slide show of photos to watch while you listen to “The Ballad of the Brooklyn Parrots.”