WE'VE MOVED TO WWW.ANNIEQUICK.COM/BLOG

I got a new place at www.anniequick.com/blog. It's the same blog with a new address. Kind of like I'm a Mr. Softee truck and I just rolled down the street.

Speaking of which, wouldn't it be cool to be a Mr. Softee driver for just a few hours? You could drive around and operate the soft ice cream machine, and you could give excited children sugary treats and then drive away! And best of all, you could quit just before you had to blow your brains out because of too much Turkey in the Straw.

Please come see me at my new location.

Here: www.anniequick.com/blog

HOME DEPOT=PARADISE

I've lived most my life (with the exception of the first few years) in non-suburban settings. First, redwood forest, then NYC. Because of this I have mostly been left out of superstore shopping of any kind. So, I was overjoyed to walk around Home Depot in Mission Viejo (where I'm staying for a few days) to do some research for my impending installation build. THEY HAVE EVERYTHING! YOU CAN BUY IT ALL AND PUT IT IN YOUR CAR AND DRIVE IT HOME! Brilliant.

Do all people feel the same surge of joy that I do when they walk into the Depot? I hope so. It's a lovely rush.

I know some will say that hey, you have a Depot in Manhattan. Yeah, it's just not the same thing. It's small, understocked, and the Depot People won't tell you where anything is.

THE INSTALLATION: WHERE WE STAND

I am going to begin work early next week on building the bulk of my installation. I have recruited my dad to help: he's engineering the structures of the trees and buildings. We are going to convert my sister's 1st grade classroom in Phoenix into a Central Park workshop. I'm excited to use tools for a few weeks. I love to build.

The one piece I've been working on (at home) is stuffed into a box and put into the care of the USPO for a few days:




The whole thing fit rather nicely into a Fresh Direct box, minus cupcakes and ladder, of course.

Next thing we work on is the Tea Tree. Oh joy--the tree will make you tea! I can't wait to see it.


I'm also looking forward to the indoor Great Lawn. I've always wanted to roll sod out on a floor. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

THE MOVIE

My friend and webmaster Ray pointed out to me that there's not a hell of a lot of explanation about this movie I'm up to my eyeballs in editing right now. It's on the site, but there's nothing about it, see?

OK. Here goes:

This is a movie about magical people who live in Central Park. These people keep nature from taking over--they kind of allow for NYC to exist. There used to be a lot of them, but now there are just a handful. They operate below the radar, but are well known (unofficially) to the Parks Department.

Our movie is from the perspective of one 16 year old member of their ranks, Verna:


Verna is pretty much a normal 16 year old, except that she has very little contact with the world outside of Central Park, except for those regulars whom she's befriended. She is in love with this gardener (actually a summer landscaping intern), Mike:

Verna is forbidden by the Grandmother to have liaisons with people who are not Park People. Mike does not qualify because he doesn't live in the park.

Here is the Grandmother:

She's a tough one. In fact, she's one of the reasons that there are so few of the Park People left--she regularly kicks people out for not following rules. One such person was Verna's aunt who left well before Verna was born. Unknown to Verna is the fact that this aunt had a daughter who is drawn to the park, but knows nothing about her inheritance. She and Verna strike up an acquaintance.

This is Ruth:


There are a few other characters who come in and out. I'll tell you about them at another time...

WEEKLY BLOOM: I STAND CORRECTED

It's pretty lame of me to think that nothing is blooming in Arizona right now. Of course the desert plants are all going to flower at some point--why not now? Here's proof, courtesy of Mark and Chanelle.

Chanelle pointed me to her flikr site which has plenty of pix of blooming AZ. Great pix on this site.

photo by iamchanelle

This is a Palo Verde. I have seen them, but never in bloom. This is a very cool tree that looks like it was designed by Dr. Seuss--something I appreciate very much.

And Mark kindly set me straight with a few photos...
The Saguaro, of course, has beeyootiful flowers.

Ironwood flowers. (Olneya Testosa).

And Arizona Thistles (Cirsium arizonicum) which Mark says is the hip hangout for hummingbirds these days.

WEEKLY BLOOM: PART DEUX

I realize I already had a weekly bloom this week, but I'm going to Arizona on Tuesday (for almost a month), and I don't know if there's anything blooming there at this time of year. If I were a flowering plant I wouldn't want to bloom when it's 100 degrees or more every day. Just sayin'.

Here's what's in bloom:

COLUMBINE (Aquielegia)


COREOPSIS (Coreopsis lancelota, also called TICKWEED)


WOODLAND STRAWBERRY (Fragaria vesca)

Did you know that strawberries of any sort (as well as blackberries and raspberries) are very closely related to the rose? Also tree fruits like peaches, plums, almonds, cherries and apricots, though they're a little farther away in the family tree. Next time you see a fruit tree, look at how much the blossoms resemble small, opened roses.

Being a plant geek, I'm very exited about this thing I just found--It's a Bloom Clock. People write in to say what they see blooming. I want to participate, but I can't find one for this year, sadly.

NATURE IS SCARY

BUMMER

A couple nights ago we had a mini hurricane. When I went out yesterday I saw this unfortunate vehicle on 110th Street.

Here's another nature story: I have watched these two grow up from tiny goslings (not to be confused with my sometime drummer Jake Geesling).


I was able to get up real close to them for a couple minute photo shoot. But sure enough, mom and dad came waddling over eventually. They don't want their offspring getting big heads. I understand.