Christmas 2016, for the Record

Your Chronicler had a very difficult time celebrating Christmas 2016, but she trudged through the holidays and produced daily Christmas in New York videos on Facebook, combined them into seven Christmas in New York 2016 videos on YouTube (you can see them on the Gallery page here), put up Hillary, the Hovel Tree, and added additional Sagas to the PM Saga Archive.

Hillary, the Hovel Tree, Christmas 2016

Christmas in New York 2016

I posted daily videos on Facebook showing Christmas in New York, then combined them for seven videos on YouTube. I've put them all in a page on this site, so you can binge watch if you want. Below you will see the final posting, my video ode to Hillary, the Hovel Tree. I used a recording of Silent Night I made several years ago with Woody Regan in this, so be prepared!

Here are some of the photos from the Hovel at Christmas. First you see the editorial assistant who came home with Hillary from the lot on 79th Street and Broadway. You then see Hillary with her lights of many colors, with ornaments, and fully bedecked with ornaments, bead garlands and tinsel. Some new ornaments are included, and some older ones, plus the house shoes that Santa brought the Chronicler (she also got a new shower curtain — your Chronicler believes in warmth and cleanliness!).

The Christmas 2016 page has photos from all seven videos, including the Central Park video, which, as always, was near and dear to your Chronicler.

Sagas Added to the Archives

Four more Sagas were added to the PM Sagas Archives. Most Sagas have now been posted, and the rest will appear soon. I have tried to gain perspective and inspiration during these trying times by reading about the exploits of Purple Monster again. She really fights for Christmas and the Christmas Spirit!

The Good SEGWACian, The PM Saga, Book VIII

The Christmas crew receives help from an unexpected source, and PM gobbles chocolate and champagne in preparation for a Christmas Day mating ritual.

Summit At the North Pole, The PM Saga, Book XI

Viper Carrion and St. Nick confer at the North Pole, and the SEGWACian despot is presented with a magical silver ornament. (A factoid: the cover glows in the dark.)

The Sublime State of Christmasness, The PM Saga, Book XIV

During teletransportation, PM evaporates into a higher level of Christmas consciousness.

The Magic Garden of the Christmas Star, The PM Saga, Book XV

The North Pole is bankrupt, and only the Christmas Star and magic flowers can save Santa's ride. Crystal Camellia is born to Relicta and Dove.

Let It Snow!

Many who have discovered over the years that old age, ice and fractures tend to be correlated might look out the window on a snowy day and decide to stay in to prevent injury. Then there are those, like me, who look out the window, pull on the snow boots, grab a walker and a camera, and trudge outside to record the white stuff. My logic? One can either use a verticality-assistance device and look like an old lady or be an old lady and stay home.

This young red-tailed hawk was probably seeing his first heavy snowfall, Jan. 7, 2017

So when the snow was falling on Saturday, Jan. 7, I first pulled beautiful Hillary, the Christmas tree, out on the sidewalk, then took off with walker and gloves for Central Park. The result? A new video, Snow Day!

You won't see footage of the chickadees, sparrows, tufted titmice and nuthatches I was feeding in the Ramble. Whenever I'd try to lift my camera up, a bird would perch on the lens as if to say, "What the heck are you doing? That hand should be filled with seeds!" So I went with the feed-the-birds alternative to chickadee photography.

Below are some of the photos from the afternoon in Central Park. Heading home in the snow, the New York skyline was beautiful in the haze. There are no photos of Woody and the green-winged teal, but you will see them in the video!

Chasing Hawks on Christmas Day

We had a gorgeous Christmas Day, a perfect time to walk in Central Park and find red-tailed hawks. We were so happy to chase one first-year youngster around the Ramble, and then thrilled to see Octavia north of the Met Museum and Pale Male just south of the Reservoir. 

Pale Male, Christmas Day, 2016

The Chasing the Hawks in Central Park video I titled I Saw Three Hawks Come Sailing In on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day. It is always fun to photograph Pale Male.

I love photographing hawks on sunny days. These photos of the youngster made me happy.

The first photo below is of Octavia, high in a tree north of the Met Museum. The rest are of Pale Male, first south of the Reservoir, then on top of the Met Museum, then just east of the obelisk.