Another Wild Day in the City & Injured snow goose update

On Wednesday I went to Greenwood Cemetery to check up on the injured Snow Goose. He seems to be doing OK. Much more relaxed than a week ago. He actually couldnt have found a better place to come down injured. The New York City Audubon is on alert and has sent a urban park ranger to go see him. We are hoping for a rescue and a rehabilitation. At this time though, he is unable to be caught without possibly injuring him further. So Im watching his health along with several other people. If we see him starting to decline, Ill put the word out to the proper people and they will report it to the Ranger.

In future posts I will talk about Greenwood and its amazing history. Briefly, it was the park for New York City, prior to Central Park. If you havent been there, its a beautiful place.

I got an email from a lady that frequents Greenwood and she told me about the Mascot Goose, "Mother Goose" thats what I call her, that been at Greenwood for years. She is a domestic Pilgrim goose and at times, she is the only goose on the pond. Right now we have about 100 canada geese and 50-60 mallards along with the occasional shoveler and widgeon. She loves when the wild geese come, she has company. I was told that they are trying to get Mother Goose a nice home on a farm. She cannot tolerate bad winters. She depends on the grass to eat and when it freezes over and the pond freezes over, she literally can starve. Also, 2 winters ago, she had a case of frostbite on her webbed foot which made it difficult for her to walk. Poor thing! I got very upset to hear this. Because she is a domestic goose and cant fly, she is basically at the mercy of the pond she is on. Im determined now to bring her cracked corn when the weather gets bad. Im very fond of this goose along with many others that come to the cemetery.

The aforementioned lady was hoping we could have a double rescue of the snow goose and the pilgrim goose. I would hate to see Mother Goose leave, but after knowing what I know now about her fragility, I would want her to be relocated to the farm that has a nice barn with food and shelter for her.

The city today is a zoo! a real nuthouse. All the mobile recording & video trucks are running their wires, preparing the stages and getting the barracades up. The mad dash is on now for the Gala New Years Eve Celebration in Times Sqaure. I really believe there are more people here than Ive ever seen before. I felt left out by not pointing and shooting a camera at anything! Today they moved in a massive herd. You dont even need to walk, the crowd will move you. They are hawking hats, air horns, 2006 glasses, etc. I got a pair of red, white & blue 2006 glasses. The Naked Cowboy was flexing and posing today. How does that guy make money. I guess they throw some bills down his bvd's. I guess he is waiting to be discovered on Broadway. He is like a landmark now on 45 St. I guess he took advantage of the 40 degree weather to stand outside and pose in just his briefs and fake play his guitar. I guess he couldnt pass up the hordes of people. Nothing like a big audience.

Tomorrow night will be fun, Im singing at the Hudson River Yatch Club. I have alot of laughs with my band. We used to be 8 pieces, but have gone totally high tech and there are just 3 of us now. We have a huge sound and great vocals. www.generationgap.cc
Check out the band website. My website is: www.margeraymond.com


We are so good we never have to rehearse. Im not kidding. I rehearse over the phone. Tony, the bandleader sends me the midi file and I rehearse just listening to it. Then we just come in and play it. My rehearsing over the phone is to establish the key I sing it in. We are booked alot..Im grateful.

Now I have to join the herd and fight my way through the tourists to the subway and make it back to Brooklyn. Fahgetaboudit!

New York City is Packed today!

My working days at the NY Times are Tues, Thurs & Fri. I work right in the middle of Times Square. While walking down 42 St I watched the live advertisement of Dancing with the Stars. They have a couple dancing at street level behind the glass right in the middle of Times Sq.

I love New York City. Im happy to be a native New Yorker. There is always something new and exciting here. This city has served me well with my singing career.

When I went out for lunch today, I couldnt believe the amount of people that are here, obviously for the new year celebration. They have the 2006 atop the building in Longacre sq. already in place. They were setting up for Dick Clark's rocking new years eve. Lines for the hard rock cafe and ESPN around the block. I didnt see the naked cowboy though..must be too cold.

In New York City we always walk in herds, but today was a massive herd. Shoulder to shoulder, body to body. Yikes! no wonder I never come to Times Square for New Years Eve. Then again, I couldnt go if I wanted, Im always singing with my band on New Years Eve. I get enough of the crowds year round. So the tourists are here in record numbers. After last weeks fiasco of a transit strike, the city needs the bucks. I had to take vacation from next year to cover my losses. I couldnt get into work, needless to say. My company had a bus, but it was up in Bklyn Hgts, way to far to walk.

I did an insane thing. I went into Toy R Us in Times Sq to inquire about an exchange. Was I out of my mind? All I could do was ask myself that question..Why am I here, am I outta my mind. The place was packed to capacity? Oye, never again!

My day off tomorrow. Im hoping to go to Greenwood Cemetery to check up on the injured snow goose and do some birding.

Possum In Bensonhurst

I like to sit at my 5th floor window and look at birds, squirrles and anything I can spot with my binoculars. There has been alot of tearing down and rebuiling in my neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Today while looking into the empty lot across the street, I saw a possum. How odd! I know they can exist in prospect park and Greenwood Cemetery and Jamaica Bay Wildlife refuge. Where can there habitat be on densely populated Bay Pkwy? We have 3, count em, 3 trees and one down the block. I know they are noctural and somehow must have gotten disturbed and ran around the empty lot. All I can say is wow. Thats a first for me. Im sure my neighbors would take him for a rat, long hairless tail and fat. I felt sad for him. He must have had a nice roost somewhere, but what with all the tearing down in my area, he must have be displaced.

I was going to go down to the end of Bay Pkwy by ceasers bay to look at the gulls and perhaps find some nice water fowl in the bay, but the hordes of shoppers exchanging and buying made it like a madhouse. I couldnt find a spot! Off to pathmark and back to my window to look for the elusive possum. Will I ever see him again? Can possum survive in such sparse habitat? Or, did someone bring home a baby from upstate and let it go in the neighborhood. I wonder.