Today, I had the amazing opportunity to see my favorite place in the world from a different point of view--and I loved it! I joined up with the Long Island City Community Boathouse to paddle a kayak from the famous Pepsi sign

across the east side of the East River, and all along Roosevelt Island, past the ruins of the old smallpox hospital

underneath the 59th Street bridge
all the way to the top end of Roosevelt Island near the beautiful lighthouse...

Thank you, Steve and Ted and Bob and Detrick and Katie and Dave and all the other volunteers for a day I'll remember forever.

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It's almost two years since Glenn Wright lost his life in a case of mistaken identity, and in his memory his closest friends have created an art gallery and collective in Hunts Point. It's a place for young artists to show their work and share their artistry with each other and the public. The wall above displays a terrific piece of Wheat Pasting, a technique in which a large photographic print is applied to a textured surface and glued in place. It's then covered with a clear-drying paste that seals it for a time. Alas, the rain we've had lately has faded much of this picture of Glenn, but the memory endures.

Congratulations to Alberto, Carlos, Ryan, Brian, Misra, Alejandra, Danielle, Richard, and many other friends and supporters!

Here, a visiting artist adds to the wall art and graffiti at the House of Spoof!

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I have a thing about donating blood...it makes me feel very powerful, like a secret Superman who works anonymously to save the lives of strangers! I've been donating blood since I turned 18, and since 1980 in addition to donating whole blood, I've been giving platelets--tiny disc-shaped bits in the blood that are necessary for clotting.

Who needs platelets? Mostly, it's cancer patients whose disease or medication has lowered their own production of platelets.

What happens if you don't have enough? You start bleeding easily--from the nose, from your mouth, even internally. But platelets are team players--and they work together to stop the bleeding whenever it starts.

You can only give whole blood once every two months, because that's how long it takes for the red cells in your blood to regenerate to full power. But platelets are constantly replacing themselves, and in the past I've given as often as twice in a week.

I'm mentioning this because yesterday I gave platelets at the New York Blood Center on East 67th St. It took about 2 hours because the Center only sticks you in one arm. (At Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, they use both arms and it takes about 1 1/4 hours. This was easier because you can change the TV channel or scratch your nose if you need to.

If you're in good health and you're over 17, please consider giving blood ASAP. There are patients who can't wait--people who need your blood to live another day. Be your own Superhero!

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Last night, I submitted the draft manuscript of my children's book on MILITARY SUBMARINES to my editor at Capstone, along with a proposed outline for my book on MILITARY FIGHTER PLANES. These will be my 8th and 9th books for young people, and my 6th and 7th books on military vehicles. How did that happen, considering I have never served in the military and have no particular expertise in this area?

The answer is, research, and writing what you want to know, not just what you know. I know a lot, but there is so much I don't know. So when my editor came to me after I'd finished my first books, on Magnets and Electricity, and asked me to write for her series on Military Vehicles for K-1 age kids, I said, "Sure!" I got to choose among the first six subjects, and I picked Military Robots, Military Ships, and Military Amphibious Vehicles.

I already had a strong interest in robots, after working with the East Harlem Tutorial Program's robotics team for the past 5 years. I started out interested mostly in the technology but quickly discovered how great it is for soldiers to use robots for dangerous jobs. Since I want every soldier and sailor, every Marine and pilot, to come home safely, I liked the idea of developing unmanned vehicles from tanks to planes to help the armed forces protect this country.

I picked ships because I love the water, and I am lucky enough to live in New York City, where the Navy and Marines celebrate Fleet Week every year. So I thought, I would enjoy learning and writing about all the different Navy ships.

Finally, I picked Amphibious Vehicles because I liked the idea of ships and boats that could also operate on land. I discovered that they are even cooler than I originally thought they might be. This is primarily because of the Amphibious Transport Dock. I had the pleasure of spending most of a day this spring with the crew of the USS New York, a ship close to the hearts of all New Yorkers because its hull contains more than seven tons of steel from the World Trade Center. Aboard the New York, I was able to see first hand how the Docking Well inside the ship held smaller boats that could take Marines and sailors ashore, from the ocean to the beach. I especially liked the LCAC--Landing Craft Air cushioned--a hovercraft that carried equipment and crew ashore.

This summer, I'm working on books for older kids about Military Vehicles--the Blazers program, which appeals to 3rd through 9th graders who are reading below grade level but still like exciting books. I tackled Military Robots again, and also covered Military Warships before working on Subs and Fighter Planes.

Writing the submarine book made me really want to go up to New London, Connecticut to the Nautilus Museum. When I was a teen, I read a thrilling book called WE WERE THERE ON THE NAUTILUS. It was about two young Navy men who were lucky enough to go on the North Pole mission of the Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine. Ever since then, I've been fascinated by submarines and wondered what it would be like to live on one for weeks at a time.
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I'm a big fan of the Unlimited Metrocard, especially on days like this past Sunday (I'm playing catch up tonight, posting the last few days...)

My friend Vernon and I decided to visit some new neighborhoods for us, and so we set off...taking the 6 train up to Parkchester, with our goal Whitestone, Queens. (It's supposedly the best way to get there...so Manhattan to the Bronx...first leg of our day!

Then we hopped on the Q 44 LTD, which took us over the Whitestone Bridge and into the town itself. We walked around the area, which appears to be home to a large Greek population--we saw a beautiful Green Orthodox Church, a Russian Orthodox church with the onion tops, and lots of Greek restaurants and stores. (We found ourselves quoting from My Big Fat Greek Wedding...).

We thought about lunch, and we decided to head for Flushing's Chinatown--but how could we get there? Vernon remembered reading something about a bus, and he was right. (Thank you, MTA Trip Planner and my trusty iPhone!) We took the Q15 right to Main Street Flushing, and after a quick and slightly disappointing stop at the New World Mall for chicken wings, we dined at Spicy and Tasty on a side street. The restaurant is highly recommended, but we felt it had been oversold. The dan-dan noodles were just okay, the Double Sauteed Pork was a bit fatty (although the sauteed scallions were scrumptious), the dumplings were ordinary, and the broccoli with spicy chili peppers was not very spicy and a little too al dente. No matter...we had dessert to look forward to...and a trip to another borough!

We took the 7 and connected with the G, which took us near enough to Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, to get ice cream at Blue Marble. Yum!


Then, home to Manhattan...alas, no time to hit Staten Island and make it a 5-borough adventure...I was volunteering that night on the Audubon eco-cruise...Maybe next time!

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This year's event began with a crowd of water lovers boarding the Circle Line boat Brooklyn at Pier 83, with Don Riepe of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and American Littoral Society providing commentary.

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Thanks to Paul Sweet, Collection Manager of the Department of Ornithology at the American Museum of Natural History...this is not a grebe, his first guess, but a BRANT:

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It's free for the first 2 weeks, until June 24, and it runs from 34th Street on the East River to Hunters Point/Long Island City, Greenpoint, North Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, Brooklyn Bridge/DUMBO, and Pier 11/Wall Street. I rode two full loops today under threatening skies but it only rained a bit toward the very end of the 2nd trip.

These are color photos, which is really interesting...

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Where have I been since May 20? It's almost a month since I last posted on this blog, and I'm not even sure why. But I decided to spend a few minutes today on a subject dear to my heart: my upcoming children's books!

Hope to hear from him soon with a confirmation!

I'm off to check out the new East River Ferry! Will report

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It feels as if it's been raining for a week or maybe forever.

The increased humidity is probably good for the frogs. I decided to try again tonight and photograph them. They seemed less shy than earlier in the week.

I spent part of yesterday and today volunteering at a Scholastic Book Fair at the Brooklyn Historical Society--lots of fun people contact and a chance to talk about books and kids. The bonus--$10 credit to spend for every hour I put in! I got some great books (just what I need the week before BEA, but...) I'm excited about reading Tracy Chevalier's book about Mary Anning.

I also went to a fantastic concert last night at the Hispanic Society of America at 155th and Broadway. The Sylvan Wind Quintet, led by Svetlana Kabalin, played a program of wonderful Spanish music for an audience that included the Spanish Ambassador. I helped give out programs and collected email names for their mailing list. The room was spectacular--surrounding us with vivid murals of Spanish scenes by Joaquin Sorolla:

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I found some very interesting specimens in Bermuda two summers ago, and I'm hoping for help in identifying the jaw in these photos:

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A few updates before I head off to sleep at 2 am Friday into Saturday...

The birds built their nest...and vanished. No sign of them for more than a week. I will leave the nest where it is...I wonder if another pair of birds would consider using it.

Went to a great meeting of the New York Chapter of the Society for Children's Writers and Illustrators...heard a good talk on how covers are designed at Abrams...Chad's blog tells all:

Attended the Learning Leaders luncheon on Wednesday with my former tutor Laurie Harris. Some very smart people talked about parent engagement but the one principal on the panel made it clear that while she encourages lots of parent involvement, she needs money to provide the services her families need. She has a full medical clinic in her school! Amazing...

Walked the Rockaways with Phil yesterday (Thursday) and found absolutely nothing for myself--no shells, no bones, no interesting rocks or fossils. But I did find a great ladybug for Phil, who is a world class expert on beetles. He liked the one I found because its spots were unusual.

Tonight, a great Open Studio reception downtown, where I met my artistic "twin"--Janelle Iglesias makes astonishing found object sculptures and even collects some of her materials on Barren Island.

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I haven't seen the pair of mourning doves in more than 5 days, yet the nest is beautifully made--what happened??? I'm trying to have faith that they will return, but so far no sign of them. Something could have happened to one of them...but otherwise I have no idea what occurred.

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I really don't know when they did all this work--I guess it was when I was sleeping! But here it is, just about ready for mom and eggs to be deposited very soon. This is one of nature's real miracles--just as gorillas make their sleeping nests anew each night, birds are amazing architects, using what they find to build really sturdy and intricate homes. It's exciting to be a witness to all this.

I had a wonderful time visiting the Washington Market School this morning. I spent some time in one of the classrooms, where the children were making guacamole in honor of Cinco de Mayo. I had some great conversations with several of the children, and two of the boys were especially interested in my watch! It has such a great feeling about it, and I can imagine that it would be an inspiring and joyful place to work.

i was reminded again of the endless pleasure of walking through city neighborhoods. I had lunch in Chinatown and spent part of my Groupon at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Now--what else to do on this really beautiful day? Stay tuned.

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Just a quick P.S. to show what these remarkable birds have accomplished overnight...I looked at the nest yesterday, and there were only a few pieces of branch and twigs. Today, midday, there is a NEST.

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Jonathan and Rose, the two frogs (probably green Frogs but not sure) appear to be thriving in my kitchen. I think they like where they are now better than the classroom, which was dim in their corner. Now, joining them and bringing new life to my home are a pair of mourning doves who have chosen my bathroom window sill to raise their young!

This is not the first time this has happened. In fact, my Stuy Town apartment on the 4th floor appears to be featured in some recommended list of short-term residences for local birds. I've had them on my kitchen windowsill, on my living room windowsill, and twice before here in the bathroom. The bathroom is the trickiest, because the shower is inches away and very noisy. What I've done in the past and will probably do here is hang a towel over the window when I shower. I don't want to cover them completely because watching this process is wonderful!

It begins with a flutter of wings, and some coo-coo-ing. Then they fly off, but each time they visit, a few twigs and branches remain...and somehow, remarkably, in a few days there is a nest, intricately woven and perched on the metal bar that holds my window open. It's not a big space, and I know it will be cramped during the few times that the male and female birds are both present. Somehow they manage to squeeze in, though it typically causes some damage to the screen over time.

Today, the female bird is sitting calmly, but it seems too soon for eggs, since the nest as of last night was barely begun. So she may just be hanging out, getting a feel for the place.

Stay tuned!

Also, I wanted to share that on a recent trip to the Rockaways with Phil and two other science guys (Richie, great botanist and beetle collector) and Charles (pres of the NY Shell Club), I picked up a very interesting specimen. It's a piece of driftwood that is bored full of holes...and it turns out that the creature who did the boring is still in place, though hard to photograph. It's a TEREDO, a Naval Shipworm, and I'm attaching a Google photo that shows what it looks like and what it does. It's not actually a worm but a small mollusk, and has a shell over the head part only.

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Today, I attended a remarkable event--a non-memorial service for the grande dame of children's book publishing, Margaret K. McElderry. She was 98 when she died recently, and she left an amazing legacy of children's book editors and authors whose books have shaped the experiences of generations of children.

The speakers were terrific, and they quoted Margaret frequently as they told stories of her life and work. Here are some of my favorites:

Jan Lamb talked about her kindness, and about the importance of recognizing life's boundless possibilities and taking strange paths.

Amy Kellman, a librarian and long-time friend, said she liked to say that we are all on a journey with children, and it must be exciting, important, and fun.

Tracey Adams repeated the quote in this post's title: Face every challenge as an adventure and never, ever forget to laugh!

One of the points that resonated particularly for me was the story of the time that Ms. McElderry was told, in 1971, after her books had won dozens of major awards, that "the future has passed you by." She was let go from her position at Harcourt, but she refused to be defeated. She moved to Atheneum, where she was the first children's book editor to have her name on her books in an imprint which continues to today. She managed to survive all the corporation acquisitions that folded Atheneum into Macmillan and ultimately into Simon & Schuster. One speaker quoted her words on coping with a life-changing trauma: "Put one foot in front of the other until you can't remember anymore why you are going that way. Then you will be on your new path."

I met Harold Underdown at the reception afterward. His website is a wonderful source of information about children's books. Here is his remembrance of her:
 http://www.underdown.org/margaret-mcelderry.htm

She was intensely interested in everyone she met--and she talked to everyone! She would ask, "What's your story? Who are you?"

One of her best friends, author Susan Cooper, remembered that her dear friend used to say:
"When something excites you, you won't be deterred."

A lot of great words to live by. Thank you, Margaret K McElderry. I never met you, but you have inspired me!

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I realized tonight it's been more than a week since I last posted, but I'm here now, and I'm thinking a lot about endings and beginnings. I've had some wonderful ones of each in my life to date, and so while this time is full of challenge and change, I'm focusing on "feeling the feelings" and keeping going.

After nearly 8 years, I have left East Harlem Tutorial Program, a place that was more to me than a job, and a place where I spent endless hours working with wonderful kids, great tutors, and inspiring staff. Changes have occurred that resulted in my job being eliminated, and so I am now free to pursue new adventures in many areas of my life!

Some of these include:
Skype-ing--I had visitors from Ottawa staying with me this week, and John Harding showed me how to work it. So, anyone who wants to chat online or (horrors) with video, let me know!

Tenka--By the time I bought my first Groupon and Living Social deals, it was already old hat for many of the people I know. But Tenka has been a fun revelation--and very well-timed. Thanks to Lyel Resner for turning me on to this phone-based super deal site, which has provided me (and some of my friends) great dining deals! We've had free pizza, free frozen yogurt, free hot dogs, and more. Check out Tenka.com for your chance to enjoy discounts and freebies!

The Frogs in my kitchen--In November 2009, I was fortunate enough to get three free tadpoles from the friendly folks at Petco Union Square. I was teaching K-1 in the after school program and talking about life cycles of different creatures. We raised those tadpoles into frogs, and while Charlie had some issues and went to Central Park, Jonathan and Rose have thrived. When I left EHTP, I brought them home with me, and they seem very happy on my kitchen table. I added a large fossilized rock to their tank, which they seem to enjoy, and have fed them both crickets (devoured a dozen in minutes) and minnows (ate about 3-4, and have left the rest to swim around, though they may eat them at some point as they did at EHTP...probably because too many days passed without other food, not sure.)

There will be many more adventures and challenges to report in the next days and weeks. Thanks to all who are keeping my spirits high and listening when I need a friendly ear. Stay tuned!

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