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Goodbye to Oliver

Oliver, a popular Summit Street Community Garden member

Last week the Summit Street Community Garden lost one of its beloved four-legged members: Oliver, the 8-year-old smooth fox terrier of garden members Ron and Seth. Ollie was a friendly presence in the garden, a frequent visitor who could often be seen merrily sniffing his way along the paths and wagging his tail as a greeting to all.

He had been adopted by Ron and Seth in July 2012, when Ollie was 5 years old, after he retired from his career as a champion show dog.  

Oliver during his days as a show dog

“He loved the garden,” recalls Ron. “Whenever Seth or I walked him past it, he tried to pull us in. He especially loved rolling around the in the grass. He would also run and run and run around the outside perimeter of the boxes.”

Oliver was a small dog, but the loss to the garden is a big one. As sad as his sudden passing is, it’s hard not to think of this friendly dog without a smile. We’ll all miss you, Ollie. 

Farewell to Figaro

UPDATE 4/9/16: Figaro was found nine months later in the Bronx, and has returned home to Brooklyn. 
Figaro, the little tuxedo cat with the big personality who made the Summit Street Community Garden his own, hasn’t been seen since late July. He was last spotted at the corner of Columbia and Summit Streets on July 25, and sadly, it seems as if he isn’t going to come back to us.

If any cat has nine lives, it’s Figaro, who is in his teens. Even if you don’t know his name, he’s a beloved neighborhood fixture. He has touched many of us, literally, rubbing up against your hand or offering a friendly meow. If you stopped to pet him as he strolled down the street, he would sometimes escort you to your door. It hasn’t been quite the same without seeing him saying hello to those who would visit his garden to water, weed, read or simply sit and enjoy the day. Just earlier this summer, when I snapped the photo above, a visitor stopped by to coo at him, after he made his rounds as the garden mayor, visiting someone reading in the shade and then making his way over to me to inspect my weeding work.

Most of us have a story about Figaro, and the full extent of his adventures will never be known. I once devoted a blog post to a day with Figaro in the garden. Occasionally, Figaro would bat at passing dogs’ noses from behind the safety of the garden fence, but the dogs of several garden members met Figaro’s seal of approval.

Figaro after escorting me home one night.

Several years ago, my downstairs neighbor, thinking his roommate’s black and white cat had escaped, brought a cat inside, only to realize that he now had two cats. He promptly put Figaro back outside. Another garden member recently recounted how she discovered, after several days, she had two cats in her home and realized one was Figaro. Figaro also was often the recipient of food and treats from people who didn’t realize he had a home with garden members Amy and Rob. In fact, Amy told me that the cat even played a part in bringing them together.

It’s possible that someone has unwittingly taken him in, though at this point, it’s also likely that he’s gone for good. I got off the bus a few stops away from my own, thinking I saw him, but it was a black and white cat without Figaro’s distinctive short tail. Someone in the neighborhood found a tuxedo cat, but the photos showed a black nose instead of Figaro’s white one. (I checked with the number on another missing cat poster, but that cat, happily, is now home.)

Yet I sometimes still find myself looking in the garden for any sign of him. One day I saw a dark cat with a white nose but it was the gray cat who sometimes hangs out in the garden. The gray cat, always skittish, has become increasingly bold in Figaro’s absence. Sitting at the entrance the other day, the gray cat tried to look confident and as it he belonged, but it ran off when approached. It made me a little sad; if the other cat is ready to take Figaro’s place, he must be nowhere around.

Though it’s hard not knowing for certain what happened to Figaro, this way we can speculate he has perhaps gone off to create a new life for himself. My boyfriend has a theory that all the cats on the missing posters in the neighborhood make their way to the Red Hook cruise terminal, and simply board a ship once they decide to retire from city life. I know I would like to think that perhaps Figaro is on to a new adventure, whether he’s decided to set sail on the Queen Mary 2 to Europe or has opted to go south, to see the six-toed Hemingway cats of Key West. Wherever Figaro is, I know that many of us miss him. I hope that wherever he is, he reflects fondly upon his time as the beloved Summit Street Garden cat.

Garden Meeting and Workday July 19 at 11 am

 

There's a garden meeting and workday scheduled for today, July 19, at 11 am.  It's going to be the hottest day of the year so far, so bring water and dress accordingly. If you'd like to become a new member, stop by for an orientation. For those who can't make it, we'll send out an email update and publish information on the blog.

The Baby Mockingbirds Have Left the Nest

The mockingbirds have left the nest and there's no more risk of getting hit in the head by birds. Here is a cute photo of one of the birds.

Be Careful of the Mockingbird Nest

Mockingbird

I dropped by to look at my garden plot today and something hit me in the head. It was a bird. Specifically the bird pictured above. In this photo, the mockingbird is surveying his or her handiwork. It didn't hurt, but I was startled.

A dramatic re-creation of this morning.

As some of you know, there's a mockingbird nest in the grapevine by the Summit Street entrance. The birds are protective of their nest, so just be aware of them, and during your garden hours, alert visitors to the birds. The eggs seemed to have hatched in the past few weeks, and the birds leave the nest after about 12 days, so the newest garden residents should be flying and on their own soon. In the meantime, give them a wide berth (or risk getting sideswiped by a wing).

Here is a helpful graphic as to where you might find the angry birds, but my plot is kind of in the middle of the garden, so just be aware of them wherever you are. These birds are protective parents!

Photos from the 2015 Summit Street Community Garden Tag & Bake Sale

View of the Summit Street Community Garden Tag & Bake sale on Saturday, June 13

Thanks to all the gardeners who contributed time and items to make the 2015 summer Summit Street Community Garden Tag & Bake Sale a success! We also owe thanks to Pardon Me for Asking and Word on Columbia Street for posting about the event, and gratitude to Kings Coffee for the delicious cold-brew donation and to The Brooklyn Herborium for the beverages and container use.

If you didn't make it to this tag and bake sale, mark your calendars for our next event on Saturday, September 19.

Delicious baked goods included oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate-chip pretzel bars and coconut and lime quickbread, as well as macaroons, strawberry biscuits and streusel, chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake.

It looked as if it was going to rain for a bit, but it turned out to be a beautiful day.

Unofficial mascot of the tag sale. He soon found a good, loving home. 

P is for Party!

I was tempted to buy these shirts so people would think I was way more fit. It's easier than working out and training.

Yes, this is a cat hot water bottle.