Yesterday at the gardens the roses were in full bloom.  So skipping between the rain showers we enjoyed and photographed their beauty.  This week NPR had a story about gardening and roses and mentioned this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt:

“I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered.  But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: ‘No good in a bed, but fine up against a wall’.”

I have begun ruminating about summer plans.  I think that it is about time.  I mean after all, it is after Memorial Day.  The logistics seem more complex then usual this year.  This is partly due to our planned bike trip to Quebec.  It is a long haul to Quebec from Saint Louis and back.  Tentatively, I plan to fly in and out of Montreal and meet Anne who will be driving there.  Afterwards Anne might swing by Rochester to see Dave and friends.  I have a business trip to Seattle planned, that may or may not happen and if it does, I really don’t know when.  Dan has his plans and he and Annie will be heading to the Cabin independently.  I hope to make there too.  We don’t know if Dave will make it this year.  Anyway, Anne will begin wending her way north of the 45th Parallel on Bastille Day.  I’ve accused her of becoming a sweat bird, someone who flies north for the summer, but that is just petty jealousy, I wish that I could fly north too.

Kayak Women blogged about Carnegie Libraries and lions yesterday.  This got me to thinking, because I saw the prototypical pair of lions in front of the main branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL).  It has two male lions in front of it, one of which is pictured above.  According to the NYPL website their nicknames have changed over time.  First they were named Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, after the NYPL founders.  Later, they were known as Lady Astor and Lord Lenox(even though they are both male lions).  During the 1930s, Mayor LaGuardia named them Patience and Fortitude, for the qualities he felt New Yorkers would need to survive the Great Depression.  This pair of lions have witnessed countless parades, up Fifth Avenue,  over the years.  They have been bedecked with wreaths at Christmas and flowers at Easter.

In other news, it was reported that a small bomb exploded in New York’s Times Square, smashing the window of a Starbucks.  Police think this bombing is related to others that have occurred during the wee hours of the night over the past few years.  The article states, that in previous bombings, a bicyclist was seen in the area prior to the explosions.  We walked by, but did not stop at this Starbucks, earlier this month.