The Ribbon International Group goes to Ground Zero, New York City

The Ribbon International went down to Ground Zero this week after ordering tickets on -line: http://www.911memorial.org/visitor-passes.

 We all walked through airport style security checkpoints and then through an overpass.

 Fortunately we had reservations for 4:00 pm, the last slot of the day.

I peeked at the construction site through the chain link fence.

 The garden within.

 The first square pool with its waterfalls and stone boarder inscribed withthe names of the lost.

 Something I had wished that I had done, was to look on-line a head of time for the location of particular names.

 We gather in front of the first pool with the Ribbons.

 We joined the Ribbons and said the Interfaith Prayer together.

Many people leave touching tributes.

 Flowers,

 notes, and tokens of faith.

The new Memorial Museum under construction opening 9-11 2012.

 Pool number two.

 This is one of the rescued original trees from the Trade Center.

The fog covers the building crane on top of the new tower.  Take the time to visit this Memorial site. It is a special place.

Deep Purple Flowering Shrubs in September at the Jarvis Garden

Here is the Obedient Plant, in all of its glory, sometimes called False Dragonhood.

 It is easy to plant and propagate, easy to pull up and share with friends.

 A late blooming Hosta boarder with glorious stalks of purple bells.

 Ever faithful Phlox.

Perennial Ageratum.

 Callicarpa shrub that I pruned which resulted in massive clusters of  purple berries.  Winter birds feast on them.

 Crepe Myrtle, also a candidate for harsh pruning each year.

I had to add this photo, because the yellow flowers were such a contrast to everything else that was purple.

 Sedum

 These foxy grasses have a purple tint.

 The ubiquitous roadside Loosestrife.

 Hydrangeas turning their fall purple.

Japanese painted fern.

 A lovely Rose of Sharon.

 The darker Butterfly bush bloom.

  With so much rain on Long Island this August and September, the lawn out back is an emerald green.

 Veronica still sending out spikes of purple.

 After this bloomed, I realized that this too is a form of Perennial Ageratum.

The usual Butterfly bush, still flowering.

Day Number One at the Arthur Dove- Helen Torr Cottage, Centerport

 

 This is the loft space in the Artur Dove 1880-1946)-Helen Torr(1886-1967) cottage on the Titus Mill Pond in Centerport.  It had served as a post office and general store prior to becoming the home of these two American Modernist painters.

 When I arrived the painters were working on the exterior of the cottage.

 My friend and co-volunteer, was beginning the re-building of the rustic staircase.

I jumped in prepared with plaid shirt, work jeans, denim apron, and work gloves.

 Everyone who visits this site exclaims that they wish to live there.  The view is stunning and tranquil.

 He checks the level on the first tread.

 A while later, Michael W. Schantz, Ph.D. the executive director  and CEO of the Heckscher Museum of Art which owns the cottage,  came to look around and help out.  Here he takes the first steps on the stairs to see if they feel right.

 Because the cottage is right on the Mill Pond, the basement was wet from Hurricane Irene, something I know a lot about.  A hose is syphoning out the water. 

 Another view of the Mill Pond.

 The interior of the cottage has suffered some damage, and

fixing it will be another project, a long project.

Original wainscoating, which was behind wall board, was installed in two directions.

 A very nice feature, maybe leftover from the general store?

 The staircase under construction.

The volunteer adjusts the concrete footing.

 Volunteers usually bring their own tools, including power tools.

 He clamps the uprights for the railing.

 A messy re-do of the trim around the front door, when a  screen door was previously hung, wasn't right.  So he replaces the trim and improves the door way.

Although we were tired after hours of work building the staircase, it had to be primed with paint left for us by the house painters.  Good thing that my knees still work well!  Eventurally they will paint it the dark green.

 We cleaned up the debris around the workplace,

and called it a day.  Day one at the Dove Cottage.