“Spring is here, spring is here; life is skittles and life is
beer; I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring; I do;
don’t you? ‘Course you do!”   

Today is the first day of spring and I, for one, have had a surfeit
of winter.  My windows are open and my cats are on the
windowsill sniffing the air and checking out the wildlife (and so am
I).  

My apartment overlooks the Westview courtyard which is full of
burgeoning trees, squirrels fresh out of hibernation and birds busy
building nests.  There is a drain pipe just above and to the
left of my bedroom window which, every year, is building central for
a family of sparrows (or starlings, I’m not really sure).  I
watch them bringing twigs for that purpose and hope that a rainstorm
won’t wash their efforts away.  

We awake, this time of year, to the calls of bird sentries assuring
that no usurpers will attempt invading their space.  And the
trees!  The buds seem to be bursting already and
it’s still March!  If I stare hard enough, the buds seem
to be throbbing with the expectation of new leaves. In a month there
will be fronds and by May the courtyard will be a forest, a jungle
packed with urban critters to entice my pussycats (and
me).  

Roosevelt Island does spring awfully well, doncha think?  

Our gardens come to life as do our playing fields.  Down coats
are replaced by tee-shirts (Roosevelt Island Day tees, natch) and
shorts.  

All we need to make this idyllic spot perfection is a shop selling
made-to-order ice cream cones.  With sprinkles. 
(Sigh).  

What I’m trying to say to my neighbors–new and old, friends and
strangers, New Yorkers and from around the world– is…Happy
Spring!

    Matt Katz

    Proud Roosevelt Islander  

The quote is from my favorite Tom Lehrer song, “Poisoning Pigeons in
the Park” and it is as irreverent as the title suggests. I’ll sing
it next time I perform here. This was the concert title of a program
at the 92nd Street Y, a parody song concert as part of their Lyrics
and Lyricists series where I got to meet Tom Lehrer. A big thrill
for me! 

Yeah, the Cornell ice cream is good but it’s not really summer
without two scoops of chocolate ice cream on a sugar cone, sprinkles
discretionary. Goes back to childhood in Brooklyn, I suppose.