William Sutherland's favorite articles

Lying along the waters of the Long Island Sound, Manor Park is filled with beauty. Among other things, one can capture the rising of a fiery red sun, boats anchored in pristine blue waters, gazebos that overlook the Sound, shimmering metamorphic rocks that were once part of the Appalachian Mountain chain, and even hummingbirds gracefully dining on the nectar of a trumpet vine. On some of the typically hot summer days, one can find respite in the Park’s iconic gazebos from a refreshing sea breeze…

Summer’s heat lingered well into September this year. The mercury soared to 97°F (36.1°C) on the 8th day of the month and 87°F (30.6°C) on the 18th. Yet, despite the sometimes furnace-like breath of stubborn summer, the days were growing steadily shorter. Each morning, the sun seemed to sleep a little longer. Each evening, the sun departed a little earlier. Each minute of daylight became a little more precious. Each hour of darkness seemed to stretch beyond what should have been allotted. Th…

In 1878, Carl Sandburg wrote: The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. Nearly 140 years later on April 3, 2015, Sandburg’s descriptive poem transcended the paper on which it was written. The words leapt off the pages and a thick blanket of fog rolled across the Long Island Sound on “little cat feet.” For a time, it sat over the water, shrouding Long Island and also the landscape across Larchmont Harbor in…

The persistent and frequently severe cold that covered the New York Metropolitan Area produced average temperatures more reminiscent of the spread of the television in the 1930s than the era of smartphones, tablets, and WiFi. In New York City, the mean February temperature came to just 23.9°F (-4.5°C). That monthly average was a record 11.4°F (6.3°C) below normal. No month since regular recordkeeping began in 1869 had ever had a larger cold anomaly. Moreover, only 1885 (22.7°F/-5.2°C) and 1934 (…

I was badly shocked and saddened by the vicious terrorist attack that took place in Paris yesterday. I mourn its victims, those from Charlie Hebdo and the police officers who were murdered. I also mourn the policewoman who lost her life today, whether or not that incident was related to yesterday’s terrorist attack. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and to the French people. At the same time, I join the growing chorus of sentiment in proclaiming, “Je suis Charl…

Each year, the New York Botanical Garden (Bronx, New York) transforms its Children’s Garden into a Haunted Pumpkin Garden toward the end of September. The children’s emotions—ranging from joy to fright—are about as varied as the number of children who pass through the Haunted Garden each fall. Haunted Pumpkin Garden Haunted Pumpkin Garden “Mine!” (Haunted Pumpkin Garden) Haunted Pumpkin Garden In mid-to-late October, just as the last Monarchs are departing, giant pump…

The calendar has now moved into October. Canadians will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving Day and Americans Columbus Day. Leaves have turned across Ontario, Quebec, parts of Upstate New York and across northern New England. Farther south, some yellows and reds can already be glimpsed, but the best of autumn’s annual fireworks show still lies ahead. Some have already begun to pick pumpkins. Children’s dreams of an abundant bounty of Halloween candy are moving closer to fruition, though far slo…

My apologies for the long wait on this article! This is the next part to my Helpful Guide for Flickr Refugees. My aim is to get people up and running over here and in a happy place so you can make this your new home. Please read this article first!! Ninja Commenting vs. Thoughtful Commenting #1 Rule For Getting Comments and Visits: Reply to Your Comments!* We all love attention. But more than that, we want our pictures to be seen and appreciated. However, this is a tw…