UNTITLED: My 4th Post on Substack
For a number of years now at the onset of the months December and June (and today, June 1, 2025) is no exception, I think of the Dr. Seuss quote featured in the image above this posting. The quote, is not from any specific book, but rather it's often used in connection with his book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!", but it's not a line from that particular book. The quote is a reflection on the passage of time.
In any event, I have appreciated many of Seuss's writings as well as his illustrations, and I have published a number of posts about him on my blog, thelastleafgardener.
But it's Dr. Seuss's perseverance with his first book, And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street,
that kept me going, as I tried to promote — as well as sell — the three volume book series I wrote with Cam, a female Northern cardinal who spent a lot of her time in my garden.
Mulberry Street is an actual street in Springfield Massachusetts where Seuss was born but the original inspiration for And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street, did not come from the street where he grew up.
For as Seuss explained, “In the fall of 1936, while aboard the S.S. Kungsholm on a long rainy crossing of the Atlantic, I amused myself by putting words to the rhythm of the ship’s engines."
Evidently, Seuss "started out by putting the words of 'The Night Before Christmas' to the same rhythm:
(1) Twas the night (2) before Christ (3)mas, when all (4) through the house
(1) And to think (2) that I saw (3) it on Mul (4) berry Street
"The original title (for "And To Think That I saw It On Mulberry Street") was actually 'A Story That No One Can Beat.' The summary on the back cover states 'How a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street, Grows into a story that no one can beat…' The change in title came when he finally found a publisher that was interested, actually a publisher sort of found him."
And the way Dr. Seuss finally found a publisher, is what I hinted at early on in this entry, when I stated that his perseverance is what kept me continuing on my mission with Words In Our Beak.
"After being rejected by 27 publishers Seuss was walking down a busy street in New York when he ran into an old Dartmouth classmate, Mike McClintock. McClintock had recently become a juvenile publisher at Vanguard Publishing. Seuss showed him the book and from there it was passed up to the company's president. The only thing that Seuss was asked to change was the title."
My source for all the quoted information is from Seussblog.
Seuss's reaction to that news was to say, I swung ’round the corner, And dashed up through the gate, I ran up the steps, And felt simply GREAT!
As for me when it comes to both my Words In Our Beak book series, and my book (tentatively titled Imperfect Strangers & Lessons from Mother Nature),
project that is still a work in progress, I won't be "dashing up through any gate, nor will I "be running up the steps" that lead to my apartment (which is on the top floor of a NYC brownstone), for I am still recovering from foot surgery which I had this past August.
At a follow-up appointment that I had with my surgeon on Monday, May 27th, we discussed the difficulty I am having keeping my balance due to the fact that my second right toe is sticking up a bit making it hard to stand or walk, as I'm unsteady due to this symptom.
To avoid undergoing a second surgery, I need to tape my foot for three months and then return to him so he can evaluate the situation.
I'm a bit unnerved to still be on a long road to recovery and I'm also concerned that I won't be able to wrap my foot properly.
A saving grace in all of this has been that my being forced to stay off my feet for long periods of time has helped me to become aware of how wild birds use their feet for so many tasks.
I've been able to observe them from the doorway that leads from my main living area into my garden, a place where a number of avian varieties spend their time.
I am finally able to walk again provided I have someone with me, but I need to use a cane, therefore, I'm looking forward to walking in nearby parks.
Meanwhile I remain grateful for the cast of feathered characters who spend time just outside my door. I've created collages (seen in the next three images) featuring some of their images, as well as a collage that includes images of birds whom I've seen in the nearby parks.
If you zoom in on the collages, be sure to take note of a given bird's feet.
