Patron Saint of Pestilence

I saw the patron saint for diseased cattle and bachelors when walking down Bergen. 

Saint Rocco was French nobleman turned penniless pilgrim who cured the Plague. He's not only the heavenly go-to for cholera and knee problems but also the patron saint of dogs. Notice the two dogs licking his wounds. 

Graffiti Wars

The first time I walked by the laundromat on the corner of East 17th Street and Courtelyou Road, I noticed that the side of the building had been freshly painted. Over the new coat of paint, someone wrote: 

WHOEVER IS DISRESPECTING 

THIS PROPERTY 

DO NOT LET ME CATCH YOU!

When I came back a week later, that message was covered in graffiti. This back-and-forth went on for a while, but now it looks like the participants have reached a ceasefire. Here are my favorite pictures from the trenches:

It reads: "HUMAN BEINGS DO NOT LIKE 2 see other HUMANS HAPPY." Ouch! 

The reply: "GOD DAMN! RACIAL WORLD WE LIVE IN"

"Thanks! for the Rainbow"

The Bluebell Wood

Every spring, for about two weeks, more than 45,000 bluebells bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Though the annual Hanami (aka the cherry blossom festival) draws the largest crowds, the bluebells are my favorite part of the garden. 

Brooklyn Parrots

Thirty years ago, after escaping from a crate destined for the city's pet stores, a group of quaker parrots settled in Midwood. Many of the parrots have nested in the stadium lights at Brooklyn College. These pictures were taken of a nest located on Glenwood Rd. (between E 21st St. and E 22nd St.). 

For more information on the parrots, visit Brooklyn Parrots.