Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Eleven

-Shakey Lakes County Park, MI. There were 3 loons out there somewhere too, making their mournful call.



-Red Headed Woodpecker. One of my favorite shots from a couple of years ago.



“We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



May:

48) The Missing American by Kwei Quartey 4 stars
49) Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton 4 stars (audio)
50) Hard Light (Poems) by Michael Crummey 4.4 stars P
51) First Person Singular: Stories by Haruki Murakami 2 stars
52) Train by Pete Dexter 4 stars
53) My Body in Pieces by Marie-Noëlle Hébert 3.8 stars GN
54) The Jungle by Upton Sinclair 5 stars (audio)
55) Children of the Land: A Memoir by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo 3.8 stars (audio)
56) Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 3.6 stars
57) Poetry Will Save Your Life: A Memoir by Jill Bialosky 4 stars
58) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 4.2 stars E
59) And Now I Spill the Family Secrets: An Illustrated Memoir by Margaret Kimball 4.5 stars GN
60) The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin 4 stars

June:

61) Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu 4.3 stars
62) The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna by Walter Isaacson 4.5 stars (audio)
63) Strange Pilgrims (Stories) by Gabriel García Márquez 4.2 stars
64) Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir by Rebecca Solnit 4.3 stars (audio)
65) The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem 3.6 stars
66) Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 by MK Czerwiec 4.4 stars GN
67) Dancing Fish and Ammonites: A Memoir by Penelope Lively 3.7 stars
68) Fat City by Leonard Gardner 4 stars
69) Sparrow Envy: Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts by J. Drew Lanham 3.8 stars P
70) The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich 3.6 stars
71) Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of D. Trump by Sarah Posner 4.5 stars (audio)
72) Other People's Love Affairs: Stories by D. Wystan Owen 4 stars
73) Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard 4.2 stars

July:

74) The Armchair Birder: The Secret Lives of Familiar Birds by John Yow 4 stars (audio)
75) Joe by Larry Brown 4.7 stars
76) A Room With A View by E.M. Forster 3.7 stars
77) The Incognito Lounge by Denis Johnson 3.6 stars P
78) The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane 4.6 stars (audio)
79) Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty 4.4 stars
80) When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams 4.2 stars (audio)
81) Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson 4 stars
82) The Dangers of Smoking in Bed: Stories by Mariana Enriquez 3.8 stars
83) Patience & Esther: An Edwardian Romance by SW Searle 4 stars GN

No Murder of Crows

I watched a flock of crows
fly by,
counted forty-two black souls, then up to sixty-five
maybe more.
Not sure whether fish or 'merican
They were silent as coal,
headed to roost I assumed,
a congregation I refused to call a murder
because profiling ain't what I do:
besides,
they was just flyin' by:
No cause to criminalize the corvid kind.

-J Drew Lanham From Sparrow Envy my current poetry collection.

Hello? Tree Swallow in a bluebird box.

75) Joe by Larry Brown 4.7 stars

“In the countryside by nights without the moon, there sometimes roamed an indigent, a recycled reject with eyes sifting the darkness and sorting the scattered scents, walking beside deep hollows and ditches of stinking water. The hours he kept were usually reserved for the drunk and the sleeping. “

“She don’t like to be around anybody drinkin, don’t even like to smell it. I drink and I like to drink. That’s it.”

Joe Ransom is not an easy character to like- he is a hard-drinking ex-con, pushing 50, who refuses to slow down, despite being a diligent worker, with a good business sense. He is also a lousy father. You
will end up rootin' for him anyway. Set in a hot summer in Mississippi, be prepared for an excessive amount of drinking, pick-ups on dusty roads, along with bursts of alarming violence. The writing is excellent throughout. Southern-lit at it's best. Faulkner would be proud.
I was first introduced to Brown, with his collection Tiny Love: The Complete Stories of Larry Brown, which was incredible. Now, with this novel, he has found a place as a favorite author.

Happy new thread, Mark, and congrats on reaching 75!!

Happy new thread, Mark!

I think I have a copy of Joe on my Kindle...

Happy new thread, Mark! Your photos up top are beautiful. Congrats on reaching 75, and how satisfying to have it be such a good read too.

Congrats, and happy new one! Joe sounds great!

Happy new thread!

What a lot of great eye candy.

Congratulations on 75!

Congratulations on reaching 75 Mark.

Hey there, Mr. Mark. How did volunteering duty go today?

I'm reading an excellent narrative nonfiction book right now. The first one for me in a long time. About the bombing of Dresden towards the end of WW2. The Fire and the Darkness by Sinclair McKay.

Hi Mark and congrats on making it to 75 already.

>12 lindapanzo: The Fire and the Darkness looks interesting and excellent!

>5 msf59: Yay!!


Hope you're enjoying the new reads as much as Joe...isn't that an extraordinary book!

>6 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>7 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I know you do not mind dark books, so Joe might work for you.

>8 bell7: Thanks, Mary. Yes, Joe was the perfect book for #75.

>9 drneutron: >10 quondame: >11 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Jim, Susan & Caroline.

>12 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Great to see you. My first day volunteering went very well. Thanks! Details to follow. But it was hot & humid. Ugh!
Ooh, The Fire and the Darkness sounds like my cuppa. Thanks again.

>13 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. Good to see you!

>14 richardderus: Thanks, RD. That is a royal #75! Joe is going to be hard to top. It was that good.

Happy new one, Mark!
Congrats on beating me to 75 by a couple of hours!

^First day doing volunteer services for the Dupage County Forest Preserves. Today I will be at the Willowbrook Wildlife Center. I had planned to do this for awhile and thought this would be a perfect time. It will keep me out of trouble.

^I got to clean up inside the barred owl enclosure. This guy kept me company. It looks like the owl had lost an eye. This kind of weeding, I don't mind. It was hot & humid though. Ugh!

I will be volunteering at different locations, where the need arises, but this was a cool place to start.

>18 msf59: Love your 'Wanted' mug shot Mark. Sounds like an amazing place to volunteer.

Congrats on the 75 books and the volunteering. How amazing to be in the cage with such a dramatic bird.

Hooray for reaching 75, Mark! And it sounds like your 75th was a good one.

I think the sound of a loon calling out over water is one of the loveliest sounds of all, it is mournful yet peaceful as well and I am envious that you recently got to experience it.

>19 msf59: Very cool Mark, looks like your volunteering is off to a great start. We went to visit our local wildlife rescue & rehab facility today. While they are primarily a hospital, they have an outdoor Wildlife Walk open to the public and featuring their ambassador animals. We saw a peregrine falcon, a bald eagle, two red-tailed hawks, a screech owl, two opossums and an arctic fox. I think I missed something, but you get the idea. They actually had a docent on duty who was a font of information. Great stuff.

Thread #11, Wow! things move fast over here. Wonderful list of books in >2 msf59: , what a good year of reading you have done. Happy new thread to you Mark!

Happy New Thread and congrats on hitting 75. Nice that it was with the Brown.

Hope you have fun with the volunteering, I getting to the point where I'm looking forward to be able to do this sort of thing. Maybe 10/15 years if I'm lucky.

>17 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. You may have hit 75 by now too. Yah!!

>20 Caroline_McElwee: Hooray for mug shots, Caroline. This will be one of many places I will volunteer, but it will certainly be a favorite.

>21 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. You know I love my owls, so this was a treat.

>22 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. Glad to hear you are a loon fan too. Sadly, they don't breed in Illinois but I get to see them here from time to time.

>23 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura. I am glad you have a local wildlife rescue & rehab facility nearby. How close is it? I never had a chance to explore the rest of my wildlife center, since I had another interview afterwards. I hope to return soon. They had an arctic fox there? Wow! Where did that come from?

>24 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. Funny, my thread has been quieter than a few others. Glad you like my book list. It has been a solid reading year...so far.

>25 mahsdad: Thanks, Jeff. I will be passing my copy of Joe onto you, so you get to enjoy it too. 10 to 15 years before retiring? Wow! I hope those years fly by.

-Peter Kuper

>27 msf59: Retiring - I hope so. I'm hitting 55 this year so 15 puts me at 70 (Holy crap, that was a scary thing to type), I don't think I really want to be working past that. I may have to start playing the lottery more. :)

>1 msf59: Mark, I will never forget the first time I heard the haunting sound of a loon. Will and I were in Maine with friends. We rented cabins on the lake in Princeton, ME. At night, across the lake, with the stars so visible in the ski that we felt we could touch them, we heard a loon. What an incredible sound. I will never forget the sound, or the memory.

>30 Whisper1: I will add to the loon talk. I love these birds. A long time ago when living in Kingston Ontario we witnessed a loon "conference". It was at a small lake with no cottages. We had hiked in for the day to swim. There were at least 20 loons and they landed and made a circle and then swam one way and then swam the other way with wings displayed as if they were doing a synchronized swimming routine. It really was a spectacle and we have never forgotten it.

Just found this link to explain it! They called it "social bonding" and there were a few theories what it was possibly accomplishing. Interesting!
https://www.cabinlife.com/articles/why-do-groups-of-loons-congregate-on-the-lake

Eleventh thread! And crossed the 75 border. Excellent.

Happy New Thread, Mark

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Thursday to you. Also happy new thread, and congrats on #75!!

>19 msf59: Volunteering with owls – fitting start to your volunteering career.

>29 mahsdad: I hope you are able to retire earlier, Jeff. I was able to go at 61 but I am a luckier one.

>30 Whisper1: Hi, Linda. Great to see you. Thanks for sharing your lovely memory of hearing a loon. They are very special birds.

>31 mdoris: Thanks for sharing your loon memories ,Mary. Getting to see 20 loons in one place, must have been quite a sight to behold. I like how they let their young ride on their backs too. Hooray for "The Loon Breakfast Club.”

>32 connie53: Thanks, Connie.

>33 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hanging with the barred owl was a nice introduction to volunteering. I think they require help at this wildlife center once a month, so I will be sure to sign up.

>27 msf59: Mark, the wildlife rescue is about half an hour's drive from our house. They seem to have a lot of volunteer opportunities. I volunteered at a bird rescue about ten years ago and enjoyed it, although the work is 90% cleaning up behind the animals. I'm not sure if that's what I want to do with my time these days.

And I was wondering if you'd ask about the arctic fox! Congratulations -- you were paying attention LOL. The docent told us that the fox had been kept as a pet in a sort of hoarding situation. A surprising (or maybe not surprising) number of the animals they see are there because humans did something inappropriate or downright stupid.

>36 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura. Glad the rescue place is fairly close, so you can visit now and then. I had a feeling that had to be the story with the arctic fox. People are a trip, aren't they? There is such a freaky demand for exotic animals. At least the fox is being taken care of there.

Morning, Mark! Your volunteering gig sounds perfect for you!

Hello, Mark. Seventy-five! Three cheers for you. It's good of you to volunteer, even if it's with a bunch of birdbrains. *grin*

I picked up a nice copy of John James Audubon's The Birds of America yesterday. Marvelous paintings of hundreds of species. Do you have a copy of the book? Of course, modern photography far overshadows what Audubon could illustrate.

>38 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! Volunteering is off to a good start.

>39 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. Hooray for birdbrains! I love 'em! I do have a massive copy of Audubon's birds of America that a family member gifted me. Honestly, it is so huge, I have barely paged through it but I will. At least the drawings are humongous.

>40 msf59: An enviable thing, to possess the full folio-sized Audubon. The illustrations are so gorgeous!

Pleasant afternoon's reads...we're getting at present a thunderstorm that's apparently related to Elsa, though I'm frankly unclear how she got this far this fast.

>18 msf59: and >19 msf59: I see you are making the very best of your retirement! VERY cool!!!!

>28 msf59: Way too accurate and terribly sad.

I keep saying I'm going to reach out to our local Audubon chapter to see about bird walks. I think of this while I'm out walking (and admiring birds from my naïve but appreciative perspective). I need to follow through!

Have you read The Death of Vivek Oji? I am almost done with it and it's a winner.

Happy new thread, Mark and congratulations on reaching 75!

I loved both Macfarlane's The old ways and The wild places, still waiting to get Underland from the library.

>41 richardderus: Sweet Thursday, Richard. It was a good afternoon with the books. Mostly concentrating on A Room With a View. Liking it but not really loving it. Glad to hear you are also a fan of The Birds of America. It is a landmark work.

>42 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen Great to see you. Yep, life is good in retirement. You will also enjoy it, in the very near future. I hope you check into those bird walks. I highly recommend it. I have not read or heard of The Death of Vivek Oji. Glad to hear you are enjoying it.

>43 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. Glad to hear you are a fan of Macfarlane. I had not heard of The Wild Places, so I have just added it to the list. Grins...

-Monk Parakeet. (NMP)

^I saw a few monk parakeets today at a Com ED substation. FOY. Of course, these South American birds are not native to the area but several different flocks of these birds have thrived here for decades. They prefer nesting in these substations, where they can find warmth in the coils and wires.

>44 msf59:
The reviews of Death of Vivek Oji have been very positive. I have it on my TBR list and hope to get to it sometime soon.

There are a bunch of really good writers coming out of Africa these days and this is another one of them.

Happy 75th Mark!!! (books, obviously)

>46 benitastrnad: Thanks for the endorsement on The Death of Vivek Oji, Benita. I agree there are some great literary voices coming out of Africa.

>47 LovingLit: Thanks for the cheerful and bouncy response, Megan. I do not think I will double that this year.

I see you're liking but not loving A Room with a View, Mark. I admit that I read the book after seeing the movie, which has such a great cast and gorgeous scenery, that it almost certainly invaded my imagination while reading. Did you say you saw the film years ago? It might be worth a re-watch. As a special bonus, you'll feel like you've been on holiday in the Italian countryside.

>50 lauralkeet: Thanks for the comments, on A Room With a View, Laura. Honestly, I think I will like the film better, as I plan to see it soon. I love that film-making team. They also did Howard's End & Remains of the Day, which were excellent.

^Red-Headed Woodpecker. The only usable photo I was able to get from the MI trip but at least it was a worthy bird.

>51 msf59: I love those movies too, Mark.

>52 msf59: wow, great pic. Such a gorgeous bird.

>53 lauralkeet: I just requested A Room With a View from the library. Do you have red-headed woodpeckers in your area? They are mostly woodland birds.

We've seen a red-headed once or twice, Mark. One of our neighbors told us the country road adjoining our property is like "woodpecker alley," and he was right about that. While downy woodpeckers are most plentiful in our yard, we've seen all kinds while walking the dogs on that road.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you. Congrats to your 2 FOYs yesterday, and I hope your birding adventure today is a good one.

My feeders are mostly quiet, although I had a male hummingbird a while ago and currently have a male Cardinal and a female finch of some sort, probably House.

Mark, the 2021 Audubon photo contest winners are announced. This one's by Steve Jessmore, a pro photographer:

Isn't that AMAZING.

>50 lauralkeet: "...you'll feel like you've been on holiday in the Italian countryside." Well, doesn't that sound lovely!!!!!

>57 richardderus: WOW!!!! I love photo contests. ETA: The video of the red-tailed hawk on that winners site is incredible.

>58 EBT1002: I know, right?! What amazing luck, and what astounding skill, and what admirable patience these folks have!

>59 richardderus: What amazing luck, and what astounding skill, and what admirable patience these folks have!

Did you read To the Bright Edge of the World, Richard? One of the main characters, Sophie, is a photographer, unusual for a woman in 1885, and she spends days/weeks waiting for the perfect shot of a hummingbird. First to find the nest, then to build a blind, wait for the eggs to hatch, watch for the perfect light, try to capture the blur of wings, and all with glass plates. Skill and patience indeed.

>55 lauralkeet: I love the sound of "woodpecker" alley. Red-headed and pileated are my favorites but of course I love all of them.

>56 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hooray for the FOYs! I still have a few to get. Today's outing was a bit quiet but a beautiful morning to stroll in the woods.

>57 richardderus: >59 richardderus: I love the Audubon photos, Richard. Thanks for sharing. Great cardinal shot. The peregrine falcon photo is incredible too. You nailed it mentioning "patience". That is what it is all about. Hunkering down and waiting for that perfect moment.

>60 labfs39: I read and enjoyed To the Bright Edge of the World but it has been a few years ago, (nearly 5) and I don't remember the hummingbird segment. A reread, perhaps?

>62 msf59:, >60 labfs39: It's a great piece of serendipity that we're talking about Bright Edge with Sophia's unusual avocation, and the Audubons on the same day!

What a good read that book was.

I can't stay still long enough to do things like that!

>63 richardderus: I may have to revisit Bright Edge, Richard. When I was in MN, I was amazed by the photographers there, standing in those frigid temps, waiting for the "shot". I am not as patient either but I am trying to get better.

^I really really miss this guy being in office and his love of books is so impressive and LT like. I have only read Under a White Sky & Klara and the Sun but there are several here, I want to read. Land of Big Numbers sounds really good.

Anyone have any thoughts on any of these titles?

>65 msf59: I thought At Night All Blood is Black was very good, Mark. I haven't read any other books on the list.

Hi Marc, I loved the Loon stories on your thread. Bird calls can really get to you, can't they? We don't get to hear that call here, as loons are winter birds here. I have seen a few, rarely, and never that beautiful summer suit.

>65 msf59: Interesting reading list. The Kolbert sounds like a must read for these times.

Volunteering at a bird centre, just your cup of tea, Marc. Sounds like a great idea.

>52 msf59: Beautiful photo.

Congrats on hitting 75 right around mid-year. Impressive!

Shawn recommends you read Fay by Larry Brown.

Love Obama's book lists - the only one I read so far was Leave the World Behind, which I had mixed feelings about at the time, but has really stuck with me.

I want to read Diary of a Young Naturalist as well. I suspect you know why.

Congrats on your new volunteer gig, Mark. It sounds like a perfect match for you!

And congrats on reading 75 already!

I haven’t read any of Obama’s picks - there are a few I haven’t even heard of and a couple I plan to read. I have a copy of Project Hail Mary but it’s a brick and not calling to me. I meant to read Leave the World Behind but never got to it. (Do books have expiration dates? It seems that way, sometimes.)

>66 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I have added At Night All Blood is Black to the list.

>67 EllaTim: Happy Saturday, Ella. Thanks for commenting on the loons. I wish you could hear them call, especially in a natural setting. The Kolbert was good but her The Sixth Extinction is even better. I am glad I decided to volunteer. It gives me something to do and outdoors, as well.

>68 alphaorder: >69 alphaorder: Happy Saturday, Nancy and thank you. You get red-headed woodpeckers at the Center, right? Tell Shawn, I appreciate his rec of Fay. I WILL read it at some point. I see that Leave the World Behind had mixed reviews, so I will keep that one on a backburner. I will start Diary of a Young Naturalist this morning.

>70 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne. Our forest preserve system is huge, so they can really use the volunteer help. I hope to get and do some trash pick up this coming week. In regards to Obama's list, I also want to read Project Hail Mary. I am leaning toward audio on that one.

"Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of 15-year-old Dara McAnulty's world. From spring and through a year in his home patch in Northern Ireland, Dara spent the seasons writing. These vivid, evocative and moving diary entries about his connection to wildlife and the way he sees the world are raw in their telling."

I recently read a glowing review of this award winning memoir and immediately requested it from the library. It sounds wonderful. I will start it today.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday to you.

>65 msf59: Obama continues to impress. I've heard of two of the authors and books and that's all. I could start feeling insecure that I'm not au courant, but I won't. *smile*

>74 karenmarie: Ooh I like that phrase "au courant" even if you are not that. Grins...

Happy Saturday, Karen. Looking forward to meeting Joe today!

Yet, doesn't the chipmunk being torn to death in the Audubon photograph remind us of how good old
Audubon treated his birds before painting them...?

A similar tale haunts the otherwise admirable Looking for Mr. Gilbert which reimagines the life of
a bird photographer.

Weekend's reads orisons, Chief Wrangler Birddude!

Oh, um, yeah...forgot to mention this.
Beaks, Bones & Bird Songs: How the Struggle for Survival Has Shaped Birds and Their Behavior by Roger Lederer...terrific writer...
$3 on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FIV80CU

Congratulations on reaching 75, Mark! I just read about Dara McAnulty and his book in the New York Times. I'm so thrilled you're reading it - it sounds extraordinary and so does he.

'Morning, mark, and happy Sunday to you. I've got many finches and right now that's all.

>76 m.belljackson: Well, animals are torn apart in nature. That is part of the cycle, my friend. Of course, I am glad I don't have to witness it very often.

>77 richardderus: >78 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. It has been a good weekend so far, but no birding yet. I may have all ready snagged Beaks, Bones & Bird Songs at a earlier point. I will check. I appreciate the heads up.

>79 AMQS: Thanks, Anne. Great to see you, my friend. I am not far into Diary of a Young Naturalist but I was immediately impressed by the quality of writing coming from this young man. This will be a treat.

>80 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I have not been up long but there is nothing at the feeders yet. Everything is damp and still.

^ After a year and a half hiatus, Joe and I finally did a Meet Up in the city. It was a grand visit and we talked a mile a minute, catching up on numerous topics. I am also glad to report that Joe looks fine and fit and has recovered well. This photo was taken at Maplewood Brewery, one of our favorite haunts.

>82 msf59:. What a fun time! Great to see you in person, finally, buddy. Could we have asked for better weather? I’m already looking forward to the next time. Good luck with the pick-up truck.

>83 jnwelch: Happy Sunday, Joe! Glad you had a good time getting out. We will do it again soon. That is a promise. Yep, I am hoping this pickup truck works out.

>82 msf59: Yay for the Chicago Chapter of the Old Crocks Club meeting!

The week ahead better have more birding or we'll have to scrape you off the ceiling.

“I have the heart of a naturalist, the head of a would-be scientist, and bones of someone who is already wearied by the apathy and destruction wielded against the natural world.”

“Skylarks are our Sunday choir as we walk out west, the landscape our place of worship, as it always is.”

"All birds live brightly in our imagination, connecting us to the natural world, opening up all kinds of creativity. Is this connection really diminishing to the point of no return? I refuse to believe it. “

-Diary of a Young Naturalist. I can't believe this kid is 15-16 years old. He definitely has an old soul. I am thoroughly enjoying it.



-Northern Gannet. Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. What a beauty.

>85 richardderus: Hooray for the Chicago Chapter of the Old Crocks Club! Standing tall or maybe slightly stooped. It is a wet one here so bird dude is staying indoors with the books. Not a bad thing...

>82 msf59: How fun!

>86 msf59: I requested the Diary of a Young Naturalist from the library yesterday.

I just started a book written by an urban naturalists. This one is Unseen City: the Majesty of Pigeons, the Discreet Charm of Snails & Other Wonders of the Urban Wilderness by Nathanael Johnson and found the introduction to be a real peach of an essay. He lays out exactly what he plans to do in the book. He is NOT doing a guidebook. He maintains that most humans do not learn by memorizing a guidebook. They learn by trying to solve a mystery or problem. Instead of providing a guidebook he is going to "start with the unknown in these essays ... the puzzles that bewildered me ... I was more interested in going deep than going wide." The focus of the book are those plants and animals that live with humans. They are not the exotic ones but the plan everyday plants and animals that we see all the time in cities everywhere. I am looking forward to reading this book because I want to see what he learned and what impact these common features of our urban environment have on what is largely overlooked and unseen.

It isn't a long book but I am already enjoying it.

>88 labfs39: Someday, I hope to get to Maine and we can do a Meet Up, Lisa. I am really enjoying Diary of a Young Naturalist and I am sure you will too.

>89 benitastrnad: Hey, another one for the list, Benita. Thanks. Unseen City looks like a good fit for me. Good warbling. Maybe when you are done with it? Wink, wink...

Hi Mark and happy … day. Another day of finches at the feeders. The squirrel has figured out how to hang upside down on mhy suet feeder and scrape suet out. I can't get one of those big lovely ones like you have because of my setup, but after I use the last of this box of suet I'll get hot pepper suet.

>82 msf59: Thank you for getting someone to take the photo and sharing it here. You both look fantastic and happy. So glad the visit went well.

Happy Not-a-Working Day, my friend. I'm still appreciating that good time Saturday. I'm in a Jack Reacher re-reading mode for some reason. I went immediately from the one to another I had on hand. He sure manages to keep the pages flying.

Kinda gloomy out there again, but staying cool. We're lucky to have dodged the heat. Have a good one, buddy.

>91 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. My feeders continue to be quiet too. Bunnies, squirrels and I believe house sparrows. Hope that hot pepper suet does the trick. In regards to the photo- kudos to Joe for remembering to have it taken. I nearly forgot.

>92 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. glad to hear you are still buzzing a bit from the Meet Up. I am too. We still are working on getting this truck, so it will keep me off the trails for the next couple of days. Enjoy that Reacher!

^The Common Yellow-Throat warbler is one of the few warblers we get, that summer here, instead of traveling far north. They are also quite vocal and it is rare not to hear one on one of my walks. What made this one special, is this beautiful male was feeding a pair of juvenile cowbirds, which are at least 3 times as big as the diminutive warbler. Brown-headed cowbirds are parasitic- They lay their eggs in other bird's nests. I wish I could have got a photo of the warbler feeding these two but I just did not have a clear shot.

>94 msf59: Damned parasitic things! Abusing that lovely male's generosity of spirit. Wicked! Wicked, I say!

Go empty that nest...better he have nothing to do than make more of the vile things.

>90 msf59: I do hope you make it to Maine someday soon, Mark. I'm worried we are going to start loosing more than just the puffins and peregrine falcons due to climate change. It seems the only thing we are getting more of is ticks. They are so plentiful that they are killing moose. Lyme's is epidemic here.

>95 richardderus: Hey, RD! There are several parasitic birds and they don't seem to disrupt the natural cycle of things. Birds find ways around it and keep on thriving. I am just curious how the whole concept of parasitic behavior developed.

>96 labfs39: I have always wanted to visit Maine and Acadia is high on my National Park Bucket List. Sorry, to hear about the diminishing numbers of puffins and falcons. And what is up with the dreaded ticks? And killing moose too. Yikes. I hope they can find a remedy.

-Evan Lian

^Keith Taylor shared this one with me on FB.

76) A Room With A View by E.M. Forster 3.7 stars

Lucy, a young English woman, travels to Florence Italy, accompanied by an older cousin. The people she meets there at the Pension Bertolini begin to open her eyes to the ways of the world, including romantic inclinations. A study in the repressed morals of Edwardian England. I ended up liking this novel but not nearly as much as I did Howard's End.

**This was part of my OTS Challenge, so I appreciate the folks that recommended it.

77) The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane 4.6 stars

Macfarlane has quickly become a favorite author of mine. I am not sure anyone writes about the natural world better than he does, plus he “walks the walk” and just doesn't write about it.
Here he travels Britain's ancient paths and routes that criss-cross the British Isles. Not only does he comment on nature but the reader gets a vast history lesson on a variety of subjects, past and present. His prose is smart and beautiful throughout. The only issue I had was that I listened to this on audio, (the narrator was wonderful) but I surely missed a lot, so I hope to revisit this one in print.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you. Congrats on getting the truck today.

>99 msf59: I loved the movie A Room With a View but have never read the book. It's sitting on my shelves, waiting for me to choose it.

I just saw a male hummingbird have a drink, and have a female finch on the wild bird seed feeder. Mostly quiet, but part of that's because I need to fill the sunflower and suet feeders.

Hi Mark. You missed me up there at >58 EBT1002: but it was a dynamic conversation so I can see how it happened! :-) xo

>98 msf59: Oh my goodness, that is quite funny!

>94 msf59: Great shots and wonderful story.

Putting Diary of a Young Naturalist on hold at the local library.

>99 msf59: With ya on A Room with a View...enjoyable, not a patch on Howards End.

>98 msf59: Ha!! I love it.

Happy it's-what-day-again?

Hi Mark, just waving at you and enjoying all the beautiful pictures up above!

>99 msf59: Have you also read Robert Macfarlane's quietly stunning Lost Words books?

>100 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Yep, we have the truck. Some jitters still but we certainly love it. I plan on seeing the film version of A Room With a View soon. Hooray for the male hummer.

>58 EBT1002: >101 EBT1002: Hey, Ellen. You were commenting on other posts, so I didn't have anything to add. Of course, I love all your visits. Do you get to see many warblers out your way? They are very difficult to locate unless you really tracking them. I see no reason why you will not love Diary of a Young Naturalist.

>102 richardderus: Hey, RD. Glad we are on the same page in regards to A Room With a View. I am sure I will enjoy the film more. Have you read Maurice? That is the last book in this Forster collection.

>103 connie53: Hi, Connie. Good to see you. Glad you like the photos. I have not taken many recently.

>104 m.belljackson: I read and really enjoyed The Lost Words, Marianne. Now, I am on the hunt for The Lost Spells. Have you read that one?

^This has been in the works for awhile. We want to get a hard-sided camper but we need a dependable vehicle to pull it, especially if we eventually want to go cross country with it. Well, we finally pulled the trigger and bought a Ford 150. It is a used vehicle but with very low mileage. It is a beauty and a perfect fit for us. The next mission is making room in the garage to park it. This is at least 3.5 feet longer than our Explorer.

>107 msf59: Congratulations! I have been lobbying for a Ford F-150 for a while now! We pull our R-Pod with a Nissan Frontier and I just sometimes feel like we are working it a bit too hard. Nice to find a used vehicle with low mileage. Good luck with the garage re-organization! ;-)

>107 msf59: Beauty! We had a couple Ford 150s over the years Mark. Good luck with it.

Congrats on reading 75 and on the new truck, Mark. Strangely, I've read both A Room With a View and The Old Ways. Good to see that you liked them too.

Congrats on the new truck, Mark. My husband still misses his Ford F-150, he loved that truck! Nowadays he mostly gets around with this 4 wheel scooter.

>107 msf59: Nice truck, Mark. It looks solid and sturdy enough to pull a whole house!

>108 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. Our new camper will be larger than an R-Pod, so we wanted to be able to pull something in the 4,500-5,500 pound range with no problem. This baby should do it easily.

>109 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie. Glad to hear you are a Ford 150 fan. I had two Chevy S-10 pickups in the past, much smaller so this is a big gun for me.

>110 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Glad to hear you have read a couple of my recent reads. Have you read anything else by Mcfarlane?

>111 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. Another Ford 150 fan. Yah! How does your husband like his 4 wheel scooter? Grins...

>112 connie53: Thanks, Connie. There are at least 2 sizes bigger than this Ford truck, so I am still about in the middle. Hard to believe I know, especially from a European point of view.

Bottom Of The Sea Blues

My soul is with the trees
It's in the sap that fills the wood
It's in the rings that tell her age
It's in the smoke that marks the day
It's in the fire in my heart
It's in the embers in the soot
It's in the place I put the ash
It's in the soil it's in the grass
It's in the miles of all the herd
It's in the beetles and the birds
It's in the feathers that I found one morning lying on the ground
It's hallelujah and oh
It's where I've been and where I go
It's with the people that I meet
It's kneeling silent at their feet
It's ever dutifully yours, it stems my pride
It opens doors

My age is my condition
My love is my intent
I'll paint time with ageless love
Or forget what came and went
For a well full of content

Colors at dawn swallow me, colors at night set me free.

-Johnny Flynn. These song lyrics are featured at the end of Diary of a Young Naturalist. I thought the lovely words were worth sharing.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday.

>107 msf59: I like your new Bad Boy. Good luck making a home for it in the garage.

I had a Ford F150 in the mid-1980s. My boyfriend at the time had bad credit, so we bought it under my name and that worked great until we broke up and he stopped making the payments. Naturally I kept one of the keys… my friend Gloria and I staged an early Saturday morning raid to take it back, hid it where he couldn’t find it, and I used it for a year or so until I sold it and my Civic for a shiny new Volvo 740GLE. Fun times. I still remember him threatening to call the cops. I had to remind him that it was in my name.

Nice truck, Mark. We bought a 2017 Nissan Frontier just before our move. We had to transport a bunch of plants from our old place because inter-state movers don't "do" plants, and we knew we needed it for local and on-the-property use here. We don't have the towing requirements that you're planning for so it's working out well for us. Those F-150s seem gigantic, I can't believe they're not the largest model out there!

>115 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I love your Ford 150 story. It reminded me of something Larry Watson or Daniel Woodrell would write. At least it didn't end in explosive violence. Grins...

>116 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I really like the look of the Nissan Frontier. Our other car is a little Sentra. I wish we could have pulled this future camper with a mid-sized SUV but it would have maxed it out and Sue would have had a nervous breakdown.

Nice truck! I had a Ram 1500 Quad Cab for a few years and loved it. Am seriously considering an electric F-150 for my next vehicle if I can get something with reasonable range, say 400 miles, in a few years.

>118 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. I heard very good things about the Ram pickups too. I think the Ford 150 Lightning look very cool. I heard they have a range over 500 miles. I sure hope this is the future for our vehicles. Fingers crossed.

"An epic, immersive debut, Damnation Spring is the deeply human story of a Pacific Northwest logging town wrenched in two by a mystery that threatens to derail its way of life."

^I received an ARC of Damnation Spring a couple of months ago. It comes out early next month. I thought it would be a perfect time to jump in. It sure sounds like a dandy and I LOVE that cover art. I will start it today.

Happy Wednesday, buddy. Oh, Damnation Spring looks fraught with potential. I"ll be following with interest.

I"ve got, from my sister, a Robert Macfarlane book called Landmarks. You've got me looking forward to it.

I'm alternating my lengthy Paul Lawrence Dunbar reading with a collection called Ghettobirds. The former is better than I expected, the latter not as good as I hoped.

Heating up today. Have a good one.

That is one sexy truck, Mark! I'll be looking forward to your adventures.

I have my Dad's 1999 Ram with less than 30,000 miles on it. Neat truck, can move mountains, but I do wonder if diesel will be gradually phased out.

I bought a vintage camper a few years ago. It was the wrong move. I need to resell it and buy something newer.

>107 msf59: Sweet wheels! And it's great that you'll be able to get where you need to go pretty much no matter what.

>106 msf59: I have indeed read Maurice...there's a sequel to it coming out called Alec: A Novel from Maurice's lover's PoV! Again, a film exists and, TBH, I'd say the film's the better time investment.

>121 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I had a busy morning birding and volunteering, so I hope to curl up with Damnation Spring for a couple of hours this afternoon. Look forward to your thoughts on Landmarks. Macfarlane is a treasure. Bummer about Ghettobirds, since I won that from E.R. Is that where you obtained it too?

>122 streamsong: Hi, Janet. It is a sexy truck. Thanks. I had an old guy, not wearing a shirt come over to me and compliment me on it. I was afraid for a minute that he might like to take a ride. Whew! Your Dad's Ram does not have many miles on it. It must be in pretty good shape.

>123 richardderus: Hey, RD. It is definitely a sweet truck and I enjoyed cruising around in it this morning, as I ran around birding and volunteering. Interesting about the sequel to Maurice. If I saw the film I do not remember it. I will definitely seek it out, after I read the novel.

I hate to be the voice of dissention here, but that pickup looks like a menace. It looks hulking, mean, and angry. It is not at all a friendly design. At least from this angle. At least it doesn't look like it is going to eat you like the new Dodge pickups do. On the good side - it doesn't look hungry - just not friendly.

>126 benitastrnad: There is my favorite "voice of dissention"! Yah! I know that big grill and front end looks menacing but he is a big puppy dog at heart and I would love to take you for a spin, next time you visit Chi-town!

>99 msf59: Hi Mark. i am a big fan of R. Macfarlane too. i have read some of his books but must read more/all. One I really liked was Holloway. As he was a good pal to Roger Deakin I read Deakin's book Waterlog and really liked it. I love swimming and Deakin takes you to many swimming "holes" in the U.K. with a big poetic edge. Glad you liked The Old Ways!

>82 msf59: Yay for a meetup for Joe and Mark! I’m glad you were able to get together!

Congrats on the new truck! I learned to drive a stick on an F-150. It was brand new, and looked quite different from your new beauty, probably because it was a 1979. Lol.

That's a nice looking truck, Mark! Enjoy. I liked your comments about the Macfarlane and about the Dara McAnulty book in progress.

Oh man, keep on truckin'.

Here's a photo for you.

>131 weird_O: Oh Wow! those eyes!

'Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday to you.

I'm in a fiction dither right now, can't seem to settle on anything more serious than a Regency romance by Mary Balogh. But that's a quick read and I'll try for something more meaty next.

>129 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. I hope to make it back to Colorado, so we can do another Meet Up. Another 150 fan. Yah! I had two Chevy S-10 pickups, both sticks, but babies or awkward teenagers compared to this one.

>130 AMQS: Thanks, Anne. I think you would like Diary of a Young Naturalist.

>131 weird_O: Great owl, Bill. Really giving me the stare down.

>132 connie53: Quite electric, Connie.

>133 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I hope this romance novel kickstarts you into something meatier.

^There are not many things that I hate but I do HATE littering and people that do IT. I volunteered yesterday, walking along a road that borders a favorite forest preserve picking up litter. This is probably not even considered a busy stretch of road, mostly truck traffic but it is disgusting how much I collected. I was dragging the bag by the time I got back to my starting point. I probably covered a mile, if that. And thank God for the garbage-picker they supplied me.

Could you imagine, if there were no road crews or volunteers to pick up trash? We would be knee-deep in no time.

^I watched A Room with a View last night and as expected I enjoyed the film more, although it did make me appreciate the novel to a higher degree. What a great cast too. Nice seeing Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and a young Daniel Day Lewis playing an insufferable fop.

>135 msf59: - Hi Mark. Good for you, for the volunteering you did! We used to do this with our students, at school, around the playground on Earth Day (though I always did it myself, any time I saw junk on the ground - not so much from our students as from the neighbourhood kids came to our school property at night). Anyhow, your 2 pics reminded me of a sign at our local pool when I was a kid; always made us giggle: "We don't swim in your toilet - Please don't pee in our pool!"

>137 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Good to see you. Your memory of your pool sign is very appropriate. Grins...

Congrats on the new truck, Mark! Tomm keeps lobbying for one, but I'm resisting hard since he wants to trade in *my* car to get it! NOPE.

>139 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I can see why you wouldn't want to lose your car. How far away from Cedar Point, are you? My son and his girlfriend are there for a few days to enjoy the rides. Hopefully it doesn't rain.

>106 msf59: Yes, my daughter and I have been reading both The Lost Words and The Lost Spells together - what astonishing creative inspiration!

Re: Trucks - that is certainly a BIG one compared to my beloved old trusted, then rusted, Toyota Tacoma.

(Being the daughter of a World War II Vet, I'd never buy a Ford for sheer loathing of Nazi Henry
and now am wondering what to do about both my 2005 Toyota Highlander and daughter's leased Prius -
what is/was wrong with all these people?!?)

>136 msf59: So glad you enjoyed the movie, Mark. And I agree it helps you appreciate the book more. I thank Daniel Day Lewis is hilarious as Cecil. I also love the scene where the ladies come across the men swimming in the pond.

Now that you've read A Room with a View you may want to try Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan (of Crazy Rich Asians fame). There's much more to appreciate in Kwan's novel if you've got the Forster fresh in your memory.

>141 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. I will have to request The Lost Spells. I am sure I will love it. My Dad was a Ford lover and I ended up leaning that way too but I have tended to be open-minded about it. I like my wife's Nissan Sentra. Grins...

>142 lauralkeet: I am a big fan of the Merchant/Ivory films, so it is no surprise. That swimming hole sequence was a fun romp. Daniel Day Lewis is probably my favorite living actor. Have you ever seen My Beautiful Laundrette? It is from the same year. A very good film and Lewis plays a homosexual skinhead. Nice range, right? LOL.

>143 MickyFine: Hi, Micky. Great to see you. I have never read or seen the film version of Crazy Rich Asians but I will take a note of Sex and Vanity. Thanks.

>136 msf59: I was utterly delighted by Cecil Vyse as Day Lewis played him, but I wanted to slaughter the book version!

It's rainy there...here it's so humid they have issued air-quality and severe-heat advisories until Saturday. It's the right season, and these aren't unprecedented, but I still dislike it.

Anyway. Thursday joys, Birddude, and a better birding weekend.

>145 richardderus: Hooray for another Daniel Day Lewis fan. Have you seen My Beautiful Laundrette? I did, many years ago but I remember it being very good. Not raining at the moment here but threatening. At least the humidity is at a comfortable level. Whew! We have work to do making space in our garage, so I doubt I will be able to squeeze in much birding but I will try.

79) Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty 4.4 stars

“I have the heart of a naturalist, the head of a would-be scientist, and bones of someone who is already wearied by the apathy and destruction wielded against the natural world.”

“Skylarks are our Sunday choir as we walk out west, the landscape our place of worship, as it always is.”

Nature became so much more than an escape; it became a life-support system."

Dara McAnulty is a fifteen year old autistic boy from Northern Ireland. He is also brilliant, a dedicated activist, and a budding naturalist. He is also a born writer, in clear evidence here, as he chronicles his life, following the seasons of one year. He has an impressive knowledge of birds but owns a deep devotion to all of nature's wonders, which leads into a fierce retaliation against climate change. The memoir also shines a light on what it means to be autistic, including the brutality of bullying. This is an excellent introduction to Mr. McAnulty and we should be hearing a lot more from this promising young man.



-Red Kite

>146 msf59: Oh yes, I saw My Beautiful Laundrette with Rob last year, and it held up reasonably well. It's weird to rewatch stuff with someone whose life didn't begin until a decade later, but it also gives me really good perspective on what does and doesn't hold up.

>147 msf59: Great review, Mark!

>147 msf59: Nice review. This one has been on my radar for a bit.

>147 msf59: Diary of a Young Naturalist got a recommended review in The New York Times...
which I can't read since I am over my Free Articles for the Month limit.

>148 richardderus: Glad to hear that about My Beautiful Laundrette, Richard. I am fan of director Stephen Frears and this was one of his earlier gems. He also directed the most excellent Dangerous Liaisons.

>149 AMQS: >150 Oberon: Thanks, Anne & Erik. Glad my warbling paid off.

>151 m.belljackson: Well, you have my glowing review of Diary of a Young Naturalist, Marianne, so that should be just as good right? Grins...

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Friday to you.

>141 m.belljackson: Any chance of us switching to Toyota to get my husband’s next car went out the window when Toyota led the way as a donor to anti-election-certification Republicans in Congress after the Capitol insurrection. At least Nazi Henry’s dead and gone, and we have a family history with Ford since Bill's grandfather had one of the first Ford Dealerships in NC in the 1910s or 1920s. And we will never buy a Prius because of the environmental costs of making the batteries.

>148 richardderus: I’ve gotten Jenna to watch quite a few B&W classics and some of the ‘50s musicals I love. It broadens their horizons.

>153 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I did not realize that Toyota did that, after the insurrection. WTH?

A Wing and a Prayer

We thought the birds were singing louder. We were almost certain they
were. We spoke of this, when we spoke, if we spoke, on our zoom screens
or in the backyard with our podfolk. Dang, you hear those birds? Don’t
they sound loud? We shouted to the neighbor, and from behind her mask
she agreed. The birds are louder this spring. This summer. I’ve never
heard such loud birds. Listen to ’em sing. But the birds aren’t singing
louder. In fact, the opposite. Ornithologists have recorded lowered
decibel levels of bird song. In the absence of noise pollution—our planes
overhead, our cars rushing past with their motors and horns, our bars
leaking music onto the street corners—the birds don’t need to shout.
So why are we hearing birdsong now, when it is quieter? Because we
need it more. Poetry in the pandemic: birdsong that was there all along.

BY BETH ANN FENNELLY



-Eastern Meadowlark

>155 msf59: Love this. We've been noticing birdsong more, too. Are you getting any better at identifying which bird's song is which? I find that tough. We can identify the cardinal, and not a whole lot more.

Happy Friday, man. Folks are happy in Milwaukee - the NBA Finals with Phoenix are tied up 2-2 after Wednesday's game.

I'm liking the third volume of that Invisible Kingdom GN series. i'm glad that Patience & Esther is working for you.

>156 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. I am getting a little better at identifying birdsong but it is a work in progress. Download the Merlin app on your cell. There is a fantastic birdsong app on there. You can mess with it on your back deck. It does a great job picking up individual birds. I am finding it invaluable.

Yep, I am enjoying Patience & Esther. I have not visited the Invisible Kingdom GNs yet.

>140 msf59: Cedar Point is up near Cleveland; we're in the middle of the state, near Columbus. I hope they have a great time! It's a popular spot for rollercoaster fans, I think.

>158 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. I do not do rides anymore but Cedar Point does sound fun.

Aaahhh...Friday. Still has a lovely savor, doesn't it, another one in the can and the world refreshing itself?

Read hearty.

>160 richardderus: Hey, RD. Yes, Friday still has a lovely sound, especially since that frees Sue up for a couple of days. I had a good afternoon with the books. Thanks.

>158 scaifea: >159 msf59: Oooo I loved Cedar Point as a kid. It was 3 hours from Pgh. Haven't been there for ages. But then I haven't lived in PGH in ages.

>162 mahsdad: Glad to hear from a Cedar Point fan, Jeff. For me that ship has sailed. I didn't realize it had been around so long.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy clean-out-the-garage-for-the-Bad-Boy Saturday!

>154 msf59: They reversed their position, but only after the Lincoln Project and others called them out on it. Here’s a bit of info: Toyota stops funding insurrection-supporting GOP but only after being called out on it.

>164 karenmarie: LOL. Bad Boy is getting some cosmetic work done at the dealership, so hopefully when we bring him home there will be room. Happy Saturday, Karen.

I did not see that story about Toyota. I will check it out.

80) When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams 4.2 stars

“Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.”

“When we don't listen to our intuition, we abandon our souls. And we abandon our souls because we are afraid if we don't, others will abandon us.”

Shortly before the author's mother dies, she tells her that she has left her several journals but that she is not to look at them until after she has passed. They were beautifully bound volumes but as Williams flipped through them, every page was blank. She uses these empty pages to examine her life, various meditations on being a woman and finding your voice. This may sound a bit dry but Williams is a wonderful writer and the reader will gladly follow her along, as she makes these discoveries. I suggest reading Refuge first, where that one looks at her mother's battle with cancer and the shocking way she contracted it.

**This is also a terrific audio. Williams has a lovely voice.

>166 msf59: That's a very well-regarded book, one I haven't been able to overcome my distaste for the Mormonnity inherent in the tale. Seriously squicky to me, so...well...enjoy it for me.

>167 richardderus: Morning, Richard. Yes, her Mormonism is touched on but it is isn't really explored. This is where she was born and raised, so of course this has colored her life. I don't think she practices that faith. I agree it is "squicky".

>153 karenmarie: >144 msf59:

Well, my great loves from the 1960s on were Chevrolets, until the bomb of a Blazer in one of their off years.

And, I guess you might say that dismissing Henry Ford and accepting cars from the Pearl Harbor people
doesn't quite add up.

When I asked my car mechanics awhile back about switching from Toyota to Subaru,
they unequivocally stated that "ALL Subarus leak oil." Well, geez.

What about a Dodge or a Jeep?

My daughter's Prius is non-electrical, so not sure if that involves the batteries.

Mark - Moving forward to a Bird Book =

If you are ready for a fascinating and pretty far off the garden wall
oddly realistic science fiction series of dark mysteries,
it's definitely one of the best -
and certainly the strangest - Early Review books I've been lucky enough to receive!

It eventually features hermaphrodite Bird People -
not everyone's first choice, but with the U.S. in its
Critical Non-Judgmental phase, no 'Are you serious?!' here.

>169 m.belljackson: my car mechanics...unequivocally stated that "ALL Subarus leak oil."

We've owned four Subes, beginning in the 1980s and continuing to the present day, and not one leaked oil. So much for THAT sweeping generalization. (I doubt that we managed to acquire the ONLY four Subarus ever made that didn't leak oil.)

>171 weird_O: That's better news!

If you can remember, since I will be looking for used cars,
the Subaru Models, that would be helpful.

My family was a Chrysler family from the 1940's on. The old Dodge Power Wagons (half jeep half pickup) were what I learned to drive on. I even drove a push button transmission Dodge and a push-button Chrysler to high school. However, my newest car is a Subaru. I thought long and hard (for about 2 years) before making this purchase. I am not in favor of buying cars made by international car companies. However, in the last twenty years those lines have become so blurred that it is very hard to figure out if a car is a U.S. made car or not. Does assembled in Mexico mean it is a U.S. car? How about assembled in the U.S.A. when all the component parts are made in Germany? The last Chrysler I owned started as a Chrysler, then in 2008 became a Mercedes (Chrysler was purchased by Daimler -Benz) and then was owned by an investment firm that forced even more concessions from auto workers, and finally is now a Fiat. Is that an American company?

I agree that Henry Ford I was a racist. Straight and simple a racist. However, I have to admire what Ford as company did in 2007-8. They were the only major U.S. car company that did not take a Federal bail-out. Instead Ford (the company) decided to rely on their reserves and that and the concessions that the auto unions made, they used up almost all of the reserve money they had but made it through the crisis. I have to admire that. Now Ford is taking the lead on moving to all electric pickups. What? I said. That got my attention again. That is a gutsy move. Will an electric engine be able to power me down those roads in Republic County, Kansas? Again, I have to admire this decision and give the company credit for the thought process behind that move.

So why do I now own a Subaru? Republic County has exactly 3 paved roads in the county. The rest are what we call gravel. In the winter and during the rainy spring these roads are impossible to drive a car on. I needed something with a higher under-carriage, but I didn't want to own a gas guzzling pickup or a gas regulation avoiding environmental disaster of a an SUV. (SUV's are light trucks - the same thing that a pickup is so they aren't subject to the same gasoline mileage requirements as are cars.) I now own a Subaru Outback. An Outback is classed as a station wagon. It is built on a station wagon chassis. That makes it a car. It gives me the clearance I need to get down the roads and the vehicle is still subject to the gas mileage and environmental limits of all cars. That made me bite the bullet and purchase this overpriced carriage that is powered by an internal combustion engine.

Choosing the Outback allowed me to keep a car and thus salved my environmental conscience even if it didn't salve my cultural conscience.

>173 benitastrnad: And no oil leak?

Happy Weekend, Mark. I hope you are enjoying your new truck but, of course, are still saving some time for your books, birds and beer! Ain't retirement grand. :)

>169 m.belljackson: >170 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Not much more to add to the auto discussion. We also have a Nissan that we are happy with. My daughter also has a Subaru Outback and she has had some issues with it but no leaking oil, as far as I know.

What is this Bird Book you speak of?

>171 weird_O: Thanks for the defense of the Subaru, Bill. Bree owns an Outback and likes it.

>173 benitastrnad: Thanks for chiming in on the auto discussion, Benita. My daughter has also had a Subaru Outback for quite a few years. She has had some issues with it, but for the most part she has liked it. In regards to the new electric pickups- they sound awesome and should easily be able to handle those Kansas roads. I hope this will be the wave of the future. Go Ford!!

>174 m.belljackson: Happy Saturday, Judy. So far it has been a good weekend. Getting some big tasks done, along with some reading and beer time.

>176 msf59: Mark - wrote everything except the title: ANY OTHER WORLD WILL DO.

>178 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. Any Other World Will Do does sound good. I must have missed that on ER.

>179 richardderus: That is dark and very funny, RD.

"When Lissa Yellow Bird was released from prison in 2009, she found her home, the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, transformed by the Bakken oil boom. In her absence, the landscape had been altered beyond recognition, her tribal government swayed by corporate interests, and her community burdened by a surge in violence and addiction."

^This true crime mystery caught my eye awhile back and I eventually grabbed it on audio. I will start Yellow Bird today or tomorrow. Anyone else heard anything about this one?

Chiming in to add that I am on my fourth Subaru (3 of them Outbacks) and love them. No leaking oil ever. Was a slight transmission problem with the third, but considering I've been in Subaru's for decades, I don't consider that a deal-breaker. I've only high-centered it once in snow, when snowshoeing in the backcountry. The all-wheel drive has been a life saver more than once. Enough space for either three carseats across the back or multiple girl scouts and all their gear. Spacious enough for a lab (dog, not meth) in the way back. The only downside for me is the gas mileage, but my current outback is a 2013, so it's probably gotten better.

Sorry Mark for continuing down this tangent. To bring it back, I did download the Merlin app and look forward to playing with the birdsong ID. I'm terrible at it.

Yellow Bird sounds very interesting, Mark, and I'll look forward to reading your reactions. It's appalling what money people will do to keep others from getting what they have.

It's the first I'm hearing of it, I confess, so this could be a worthy companion read to Killers of the Flower Moon.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you. Congrats on making a garage home for the new F150 - aka the Bad Boy. I hope you have an enjoyable 3Bs day – books, baseball, beer.

>181 msf59: I’m a sucker for true crime. Our Library has this one, and it’s now on my wish list to read after my current Ties That Bound: First Ladies and Slaves.

>182 labfs39: Hi, Lisa. Glad to hear from another Subaru Outback fan. My daughter lovers hers and it has become the main transport for both of her big dogs. I highly recommend the Merlin birdsong app. Invaluable.

>183 richardderus: Ooh, I am also a big fan of Killers of the Flower Moon. If Yellow Bird is only half as good as that one, I will be happy. I hope to dip into a bit today.

>184 karenmarie: morning, Karen. The 3 Bs will definitely come into play later today. Glad you may be interested in Yellow Bird. I plan on dipping into it later today.

>176 msf59: If ANY OTHER WORLD WILL DO still interests you after checking Reviews,
I will send my ER with a few other books saved for Joe.

>186 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. Much appreciated.

>113 msf59: I did read two more by Macfarlane: Underland and Lost Words. I remember being surprised by the size of Lost Words which was awkward to take home on transit.

>174 m.belljackson:
My Outback is a 2017 and I have had no oil leaks with it. It does use synthetic oil so when it has to be changed it costs $600.00 but that only happens every 40,000 miles or so. It gets about 25 MPG here in the city, but I wish that it did better than that.

>181 msf59:
The reviews for Yellow Bird were very good. I have it on my wish list but haven't gotten to it yet. I will await your verdict as I have lots of other books to occupy my reading hours.

>189 benitastrnad: I'm confused. I change the oil in my Subaru every 6,000 miles and it costs $50 or so

>190 labfs39:
That's not an oil change. It is an oil check. The oil change on the new Subaru's is rare, but when it is time to do it - it is costly. But don't worry - an oil change only happen about every year to year-and -a half. At least for me it does. In 2020 I didn't have to have the oil changed once, so that was a positive thing from COVID lockdown. It was a shocker when I got the first bill for an oil change. I thought I was covered with my maintenance plan but I wasn't. I was only covered for the 6,000 mile oil check.

I think it depends on what kind of oil your Subaru uses. Mine is fully synthetic, so I can go 15,000 miles between oil changes, but not all Subaru's can do that.

Had I known about the oil, or paid attention, to what it meant I would have opted for a different engine in the car I got.

Of course my second choice for a car was a Volkswagen and many of those models also use synthetic oil.

The reason the cost is so much higher is that synthetic oil costs more. As much as $50.00 per quart more. It also has other additives in it that make it more costly to clean and recycle for other uses. The upside is that it is less harmful to the air so is better to have if you live in areas that have high air pollution. Strangely, the term "synthetic" probably shouldn't be used at all because synthetic oil is made from regular oil. It is just a higher grade of oil and as other things added into it to make it even more viscous and help it provide even more protection for your engine. If your engine requires "synthetic" oil you can't use regular oil in it, much the same way that you can't use the same oil for gasoline engines that you do for diesel engines.

I did find out that a locally owned garage will service my car for much less than the $600.00 I was charged by the dealer. The local guy does it for around $200.00 including the tax.

>188 Familyhistorian: I am a fan of both of those books too, Meg. I will have to request The Lost Spells.

>189 benitastrnad: >190 labfs39: My daughter has an Outback and she did say that her oil changes are more expensive but I don't think she has to do those yearly oil checks. The Ford 150 is 5 months, 5,000 miles. The lengthiest of any vehicle I have ever owned. It will also cost about 60-70 bucks.

At least you found a local guy to do it much cheaper. Whew!

^If there is anyone that hasn't read or heard News of the World, it is today's Audible Daily Deal. The film is just okay but the book is a knockout. Narrated by the great Grover Gardner too.

'Morning, Mark! I hope your day goes well.

We got about 2.5" of rain yesterday afternoon/evening, along with lightning and thunder. Today's cooler but pretty humid.

>194 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Wow, you have sure had your share of rain lately. We are enjoying a dry spell and that may continue for the next week.

When Struck by Night

For our new apartment, which my mother may never see
since slugging into that old person’s disease—I won’t bring myself
to say it in writing—I bought a cactus and it’s beautiful,
its soldier-green skin and feline-whiskered dress howls
beneath the den light which encourages me to keep my big-boy jeans on.
I know I look for answers everywhere. Everywhere there you are
with your eyes a war-less country, a privilege we sometimes share.
But tonight, there isn’t a country. Just a sky fussing. Anxious music.
The classic duty of breath as we binge another episode of
What Should I Do When You Want to Die. Sometimes, you fail
to love me, I think I say, the math ain’t mathing—but what could you do?
You’ve researched plants, I know, to find which could live
without much gusto from its human. You pour yourself
another glass of vodka, a shot of tequila for me. Who am I
to think I’m too good for your anger—you were right…
Come, let’s sour our swords together. Come, let morning waltz
into our bedroom all cocky-like like it landlords the place. Come,
let’s plunge forward, drunkenly in love, grab hold the darkness we become.

-Luther Hughes From Poem-A-Day

>196 msf59: Like!

Good morning, Mark. I hope you had a good weekend. We're slowly prying our eyes open here. I read on the treadmill, so I"m looking forward to starting the new Becky Chambers book. We had a very sweet bull mastiff staying with us over the weekend, and I miss her already. She liked to sit on my foot. Looks like pretty good weather again. Enjoy the day, brother.

Ho ho ho!

...wait...not yet, right?

Well, who cares, it's not like we have anywhere we have to go, right? (You'll get used to that fact, honest.)

>197 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. I am glad you got to enjoy the bull mastiff. I really like those dogs. Any pics? I might have to read Chambers one of these days.

>198 richardderus: Hey, RD. What is happenin'? Getting ready to head to the dentist, to repair a broken tooth. Yes, I would rather be birding.

>193 msf59: I've had this in the tbr mountain for a while mark. Maybe at the end of the month now you've mentioned. I know it was much loved on LT.

>199 msf59: Your outing is one I'm going to have to do, as well. My tooth needs attention but my utter sweaty-palmed terror of dentistry militates against it until I actually can no longer eat.

>200 Caroline_McElwee: I hope you finally get to News of the World, Caroline. It is worthy of the hype. Are you doing print or audio?

>201 richardderus: I survived, RD. He is an excellent dentist but being trapped in that chair for 45 minutes is never fun. No more popcorn for the Old Warbler. :)

"Written against the backdrop of contemporary Argentina, and with resounding tenderness towards those in pain, in fear, and in limbo, this new collection from one of Argentina's most exciting writers finds Enriquez at her most sophisticated, and most chilling."

I really enjoyed her last story collection Things We Lost in the Fire, so when I saw this one pop up recently, I immediately snagged it from the library. I must have missed it earlier this year. It came out in January. I don't recall anyone here reading it. I will start it today.

*I love that creepy cover.

>203 msf59: Oh how cool. I liked Things We Lost in the Fire as well. Looking forward to your take.

>201 richardderus: As I was orphaned by neglected dentistry I suggest you shift your terror to the side and attend to the tooth.

>204 mahsdad: Now, that you mentioned it, I do remember you also enjoying Things We Lost in the Fire. I am happy to report that her latest is off to a good start.

>205 quondame: Good advice, Susan. I never seen anything good come out of delaying a bad tooth. One of your parents?

>202 msf59: Print Mark. I don't do audio often.

>206 msf59: My dad. He was 94, so it wasn't like I was a tender sprig, had I ever been one, but he could have had, like his brother and sister, near another decade. On the other hand, he didn't much want another decade, having made pretty good use of the ones he'd had.

>207 Caroline_McElwee: That is exactly what I thought, Caroline.

>208 quondame: 94 is an impressive age, Susan but it is still tough to lose a father. I lost mine at 72.

>209 msf59: Just today I clicked on one of those FB diversions, this one with side-by-side pictures at the same age, mostly of actors and their sons. What struck me is how much younger most of the sons look than their father's looked at the same age. Of course a lot of the fathers may have misrepresented their age which the sons could not do, but still it looks like life was clearly harder on the earlier generation. Though the youth culture aspect may be a factor - looking mature was more OK for leading men than it has been for a couple of decades. Many of the fathers were much better groomed though.

>210 quondame: That is a really interesting observation and one I have thought about too. I think you are correct on the youth culture angle. Despite my graying hair, I think I dress and act much younger than my father or my uncles, at my exact age. Funny, my grandfather at age 70, only 8 years from where I am now, looked the part of an old man, with his pants pulled up above his waist and his top shirt button clasped.

-Harry Bliss

Hi Mark, and happy Tuesday to you!

>199 msf59: Sorry about the not-a-regular-check-up dentist visit. *shudder*

>212 msf59: LOL

>213 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I have been taking pretty good care of my teeth over the years, so this was just one of those missteps. No more popcorn for me, I guess. I love popcorn.

-Black Swallowtail



-Common Wood-Nymph (a butterfly Lifer)

^It is butterfly season so when birding slows a bit, I can switch sides. We were in an open prairie grassland this morning so butterflies were abundant. I am still learning the species so I needed assistance with these two.

>215 msf59: Lovely catches Mark.

>216 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline.

-Least Bittern.

^Not the best photo but this beauty was in the reeds, at a fair distance and active. My birding buddy got a few better photos. This was a FOY bird but I believe it was only the second time I had seen one and actually there were 3 at this location.

"The least bittern is an elusive bird. One of the smallest herons in the world, adapted for life in dense marshes. Rather than wading in the shallows like most herons."

>218 msf59: A beautiful bird, Mark, thanks for sharing.
Over here we have the Little Bittern, although I have never seen one IRL, only on pictures.

>219 FAMeulstee: You are welcome, Anita. Good to see you. I will have to look up the little heron. We also have an American Bittern, which you can also find here but are equally difficult to spot:



-NMP

>220 msf59: Thank you, Mark. They hide well in the reed, and because of their camouflage colors hard to spot.
BTW I have seen once their big cousin, the Great Bittern (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_bittern).

ETA: Link to Little Bittern on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_bittern

I think bitterns make a weird noise, like a loud gulping sound. And they look like they are stalking... ;-)

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you.

>218 msf59: Congrats on your FOY. I like this photo.

Hey, buddy. Top o' the morning to you.

We saw a heron yesterday in the river at LaBagh. Always a pleasure.

i just started my book by Robert MacFarlane called Landmarks. My first by him. It's very good so far.

As you know, I've loved the Montalbano mystery series by Andrea Camilleri. He unfortunately died a while ago. I just read what is probably the next-to-last translated book in the series, The Cook of the Halcyon. It was one of his best, but It's sad to think there's only one more.

Bitterns must be bitter about something, with that scoffing coughing call and the way they hide from others. Wonder what it was that bit 'em in the bucket....

Much happy birding in the smoky outdoors!

Only an hour left of this morning. Gotta make good use of it. Oooo. I know. Coffee!

Love your birding adventures, and your photos.And still you fit in reading. I'm plugging away at Demon Box and The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived. Just committed to reading Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry. You've read some Wendell Berry, haven't you, Mark?

Birds and Cars and Books:

Did you get a notice from Audubon to shut down all bird feeders because of a rising disease from the South?

If you've read Wendell Berry, can you add to the lists above = (on Weird's site)?!

My daughter just told me that loathsome Toyota owns Subaru =
When I check online, it says they own 20% and want more.

Yikes.

>218 msf59: I love the photo! Vertical reeds, horizontal bird. Works.

The American Museum of Natural History tweeted this spectacular beast:

They say:
Meet the Black-naped Monarch! It lives in a variety of forest habitats across parts of Southeast Asia, including India, China, & Thailand. Both males & females have blue plumage, so here’s one way to tell the difference: males have a black patch on their heads!
(all exclams in the original)

>221 FAMeulstee: I like the look of the Eurasian bittern, Anita. Very nice to hear that you have seen one.

>222 jessibud2: You are correct, Shelley. Bitterns make "weird" noises and we heard the least bitterns too. American bitterns are very loud.

>223 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen and Happy Wednesday. We had another nice outing this morning but no FOYs.

>224 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I am so glad to hear you returned to La Bagh. One day we will have to meet there and wander around a bit. I am also glad you are enjoying your first Macfarlane. Save that one for me. Try to track down The Lost Words. It is nice to hear that the Montalbano books continue to deliver but a bummer that you are nearly to the end. You can always revisit, right?

>225 richardderus: Hey, RD. As far as I know, bitterns are not as "bitter" as any other birds, that I have come across. Just skulky, which many other birds are also guilty of. Not smoky here, that is all in the far west.

>226 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. Glad to hear you are not bored of my birding adventures. I am slowing up a bit, due to the warm summer weather, and the decline in birdy activity. I have read Wendell Berry but only a little of his poetry. I would like to try more of his work.

>227 m.belljackson: I did hear about the bird feeder shut-down, Marianne, but it mostly concerns the east coast. I know it has touched down on some Midwestern states too. I have not closed down my feeders yet, but I am doing my best to keep them clean and I have heard no alarming reports in Illinois yet. It appears I have read very little Barry. Bad Mark?

>229 quondame: I am so glad you like my least bittern shot, Susan. Thanks. I saw my birding buddies photos this morning and he has a much better camera and more experience. His photos were excellent.

>230 richardderus: I LOVE the Black-naped Monarch, Richard! Thanks for sharing. I had not heard of this bird but I was immediately smitten.

>232 msf59: We're having smoke-reddened sunrises/sets from the smoke here! And, before the thunderstorms a half-hour ago, we were coughing a bit, too. Air-quality alerts, the whole mishegas.

I'm glad it was so negligible for you, though! It's gross.

>234 richardderus: It has been overcast today, so I have not noticed any smoky interference today, RD. Fingers crossed.

-Bill Bramhall

>236 msf59: I like that, Mark! I heard one wag say yesterday that it is to be celebrated that he made it to space but it is to be commiserated that he managed to come back again!

I think the fact that companies like Amazon pay next to zero taxes, whilst Bezos personally saw his wealth burgeon dramatically during the pandemic is more than a little disgusting. All the big tech and big pharma need reining in IMHO.

>237 PaulCranswick: LOL. I agree with that, Paul. Yep, we are in a bad state of affair when a man and company with that kind of wealth pays nothing while the rest of us schmucks pay more than their share.

^I want to thank the folks that encouraged me to watch Line of Duty. I knocked out the first 3 seasons. I liked the first 2 and loved the third. What a roller-coaster ride. Vicky McClure kicks butt in that one. I also acquired the 3rd season from the library, much easier than jumping through hoops and paying for it on various platforms.

>239 msf59: I'm so glad you're enjoying it, Mark! We're on Season 6 now and I don't want it to end ...

>240 lauralkeet: Glad to hear it continues to deliver, Laura. I will request season 4 in a couple of weeks.

"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an historical novel. The story is told in two parallel storylines, one following 12-year-old Henry Lee's experiences during the Second World War, and the other depicting Henry 44 years later as a widower with a college-aged son. The plot centers around the forced evacuation of Japanese Americans to internment camps..."

Okay, I have had a signed copy of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet sitting on shelf for years. I met and heard Ford at a past Booktopia and I enjoyed his novel Songs of Willow Frost so why I have I dragged my feet on reading this novel? Who the heck knows, but I am glad this was picked for my OTS Challenge. I will start it today.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Thursday to you.

>242 msf59: I loved this book. My copy is currently in Bozeman, Montana with friend Karen, waiting for Jamie Ford to sign it when Karen interviews him for one of the local papers.

>242 msf59: - I read this one and loved it, a few years ago. However, I did notice something at the end and mentioned it in my review of it (on the review page, if you click on the title). I won't mention it here, in case it is interpreted as a spoiler but I would be curious to see what you make of it, after you are finished.

>243 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. We will both have signed copies of Hotel. Yah! You will have to share the interview with us.

>244 jessibud2: Looking forward to starting this one, Shelley. Glad to hear you are a fan.

>242 msf59: So that's your road-trip book? My favorite line: “The hardest choices in life aren't between what's right and what's wrong but between what's right and what's best.”

Yes.

Have a safe and fun trip.

>246 richardderus:
I am headed off for Kansas next week and I am already lining up the books I will take with me for the trip. I plan on taking 4 to read and 2 to listen to on the road.

>247 benitastrnad: I admire people who can ear-read. If I could still drive, I'd be deeply unlikely to survive if I tried to ear-read at the same time....

>242 msf59: this *is* an old one! Isn't it funny how some books just need the right time to get to the front of that queue :)

>242 msf59: I read that one back in 2011 Mark and don't remember much about it. I'm all caught up with Line of Duty. Now I'm completely absorbed by Shtisel on Netflix. Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem with subtitles. I have no idea why I'm finding it so compelling 🤷‍♀️

>31 mdoris:
Thanks for the link regarding Loons and their habits, I enjoyed it tremendously. Will passed away two years ago. I am ever so glad that we vacationed in Maine twice, both times we had a cabin near the lake.

The first time we heard the evening sound of the loons, we both agreed the only word to use was "haunting."

We took away a love of Maine from those vacations. We stayed in Northern Maine, near the Canadian border. The town was Princeton, ME>

>242 msf59: I own a copy of The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Now, I have to find it. I am always drawn to the books you read.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you.

>245 msf59: Will do. It's not scheduled yet, but I hope it will be soon.

>242 msf59: I was an early champion of Jamie Fords's when I read an ARC of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet in my bookselling days. I've read others of his, which were good, but this is my favorite.

Finished The Office of Historical Corrections yesterday, so it will be on its way to you whenever I make it to the PO.

Seek You and Diary of a Young Naturalist arrived yesterday from Boswell. We are back from the cabin, so I think these will be my Friday reads.

Milwaukee is pretty hipped up about the Bucks. I think it is well-deserved and great for our city after losing out on the DNC last year due to COVID. BTW did I tell you a Good City opened up closer to where I live? Have a great weekend, my friend.

Hi Mark! waving!

Came back to say I am only a little bit in, but I think you and Joe with both like Seek You if you haven't checked it out yet.

Happy Friday, Mark. I'm hoping you haven't been stomped by Cardinal fans, and that you're having a swell time in the Gateway to the West.

Hey Birddude! I have this book on my GR tbr list because of Gumble's Yard's review there. I got my ebook-sale Near Occasion of BiblioSin and what was on it? Man V. Nature by Diane Cook! It's a whopping $1.99 until 2 August.

Of course, I felt you should be made aware post-haste.

>257 jnwelch:

I didn't realize Mark was out of town!

-Busch Stadium, St. Louis. Beautiful park and the Cardinals fans were generally good-natured and not abrasive. There was a lot of Cubbie blue in attendance too. The Cubs played crappy though and lost this one. Boo! Oh yeah, it was a HOT evening to boot. Double Boo!



— at Gateway Arch National Park.

^My first time here and I was mighty impressed. I had forgot it was a National Park. Unfortunately, we could not take the tram to the top, since it was sold out but we did tour the museum extensively and I was completely impressed. I did not realize that the Arch was completed in October '65, very close to Sue's birthday.

First of all, thanks for keeping my thread warm during our whirlwind St. Louis trip. Our friends drove. No time to check in. Of course we stopped at a brewery on the way home for dinner and brews in Ottawa Il, home to The Radium Girls.

>246 richardderus: >258 richardderus: Hey, RD. Yes, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was my road-trip read but sadly very little reading was done. I am sure I am going to enjoy this book though.

Thanks for the Cook rec, I all ready have this collection on my TBR. You know me well.

>247 benitastrnad: So what are your Kansas trip reads, Benita? Inquiring minds and all that...

>249 LovingLit: I completely agree, Megan. I should have read this 5 months ago but I am glad I finally plucked it down.

>250 brenzi: Hey, Bonnie. Glad to hear that you have read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Have you read anything else by Ford?

>250 brenzi: Hey, Bonnie. Glad to hear that you have read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Have you read anything else by Ford?

>252 Whisper1: I hope I can inspire you to take The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet down off the shelf, Linda.

>253 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Not far into Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet but I like it in the early going.

>254 alphaorder: >256 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. It sounds like you had a lovely vacation in the woods of WI. I am glad to hear that you are a fan of Ford. Have you read anything else by him? I am looking forward to The Office of Historical Corrections. Thank you. I have the GN, Seek You on request at the library and I can not wait to hear your thoughts on Diary of a Young Naturalist.

>255 connie53: Big Waves back to Connie. All good here.

>257 jnwelch: Happy Friday, Joe. Good times in St. Louis despite a lackluster performance by my Cubs. They played great today, back in Chicago.

>261 msf59: So no chance for breakfast at Rooster. I was gratified that it got named the best breakfast place in MO. It was seriously good. I loved the breakfasts in IL as well and my daughter, who went to college in Peoria tells me that there are better places than Uncle Tom's in Bloomington/Normal. There were so many good places to eat in that small city.

Hi Mark, it's great to hear that you are enjoying "Line of Duty". I am so excited as I am finally going to catch a ferry next week and head over to Victoria and visit with my Mum and the rest of the family. Right now I am reading Darktown which I believe you recommended. It's very good but it definitely stirs up my anger.

>263 quondame: Funny, someone mentioned Rooster while we were there, Susan. We were going to eat at the hotel but they had an incident in the kitchen with an errant fire extinguisher and had to shut the kitchen down. Lucky enough we found a nice place for breakfast, within walking distance. I will keep Rooster in mind for next time.

>264 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Yes, I did enjoy the first 3 seasons of LOD and yes it could have been me warbling about Darktown and it's follow-up. Glad it is working for you. Have a great trip to see your Mum.

Great photos of St. Louis, Mark! The Cardinals are my dad's favorite team, and I remember that he was very excited when I got the chance to stand on that ballfield in high school (our marching band played there once). I love the arch, too, but have never been brave enough to go up in it...

Hi Mark, and happy Saturday to you.

>260 msf59: Beautiful photo. Sorry the Cubbies lost and that it was so hot. Bill’s dad played for the Cardinals organization in the early 1950s, but he got injured and never made it to the big dance. We do have his Cards warm up jacket, though. I think we’ve got his glove somewhere, too.

Bill, Jenna, and I went to the top of the Arch in 2010. It was absolutely stunning.

Glad you had a good trip Mark.

Couldn't resist posting this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leicestershire-57836610

>266 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. We had a good time. The Cardinals fans were quite accommodating, although my friend Phil can get annoying, as a brash, die-hard Cubs fan. All in good fun, though. We would have done the Arch tram but it was sold out by the time we got there.

>267 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I did not realize that Bill's Dad had played for the Cardinals. How cool is that? I wish we could have taken the tram to the top of the Arch. Maybe next time?

>268 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline and I appreciate the link. Go Blue Tits! Always nice to see people excited about birds.

81) Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson 4 stars

Rich Gunderson comes from a long line of loggers. Most of them died young while doing a very dangerous job. Rich is now in his early 50s with both a young wife and a young boy. He knows his days are limited, so is exploring other options. He finds one when he purchases a very valuable plot of redwoods. He can harvest this, make a killing and retire. The setting is Northern California, in the late 70s. Threats from environmental groups and the National Park system, trying to save these lands will all be road blocks for Rich. Another sinister danger has also crept into the picture- the logging companies have been using herbicides to kill the undergrowth, something deemed safe is turning out to have deadly consequences.
This is a solid debut by an author who grew up in this part of the country. She tells the story, through alternating chapters headed by Rich, Colleen and Chub. This style is effective and despite it's length reads very quickly, as the suspense continues to mount. I like most of these characters, but Rich stands out as an iconic figure. One I won't soon forget.
I would also like to thank Scribner for giving me an advanced copy of this terrific novel. (Pub Aug 3rd)

>270 msf59: Adding to my list.

Hi Mark, back again for a longer look at your thread.

>262 msf59: I knew I was forgetting something. But now Hotel op de hoek van bitter en zoet is on my reader!

Nice view of the ballpark! Sounds like a great time even if the Cubbies lost….

>271 Caroline_McElwee: I am glad I got your attention on that one, Caroline.

>272 connie53: Hey, Connie. I am glad to hear you have a copy of Hotel op de hoek van bitter en zoet on your reader. I am enjoying it.

>273 drneutron: It was a nice time, Jim. We are planning on going back and spending a little more time.

Beautiful photos of the Arch! And the park, of course, but it's so familiar from the ages of watching it on TV.

>270 msf59: Wow! What a weird thing just happened. I see a post, but there's no text or anything! So weird. Huh.

>275 richardderus: Hey, RD. It was a very nice National Park. I am glad I finally visited. Did you ever see the review in post #270?

'Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you. I've got a hummingbird sipping his breakfast nectar and a male Cardinal on the wild bird seed feeder. The feeders all need serious attention today.

Hey Mark! A little birdy told me, today is your birthday! Best wishes for a delightful Day!!

My birds have returned! and I saw two bald eagles while kayaking in PA :0)

...couldn't find one with the right number of candles...they blew out the screen, too much light...

>277 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. With this HEAT, I should get out there and change that hummingbird nectar too. Good luck with your feeders.

>278 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. I appreciate it. Hooray for little birdies & bald eagles.

>279 richardderus: I can not see an image. :-(

Happy birthday Mark! Hope your day is filled with all of your favorite things.

Happy Birthday Mark. I hope it's full of pleasures.

>280 msf59: I changed the width and it's showing up...let me know if it's okay now?

WOW! Happy birthday to you Mark! Hope you have a GREAT day.

🎂🥳🎶 🍺🦜📚

I was NOT awake this morning and just now remembered that it is your birthday, my brother's 66th birthday, and my best friend from high school's 68th birthday.

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday!

>281 lauralkeet: >282 Caroline_McElwee: >284 mdoris: Thanks, Laura, Caroline & Mary.

>283 richardderus: I got it now, Richard and I LOVE IT!

>285 karenmarie: Happy Sunday, Karen. Thank you for the birthday wishes. It looks like a special day for you. I am glad I am included in this. I hope you took care of your feeders.

>286 quondame: Thanks, Susan.

Happiest of birthdays, Mark!

Happy birthday!

>288 streamsong: >289 drneutron: Thanks, Janet & Jim. Much appreciated.

Belated happy birthday, Mark!

>291 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. I had a good day.

Even more belated Happy Birthday, Mark!

>293 connie53: Thanks, Connie.