Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Ten

-Winslow Homer



-Dickcissel. Midewin Tallgrass Prairie.



“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:



April:

39) Old Baggage by Lissa Evans 3.8 stars E
40) The UnAmericans: Stories by Molly Antopol 4.3 stars
41) A River Called Time by Courttia Newland DNF
42) Eleven Sooty Dreams by Manuela Draeger 3.7 stars
43) Shooting Midnight Cowboy by Glenn Frankel 4.8 stars (audio)
44) The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan 3.6 stars
45) A Common Person and Other Stories by R. M. Kinder 3.8 stars E
46) Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong 4.2 stars (audio)
47) An Enchantment of Birds: Memories from a Birder's Life by Richard Cannings 4 stars

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 4.6 stars

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.

Happy new one, Mark! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of the Erdrich.

Hi Mark! Happy new threadd!

Happy New Thread! The Tree Swallow is cute.

Happy new thread, Mark!

>1 msf59: Lovely toppers, and Thoreau was right.

>5 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. The Night Watchman seems to have gotten solid reviews. She usually delivers. I can't believe she has a new one coming out at the end of the year. The woman can certainly churn 'em out.

>6 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda.

>7 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver. Glad you like the cute tree swallow.

>8 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Yep, Mr. Thoreau nailed it!

Happy new thread, Mark. Great toppers.

Happy new thread, Mark! Some great pics.

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Mark!

Happy new thread, Mark!

>1 msf59: Nice!

Catching up from the last one, my first post was also on the What are You Reading Now? weekly thread not long after I joined LT. I commented that I was enjoying Unaccustomed Earth and I remember being so thrilled that other folks responded to it. I also couldn’t help noticing how many more posts were on the weekly thread then than there are now. I think we all kind of met over there and then moved over here.

I have to share that while on my regular evening walk yesterday, I saw not one, but two Great Horned Owls! One was an adult standing at the top of a small waterfall and the other was a fuzzy-headed youngster nearby on a tree branch, squawking for food, I assume. So cool!

Happy new thread, Mark. Nice topper and cute swallow in the bluebird box.

Happy new thread.

I finished Interior Chinatown today. Thanks for mentioning it.

Happy new thread, Mark.

Have a great weekend of R&R.

>10 jessibud2: >11 kac522: >12 drneutron: >13 bell7: Thanks, Shelley, Kathy, Jim & Mary!

>14 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. I am sure we met on the What are You Reading Now? thread and if your first post was about Unaccustomed Earth, no wonder we became fast friends. I have been posted or been over to that thread in a long time. Maybe I should stop by for old time sake.

Hooray for the GHO sightings! Too bad you didn't have a camera along. I bet that would have made a great photo.

>15 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg.

>16 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I hope you enjoyed Interior Chinatown as much as I did.

>17 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I hope you have a nice weekend too.

"Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C..."

Congrats to Ms. Erdrich for winning the Pulitzer and this gave me the nudge to finally pull this down off the shelf, where it has been languishing for well over a year. I love Erdrich, so I am not sure why it took me so long. I will start it today. I am also well into my audio of Unholy, which continues to be excellent, despite it's disturbing subject.

Morning, Mark - happy new thread!

I need to add the Erdrich to my Pulitzer list in my Big Binder of Lists...

'Morning, Mark! Happy Friday. You've inspired me to read The Plague of Doves, brought down from the Media room yesterday.

I hope you enjoy your indoors, rain, books, and etc. day.

>21 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I have kept up very well with the Pulitzer winners, going back quite a few years. Fortunately, most are worthy reads.

>22 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad I inspired you to read The Plague of Doves. Did you say this will be your first Erdrich? If so, you have many gems to try out, after this one.

Rain has stopped here but it will be hot & muggy. Ugh!

-Indigo Bunting. Another blue beauty. These guys nest here through the summer, so they are seen regularly, although I don't always get a good shot.

>1 msf59: Winslow Homer. So excellent. I'd love to tour his studio in Maine, but it's closed until next year.

>25 weird_O: Hey, they could be another reason for me to visit Maine! I have wanted to for years. Thanks, Bill.

One Art

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.

—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

-BY ELIZABETH BISHOP

Happy new thread, Mark!

Happy new thread, Mark! Great thread toppers.

I really want to read The Night Watchman.

I have just started Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir by Rebecca Solnit. It is taking me a while to get used to her softer and wafty voice, to be honest, but I hope it grows on me.

Up to now I thought The Night Watchman was by Fingersmith author, Sarah Waters! What was I thinking?!

>24 msf59: Beautiful. You know I am so envious of your colourful American birds Mark.

>28 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda.

>29 tymfos: Thanks, Terri. Great to see you over here. Missed you. The Night Watchman is off to a good start.

>30 LovingLit: I hope the Solnit narration grows on you, Megan. I really think you would like the content. Waters had a novel called The Night Watch, which you might be thinking of. It was very good, BTW.

>31 Caroline_McElwee: Glad you are enjoying the bird photos, Caroline. More to come...

-Tiger Swallowtail. Morton Arboretum.

Male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Morton Arboretum.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. Excellent photos. I hope Bree's baby shower is wonderful and that you get in a good day of reading.

Morning, Karen. Thanks. Glad you like the photos. You have a great day too.

Morning, Mark! Happy Shower Day!

>23 msf59: I've been working on the Pulitzer list for a good while now, but because I have so many lists, they all take me forever. So, each year I just add the new winner to the list and keep going... Ha!

Your bird photography is amazing, Mark. Thank you so much for sharing with us!

>37 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I get to stay home and read during the shower festivities and I am quite content with that. Good luck on that Pulitzer list. Plenty of great reads on there.

ETA- I have read every Pulitzer fiction winner, going back to 1999. Pats self on back.

>38 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. You know I love sharing my photos as much as taking them. More to come...grins.

Dancing Fish and Ammonites: A Memoir by Penelope Lively 3.7 stars

“Books are the mind's ballast, for so many of us--the cargo that makes us what we are, a freight that is ephemeral and indelible, half-forgotten but leaving an imprint. They are nutrition, too. My old age fear is not being able to read--the worst deprivation. “

“I can measure out my life in books. They stand along the way like signposts: the moments of absorption and empathy and direction and enlightenment and sheer pleasure.”

“Reading in old age is doing for me what it has always done- it frees me from the closet of my own mind...So I have my drug, perfectly legal and I don't need a prescription.”

This was a pleasant memoir, spanning five decades. It traces Lively's early childhood in Cairo, her boarding school years in London and her development as a writer. Of course, it also covers her love of books, which, of course, were my favorite parts. I will have to read more of her work. I have only read Moon Tiger, which I loved.

**Thanks to Ellen for sending this one my way.

>39 msf59: Ha! I'll add a back-pat for that, too! I'm approaching this particular list in alpha order by author, so I can't really put my progress in terms of how far back I've gone. I *can* say that I have a long way to go, though...

>41 scaifea: Thanks, for the back-pat. Hey, it is a fun and interesting task. It looks like I have only missed 2 winners back to 1992. It reminds me to read American Pastoral. I know Roth doesn't get a lot of LT love.

Catching up from your old thread:

-My first post was to Bug Collectors (the LT kind, not the creepy crawly kind). I had to laugh. Can you tell I'm a data geek?

-Which Erdrich is your favorite? I've only read the wonderful Birchbark House trilogy (YA) and The Round House, which I thought was amazing, although a difficult topic.

Good gravy. I'm a whole two days behind. Well, to get back at me for being late, your Muse of Graphic Novels (Kalliope, I guess) made me write a 5-star review of one for my blog entry tomorrow.

I just *know* you had something to do with it but I just don't quite know how....

Happy new thread Mark. We are having regular visits too from the Tiger Swallowtails. They love my flowers.

Happy Father's Day, Mark.

>43 labfs39: Hi, Lisa. I had not even heard of the Bug Collector's Group. I hope I didn't miss anything. Grins...

Tough call on my favorite Erdrich- either The Round House or The Plague of Doves, but she has been very consistent. I also read The Birchbark House but only the first one.

>44 richardderus: Hey, RD. I love good gravy, so thanks. I will have to stop by and see what GN you reviewed.

>45 mdoris: Hi, Mary. Glad you get to enjoy the tiger swallowtails too. I saw a giant swallowtail the other day, but it was a brief look.

>46 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Happy Father's Day to you too.

Hi Mark, interesting about Erdrich. I loved her early books so much: Love Medicine is one of my favorites ever. Her later books not so much. 🤷‍♀️

Happy Father's Day, Mark, to you and the Father-to-be (yikes, and you are the Father-to-Bree!) -

and, next year, will be wished a Happy Grand-Father's Day...

>49 brenzi: Well, I have not read Love Medicine or very many of her earliest books, Bonnie, so I guess I am in for a treat. You didn't care for The Round House?

>50 m.belljackson: Thanks you very much, Marianne. It will be a quiet day. Bree had the baby shower yesterday, so wants to lay low at home today. We will celebrate later.

-Great Blue Heron. Morton Arboretum. On the hunt...

A Father's Wisdom

A father's voice directs you,
It soothes you and it's kind,
Your trusted voice of reason,
To cultivate your mind,

Close your eyes and hear him,
He whispers in your ear,
That gives you all the confidence
To chase off any fear,
Remember all he's taught you,
It's easy if you try,
If no longer with us,
His wisdom will not die,

To loose your dad is tragic,
He didnt want to part,
So always keep his wisdom,
Alive within your heart,
The world is some how new to you,
You have to carry on,
He lives on in your memories,
You praise him every dawn,

So as you wake each morning,
Think of what he'd say,
Remember how he loved you,
And live your life that way,

He'll always be here with you,
His thoughts within your heart,
Praise him in your memory,
And you'll never be apart.

-Scott Salmon

>52 msf59: Very pretty.

>53 msf59: This one, not so much. :-P

Happy Sunday, Mark. Wishing you a fabulous Sunday.

>54 richardderus: Happy Sunday, Richard. Glad you like the GBH!

>55 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. Great to see you over here.

>52 msf59: I do love them Mark, but they remind me of wizened old men.

Hi Mark! Happy Sunday and Father's Day to you.

I hope R&R&R make for a great day.

>57 Caroline_McElwee: An apt description, Caroline.

>58 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. What is the 3rd "R"?

Happy Father’s Day!

Happy Fathers' Day Mark😊

>60 drneutron: >61 brenzi: Thanks, Jim & Bonnie.

Wishing you a wonderful start into the new week.

Mark--that was some storm--hope all is OK near you.

Mark, I’m seeing all the news about the tornado/severe t-storm that hit your area. Hoping all is well with your family and your home.

Please let us know as soon as you can. I’m worried.

>63 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. You have a great week too.

>64 kac522: Thanks, Kathy. It looks like we slept right through it. Yikes. All good here.

>65 lindapanzo: We are fine, Linda. Thanks. It looks like we slept through it. It sounds like it touched down in Woodridge. A short distance away from us.

‘Morning, Mark!

>58 karenmarie: R&R&R is rest, recuperate, and read.

>66 msf59: Wow. I’m glad you slept through it and that it wasn’t close enough to threaten you.

I’m looking at a beautiful male Cardinal enjoying the black oil sunflower seeds. Other than that, totally quiet.

I'm so glad that you weren't in the path of the storm and are safe, Mark! Whew!

>66 msf59: Glad to hear it, Mark. Saw photos of the house in Woodridge--so scary how one house is destroyed and the others around it are all intact.

I was up reading (of course) and the tornado sirens were going off here in the city, but it was just a heavy storm here.

I finished reading The Best We Could Do. Thanks for the recommendation. Scenes like her dad hiding in the underwater dugout overnight when the soldiers came and her reaction to the fire in their apartment building will stay with me. I once tutored an older Vietnamese woman in EFL and was horrified at the stories she told of waiting on the beach for the boat to come, etc. Like Thi's mother, she had done well under the French colonial rule and had her own business there. Although she herself had a hard time adjusting to life as an immigrant in the US, her children all had college degrees, and I remember one worked at IBM.

As long as y'all're safe, it can storm. Actually it's apparently making a fuss in North Carolina, too.

Bad Weather Goddess! No kitten-sacrifices for you!

Greetings, Marko! Lots of activity here (as usual). I spent yesterday in NYC, accompanied by children, grands, and fellow grandparents. First ever visit to the Strand Bookstore (and furnished with a substantial gift card). Supper. I was chauffeured both ways. Whoopie!

>72 weird_O: It must've been a lovely day! It wasn't even horribly hot.

>67 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Thanks for clarifying the 3 "R"s. Yep, the tornado did some serious damage but fortunately no deaths. Disturbingly close to where we live, though.

>68 scaifea: Hi, Amber! It looks like my son is the only one effected, since the building where he works, received a fair amount of damage. Hopefully they can clean it up and repair it, so he can return on Wednesday.

>69 kac522: Hi, Kathy. I have not driven anywhere near the destruction but I have seen plenty of photos and videos and it looks pretty bad. Thankfully, no casualties as far as I know.

>70 labfs39: Hi, Lisa. I am so glad The Best We Could Do worked for you. It is an excellent graphic memoir. My favorite types of GNs.

>71 richardderus: Hey, RD. It seems like this tornado took our area by surprise. When I went to bed before 10, I had not heard anything about it and two hours later it blasted through. Uncomfortably close to where we live.

>72 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. It sounds like an absolutely perfect Father's Day for you. I have never visited NYC but hope to some day. Look forward to seeing what your purchases were.

^Some of the local damage of last night's tornado. These places are about 2 or 3 miles from our home. These are photos from the internet.

>76 msf59: Yikes, that is close to home. I'm glad you are ok.

Mark, was the portion of Woodridge that was hit on your mail route? Maybe where you used to park your truck?

So glad you and Sue are OK. My Naperville friend said he's fine but his son lived about a mile away from where the tornado hit there.

>77 labfs39: Thanks, Lisa. I can't believe I slept through it all.

>78 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Thank you for your concern. I worked in Westchester, not in Woodridge. We live in Downers Grove, which borders Woodridge. Glad your friend is fine in Naperville.

>76 msf59: Wow so much damage. So glad you escaped that Mark.

Yikes, Mark! Glad you are fine and that there were no deaths. Extreme weather just scares me!

>76 msf59: Oh that's way too close. Earthquakes are more my speed! Our hillock suffered minimal damage in the last one that knocked down the local chimmnys.

Mark - here's one from Turgenev for that tornado night -

"Once more the storm-clouds gather close above me in the perfect calm."

>79 msf59: Glad to hear it wasn't where you worked. There's a mail carrier couple who now thinks that it hit right where you worked.

With all the Mom hospitalized/Dad hospitalized issues of the past two weeks, I'm finally ready to sit down and start reading again.

I was worried for a time because a report showed the tornado over my sister's town in the western suburbs. I texted her and got no answer then texted a friend who lives down the street from her who assured me that all was well there.

>80 brenzi: >81 jessibud2: Thanks, Bonnie & Shelley.

>82 quondame: Yes, it was Susan. Your state has enough to worry about, with earthquakes, wildfires & mudslides.

>83 m.belljackson: Nice quote, Marianne. Thanks.

>84 lindapanzo: Glad you can settle back into reading, Linda. I hope things remain calm for you, for awhile. You could use it.

Thanks Mark.

I was just reading on FB how Skeleton Key Brewery in Woodridge, which had just finished an expansion, was leveled last night. Sorry to hear this.

>86 lindapanzo: My son works right next door to Skeleton Key Brewery. Same building. Lots of damage but not leveled. Matt had a bunch of photos. Hopefully he can go back to work on Wednesday.

Love in a Time of Climate Change

I don't love you as if you were rare earth metals,
conflict diamonds, or reserves of crude oil that cause
war. I love you as one loves the most vulnerable
species: urgently, between the habitat and its loss.

I love you as one loves the last seed saved
within a vault, gestating the heritage of our roots,
and thanks to your body, the taste that ripens
from its fruit still lives sweetly on the tongue.

I love you without knowing how or when this world
will end. I love you organically, without pesticides.
I love you like this because we'll only survive

in the nitrogen rich compost of our embrace,
so close that your emissions of carbon are mine,
so close that your sea rises with my heat.

-Craig Santos Perez



^Habitat Threshold is an excellent poetry collection. Eco-poetry. Joe is currently reading it and hopefully feeling the same way.

Glad that you didn't have any Tornado damage, Mark. That looks scary. (Our friend Aaron's place got through with no damage also.)

>76 msf59: My, such destruction Mark. Glad all is safe with you.

>32 msf59: I actually returned the Solnit audiobook because I couldn't deal with her affectations and wafty voice!! But then I got desperate for an audiobook, so got it out again, and now I am hooked :)

>76 msf59: Oh my goodness, that is extreme! Looks like some pretty bad damage for sure. There was a mini tornado in NZ this week (way up north)...they are rare here, and it came with no warning (it was very localised). Terrifying! Did you have strings winds etc at the time that damage was being done, or is it more random than that?

Hi Mark. I just heard on the radio that a tornado touched down in a small town north of Montreal. One woman said that a large tree ended up on her car, and another man said he saw a backyard trampoline fly by. One man died. Yet, 2 doors down, houses were untouched. Just crazy.

>89 banjo123: thanks, Rhonda. I am glad Aaron is okay too. It looked like the tornado hit the south end of Naperville, the same path it took coming through our area.

>90 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. Scary times.

>91 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. I am glad you gave the Solnit a second try and it is working for you. She is a good writer. I did not think tornados happened in NZ. Did you mean "strong" winds? I am sure it was very windy, leading up to the event but it was quite calm when I went to bed.

>92 jessibud2: Wow, Shelley. I did not know you had tornados in Canada or I rarely hear about them. That is tragic.

-Indigo Bunting. Morton Arboretum.

'Morning, Mark. I'm grateful you were all spared although the company where Matt works was damaged.

Since we aren't near any town (and I don't know if any of the nearby towns have tornado warning sirens anyway), we rely on our all alerts weather radio. It's set up for our county and the surrounding counties and gives us the NWS Emergency Alert System notifications.

Tornadoes are scary, Mark. I'm glad you were spared. We had a storm pass through last night that took down a tree and knocked out our power (photo on my thread). The power is still out, but luckily no property damage.

>93 msf59: - Oh, we do get them but not nearly as frequently as in the US. Thankfully, I have never experienced one, myself.

Glad the tornados missed you, but so sorry for the folks that got hit. During the Son's internship at Argonne, he was in Naperville - so I'm glad this didn't happen while he was there!

You had tornados and here in Tuscaloosa we had the Deluge of Noah! Tropical Storm Claudette dumped 8 inches of rain on Tuscaloosa in 24 hours. It flooded many streets and neighborhoods. I left the city in the morning and drove to the north Alabama mountains for a knitting class I signed up to attend, but driving was a real pain in all that rain. I got home in the evening with no trouble only to wake up the next morning to a water shortage. That's right. Shortage. Of Water. After 8 inches of rain. Somehow Tuscaloosa is the victim of aging infrastructure. Two of the cities main water pipes developed leaks over the weekend and due to the high water and saturated ground they can't work on them at the moment. So, Tuscaloosa has a partial water rationing program in place. I happen to live in one of the areas affected. The University of Alabama is also in the hot zone. (after the Supreme Court decision yesterday, they are in the hot zone in more ways than one.) Water isn't being rationed, but it is being restricted.

Can you believe that decision from the Supreme Court yesterday? Wow! and it was unanimous. The "conservative" court has done some really surprising things in the last two weeks. Upholding the American's Health Care Act - for the third time. And now this decision. Very interesting.

>94 msf59: Beautiful boy!!

>76 msf59: Christawful crappy mess! I'm glad it wasn't y'all. And too bad about Matt's work.

Stay safe and cool indoors.

>95 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hopefully Matt will get right back to work. They are reporting 230-plus structures and buildings being damaged or destroyed.

>96 lauralkeet: They certainly are, Laura and we have dealt with our share of them over the years. Fortunately they have not touched us or any of our family or friends. Knock wood...Sorry about your storms and power loss. I hope that is back on.

>97 jessibud2: And I hope that trends continues, Shelley.

>98 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. We got lucky. It looks like it hit the southeast corner of Naperville. It is a big town so I am not sure where your son lived.

>99 benitastrnad: >100 benitastrnad: Bad Tropical Storm Claudette! 8 inches? That is ridiculous and scary. I am not surprised that Alabama has infrastructure problems. I am sure there are many states with the same issues, especially Red states, right?

>101 richardderus: Hey, RD. Glad you like the bunting. They are reporting 230-plus structures and buildings being damaged or destroyed from Sunday night's tornado. Much worse than I thought but at least there was no loss of life. Whew!

Happy New Thread, Mark! Whew, I didn't know the bad storm damage came that close to you! I'm glad your locale was unscathed.

I like the bird photos and the poetry. I bet you had a special Father's Day, with one on the way for Bree. it sure was fun to celebrate with excellent father Jesse and his two wee tornadoes.

It was nice to return to beautiful weather. Nice one for porch-reading. I'm still enjoying the not-short Americanah.

>104 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Welcome back! That tornado was very scary but thankfully it missed us and there were no casualties.
Matt goes back to work tomorrow but got paid for yesterday and today. Yah!

I had a very nice Father's Day and I am sure you did too, especially with those "two wee tornadoes". Enjoy that porch reading. It is a gorgeous day.

I'm glad you didn't get hurt in the storm!

Do you ever see Orchard Oriole's near you? I saw a beautiful male singing in our pear tree this afternoon.

>106 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver. We are too! Yes, I have seen orchard orioles but they are very secretive, so hard to spot. I agree, they are beautiful birds. Never had them at my feeders though.

"In the ten luminous stories of D. Wystan Owen’s Other People’s Love Affairs, the people of Glass, a picturesque village on the rugged English coast, are haunted by longings and deeply held secrets, captive to pasts that remain as alive as the present."

After powering through The Night Watchman, (liked it but did not love it) I had an itch for some short fiction. Other People’s Love Affairs was a ALA acquisition from a couple years ago, so I decided on that one. This is my 6th OTS read for the month, so I am quite pleased with that. Yah! I read the first story and I am enjoying it.

-Common Yellow-Throat Warblers. The top is Pop and the bottom is Mom. I rarely get them together. Mom looks a bit puffed out, unless she is expecting. This was from today's walk.

Glad to hear the tornadoes missed you, Mark. I've heard similar reviews of The Night Watchman - liked but not loved - so I've been slow to get to it. She has a new book coming out in November called The Sentence that I just heard about today that sounds really good, in part set in an indie bookstore in Minneapolis.

>110 bell7: Thanks, Mary. We are glad too. Erdrich could use some editing. The Night Watchman is close to 500 pages. I think it would be a fine 300-350 page novel. I think I am going to go back and read her earlier, leaner stuff. Hopefully, The Sentence will be a return to form.

Hi Mark, scary stuff, those tornadoes. Glad to hear it wasn’t any closer to home.

I had checked out The Night Watchman just before everything shut down last year and even though I had it home for months, I was never able to read more than 20 or so pages.

>112 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Do you get tornadoes or are you too close to the mountains? If not, count yourself lucky. I liked a big chunk of The Night Watchman so I would still recommend it. Are you a Erdrich fan?

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you.

I'm working on The Plague of Doves but must admit that it hasn't grabbed me yet at page 56 of 311.

>113 msf59: Good morning, Mark! We get watches and warnings here but are really too close to the mountains, thank goodness. Along the front range, Denver got hit by one in '89 (I think) that damaged a few buildings, and Windsor, up near Ft Collins, had severe damage from a huge tornado about 15 years ago. So it's mostly the eastern plains where they're an issue. Tornadoes and earthquakes, with their minimal warnings, I could do without.

As for Erdrich, I read (and own a hardcover of) The Beet Queen but it's been 35 years so I don't remember any of it, only that I liked it. :) I read The Round House a few years ago and liked it a lot. I own a few others but haven't read them yet.

>108 msf59: Much like >112 Copperskye:, I couldn't even get to Pearl Rule stage of The Night Watchman. I am not a fan of hers anyway, but this book really peeled my paint.

Happy Humpday, Bird Nerd.

Wow, I"ll not run to read The Night Watchman. lukewarm from you, no way from RD - I have others of hers I"m interested in.

I finished Men Explain Things to Me and can heartily recommend it. Beautifully written short pieces from her.

Incorporating Becca into our workouts worked fine - the trainer did a great job of juggling things, and recognizing that she's not in shape yet.

I hope you had a good birding adventure. It seemed like you got out early enough to miss any rain.

>114 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Sorry to hear that The Plague of Doves hasn't grabbed you yet. It has been quite a few years since I read it but remember I enjoyed it quite a bit.

>115 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. I am glad to hear you are mostly safe from tornadoes. I have never read The Beet Queen but it is on my list, among several other Erdrich titles.

Some unvaccinated Europeans flew in...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-57581570

>116 richardderus: Hey, RD. I did not realize you DNFed The Night Watchman. Bummer. I did not dislike it, although I had some issues, much of it pertaining to bloat.

>117 jnwelch: Happy Wednesday, Joe. I did not dislike The Night Watchman and I would still recommend it to Erdrich fans. I am just a little surprised it won a Pulitzer. It is no The Underground Railroad.

Glad the Solnit was a worthy listen and hooray for Becca joining the workout club. We did miss any rain but we were in up McHenry county and it was cool and windy up there.

>119 Caroline_McElwee: - Wow! Those are gorgeous birds!

Good morning Mark! Like you, I liked but didn't love The Night Watchman, and I was really surprised to see that it won the Pulitzer. "Bloat" is a good word for it. In my review I wrote, "it felt like she threw in 'everything but the kitchen sink,' which meant that even the dominant threads were not fully developed and the denouement felt rushed. The Night Watchman would have been better if some of the characters and subplots were minimized and held in reserve for future novels."

Linda (laytonwoman3rd) made me aware that Erdrich is the AAC author for July, which coincides nicely with her Pulitzer win. I have enjoyed Erdrich's earlier stuff and in honor of her prize win, I ordered The Bingo Palace to read next month. It's one of the Love Medicine series of novels that I haven't read yet.

>119 Caroline_McElwee: Those European bee-eaters are absolutely gorgeous, Caroline. No wonder all those birders flocked to see them. Sweet. Thanks for sharing.

>122 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura. I have enjoyed Erdrich's later work but this one fell a bit short. Patrice (Pixie) seemed to be the main character but then took a backseat for long stretches and she completely dumped on Vera, the sister. And what was the thing with the two Mormon dudes? What was the point of that.

I just bought a copy of Love Medicine which I may try to bookhorn in for next month.

-Yellow-Headed Blackbird (NMP)

We took a road trip yesterday morning northwest of here, nearly to the WI border. Our main target was the yellow-headed blackbird. This is the southern most edge of their usual summer territory. I have never seen one in IL but have seen a couple in WI. Just as we were getting ready to give up and head back to the car, a pair of male juveniles began calling out and Mom ended up showing up too. I couldn't get a good photo but my pal Mike did. These are one of my favorite birds.

>123 msf59: Good synopsis, Mark! Ha ha.
The novels I've enjoyed most (so far) are The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, Tracks, and The Round House. Have you read any of those?

>125 lauralkeet: I LOVED The Round House, (probably my favorite Erdrich). I have not read Tracks and I had not heard of The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. She sure is prolific.

^These are my friend Mike's photos of the yellow-headed blackbirds. We think the top one is Mom and the second one is Mom with a male juvenile.

Wow, lovely birds! I am going to assume that the NMP one is the male. ;-)

So hard to always ID juvvies (and sometimes females of the species, like red-winged blackbird females, for example).

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Thursday to you.

>116 richardderus: I have several authors who really peel my paint…

>124 msf59: Ooh, excellent sighting! I just checked my records, and I saw 2 males and 1 female while visiting friend Karen near Bozeman Montana EXACTLY 3 years ago today. Exciting for you and a wonderful memory for me.

>129 karenmarie: Heh...something about that metaphor just *fixes* the sensation of reading some writers, doesn't it.

>127 msf59:, >124 msf59: They are lovely, lovely birds! I've never heard of them. I miss seeing red-winged blackbirds...they need plowed fields to eat, so here in seaside city-building-land I would say one who showed up was *seriously* lost and in some trouble.

>128 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Yes, the one in #124 is a male yellow-headed blackbird. I did see a couple of males, in WI a couple of years ago. Yes, immature birds can be very tricky and there are masses of them out there right now.

>129 karenmarie: Happy Thursday, Karen. Love seeing these yellow-headed and I am so glad to hear that you have seen them too. True beauties.

I am not much of an Erdrich fan. I have only read two of her books. My favorite of the two was Master Butcher's Singing Club. This was one of her earlier novels. She is a fine writer, but not one that I have to read the instant one of her new titles comes out.

I really loved The Round House too but sounds like some mixed reviews of her other books. I read her earlier books a long time ago and can't remember them.

Hmmm I really loved The Plague of Doves and I liked The Round House but not nearly as much. As I said before Mark, I really loved most of her early work but kind of lost interest in her later work. I think she won the Pulitzer for her body of work. She was the runner up for The Plague of Doves.

>132 benitastrnad: Thanks for chiming in on Erdrich, Benita. It seems like there is mixed reactions to her on LT. Good to know, that you enjoyed The Master Butcher's Singing Club. I have it on shelf.

>133 mdoris: Hi, Mary. Thanks for chiming in on Erdrich. I loved The Round House.

>134 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. I just bought a copy of Love Medicine, so I hope this kicks off a stretch of reading Erdrich's earlier work.

-Great Egret

Our Land

We should have a land of sun,
Of gorgeous sun,
And a land of fragrant water
Where the twilight is a soft bandanna handkerchief
Of rose and gold,
And not this land
Where life is cold.

We should have a land of trees,
Of tall thick trees,
Bowed down with chattering parrots
Brilliant as the day,
And not this land where birds are gray.

Ah, we should have a land of joy,
Of love and joy and wine and song,
And not this land where joy is wrong.

-Langston Hughes From Poem-A-Day

'Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you.

So far this morning I've seen Cardinals, Titmice, a male hummingbird. Yesterday I had the visual pleasure of seeing a male Goldfinch and a male Cardinal on the sunflower feeder at the same time.

Happy Friday, Mark.

Woo, stormy weather. I suspect this'll be a good one for your man cave.

Another good Langston Hughes poem. For some reason, I've grown to appreciate him more as I've gotten older. I read the new Rudy Francisco, I'll Fly Away, and it had its moments, but it was a bit of a letdown after Helium. Andrea Gibson has a new collection coming out soon. I"M still hoping that you get to see her live some time..

A good GN: Patience and Esther. A charming "downstairs" same sex love story set in Edwardian times.

Hope it's a good one for you.

>138 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Thanks for the feeder report. It is still raining here, so very little activity at my feeders. A mourning dove sitting in the platform feeder. That is about it.

>139 jnwelch: Happy Friday, Joe. Yep, still raining here. It had been dry, so that is a good thing and staying in with the books, is not a bad alternative. I appreciate the book update. I will have to get to the latest Francisco, since I loved Helium. Hooray for a new Gibson. You know we are both crazy about her. I am off to request Patience and Esther, (I just did!). I am always on the look out for a GN rec. Thanks, bud.

"While birding literature is filled with tales of expert observers spotting rare species in exotic locales, John Yow reminds us that the most fascinating birds can be the ones perched right outside our windows. In thirty-five engaging and sometimes irreverent vignettes, Yow reveals the fascinating lives of the birds we see nearly every day."

I decided on The Armchair Birder: Discovering the Secret Lives of Familiar Birds as my next audio. For some odd reason this sounded appealing...grins. And this has got to be new favorite book cover...B.A.G.

I have Beet Queen and Plague of Doves on my shelves but they just haven't called out to me yet. As a YA librarian I keep thinking I should read the Birchbark House trio and haven't done so. I know that I should think more highly of Erdrich but somehow her books just don't appeal to me when I read the reviews and the overviews of what she writes. I have her on a list of authors from whose oeuvre that I should read one book per year that I keep posted in my office at home, but somehow that just hasn't materialized in her case. I am not sure why.

On this list I also have Margaret Atwood, Anita Brookner, Joyce Carol Oates, Barbara Kingslover, and Ann Patchet. I stayed fairly faithful to reading one per year by Atwood, but have never managed any of the others on the list. I think the problem is that there are so many books published each year that I can't get them all read.

I also have a Series list. I am trying to read one per year of the Poldark series, Matthew Shardlake, Hangman's Daughter, etc. and several other mystery series, but that isn't happening either. I added James Herriot's books this year, and the Seven Sisters series. I think that the last series I managed to finish was the White Rhino Hotel series.

>141 msf59: A book written for you! How excellent!

>136 msf59: Oooooohhhhhh that is such an elegant sight! Beautiful beautiful animal.

Spiffy weekend ahead, much good reading, and some happy surprises...all the things I'm wishing for you.

>142 benitastrnad: Happy Friday, Benita. I also have The Beet Queen on my list. I only read the first volume in The Birchbark House series but remember enjoying it. I am a big fan of both Kingsolver and Patchett, so I have kept up with those authors. I am not reading much series fiction these days but I remember loving the White Rhino Hotel series, which I think you recommended.

>143 richardderus: Happy Friday, Richard. Glad you like the egret and I can't wait to dip into The Armchair Birder. Have a great weekend too.

-Drew Sheneman

"Now, with Festival Days, Beard brings us the culmination of her groundbreaking work. In these nine pieces, she captures both the small, luminous moments of daily existence and those instants when life and death hang in the balance..."

^Why have I not read Jo Ann Beard? She sounds like the perfect fit for me. I would have loved Festival Days on audio, since NF is my jam in that format, but I grabbed a library copy and I jumped right in. I sense a long-lasting love affair. Any other Beard fans out there? I can't remember what sparked me to read this one but I am glad I made the leap.

>146 msf59: Never heard of her. That title wouldn't get me to pick it up and the jacket image is a snore, too. The other titles, The Boys of My Youth and In Zanesville, also entirely fail to intrigue me.

So my part in maintaining her obscurity is assured.

Hahaha this is what I wrote about Beard's first book of essays, The Boys of My Youth. Almost sounds like we both were surprised by her:

Where have I been? Why have I never heard of Jo Ann Beard? Not that she's been prolific. She's only published this book, one novel and another memoir just released a couple of weeks ago. This memoir, published in 1996, is written in short set pieces as Beard recalls her life as a child right through 1996. And it is one wonderful memoir. Two of the longer pieces stood out for me. One dealt with the dying days of the author's mother, whom we'd gotten to know quite well throughout the book and was entitled "Waiting." For those of us who have endured that particular ordeal, it was poignant and Beard's writing is just superb. But it's her piece entitled "The Fourth State of Matter" that really knocked me for a loop. It concerned a shooting of her colleagues at the University of Iowa and was absolutely riveting. After I listened to the author read it I immediately went online to find the article which was also printed in the New Yorker. Really wonderful in all ways. And I've already got her new book, Festival Days on my Kindle. 4.8 stars

>147 richardderus: I guess I failed to sell it on the Beard, eh, Richard? Grins...Actually she is a good writer, with a strong narrative style. Of course, that is just based on the first 2 essays I read.

>148 brenzi: That is a terrific review of The Boys of My Youth, Bonnie. I will have to track that one down too. I think you will also like Festival Days.

65) The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem 3.6 stars

This story focuses on two friends, one white and black, growing up in Brooklyn. It begins in the 60s and spans the next several decades. It is somewhat based on Lethem's own childhood. It is a sprawling, over-stuffed novel, overshadowing some fine writing and characterizations. I am glad I read it but it wasn't as strong as I had hoped.

68) Fat City by Leonard Gardner 4 stars

The setting is Stockton California, in the 1960s, as the story follows two amateur boxers, one nearly washed up and the other on the rise. A nice snapshot of a time and place, with clean, neat prose. I was reminded of Steinbeck, as I was reading it. This slim novel quietly packs a punch.

71) Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump by Sarah Posner 4.5 stars

Like many of us, I really wanted a detailed understanding of why the evangelicals have embraced Trump, with such deep devotion and continue to do so. Posner has been studying the Christian right for decades and she lays it out perfectly here, explaining why this was a match made in heaven. Not always a pleasant read but an important one.

*Excellent audio too!

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Saturday to you. I hope the family reunion is rain free.

>142 benitastrnad: The White Rhino Hotel Anton Rider series by Bartle Bull is excellent. I also have Shanghai Station and China Star on my shelves, the Alexander Karlov series, but haven’t gotten to them yet.

>150 msf59: Love your lightning round, Mark! The Posner book is something I should probably read when my blood pressure is low so I can let it rise, as it will, but stay within normal range.

Ronnie Raygun was the first to cynically exploit, consolidate, and leverage the evangelicals into what is now the Gang of Psychos. The Bushes and T**** continued the consolidation and polarization.

>151 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Hooray for the Anton Rider series. I never did get to the final one but did enjoy the second volume. I hope you can find time to read Unholy. A perfect one to dip in and out of. And yes, Ronnie Raygun is mentioned a time or two but no one took hold like Trump, their savior.

>150 msf59: I am related to christians of deep faith who are *appalled* by 45's hold on their co-religionists. His cynical manipulation of them is perfectly in character; what I contend, and they resist believing, is that the reverse is also true. In order to fall for that religious guff, naïveté is required; it leaves those who possess that trait vulnerable to other snake-oil sales(wo)men.

Hiya, Mark. Did you get that Tornado Alert? They sent us to our basement, where we watched a Great Korean movie, “In the Mood for Love”. As long as the power stays on , we’re fine. As you remember, we have a lot of books down here, too.

Armchair Birder does sound vaguely like one you might cotton to; can’t wait to hear. You’ve intrigued me with Jo Ann Beard. I’ve never read her, but it makes me think of the joy in finally reading Rebecca Solnit.

Hi Mark, Great Birds, as usual!

>146 msf59: Every time I start to consider myself fairly well-read, up pops an author I’ve never heard of and probably should know. She sounds intriguing.

>171 karenmarie: Unholy sounds interesting but I’m not sure I want to spend any time with those people. Anyone who lived in the NY Tri-State area in the 80s knows he’s a con artist and then some. Fools.

I have both the Bartle Bull books on my shelf which I acquired years ago when you mentioned how good they were. I need to get to them, Mark.

>153 richardderus: Hey, RD. It sounds like your Christian family has a lot more sense, than the evangelicals I have in my family. They are devoted to him. According to the book, the religious right loved him, because he would pass their horrific agenda and he did exactly that. God hand-picked him.

>154 jnwelch: Hey, Joe. We did not get the tornado alert. We were in the far northwest suburbs. Your basement makes for an awesome refuge. I also loved In the Mood For Love, which I rewatched last year. I really like the Beard collection. More warbling to come on her...

>155 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Hooray for great birds. I am really enjoying the Beard collection. She is an author to watch. I completely understand my pals for taking a pass on Unholy but it does answer a lot of questions about Trump and the religious right.

>156 brenzi: Hey, Bonnie. Pluck The White Rhino Hotel off shelf and dive in. It is a terrific introduction to this series.

>146 msf59:

I LOVED Boys of My Youth, which I read for the event that I hosted with Jo Ann Beard when it was published. LibraryThing tells me I have a signed ARC in my house somewhere. I pre-ordered Festival Days but finally started reading it this week too!

Hi Mark! I am not a huge Erdich fan, but I would say my favorite is her first book of stories, Love Medicine.

>159 alphaorder: Happy Sunday, Nancy. Great to see you. Glad to hear you are a Beard fan. I am really enjoying Festival Days. She has such a crisp narrative style. "Cherri" was such a tear-jerker. Looking forward to reading a bigger chunk today.

>160 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda. Thanks for chiming in on Erdrich. I just picked up a copy of Love Medicine and may try to bookhorn it in for July.

-Indigo Bunting. Sitting pretty.

I only read half of the first story so I look forward to the rest.

Love the Indigo Bunting!

'Morning, Mark, and happy Sunday to you.

>157 msf59: My maternal uncle and his progeny are all evangelicals, but I don't know how many of them have drunk the T**** kool-aid. I do know that his grandson (my first cousin once removed) stood next to Melania T**** at the State of the Union Address. Ryan Holets is the policeman who saved an opioid addict's life and adopted her daughter and named her Hope. They're good people, and I don't understand why they or anybody else would accept an invite from that man.

>163 alphaorder: Glad you like the bunting, Nancy.

>164 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I hope your family are the "right" kind of evangelicals or should that be the "left" kind? Ryan sounds like a good person.

>162 msf59: Handsome beast! And truly *indigo* not some pale blue that's been overhyped as such.

It's a lazy day. I still managed to set up my new thread. I feel Virtuous.

I'm a sucker for blue so love the Indigo Bunting photo >162 msf59:. What a gorgeous bird!
My garden is full of blue flowers which are a bit hard to find so I'm always on the prowl for them.

Omg Mark, I just finished Cherie in Festival Days and I'm sitting here stunned. What a writer. This is even better than her first collection.

>162 msf59: Gorgeous!! Happy Sunday. : )

>166 richardderus: Hey, RD. Hooray for handsome indigos and lazy days. I will be by your place shortly.

>167 mdoris: Happy Sunday, Mary. We are lucky we have indigo buntings mid-spring to mid-fall. So you have them in your location?

>168 brenzi: Hey, Bonnie. I also loved "Cherri". My favorite of the collection so far but I also enjoyed "Werner". She is a heck of a writer.

>169 Berly: Happy Sunday, Kimmers. Keeping cool? My sister in Salem, said it might hit 115F there. WTH?? Glad you like the colorful bunting.

'Morning, Mark! I've got finches on the feeders this morning. All the colorful birds seem to be hiding right now. A male hummingbird has settled in for a long drink. I haven't seen a single female this year so far - must be timing.

>171 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I was just over at your place. My colorful birds are hiding, as well. Kind of drab out there, especially with the damp, gloomy conditions. Funny, I think I have mostly seen male hummers too, this year. It is normally always female. Interesting...

Lots of discussion of tempting new (to me) books here Mark. Especially intrigued by Festival Days and also by Fortress of Solitude.

>173 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. Great to see you. I definitely will recommend Festival Days and I WILL be reading more of her work.

I probably already asked you this, but did you read Animal Dreams? What did you think? I picked it up in Pittsburgh.

I'm glad you avoided that tornado weather. That photo of your family reunion of your mom's side of the family is awesome. There's a lot of your clan out there!

Are you reminded every Monday of how happy you are to be retired?

Monday without tears...will we ever grow insensible to its glories?

Hey Mark!
>141 msf59: I had to chuckle. This cover depicts me, especially during the winter months.
Have your birds returned to your bird feeders? I get a few a day but nothing unfamiliar to me. I'm sure they are finding an abundance of organic food elsewhere.
Wow, that twister was way too close for comfort. Glad you guys are ok.

>175 jnwelch: Hey, Joe. I can't remember if I answered you about Animal Dreams. I have not read it but I am a big fan of Kingsolver and this one is on the list. Maybe, this will spark me to finally read it.

Glad you like the reunion photo. It was such a great time and my cousin John was such a generous host.

"Are you reminded every Monday of how happy you are to be retired?" That happens to you too? Grins...

>176 richardderus: No tears on this fine Monday, Richard but we do have precipitation in the forecast once again. The rest of the afternoon is reserved for the books.

>177 Carmenere: LOL, Lynda. I wish my reading spot faced my feeders like this guy's set up. That would be perfect. You should track down The Armchair Birder. It is a lot of fun and informative. Great audio too, if you were so inclined.

It seems like many birds are on the nest or feeding their young, insects. This cuts down on the feeder traffic. House finch, house sparrows and mourning doves seem to be the most active.

>178 msf59: Did I miss the reunion photo?

>180 Caroline_McElwee: I did not post it here, only on FB, Caroline.

-Our family reunion, from Saturday. This is my Mom's side of the family and many of them still live in the area. Sadly, all of the old guard has passed on but it is great to have the younger generation kickstart these reunions. We used to have them every year but it has been a good 15 years since the last one. I usually only see a lot of these cousins at funerals, so this much more preferable.

Great pic, Mark. Are you in there somewhere? We also used to have cousins reunions/get-togethers. My mom's first cousins are all in between her age and my age and the get togethers were always fun and lively. Great that the weather held for you!

>182 msf59: Great photo Mark.

>183 jessibud2: He's in the red, 4th from the right at the back Shelley.

>184 Caroline_McElwee: - You have good eyes, Caroline!!

>182 msf59: You are so lucky. What a large and lovely group!

My cousins and I on my mother's side could only meet after the old guard was gone. Though the real crimes were in the grandparent generation, the parents held the grudges and would have been unforgiving of younger reconciliations. So now, helped with social media there are the occasional meetings.

>183 jessibud2: >184 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks to Caroline for the help locating me. Grins...My wife is in front of me. Sadly, my kids did not make the event. They were missed. My sister and brother both live out of state. They were also missed.

>186 quondame: Thanks, Susan. Sorry to hear that you have had deep-seated family issues. Glad to hear that things seem to be improving. I am very fortunate that I get along with both sides of my family. We also haven't had a reunion on my Dad's side in many years. They are spread across the country so it makes it tougher.

^I was reading Festival Days, (nearly finished with it) and in one essay, she referenced The Incognito Lounge, a poetry collection from the author Denis Johnson, which I am also currently reading. Funny, I learned about the Johnson collection, from another book, Poetry Will Save Your Life. Books are magic, right?

This used to happen to me more, when I was listening to more audiobooks and there would be crossovers between my audio and my print book. I am sure this has happened to others, right?

>187 msf59: - Actually, it was Caroline who found you, Mark. I just asked where you were! lol

And I love when serendipity happens in books. Crossover references, etc. The more you read, the more likely it is, as LTers know!

>189 jessibud2: I must have been typing fast, Shelley because I meant to thank Caroline. Grins...

^I thought this would be fun- This is two of my TBR shelves. Can anyone highly recommend 1 or 2 of these books? I will choose 2 or 3 from the suggestions, (any multiples of the same title of course will get priority) and read them in July. I have been having a great year reading OTS and this should give me an additional boost. I read 6 this month.

I've read very few of these Mark, but you can't go wrong with A Room with a View (Forster), and I'm a fan of Maggie Gee, so The White Family are my pitches.

Half my flat is TBR pile!

>191 msf59: >192 Caroline_McElwee: I’m not familiar with many either but I really enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White - it’s a long book but it’s a cracking read. And I’d echo Caroline’s recommendation for A Room with a View.

>192 Caroline_McElwee: >193 SandDune: I love all 3 of those choices, Caroline & Rhian. It looks like A Room with a View is an early front-runner, plus I can finally revisit the film. Funny, I was eye-balling The White Family just the other day too.

>193 SandDune: I am a big fan of Faber too, so I have no idea why it has taken me this long to get to Crimson.

I haven't read most of what's on those shelves, Mark, so I'll throw in a vote for A Room with a View because I love it so much (and the film!).

What Katie said about your shelves. So I'll just add to the chorus for A Room with a View, book and film. I absolutely adore the film, but you MUST read the book first. Because that's the rule.

>195 katiekrug: >196 lauralkeet: It looks like a slam-dunk with A Room With a View. I also have not seen the film in 20-25 years. Thanks for chiming in Katie & Laura.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you!

>182 msf59: Excellent photo – wow, even without some folks quite a large gathering. It’s great that you could do this.

>191 msf59: It’s hard to read some of the titles, but I did see Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and rated it highly. And I don’t know anything about it, but love the title Baby Shark.

Another vote here for A Room With a View, both book and film. Looks like your choice is made. I also read Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet just in recent months (maybe last year? time is weird now for me). I'd give that one a thumbs up, too.

>199 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Glad you like the family reunion photo. It was a great time. Thanks for chiming in on my OTS Challenge. I think Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a good choice, plus it is a signed copy. I met Ford at a past Booktopia event and I am surprised I haven't got to it yet. Baby Shark could be in the running too.

>200 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. A Room With a View is a done deal. And Hotel is now in the running. ^See my comments to Karen.

NIGHT

I am looking out over
the bay at sundown and getting
lushed with a fifty-nine-
year-old heavily rouged cocktail
lounge singer; this total stranger.
We watch the pitiful little
ferry boats that ply between this world
and that other one touched
to flame by the sunset,
talking with unmanageable
excitement about the weather.
The sky and huge waters turn
vermilion as the cheap-drink hour ends.
We part with a grief as cutting
as that line between water and air.
I go downstairs and I go
outside. It is like stepping into the wake
of a tactless remark, the city’s stupid
chatter hurrying to cover up
the shocked lull. The moon’s
mouth is moving, and I am just
leaning forward to listen
for the eventual terrible
silence when he begins,
in the tones of a saddened
delinquent son returned
unrecognizable, naming
these things it now seems
I might have done
to have prevented his miserable
life. I am desolate.
What is happening to me.

-Denis Johnson. From The Incognitio Lounge

>195 katiekrug: The Cheever stories! Deffo the Cheever stories.

Happy Tuesday.

>203 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. The Cheever collection is an excellent choice and one I have wanted to read for awhile. That said, it is nearly 700 pages, of smallish print, so it would be one, that I prefer to dip in and out of. Maybe, I'll read a few stories in July.

Hi Mark!

Wow - I don't think I had even heard about the Chicago tornado - glad you are safe and sound.

I still have not started The Night Watchman although it's been on my TBR shelf since before the pandemic. The local indie bookstore owner had a brews and books night and handed out review copies that he had received and I pounced on that one. And there it sits. (Funny how some things sort themselves into pre-pandemic; hope we'll be doing those type of things again soon!)

Hit by warbles: Jo Anne Beard's Boys of My Youth since the newer one that you read is not available to members of our library. Many of the libraries in our 30+ library group have decided to only let their newest purchases go to their own members. While, I understand it, it makes me sad. My own library says they don't have enough room to buy many books.

and Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump - still trying to understand this. :(

I have Crimson Petal and the White on my bedside table. It is finally screaming at me after all these years. I also want to read Book of Lost Things and Alive in Necropolis. Book of Lost Things and Alive in Necropolis are going to be easy fast reads. Both of these were Alex Award winners so they were adult books recommended for young adults. (YA's are people 12 - 18 years old) That means they should be fast reads for somebody like you. I heard through the grapevine that the recorded version of Book of Lost Things was well done, so maybe you could listen to that one.

>191 msf59: I spent the first 19 years of my life in China Lake, not that that desert naval base has anything to do with the book on your shelves.

I can also recommend A Room with a View. And the The Book of Lost Things though nowhere near a much. And that's all I recognize of the titles I can make out.

If you had one of these above-ground pools, Mark, you could relax and enjoy the occasional sip whilst you sort through your TBR options. But please, don't pee in this pool.

>205 streamsong: Hi, Janet. I didn't love The Night Watchman but it is worth reading for Erdrich fans. I am glad I got you with a couple off well-targeted BBs. I think Boys of My Youth will be a perfect place to start with Beard, since I have heard nothing but great things. And Unholy will answer most of your questions but it could also make your skin crawl and induce vomiting.

>206 benitastrnad: Hey, Benita. Thanks for chiming in on my OTS Challenge. Maybe we can read Crimson Petal together, at some point. Glad you also mentioned both Book of Lost Things & Alive in Necropolis, since both have been in the stacks forever. I did not realize either were YA.

>207 quondame: Thanks, Susan. China Lake is a crime novel that I have had forever. I have not read Gardiner but I heard she wrote solid books. A Room with a View will be read in July and the The Book of Lost Things is on the list.

>208 weird_O: No peeing in the pool for the Old Warbler, Bill but that does look inviting. Thanks for the invite. Did you see my OTS Challenge up there, in post #191?

>191 msf59: Any chance of enlarging the book titles?

"Joe Ransom is a hard-drinking ex-con pushing fifty who just won’t slow down—not in his pickup, not with a gun, and certainly not with women. Gary Jones estimates his own age to be about fifteen. Born luckless, he is the son of a hopeless, homeless wandering family, and he’s desperate for a way out. When their paths cross, Joe offers him a chance just as his own chances have dwindled to almost nothing. Together they follow a twisting map to redemption—or ruin."

^I fell head over heels for Larry Brown after reading his story collection, Tiny Love, which was one of my favorite reads from last year. I have had Joe on shelf for eons and thought it was time to pull it down. I am just a few pages in but it has all ready taken hold.

Any other Brown fans out there? I know Richard likes his work.

>212 msf59: Excellent book...decent filmed version.

>213 richardderus: I was still editing the piece, Richard, but I mentioned your name. I did see your review. I also have the film bookmarked on Prime. Glad you gave it a Thumbs Up. Cage can be over the top sometimes but he can also be terrific.

>214 msf59: OIC well, just too fast for my own good, then...but yeah, big big thumbs-up.

Hmmm I might join you Mark, for A Room With a View which has been sitting on my shelves for eons. But then so has The Crimson Petal and the White

>210 msf59: I did see that challenge up there at #191. But I must confess I didn't see a title that lit my fire. I've looked several times (with the page enlarged to 175%), and I cannot see A Room with a View. If it's there and you have somehow failed to read it, by all means do so. Frank Ford I like, but haven't read either of those I see. Your PKD book is okay, but not among his best. Can't read the title of the Doig book. Give the Ferris book a try. And tell me what you think of it. *grin* I've read one of his and have at least one other on the shelf.

>216 brenzi: I would love it, if you would join me on A Room With a View, Bonnie. I could start it in a week or in 2 weeks. Let me know what would work.

>217 weird_O: I will have to post better photos of the shelves, Bill. Normally you can stretch them out, to get a better view. A Room With a View is included in a volume of 3 Forster books, it is dark green in color. The Doig is Ride With Me, Mariah Montana. Have you read it? I am a fan of Doig.

>212 msf59: Me Me Me! :) I actually have The Rabbit Factory on the shelf that my wife (I think) bought many years before I was even tracking my reads. I'll have to go find it and add it to the "current" TBR pile. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Joe

>191 msf59: I've only read one of these The House of Sand and Fog, but its been so long, I never even cataloged it. I'm a big fan of PKD, but I haven't read that one. I've read a lot of his short stories. I have Freedom on the shelf, I almost pulled that out the other day. Went a different direction. I'm currently reading Out on Blue Six by Ian McDonald, a very trippy scifi book from the early 90s.

>220 mahsdad: Hey, Jeff. I had not heard of The Rabbit Factory. Cool. So you read Joe?
If not, I can send you my copy?

Did you see my post in #191?

>221 msf59: I have not read Joe, I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands when you're done.

I did see 191, in fact your post >221 msf59: just missed my post >220 mahsdad: :)

>222 mahsdad: I think we cross-posted. I see it now. I should get to The House of Sand and Fog. I am a fan of his. I saw the film version many years ago but I do not remember much about it. Joe is yours. It is an older copy but in decent shape.

I also have House of Sand and Fog on my shelves. Haven't read it yet.

Hi Mark, I had fallen behind here but I am all caught up now. I checked out your TBR shelves and I, too, would recommend The Crimson Petal and the White, I read it years ago but remember really liking it. I also note that you have a number of Alan Furst books on your shelf and I would recommend one of those as well. His books are often set in the months leading up to WW II, they are intelligent and atmospheric. They aren't too long either, so would make a nice palate cleanser between some longer reads.

>281 jessibud2:
I would be ready to read Crimson Petal and the White in about 2 weeks.

>223 msf59: I missed that on the shelf. I remember liking it.

>224 benitastrnad: If you are up for doing a shared read of House of Sand and Fog, let me know. Have you read Dubus or his father?

>225 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Thanks for chiming in my OTS Challenge. I don't think I will be able to bookhorn in Crimson Petal for July, but I might slate it for later in the year. I have read Furst and I like him. It might think about reading one of these.

Re your TBR shelf - I can't help shouting for The Memory of Love - it is one of my favourites - set partly in the civil war in Sierra Leone. Beautiful book. Thinking about it now I want to reread it!

>226 benitastrnad: I don't think I will be ready for Crimson Petal for July. It is nearly 900 pages. Maybe sometime in the fall?

>227 Caroline_McElwee: Happy Wednesday, Caroline. Were you referring to the poem up there? Have you read Johnson? I know him, as mostly a novelist.

>229 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. I remember a whole lot of warbling on The Memory of Love, years ago. That is why I have it. I will put that on the short list.

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you.

>201 msf59: I love signed copies. My hardcover copy of Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet will be signed as soon as my reporter friend Karen in Montana interviews Jamie Ford – slated for some time this month, I think. I mailed my copy to her for him to sign, then she’ll mail it back to me.

>231 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for getting a signed copy Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Ford was a very engaging guy, so your friend should have a good time interviewing him. I will have to read that one.

-Dickcissel. Midewin Tallgrass Prairie.

^The rain has kept me off the trails since last Thursday, so no new photos to share but I wanted to share this beauty, that I enjoyed a few weeks ago. They love to sit up and sing.

Morning, Mark! Your photography skills are getting so good - I'm so impressed!

Also a fan of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. And House of Sand and Fog. Shawn read and loved a bunch of Larry Brown's work back in our bookselling days.

Somehow I managed to read 1/2 of Festival Days yesterday, even with the Bucks and Brewers on and a puppy in the room. (That was after his 3 hours of crazies)

I have not read either of the Dubus - father or son. I should try to get around to it. If that winds up being on your July list, I may join you on reading it. I'll wait and see how the votes for what you should read next come in. (sort of like waiting out election night?)

The Dubus clan isn't famous for nothin' and I still wouldn't want to be pals with any of them.

>234 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. Very kind. I am getting lots of practice.

>235 alphaorder: Thanks for chiming in on the OTS Challenge, Nancy. There is a strong possibility that I will reading both Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet & House of Sand and Fog in July. Great to hear that Shawn is a Brown fan. Ask him what his favorites are and let me know. I assume you are enjoying Festival Days?

>236 benitastrnad: It looks like I will be reading House of Sand and Fog, so be prepared to join me. It will probably be in the second half of the month.

>237 richardderus: I can understand that, Richard. I loved Townie, by III. He was a rascal.

-Mike Luckovich

I'm ready to read Room With a View anytime really Mark. Oh and I loved The House of Sand and Fog many years ago when I read it.

Mark, I think I remember that you are not a watcher of Jeopardy. Just wanted to mention that tonight, one of the categories was called Birds and Books.

Just saying. ;-)

>241 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. It looks like I might be reading both of those titles in July. I think I will start A Room With a View next week, if you want to get your copy out.

>242 jessibud2: Ooh, nice category, Shelley. I do like Jeopardy but just never think about watching it. How did they do with the category?

>243 msf59: - I missed part of it because my phone rang but some of the questions were hard. I did know a few of the correct questions, though! It helps being an LT nerd! ;-)

>230 msf59: Amended. Meant to refer to House of Sand and Fog.

Like you, I as surprised to see the Johnson poem Mark. I love his novel Train Dreams, and have a couple of others near the top of the pile.

>244 jessibud2: Hooray for LT Nerds! What would we do without 'em?

>245 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the clarification, Caroline. It looks like i might be reading House of Sand and Fog this month. I also loved Train Dreams and a couple of others by Denis Johnson. It appears he was quite an accomplished poet too. I like his gritty style.

Hi Mark, and happy Thursday to you.

Good luck with your tbr reads this month.

>247 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I liked my little OTS Challenge and I have selected 3, including Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. If I can remember, I might do this Challenge every other month or so.

Happy July! We are cooling off after a warm & muggy week, (although nothing like either coast). I had a another solid reading month in June, with 13 reads, matching my May totals. This is pretty good for me, considering my audiobook count is down considerably. I am also fast approaching #75.

I had a good birding month in June too. I am trying to figure out the totals for the month but I am at 221 species for the year so far, which ain't shabby.

Hello July indeed. Have you seen this article about how to record birdsong for identification? https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-to-record-bird-sounds-with-your-smartphon...

Spend a good and cooler day.

The New Yorker reminded me today that they published Cheever's truly delightful story "The Swimmer"! It's in your collection, and would be a swell place to start the book.

HI, Mark. Sweet Thursday, buddy.

Interesting Denis Johnson poem up there. I liked the first half a lot, the second not as much.

Did you have some challenge you wanted help with? I probably misunderstood. HOPe you're enjoying this good weather.

>250 richardderus: >251 richardderus: Sweet Thursday, Richard. Thanks for sharing the bird audio link. Some helpful tips. I have been using a couple of different types of bird audio apps but have not been as impressed with them. Merlin just came out with one, that I downloaded and tried this morning and it works wonderfully. This really comes in handy, when you are hearing more than you are seeing, especially in all this dense summer foliage.

I did see that Cheever piece in the New Yorker but only scanned it. I will try to return to it but will definitely heed your advice in reading "The Swimmer". I remember enjoying the Burt Lancaster film many many years ago.

>252 jnwelch: Sweet Thursday, Joe. A beautiful day in Chicagoland, eh? Glad you like, at least half the Johnson poem up there. I am enjoying this collection. Of course, not every one works for me but there are a few gems.

The OTS Challenge was up there in #191. I have received some generous input so I think I am set for July but any comments you want to make are more than welcome.

Marko, hi! Skimming through the thread, I found Larry Brown clinging like a bur. I don't think I know of him, so I googled the name (coming up with lots of sports figures).

This is stream-of-consciousness, mind you.

One of the first factoids that strikes me is his birthday: July 9. Hey, that's my birthday too. Me 'n' Tom Hanks. Worthy peers, I say. My mind flicks to last Sunday evening, when family was lounging outside an ice parlor, finishing our cones. Several of us are staring at our cellphones, searching for notables who share our birthdays. I've got Tom Hanks, but on the other hand, I've also got O. J. Simpson. *sad trombone sound*

But I digress. Might have to look for a writer Larry Brown novel.

Rare white puffin:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-57678621

Thought you'd enjoy seeing this Mark.

>256 Caroline_McElwee: - Wow, Caroline, that is something. They have such sad facial expressions, though, don't they?

>255 weird_O: Howdy, Bill. I see you have a birthday coming up. Yah! I will follow you later in the month. I highly recommend Larry Brown. You must have missed my warbling on his excellent story collection, Tiny Love, one of my top reads of last year. And Joe is shaping up to be another terrific read.

>256 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for sharing the puffin link, Caroline. They are gorgeous. The only puffins I have seen were in Alaska but I have never seen or heard of white puffins. Very cool.

Hi Mark! Not sure if you heard about new book by S.A. Cosby coming out this month. I think I remember you enjoying Blacktop Wasteland a while back.

"S.A. Cosby follows up his debut thriller Blacktop Wasteland with Razorblade Tears. Out July 6, it's the story of two hard-bitten middle-aged men, one Black, one white, who team up to solve the murder of their gay sons. The book "is a visceral full-body experience, a sharp jolt to the heart, and a treat for the senses," says critic Carole Bell. "Cosby's moody southern thriller marries the skillful action and plotting of Lee Childs with the atmosphere and insight of Attica Locke." (from NPR books)

Have a great weekend!

'Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you. Lots of rain here today. I just saw my first female hummingbird of the season - very exciting. Other than that lots of finches on the wild bird seed feeder and otherwise empty feeders...

>259 vivians: Hi, Vivian. Great to see you. I have Razorblade Tears on the list. You are correct, I really enjoyed Blacktop Wasteland. Enjoy your weekend too.

>260 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen. Enjoy your weekend and stay dry. Hooray for the female hummer. I have been mostly seeing the male.

-Cedar Waxwing. No new photos to share so I thought I would trot out an oldie but goodie!

Happy Friday, Mark. I can’t believe I can’t help you more with >191 msf59:! I’ve enjoyed Alan Furst’s spy stories, but I can’t tell which ones you have. I’m one of the few (I imagine) that didn’t like The Crimson Petal and the White. Oh well.

I’ve started To the Bright Edge of the World,?which my reader sister loved and gave me. Also, the new Ruth Galloway, but I don’t think that’s a train you ride.

>262 msf59: Sexy beast, isn't he.

Happy weekend's reads!

>263 jnwelch: Happy Saturday, Joe. Thanks for chiming in on the Challenge. Sorry to hear you didn't like Crimson Petal but glad to hear you like Furst.

>264 richardderus: Hey, Richard. He is a beauty isn't he?

Greetings from Menominee MI. In the UP, just over the WI border. We stayed at a friend's place last night and then we are off to camp at a lake, for a night or two. This is with a different group of people, but we have met them before and they are a lot of fun. I hope to get some birding in too. Sadly, it is supposed to warm up to the low 90s, so I hope we stay cool.
I do not think I will be able to check in much, until I get back home.

'Morning, Mark! Have a fantastic time camping, birding, and hanging out with friends.

>266 msf59: Enjoy the trip (as much as possible in the 90s)!

Hi Mark. I'm not even going to try to read all the posts above and the missed threads. I try to do better with visiting here.

I read in >266 msf59: you are on a camping trip. Enjoy!

Good morning, Mark.

Hope you're having a good time in Menominee. Do you sleep on an air mattress? I'd need one these days. Looking forward to hearing what birds you spot.

^Just getting back from Michigan and now I am heading to the northside of the city to see the Cubs vs. the Phillies. It will be a LATE ONE. My first Cubs game in 2 years. My cousin is taking me. I plan on getting back on track with LT tomorrow. I hope everyone had a great 4th weekend.

BTW- The Cubs are on an awful losing streak, so I hope they turn that around tonight.

>271 msf59: May your presence be the talisman they need to get back in the W column.

>272 richardderus: Thanks, Richard but it did not happen that way. The Cubbies got thrashed once again, 13-3. WTH? Hey, we still made the best of it and had a good time.

>268 richardderus: Thanks, RD. The intense heat was the only inconvenience, in an enjoyable holiday weekend.

>267 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. It was a good trip. I am back and now I will attempt to slowly catch up on the threads.

>269 connie53: Hi, Connie. Great to see you. We had a very nice holiday weekend. Thanks.

>270 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. We had a good time in MI. We do not use an air mattress but find cots easier to use in our tent and they are relatively comfortable. Not a whole lot of birds seen, (about 35 species) but I really enjoyed my two solo birding jaunts.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you. So glad you had a good trip.

"Robert Macfarlane travels Britain's ancient paths and discovers the secrets of our beautiful, underappreciated landscape."

I have only read two of Mcfarlane's books but I am all ready a big fan of his. He is so smart, daring and adventurous along with being such an incredible writer. I started the audio of The Old Ways and it has swept me away, in a mere 3-plus hours.

>275 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Taking it a bit easy today. I need to regroup.

>276 msf59: - I have that book on my shelf as we speak. Looking forward to your impressions.

>278 jessibud2: I think you will love it, Shelley. Have you read any other Macfarlane?

"A Room with a View is a 1908 novel by English writer E. M. Forster, about a young woman in the restrained culture of Edwardian era England. Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century."

Thanks to my little OTS Challenge, I am now reading A Room With a View. The only other Forster I have read is Howard's End, (loved it!). It is off to a good start. Thanks to everyone who suggested this title. I think Bonnie may be joining me on this one.

>279 msf59: - Yes, I have read and loved The Lost Words and The Lost Spells.

>276 msf59: This is, by far, my favorite by Macfarlane. Underland is excellent but can't compete with The Old Ways.

>281 jessibud2: I also loved The Lost Words, so I better get to The Lost Spells. Thanks, Shelley.

>282 Oberon: Hi, Erik. Great to see you stop by. I loved Underland, so this is an impressive endorsement.

-Far Side

>284 msf59: Just the moment when one needs a beebee gun.

>280 msf59: Well, I as going to join you but I didn't realize you were starting this week Mark and I'm 140 pages into a 600+ page book right now. I will read A Room With a View next but it won't be this week.

Just for fun, Mark:

https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/photography/featured-galleries/pro-sports-team...

>285 richardderus: Just a little bird humor...

>286 brenzi: Hey, Bonnie. I thought it was a good time to start A Room with a View, so I jumped in. I hope you still plan on reading it later in the month. I am nearing the halfway point and enjoying it.

>287 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. It was a fun article and of course, I enjoyed the bird gallery. Birds are much more preferable as sport team names than Native Americans references.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you.

Too early for the birds to be visible here, but I'm listening to them waking up and starting their day.

Morning, Karen. My, you were up bright & early or should I say dark & early? All I have at the feeders, at the moment, are a pair of chickadees, a housefinch and a couple of bunnies.