Episode 82: Unexpected Wings (is live)

I will be sending out the newsletter later today, but I just pushed out Episode 82 of the CMP: "Unexpected Wings" (yeah, yeah, yeah... okay, so there are birds in it...). In addition to things that fly, there is more talk about the Word of the Year (from Ali Edward's site), which I know many of you are thinking about. Some of you have talked about your word on the Yahoo! list. Some of you have blogged it already. Some of you have shared it with me in email. I'm glad many of you are moving toward a word. Here's a great list of words others have chosen for this year from Ali's site.

This week... I also talk about these two books, both of which I really, really enjoyed:

A Year of...

It's been a while since I've been here, I guess. I'm surprised to see I haven't posted in the new year. I've been busy with a number of things, and the show has remained on track... but no blogging. And so, today, photos I've talked about already (in EP 81), but photos that mark a year of possibility and a year of commitment to my own journey... to the continuation of it... and to ongoing exploration. And, as you can see, the work in progress right now is the first step... ATCs for January.

One "blank" at a time.

Birds at the Bookstore

Well, as everyone knows, the birds have basically taken over my awareness and so, finally, I found myself at the bookstore intent on getting a copy of the The Sibley Guide to Birds. Everyone agrees I need a Sibley, right? Of course, I do. I've been slow in bringing one home, but it's time. And so, there I was. Both boys had already picked out something (both graphic novel style) and both were in the floor happily reading while I stood in front of the bird books shelf. As my luck would have it, there were no copies of Sibley to be found. I had considered a Kaufman guide, indeed. But I'd decided, in the end, that my first bird book, of my own, should be a Silbeys. So... today was not the day. (I'm really a tried-and-true Amazon.com shopper anyway, but I had a gift card in hand... so, well... there I was.) But, I spent some time looking at what was on the shelves. I finally got to see Letters From Eden: A Year at Home, in the Woods in person, which I've wanted to do for some time, and I think it'll be a great book to read this year. I also found myself enamoured with Robert Burton's The World of the Hummingbird which is brimming with the most beautiful hummingbird photography I've ever seen.

And then, there were the personal narratives... life with birds... Two in particular jumped out at me: Providence of a Sparrow: Lessons from a Life Gone to the Birds and The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

Both seem worth looking into.

And, there you have it.... a bird-oriented trip to the bookstore. And... on the way in... as we got out of our car, the sound of birds was intense. The tree in front of us was bare of leaves... and at first, it appeared empty. But, looking closely, we finally found them... several birds... and amazing song.