I am a volunteer bird monitor for the forest preserve, and in June and July I count breeding birds at several monitor points. Monitoring needs to be done between 6am and 9am because that is when the birds are most active. I’m not thrilled with getting up that early, but on the positive side, the prairie is beautiful in the morning light, and it’s peaceful and quiet. Unfortunately there are also a lot of mosquitoes and bugs, but bug spray keeps most of them away.
Prairie Clover
The clover was blooming and looked like a carpet of purple.
Milkweed
I was happy to see some Milkweed plants along the path. It is the only plant on which the Monarch Butterfly will lay eggs, and on which the young caterpillars will feed. The Monarch population has been shrinking due to a loss of habitat in agricultural areas of the US.
Spiderwort
The Spiderworts were beautiful. Purples and pinks are popular colors on the prairie in June.
Mystery Flower
I’m not sure what this is, maybe Prairie Larkspur? Anyone know?
Territorial Blackbird
I have to walk through a 5-foot tall section of prairie grass and plants to get to one of my monitor points. The path must be very close to a Red-winged Blackbird’s nest. How did I know this? The male was sitting on a shrub along the path and didn’t move as I approached. As I passed him, he swooped at me, nearly hitting me in the head, screeching all the while. And then he followed me until I was out of range.
Male Red-winged Blackbirds can be very aggressive and may have multiple nests in their territory. I’ve had them dive at me before but this is the first bird that literally chased me until I left his territory. I’m thinking a helmet instead of a hat might be a good idea on my next visit!
Saturday Snapshot was originated by Alyce at At Home With Books. It is now hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Happy 4th of July!
For my US visitors celebrating the holiday, have a safe and fun-filled day. I will be barbecuing, relaxing and enjoying the afternoon with family.
Mr. Robin was keeping an eye on several young fledglings in the front yard. He conveniently posed in front of the flag. “Eagles aren’t the only patriotic bird,” the robin was heard muttering as he flew away.
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China Dolls
by Lisa See
Narrated by Jodi Long
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
Publish Date: June 3, 2014
Format: Audio CD, 15 hours | 12 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Intermediate – Challenging
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
It’s 1938 in San Francisco: a world’s fair is preparing to open on Treasure Island, a war is brewing overseas, and the city is alive with possibilities. Grace, Helen, and Ruby, three young women from very different backgrounds, meet by chance at the exclusive and glamorous Forbidden City nightclub. Grace Lee, an American-born Chinese girl, has fled the Midwest with nothing but heartache, talent, and a pair of dancing shoes. Helen Fong lives with her extended family in Chinatown, where her traditional parents insist that she guard her reputation like a piece of jade. The stunning Ruby Tom challenges the boundaries of convention at every turn with her defiant attitude and no-holds-barred ambition.
My Thoughts:
The story of Grace, Helen and Ruby, Chinese Americans coming of age during the World War II era, is told in alternating points of view from each of the three women. They meet by chance while auditioning for the part of showgirl at a nightclub in San Francisco, and soon become good friends, vowing to never let anything come between them. But through the years their friendships are tested as each tries to outshine the other; secrets are revealed and loyalties are betrayed.
The women’s characters are well-developed, as are their family, friends and coworkers. Rich with historical detail, the World War II era comes to life. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, paranoia and suspicion are heightened, and we vividly experience the prejudice, discrimination and racism of the times through each of the women’s eyes. Written with cringe-worthy realism, the author vividly portrays an unfortunate period of history where bigotry became acceptable, and even encouraged, to promote patriotism.
Perhaps it was the alternating viewpoints, the large number or characters or the need to fill in a lot of back story, but for me, the book had a slow start. At first the women seemed a lot alike. But once war broke out, their lives took different paths and the plot began to accelerate, following each woman’s life through the end of the war. The novel closes with a jump 50 years into the future, providing a satisfying epilogue to each of their stories.
Audio Production:
Jodi Lang’s narration was performed with emotion and enthusiasm. It took me an hour or so to get comfortable with her style, but once I did, the characters came alive.
Having multiple points-of-view and only one narrator, as opposed to using an ensemble cast, made the audio a little more difficult to follow, especially in the early part of the novel when we are still learning the back story. Plus, there were many secondary characters and their relationships to each women to remember. Jodi did change her voice while performing the narration for each of the girls, but Helen and Grace sounded too similar at times. While this book requires some additional concentration, experienced audio listeners should enjoy the production.
Audio Sample:
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Source: Review copy
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Almost wordless: There are lots of new wildlife babies in the backyard the past few weeks. Bunny and squirrel have been meeting under the bird feeders.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky
by Lydia Netzer
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publish Date: July 1, 2014
Format: Hardcover | 352 pages
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
George and Irene are on a collision course with love, destiny and fate. They have everything in common: both are ambitious, both passionate about science, both lonely and yearning for connection. The air seems to hum when they’re together. But George and Irene’s attraction was not written in the stars. In fact their mothers, friends since childhood, raised them separately to become each other’s soulmates. When that long-secret plan triggers unintended consequences, the two astronomers must discover the truth about their destinies, and unravel the mystery of what Toledo holds for them—together or, perhaps, apart.
My Thoughts:
George and Irene were destined to fall in love. Their astrologer moms came up with a plan to get pregnant at the same time, give birth on the same date, raise their children together and then separate them so they would one day find each other again as soulmates.
Twenty-nine years later:
Irene Sparks is an astrophysicist. In her Pittsburgh lab she has just made an extraordinary scientific breakthrough creating black holes and has been offered a prominent position at the Toledo Institute of Astronomy. At the same moment Irene makes her scientific discovery, her mother suffers a fatal fall down the stairs.
George Dermont is an instructor at the Toledo Institute of Astronomy. He has just been told to move out of his lab. They have given it to Irene. They gave her his lab assistant too. George doesn’t seem very upset and wonders if Irene has brown hair. When he does meet her, the connection between the two is immediate. And Irene has brown hair.
Joining George and Irene are a cast of peculiar characters ranging from the baffling to the bizarre. In between chapters on George, Irene, and their budding romance, we move back in time 29 years to learn about their births, and how their moms, Sally and Bernice, came up with, and implemented, a plan for their children to be soulmates. In the present Irene must reconcile her feelings about her estranged, and now deceased, alcoholic mother now that she has moved back to her childhood home in Toledo.
To call this book quirky is an understatement. Original and clever, it’s a magical journey of romance and mysticism woven together with science, mathematics and astronomy. At times baffling and often unfathomable, there was much to like about George and Irene’s tale. And while I enjoyed the book, I wasn’t able to fully immerse myself into the magical aspect of predestined love determined by the stars. Perhaps the reality of hard science was getting in my way.
For those looking for something different and open to the unusual, this is a book worth picking up.
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Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
© 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Welcome to Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia of To Be Continued, a place where readers share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week.
After several years of being on tour with different blogs as the monthly host, the Mailbox Monday Blog is now the permanent home for the meme.
Here’s what arrived last week:
Print Books
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman from Atria.
In this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
World of Trouble (Last Policeman #3) by Ben H. Winters from LibraryThing and Quirk Books.
With the doomsday asteroid looming, Detective Hank Palace has found sanctuary in the woods of New England, secure in a well-stocked safe house with other onetime members of the Concord police force.
The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee, a win from Mary at Bookfan.
Portia Cuthcart never intended to leave Texas. Her dream was to run the Glass Kitchen restaurant her grandmother built decades ago. But after a string of betrayals and the loss of her legacy, Portia is determined to start a new life with her sisters in Manhattan… and never cook again.
Audio Downloads
Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian from Random House Audio.
A heartbreaking, wildly inventive, and moving novel narrated by a teenage runaway, from the bestselling author of Midwives and The Sandcastle Girls.
I Love You More by Jennifer Murphy from Random House Audio.
One man, three wives, the perfect murder. A scintillating novel of betrayal and conspiracy.
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New Giveaway
Save The Date by Mary Kay Andrews:
A wedding florist finds love and trouble in this delightful new novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Ladies’ Night.
Click the image for details.
To enter, fill out the form. US addresses only by midnight 7/5.
How was your week?
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© 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Thank you to everyone that stopped by to enter the giveaways the past few weeks. Winners have been selected for the following books and were notified by email.
The Fever
by Megan Abbott
Winner: Shoshanah
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Third Rail
by Rory Flynn
Winner: Suko
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The Guide
by Milt Mays
Winner: Anita
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© 2014 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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