Lazy Day
Today is a good day for writing, reading, gardening and relaxing. It’s been a busy week! The photo above is my backyard wildflower garden. I put it in a few years ago and the perennials are starting to fill out. I am now able to divide some of them and move the plants to the new garden out front. A cheap and easy way to get more plants.
The deck runs the entire length of the house, but this section is my favorite place to sit. While I was having breakfast outside this morning I was hearing the squawking sound of baby birds. I looked up and there were four baby Starlings and a frantic dad trying to feed them.
Besides being cute and adorable, baby birds are comical to watch. They are almost the same size as the adults and can fly, although not that well, but they don’t know how to forage for food. They will squawk and flutter their wings and then open their mouths waiting for someone to feed them! After all four of them had enough of the suet they flew off and I watched them circle. Perhaps they were getting flying lessons.
Volunteer Bird Monitor
I will be getting a lot of exercise this summer. I volunteered to monitor one of the local forest preserve trails for nesting bird species.
This means I get to wake up at 6am and identify and count birds at several points along the paths in the prairie and woodlands. It gives me the opportunity to take photos when the lighting is good, the birds are active and the people are not.
What am I Reading?
I’m not real big on planning ahead but I managed to accept a few too many review books for June and July. So planning is now necessary. I thought I would have lots of time to read in the summer but it’s the opposite. I’m doing summertime things and have less time.
Here’s what at the top of the to read/listen pile for the next couple weeks:
Print:
• If You Were Here by Alafair Burke (TLC Tour)
• The Backyard Bird Sanctuary by George Adams
• The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth
• The Best of Connie Willis: Award-Winning Stories
Audiobooks:
• Under the Dome by Stephen King (for the #DomeAlong readathon)
• Frozen In Time by Mitchell Zuckoff
• The Black Country by Alex Grecian
• The Sociopath Next Door: The Ruthless Versus the Rest of Us by Martha Stout (for my non-fiction book club)
A Giveaway
There is still time to enter for a chance to win.
I am currently hosting a giveaway for a copy of Restrike by Reba White Williams. The giveaway runs through June 15th for readers with a US addresses.
It is book one of a new mystery series set in the New York art world. It’s past-paced, fun and energetic. A perfect summer read.
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
One of the more familiar North American birds is the Red-winged Blackbird. The males are a bold, glossy black with red and yellow wing patches. Females are dark brownish with a white eyebrow and resemble a large sparrow. The male is the more vocal of the two tirelessly calling out his song from a conspicuous point while the female spends her time in the vegetation building the nest.
The blackbirds typically build their nests in wet places along waterways, ponds and marshes and even wet areas along roads. Early in May I watched this pair build their nest in a small pond.
The female was doing most of the work selecting and carrying plant material to weave into a nest. She will then line the nest with mud to form a cup and add a bed of dry grass.
The male will spend most of the breeding season singing and defending his territory, fiercely if needed. He will chase out other blackbirds, predators and even people.
The male is highly polygynous and will have more than one female nesting in his territory. They have been known to have up to 15 females. I saw two females here but only one was building a nest while I was watching.
This is the completed nest. I took this photo about three weeks ago. More of the marsh has since grown in and it’s difficult to see what is happening in the nest. Any day now I should begin seeing young blackbirds.
Saturday Snapshot was originated by Alyce at At Home With Books. For the summer it will be hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mission To Mars:
My Vision for Space Exploration
by Buzz Aldrin
Narrated by John Pruden
Genre: Non-Fiction, Science
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Publish Date: May 7, 2013
Format: Audio, 4 hours | 49 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Legendary “space statesman” Buzz Aldrin speaks out as a vital advocate for the continuing quest to push the boundaries of the universe as we know it. As a pioneering astronaut who set foot on the moon during mankind’s first landing with Apollo 11 and an aerospace engineer who designed an orbital rendezvous technique critical to future planetary landings Aldrin has a vision, and in Mission to Mars he plots out the path he proposes, one that will take humans to Mars by 2035.
My Thoughts:
I have always been fascinated by the idea of space travel. I remember going to the theater to see 2001: A Space Odyssey way back in 1968 and thinking that maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to travel to a moonbase someday. After all, the US was only months away for the first manned moon mission.
Unfortunately the Apollo project was cancelled, the space program stalled, and we are now decades away from viable space travel. Leaving earth orbit on a rocket is not for the faint of heart. It’s dangerous and costly, and the majority of Americans are no longer risk-takers plus the political will for a government space program doesn’t exist. But for many the desire to travel into space still exists.
In Mission to Mars, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin lays out his plan for a mission to Mars, and explains why Mars and not the moon, is the target to shoot for. There is no need to get into a space race to return to the moon. A visit to the moon should be a collaborative effort with other nations. He proposes a Unified Space Vision, a blueprint designed to maintain U.S. leadership in space exploration and human spaceflight.
“The USV brings in concert exploration, science, development, commerce and security elements.”
In addition to Mars, Aldrin covers an assortment of other space topics. He reminisces about the Apollo Project, his walk on the moon, discusses the space shuttle and how it sent the space program in the wrong direction (it combined hauling cargo with exploration), the inefficiencies of NASA, the need for reusable launch vehicles, and the potential for space tourism to name a few.
The audio production was nicely paced easy to listen to. John Pruden narrated the book in a clear, steady voice with a hint of excitement at some of the plans and proposals. At times it had the feel of a Discovery Channel or Nova presentation, but for non-fiction lovers, that’s a good thing!
There is no need to have a technical background to enjoy this book, just an interest in space travel and a few hours to spend with this highly readable/listenable volume.
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Source: Review copy provided by Blackstone Audio and Audiobook Jukebox
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: Spirea, a flowering shrub in my backyard.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Restrike
by Reba White Williams
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Delos
Publish Date: June 1, 2013
Format: Paperback | 350 pages
Rating: 4½ of 5
Restrike is book one in a new mystery series starring cousins Coleman and Dinah Green and set in the New York art world. Coleman is the editor and owner of ArtSmart, an influential magazine, and Dinah has recently opened her own print gallery in Greenwich Village.
Mysterious billionaire Heyward Bain arrives on the scene with plans to open a print museum. Coleman sees the opportunity to snag an interview with him while Dinah is trying to sell him some of her gallery’s prints. Sales are down and she could use the income. She would like to move her gallery to a better location but is encountering resistance from her jealous husband who has provided the financing for her current gallery.
After some rare, expensive prints that haven’t been seen in years show up at auction, the seller is found dead, setting off a series of events. Meanwhile, many of Coleman’s ideas are showing up in a rival magazine before she can publish them. One of her employees is selling her ideas, but who did it? Then one of her employees turns up dead and soon Coleman is fearing for her own safety as she begins to ask questions someone doesn’t want answered.
When it comes to fine art I know what I like when I see it, but I don’t know much about the art world itself or the terminology, such as the word ‘restrike’.
re·strike –
a new print made from an old lithographic stone, metal engraving, woodcut, or the like.
The meaning of the book’s title soon becomes apparent when supposedly old prints begin to show up on the market and are in pristine condition. The author’s extensive background in art shines through as she creates an informative, detailed, yet never overwhelming world in the New York art scene.
Coleman and Dinah are well-developed and interesting characters. As we learn more about their background we learn how Coleman became a strong, independent woman while newly married Dinah is just beginning to discover her own resolve.
It didn’t take me long to become fully engaged in the plot. Fast-paced and energetic, this a page-turner that’s hard to put down. The mystery builds along several story lines, eventually coming together as the connections between the characters are exposed.
A good choice for an enjoyable summer read.
Giveaway Information
The giveaway is open to those 18 years of age or older with a US mailing address. To enter, leave a comment on or before June 15, 2013. For an extra entry tweet or blog the giveaway and leave the link in your comment. I will draw a random winner who will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond.
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Visit the author's website for more information. Click HERE for the tour schedule.
[Giveaway has ended]
Winner: Lisa Garrett
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Source: Review copy provided by JKS Communications
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The June host is Bellezza @ Dolce Bellezza
It’s June already and hopefully summer is now here to stay. This is my favorite month to read while sitting outside on the deck. No bugs yet and not too hot. Here’s what arrived last week, two print and two audiobooks:
For review from Doubleday:
The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress
by Ariel Lawhon
A tantalizing reimagining of a scandalous mystery that rocked the nation in 1930-Justice Joseph Crater’s infamous disappearance-as seen through the eyes of the three women who knew him best.
On a sultry summer night, as rumors circulate about the judge’s involvement in wide-scale political corruption, the Honorable Joseph Crater steps into a cab and disappears without a trace. Or does he? After 39 years of necessary duplicity, Stella Crater is finally ready to reveal what she knows. more
For review from Ecco:
The Son
by Philipp Meyer
Part epic of Texas, part classic coming-of-age story, part unflinching portrait of the bloody price of power, The Son is an utterly transporting novel that maps the legacy of violence in the American West through the lives of the McCulloughs, an ambitious family as resilient and dangerous as the land they claim.
Spring, 1849. The first male child born in the newly established Republic of Texas, Eli McCullough is thirteen years old when a marauding band of Comanches storms his homestead and brutally murders … more
For review from AudioGo and Audiobook Jukebox:
Hen of the Woods & Other Wild Foods and Medicines
by Steve Brill
A lively and entertaining tour through the wild with Steve Brill as he shares tips on foraging in densely populated areas like New York’s Central Park and rural areas throughout New England. We will follow the seasons: wild ramps in the spring, the first mushrooms of summer, and in autumn, wild edible berries in Central Park—more than you’ll find at your local supermarket; and we haven’t even mentioned wild nuts yet (chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts!).
For review from Blackstone Audio and Audiobook Jukebox:
Mission To Mars
by Buzz Aldrin
Legendary “space statesman” Buzz Aldrin speaks out as a vital advocate for the continuing quest to push the boundaries of the universe as we know it. As a pioneering astronaut who set foot on the moon during mankind’s first landing with Apollo 11 and an aerospace engineer who designed an orbital rendezvous technique critical to future planetary landings Aldrin has a vision, and in Mission to Marshe plots out the path he proposes, one that will take humans to Mars by 2035.
What are you reading?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
I think there is something to the theory that time accelerates as you age. Or perhaps I read too much science fiction. Regardless, I feel like May just flew right on by. Somehow I managed to read 10 books and review nine of them.
May is migration season so I spent a chunk of time looking for birds that I can only see a few times a year. Then there is the new wildflower garden and the veggie garden. And I’m in the market for a job so there are resumes to send out and interview appointments. Also some frustration with a new Windows 8 laptop touchscreen computer.
The Wildflower Garden
I began tearing out a large chunk of my front lawn last spring to put in variety of wildflowers and flowering shrubs. Unfortunately we were hit with a summer long drought and I had to stop halfway through the project. Plants don’t like 100F heat and no rain. I’ve been working on it again the past few weeks and have the sore muscles to prove it!
The photo on the left is what I finished last year. I’m hoping to get the rest of it planted this month.
I should get lots of audiobook time in while I work. This is great timing, June is Audiobook Month and June 17th – 22nd is Audiobook Week.
Birds
Frequent visitors here already know I love birds and love to photograph them and share what I see. May was the height of spring migration and many birds pass through the Chicago area staying only a week or so on their journey to their nesting grounds farther north. I was able to get photos of some birds I don’t see very often to add to future Weekend Birding posts.
Looking for a particular bird photo or old post? Use the search box in my sidebar.
New Touchscreen Laptop
Arrgggggh! In a misguided effort to join the 21st Century and stay up-to-date I now have a laptop that runs Windows 8. No, I’m not giving up my desktop, known as The Mothership, with its trusty, solid and familiar version of WinXP. If I did I would get nothing done. All my photo editing software is for XP, and that is one of the reasons I’ve hesitated to move on to a new operating system.
Windows 8 is an operating system that one needs to ease into. Well, I do anyway. I suppose some people could be thrown in and be productive, but that’s not me. The interface is very, very different from previous versions of windows. There’s little info on how to even get started and no manual in the box. And I do mean different. Hey, where’s the start button?? It’s gone!
Anyone using Windows 8? Do you like it? Any tips?
May Reading Wrap-up
Audiobooks:
• Written in Red by Anne Bishop
• Parrots Prove Deadly by Clea Simon
• Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
• Waiting to be Heard by Amanda Knox
• Trauma Farm by Brian Brett
• The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell
Print:
• Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman
• Lucky Bastard by Deborah Coonts
• The World’s Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne
• The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs
How was your reading month?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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