Almost wordless: If I hadn’t seen the insect fly into the grass I wouldn’t have noticed it. (I think this is a praying mantis.)
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2016 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.
Happy Monday!
I’ve been enjoying the mild weather we’ve been having this year. Usually by mid-October I have most of the garden clean-up done, plants potted and ready to come inside for the winter, and the yard furniture cleaned and ready to be put away. This year I’m still picking fresh veggies and herbs – very unusual for Chicago – but I know that will soon come to an end. Patchy frost is predicted for later this week.
A few new books arrived last week.
New Arrivals
Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch from LibraryThing.
From various perspectives, Herman Koch tells the dark tale of a writer in decline, a teenage couple in love, a missing teacher, and a single book that entwines all of their fates.
The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick from Harper.
A magical, intoxicating debut novel, both intimate and epic, that intertwines the past, present, and future of two lovers bound by the passing of great comets overhead and a coterie of remarkable ancestors.
No One Knows by J.T. Ellison, a win from Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back.
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© 2016 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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A Rapid Review
A historical journey through maps, plans, and paintings
Publisher:
DK Publishing | September 2016
Format: Hardcover | Rating: 5 stars
Genre: History, Reference
A beautifully illustrated history of the world’s most celebrated historical city maps, from the hubs of ancient civilization to sprawling modern mega-cities, created in association with the Smithsonian Institution.
This is a fascinating collection of historic city maps spanning centuries, from ancient times to modern day. The maps pictured are full color reproductions, in a coffee table size volume, arranged by city type: Ancient Cities, Medieval Trading Centers, Imperial Capitals, Colonial Cities, Ideal Cities, and Megacities.
We learn the story behind each map – who created it and why. Many maps are artwork. For example, maps were often commissioned as paintings, posters, illustrations, or frescoes; others were designed to aid travel or for military purposes; the reasons are many. In addition to the story behind the map, key locations are highlighted in a visual tour of each city.
Some cities have more than one map, in some cases hundreds of years apart, and it’s interesting to see how the cities have evolved and changed. New Amsterdam/New York and Rome were particularly interesting to me as they are both cities I have visited and can relate to.
These maps are all very, very different, done in a wide variety of styles, and cannot be compared to each other. Rather, each is a snapshot in time; a visual, interesting history lesson of each city that can be enjoyed by everyone. History buffs and those fascinated by maps should be especially delighted.
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Source: Review copy provided by the publisher through AmazonVine.
© 2016 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Almost wordless: Yesterday, at the forest preserve.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2016 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Advertisements appearing on this site are placed by WordPress and are not endorsed or approved by me.
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.
A couple of new audio books this week:
Audio Downloads
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey from Penguin Audio.
An intellectual feast for fans of offbeat history, Ghostland takes readers on a road trip through some of the country’s most infamously haunted places–and deep into the dark side of our history.
Friday on My Mind by Nicci French from Penguin Audio.
In Nicci’s French’s thrilling fifth book, London psychotherapist Frieda Klein herself becomes the prime suspect in a murder.
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© 2016 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Last week, while walking in the park, I spotted a female scarlet tanager. This was the first time I have seen one in the park. I usually find them in the wooded area of the forest preserve.
Unlike the male who is a gorgeous bright red with black wings and tail, the female is an olive-yellow color. After breeding season the adult males will molt and become the same olive color, but his wings and tail remain black.
Female Scarlet Tanager
The Scarlet Tanager is a summer resident in the eastern portion of North America. They are long-distance migrants and spend the winter in South America. During September and October they make their way south flying at night across the Gulf of Mexico. There they join in a mixed flock of other foraging species and resident tropical tanagers.
Male Scarlet Tanager
I saw this male a few years ago. I heard him singing so I waited nearby until he popped out of the leaves for a few seconds.
These birds can be difficult to find as they prefer to stay high up in the forest canopy, hidden by the leaves. Males can be a little easier to catch sight of than females. Sometimes I’ll see a flash of red or hear the male’s robin-like song. They are slightly smaller than a Cardinal, but I use my binoculars to check out every red bird I see hiding in the leaves.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy. Visit her blog to see more great photos.
© 2016 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Almost wordless: A lone Cardinal Flower along the path in the park. I have tried unsuccessfully to grow these in my wildflower garden.
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