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Tag: September 2016

Happy Surprise
sun 4 sept 2016

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2016/20160904.html
Entry #1 on this page (tagged: september)


Walked out to the Community Garden this morning... but not too early because the weather has changed and we are back to reasonable temperatures. Our garden plot needs some work. I have thought about this for a couple of weeks. And today I pulled up some dead plants and a couple old cages and markers.

Sunflowers

I was happy to get a few photos of sunflowers. Didn't see any hummingbirds, but I got blurry photos of some Goldfinches, eating sunflower seeds. eh.

On my trek home, I crossed the street and was walking the most boring part of the bike path. A long stretch where trees hang over the creek and hide the water... and the mowed meadow on the other side provides no visual treat. My mind was occupied with the letters I wanted to write once I got home.

There were birds yelling at each other. For several minutes it didn't even register with me, I was so preoccupied with the details of my letter writing! But they were so loud! and as I was walking up to the very vocal avian disagreement... I realized I had no idea who was yelling!

I literally stopped in my tracks because I suddenly knew it was Belted Kingfishers! Two of them!! Were they fighting over territory??! I searched and saw a bare glimpse of someone flying behind the trees that blocked me from the creek. ARG!

The fight for territory was over and I saw the loser flying away, away from me and the creek.

The winner still called out, though. I searched and found him at the top of a dead tree... he stayed there long enough for several photos! Not a great pic, but definitely a proud Kingfisher:

Belted Kingfisher

This is a male, the females have a second, rust-coloured band. This page: All About Birds: Belted Kingfisher has audio of their "Rattle" Calls!

I'm hoping he stays and can attract a female! Would love to get photos of a family of Kingfishers. :)





Yay Books!
sat 24 sept 2016

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2016/20160924.html
Entry #2 on this page (tagged: september)


Sept 25 thru Oct 1 is Banned Books Week here in the US. I love this event... Celebrate reading and books? Heck Yeah!!

book piles

My goal last year was to get one book read from each of the yearly Top 10 Lists. I didn't quite make it, I am missing a book from 2005.

  2001... I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
  2002... Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
  2003... Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
  2004... The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
  2005... foo.
  2006... And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
  2007... The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
  2008... His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
  2009... The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
  2010... The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
  2011... To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
  2012... Beloved, by Toni Morrison
  2013... The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
  2014... The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

I'm also missing a book from the 2015 Top 10 List. There are several ones that look good: I Am Jazz, Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan.

Also it would be nice if I didn't have to make books do double duty. For instance, both 2002 and 2003 are Bridge to Terabithia, and 2010 and 2013 are Absolutely True.

I have not read any more from the Frequently Challenged Classics list, since last year. (Still at 11 of 46.)

I've read 16 books from the Top 100 from 2000 to 2009 and from the 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990 to 1999 I've read 12:

3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
8. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
11. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
16. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
17. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
23. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle
37. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
40. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
43. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
45. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
54. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
81. Carrie, by Stephen King

A new list this year is Frequently Challenged Books with Diverse Content. I've read 9 books on this list, all mentioned above in the various other lists. But I am definitely interested in reading more of these!

peppers





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