Watching the birds around our home or on walks through the neighborhood has fascinated me since I was a child.  My mom, as a parent who called her children’s attention to the birds around the yard of our farmhouse and the meadows where the cows grazed, encouraged my interest in watching these feathered friends.
I’ve tried to pass this interest along to my daughter and grandchildren. I’ve sketched and painted birds, researched them, written poems and stories about them, and watched them build nests around our yard.  For the past couple of years, my grandchildren have enjoyed watching a pair of nuthatches …read more

When I saw my photo of the chickadee at the feeder included in my travel article at American Roads, “Discovering the Wonders of a Winter Woodland” my thoughts turned to memories of my mom during and before her Alzheimer’s years.  Mother always enjoyed watching the birds in any season and called our attention to them as children.
When she lived with Jim and me for awhile during her Alzheimer’s years, she found the birds outside our patio door fascinating.  
Mother even sang a song about birds that her grandmother taught her when she watched the birds at our home.  She still recognized …read more