Birding

Yesterday, Gary and I went out birding on the western shore of Lake Winnebago in bays at Oshkosh and Neenah.  We found flocks of coots, buffleheads and tundra swans along with the usual mallards and Canada geese.  We wondered why they were still hanging around Wisconsin after Thanksgiving.  We've heard there are still flocks of sandhill cranes west of here, too.  As we watched the swans, they suddenly took off, heading south.  We won't see them again until the end of March.

This got us to thinking about what I will see when I travel to the western states.  Once past the Mississippi, there are many species I've yet to observe.  California condors have been sighted in Utah, for instance. My copy of The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America will be useless.  I'll order a western version before the trip.  My binoculars are always in my car, no extra packing there.

Wyoming

The Wyoming dates quickly fell into place.  I'll be in Circle, Montana on June 27, then in Wyoming June 28 to July 1.  It looks like Colorado will be over the 4th of July weekend, so no performances there, but I will be stopping in to see friends and relatives before heading west to Utah where I have solid bookings through the 9th.

I've now finished the process of sending e-mails to all the libraries on my route.  Now I wait for replies through January.   After that, I set up nursing and assisted living performances, which nicely fit into the blank places on my calendar.  

Putting a tour together is like doing a jigsaw puzzle, trying to fit everything together, but unfortunately, with a tour, there are always extra pieces.   I can't see everything in five weeks. In Utah,  I will be camping in the vicinity of Zion National Park, but with all the performances, an afternoon of hiking is the best I can expect. I do want to take some time to look at the California redwoods.  In his last weeks, my father had one big regret, that he had never seen the redwoods.  I will do this in his memory.

Happy Thanksgiving

Last night we held an ecumenical Thanksgiving service at my church.  I directed, the pianist was from the Catholic Church, and the speakers from each of the other local churches.  My choir was joined by Lutheran and Catholic singers and the result was glorious.  The pie fest after the concert was far too good for my waist line.

A happy Thanksgiving to everyone. May the roads be good, the traffic light and the drivers friendly.   May you all find your way to a meal somewhere with someone you care for.  May we all count our blessings.

Thoughts of food

Thanksgiving tomorrow.   Last night, our dinner;  tomorrow, dessert with friends;  Friday, another meal with friends; and Saturday, dinner with relatives.  Today, I'm making turkey soup and  freezing packages of left over turkey for future meals.  The remaining bits of  turkey will be made into frozen treat packets for Rascal the cat.  

This is way too much turkey!  I am off to the fitness and aquatic centers to wear some of it off. 

The jigsaw puzzle.

The dates of the summer reading tour are slowly falling into place.  I will be in Utah the week following Independence Day, with the weekend set aside for looking at the great national parks and visiting friends. Then I must scurry over the next week.  I have set only one day aside for Nevada, one for California, then a week for Oregon and Washington before getting to Helena, Montana on July 19.   I cannot book more than three performances in a day, so I sent  20 emails to Nevada libraries yesterday.  Today I start the Wyoming and Colorado e-mails for the three possible dates there. 

Fitting everyone in is much like doing a jigsaw puzzle, as I take distances and time into account.  Still, it is coming along.  The route will take me to some of the most beautiful areas of the country.  My 2011 travel journal will fill up rapidly. 

National Novel Writing Month

Only nine more days of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and all I have is 25,000 words.  The goal is 50,000 by the end of the November and it isn't likely I will make the count this year, unless I really push now.  Still, 25,000 words are words I hadn't written at the beginning of the month.

I am working less on a novel than a book of short stories about depressing Christmases.  I love Christmas, every part of it, but I know so many people who hate it.  This book is a collection of stories for them.  It began when I woke one Christmas Day, went out to get the newspaper and looked up and down the block and began to wonder how my neighbors were celebrating.   I went back inside and wrote the first story, about a woman who had to do her son's newspaper route on Christmas Day.  There are now stories about an old soldier, a minister suffering from depression, a boy exploring his sexuality, a little girl whose father tells her about the Rapture, ...well, you get the idea.  

Today, I meet with my critique group for a writing session.  I hope to have at least 2,000 words by the end of the two hours.  

Christmas is coming

The Seymour and Cicero United Methodists are having a joint advent concert in two weeks.  As choir director, I have to rehearse the singers on Sunday mornings before church and hold a longer rehearsal on Monday nights. As the pianist, I have to rehearse with soloists, musicians and the organist whenever we can find time.  As publicist, I write all the publicity, notify nearby churches, and design and put up posters.  As logistics come into it, I must organize ushers and figure out if we want a post-concert reception and if so, who will be manning the punch tables.  Every year I wonder why I am doing all this, then during the concert, I know why when those warm feelings rush over me.  It usually happens during the candlelight sing along when the entire audience joins the choir in the traditional hymns.  I look over at the choir in their blue robes and see tears in many eyes as they remember Christmases past.  It is schmaltz, I know, but we can't help it.  

This is much better than hearing music piped into stores during the Black Friday frenzy.