Interests

Wordless and fascinated, I shared the porch with these frenetic birds for well over an hour, watching bare-eyed as they performed their dance of life before me. It was like being on the set of my own personal Discovery channel program. I would have watched all day. And I would surely have liked to ask them who was going to claim that scraggly, barely usable nest. more »

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) offers the public a comprehensive program of genealogical workshops and courses in its facilities nationwide. Topics include an introduction to genealogy and research into records such as census schedules, military service and pension records, and passenger lists. more »

A birding walk on the Filoli estate in Woodside, California a few years ago and inspiration from an unknown warbler some weeks ago in our backyard, led us to list a new site which, regardless of your attachment to birding, might of be of interest to all who hear a song and wonder about the singer. Meeting the members of the site could perhaps be the most interesting aspect of all at Xeno-Canto. more »

Sewing is an avocation that gives a surprising amount of sensate pleasure. The aroma of a fabric store or department, a combination of sizing and fibers, is like the scent of spring — it makes a stitcher happy, gives her energy, and opens her wallet. more »