Purchased for My Shelf

 Mammals of Colorado by Stan Tekiela

I bought Birds of Colorado for my trip to the Rocky Mountains.  There I spotted all sorts of little (and big) birdies and had such a great time checking them off like a live scavenger hunt that I decided it might be fun to add even more things to the mix.  Stan Tekiela not only does bird guides, but also flowers, trees, fish, and mammals.  Since I found animals to be the most fun to see, while in Estes Park I popped into Macdonald Book Shop and nabbed a copy.  Yeah, I know - I work at B&N and I could have waited until I got back in order to get my discount (I am cheap, after all), I like playing in little bookstores and I like to support them.  Besides, I didn't want to wait until I came home, lest I forget some of the critters I saw.  Some of them need to be looked at right away if you want to get them right the first time anyway.  There's even a checklist in the back of this one just like the birding one, so I started checking off animals right away.  I marked them even if I hadn't seen them on this particular trip, since a Colorado sighting is a Colorado sighting.  Like the 14 bighorn sheep that came down the same hiking path my father and I were heading up one year.  Out of the 130 creatures in the book, I was able to mark off 18.  Not too bad if you ask me - especially when some of them go strolling through your campsite on a regular basis.

So if you ever find yourself in Estes Park and looking for something to read, be sure to pop into Macdonald Book Shop.  It's as cozy as can be and perfect for a little mountain town...hmm...I wonder if they're in need of any extra help for the rest of the year...and the year after that....and the year after that...

Notes from the playlist: "The Man Who Never Lied" by Maroon 5

Purchased for My Shelf

Birds of Colorado by Stan Tekiela

I'm going to Colorado this summer - again.  I try to go there every year because I love it.  I wish I lived there.  In fact, ever since we moved away when I was 6, I've been looking for ways to get back there and live there permanently and happily.  Until then, a yearly trip to go hiking or just kick back and car camp have worked as a replenishing dose to get me back on track for the rest of the year.  Last year after spotting a rather large bird on the ground - not a turkey, not a pheasant, what is it? - and grabbing a copy of this little book at the local book store to take a peek, this year I decided I ought to have my own copy.  (It was a female dusky grouse, by the way)  My mother and I have bought these books for the various places we've lived ever since discovering them.  We had one for Illinois.  Pennsylvania.  Our current copy is for Missouri.  Now I have the Colorado one.  These books are excellent for people who aren't serious birders and just need something as a fun and quick identification system.  They're all by the same author as well, and this man knows his stuff.  The books are small, work by a color coding system (aka - what color is your bird?), and give you the kind of tidbits of information you might be interested in once you realize, "Oh, I just saw a green-tailed towhee.  Cool."  Can't wait to get out there with this!

Notes from the playlist: "Love in a Mystery" by Ludovico Einaudi

Recommended for Bird Watchers

Birds of Missouri by Stan Tekiela

I'd tried to work at B&N in Illinois. I managed to finally do it after we moved to Pennsylvania. I got lucky and continued to work there once we moved to Missouri.

With each and every move, my mother would buy one of these little field guides. All of them are by Stan Tekiela, who must have done some crazy research since he's the mind behind virtually every state. And I do mean every state. I haven't seen Hawaii yet, but if you search for "Birds of [insert your state here] field guide," you're bound to find it. Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, Maine, you name it. Best part is that these books are small, color coded, and filled with all the pertinent information one might want to know about the birds you happen to see in your binoculars. They're easy, really handy, and great for anyone doing casual bird watching.

Notes from the playlist: "Horsey" by Hem