Reading Material & Nature Stories

Surely there is nothing so exciting as my love affair with books. When I was extremely young and impressionable, my dear Mamma shipped me off to Egypt to study history. What I found there was sand, and something magical infusing the air, in addition to camels and horrendous traffic situations.

This writer, Elizabeth Peters, shares my love and describes this land more eloquently than I could ever attempt. I feel like I left part of myself in Egypt, as I am sure I did, and when I read about Amelia Peabody's adventure's I reclaim that lost bit of my being. In addition, she is very funny, and I don't know how anyone could read this book without shrieking with delight.

I've developed the habit of reading with my bunnies. They are most elusive, but if I sit very quietly by their cage and sneak my arm in, they will let me pet them until there is a veritable cloud of bunny hair filling the air. They make the sweetest chomping sound with their teeth when they are happy, and when I hear this sound while petting them, I know I have hit the spot.

Happy nature story: the other morning after a massive rainfall, I went to the park to enjoy the clean air, run and walk around. I came upon a young lady who gazed at something in the grass. I did not mean to be bold, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I went to see what she was looking at. There was a turtle, a water turtle, withering in the sun, about to expire probably. It had wandered out and become confused in the storm.

I tried to pick it up, and as I was examining its pale stomach, it began to kick violently and I dropped it. Fortunately a former Boy Scout came along at this point and offered his services. I shamelessly ran after him because I wanted to make sure the turtle was safely in the water. He dropped him in the pond, and the turtle was off in the blink of an eye. I felt I contributed in some way to its safe return, and it was very fulfilling.

End of Happy Nature Story

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.
~ James Bryant Conant