Nature Literature discussion
Side Reads
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Snowflake Bentley is famous around these parts. The VT Historical Society has an exhibit and there is a great kids' book I have bought for my grandkids. Can't wait to,join in this conversation!
I've finished Chapter 4 now (Tracking a Weasel). It was really interesting to read about the two species of weasel that change colour in the winter (white coat with a black tip on the tail). Although it seems wrong in terms of camouflage to have the black tail tip, studies have shown that the black tip seems to confuse hawks resulting in fewer successful attacks/kills.I've never seen a member of the weasel family, but remember my aunt telling me about witnessing a fisher kill a squirrel in their yard and how brutal and efficient the kill was.
I was also intrigued reading about Bernd Heinrich's father catching and selling fleas to the Rothschild family in London for their "famous flea collection". I knew the famous Rothschild name but had no idea that they collected fleas! I found this webpage: https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premi... about Dame Miriam Rothschild - a fascinating lady who was an entomologist, biologist, botanist, a code breaker in WWII, and a social activist...quite an amazing life! The article mentions that she published 6 volumes cataloging the 500+ species of fleas that her father discovered. He identified the flea that carried bubonic plague, but sadly committed suicide after contracting encephalitis. Her uncle was also a naturalist. Some very interesting side notes about people that I hadn't anticipated discovering while reading this book!
Cool! I love how you do all this follow up reading. Your article about Dame Miriam reminds me of another wonderful book I just read, Unsheltered, by Barbara Kingsolver.Right now I am on a beach in Florida so I've segued over to reading The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson. Wonderful writing!
I will get back to Winter World when I get back to winter in Indiana next week.
I am finally on track with Winter World. I live in Northeastern Vermont so the landscape is very similar. I live just off a beautiful glacier lake, Willoughby Lake, so the topic of ice formation was really interesting. As you can imagine, ice fishing is very important to folks here and Willoughby is a very deep lake that takes much longer to freeze than the other lakes and ponds but is a favorite amount ice fishers. It is frozen now and dotted with shacks. I listen to,the snowmobiles speeding across it early in the morning. We lost some snow but still,have a good cover - with lots of ice underneath thanks to,some warmer days. We are expecting 6-12 inches tomorrow. Reading Heinrich's third chapter has made me anxious to get out in the woods tomorrow to look for tracks and listen for birds. We have six acres, partly wooded. Lots of people here are tired of this winter, which began early and has been cold and snowy. Reading Winter World and hearing your observations has made me ready to savor what is left!
Just finished Chapter 4. We have the weasel family here...Fisher cats, minks and ermines. Pine martens were thought to be extinct in VT but have been seen in a few areas..not by me! A mink crossed the road yesterday when I was driving by a pond, but I,have only seen them a few times. I hear reports of fisher cats when my neighbors warn me to keep my cat in at night. But ermine have played around our woodpiles in late winter looking for the chipmunks or red squirrels, which we have in abundance, that nest there. The first time I saw one I thought it was a fairy sprite dancing so gracefully. Then it ventured closer to the house and I spotted the tiny black tip of its tail. I didn't realize it was part of the winter adaptation until I read this chapter. It also began to frequent the area by our chicken coop,and yard, luckily fenced with all predators in mind! Hard to believe this graceful, almost magical, creature would be capable of such carnage!
It sounds like you're in a beautiful area Pam! The town where I grew up had two very large lakes and ice fishing was one of the main winter activities - the lake was dotted with ice fishing shacks. They also held an annual Winter Fur Carnival when I was young (don't think they'd get away with that name today!) that had dog sled and skidoo races, log sawing contests and other outdoor activities.We're expecting the big storm starting later today, so I hope to spend part of it (when not shoveling!) reading some more of Winter World.
Pam wrote: "I am finally on track with Winter World. I live in Northeastern Vermont so the landscape is very similar. I live just off a beautiful glacier lake, Willoughby Lake, so the topic of ice formation wa..."
I'm at about the same spot you are in the book. I loved your description of the dancing ermine, but not a creature you'd want in or near your chicken coop! My grandfather had a mink ranch in northern Ontario in the 1930's..not sure for how long. Your mention of the mink crossing the road reminded me of that, and I just spent some time reading a website about fur farming history in Ontario - my grandfather was listed as one of the ranchers there. Some very interesting history about a long gone era - thank you for initiating that search!
Pam wrote: "Just finished Chapter 4. We have the weasel family here...Fisher cats, minks and ermines. Pine martens were thought to be extinct in VT but have been seen in a few areas..not by me! A mink crossed ..."
I'm at the end of Chapter 7 now. Some really interesting facts about birds building nests (or not building them)...that some birds build nests for a one-time use only, and others don't build them at all, as the energy required to build them is better spent foraging for food. I also hadn't really thought about the fact that many birds would need to have the ability/knowledge to build a different type of nest in the winter - one that wouldn't fill with snow as a cup shaped hatching nest would. It was also interesting to read that woodpeckers often build nests/shelter spots while the weather (and food) is plentiful, to be used during winter - great planning!It was pretty amazing to read about animals going into torpidity, and that the arctic ground squirrel cools down to approx. -2 Celsius without having ice crystals form in their blood and without any sign of an "antifreeze" component present. Fascinating too, to read that they expend the energy warming up to about 37 Celsius periodically throughout winter in order to go into REM sleep and possibly to provide more oxygen to the brain. Very interesting to note that the study of hibernation could likely be used to benefit human sleep disorders or those who have had a stroke.
On to Chapter 8 - The Kinglet's Feathers!
I think Bernd Heinrich is a great choice for reading. I have Winter Survival and A Year in The Maine Woods. I actually read his Maine book, but need to reread before reviewing it. I have read parts of Winter Survival, but not the entire book. Funny, every time I see picture of Bernd, I think of Liam Neeson. ;)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
I just got my copy of Horizon, the latest book from Barry Lopez, winner of the National Book Award for Arctic Dreams, which we read. The Sun magazine recently ran an interview with him. https://thesunmagazine.org/issues/528...His cancer is advancing. Here is a link to the book.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
I just got my copy of Sparrow Envy by J. Drew Lanahm in the mail from the Hub City Writer's Project. Dr. Lanham is the author of The Home Place, which was on of our Book of the Month selections. Sparrow Envy is a chpabook of lovely, evocative poems. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
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This book has been well reviewed in several national newspapers and also Catherine Raven , the author, was featured in a live interview on Literary Hub.
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/08/101330...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/06/bo...
In brief the book is about a female biologist who is a sort of hermit who lives alone in Montana where a fox comes into her life and she develops an interesting relationship with this animal. I'm really interested in exploring themes of what type of relationship should we have--can we have with wild animals.
Please let me know by Sept 1st, if you plan on participating in this read and discussion. I have already bought the new book.
Here is the Literary Hub interview that fascinated me and made me decide I MUST read this book.
https://lithub.com/catherine-raven-wh...
I’m waiting for this book from my library system. If I get it in time, I’ll read it with you
Same here, waiting for library book but it’s not likely to come my turn until mid to late October.
Sher, I purchased this book on Kindle and will join you for the Side Read.
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Iris and Julie-- if you can join us-- please do. Thanks for expressing your interest.
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Lin and I would love you to join us. Interested in the history of women and hiking?
And an article about the new book:
https://lithub.com/following-the-path...
Sher wrote: "We will be reading Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women. October 1 - Nov 1, 2021.Lin and I would love you to join us. Interested in the history of women and hiking? ..."
I've put a hold on it in the library. I hope to join.
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Lin and I would love you to join us. Interested in the history of women..."
Tamara - did the book arrive?
Not yet, Sher. I'm #4 on 3 copies. Hopefully, it will be here soon.Thanks.
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The above review has Robert Macfarlane's thoughts about this book and also sections of Shepherd's prose.
I need at least one person to commit to this read in December for this Side Read to be a go! Thanks for considering the book.
Sher wrote: "A Side Read is a buddy read. Please post the book you would like to read and mention dates. Please post a link for the book.You can ask to read a book that has already been a group read of the mo..."
Sher,
I’m not sure I’m in the appropriate discussion site here, but If you see this, I am interested in the Nan Shepherd side read in December. I’m about 2/3 of the way through a book The Cairngorms, A Secret History by Patrick Baker. Nan has been mentioned several times. Some of the issues we covered in Windswept pop up here, but with male hikers—panic, early history of walking for pleasure, the difficulty of ordinary people getting to their preferred walking places,
etc. From our earlier brief introduction to the Cairngorms I was not made well aware enough of the great immensity and sheer adversity of the place. Baker’s book is enlightening in that way.
Pam La
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You can ask to read a book that has already been a group r..."
Hi Pam:
Great. I will put you on the list. I hope you can share links about this are in Scotland when we read Shepherd's book. Scotland is on my bucket list.... I hope to see many images and learn about it in December,ber. Thanks for joining.
Sher wrote: "I'm interested in reading Nan Shepherd's short 110 page book called The Living Mountain. in December https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2......"
I want to side read *The Living Mountain*
The last vacation we had pre-Covid was in England and Scotland. I went back to London for the first time in 20 years to visit family and then caught the train to Edinburgh. I loved Edinburgh. We also got to tour the highlands which were breathtaking. I would love to join you on this read, but I will have to take a pass because I have too much going on. I intend to follow the discussion and check out the links. I hope it's a great read for you.
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Sher wrote: "I'm interested in reading Nan Shepherd's short 110 page book called The Living Mountain. in December https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2......"
Yes, count me in, too!
I am reading, for the second time, Draft # 4 by John McPhee. Although it is about the writing process, he discusses the genesis of some of his nature works, including The Pine Barrens, and Encounters with the Arch Druid. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
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Hi Ray- Nice to hear from you -- I noticed you have been absent for a while. I hope you are writing! I read Mcphee's book last year and enjoyed it very much.
I am writing extensively.Hellbender press, an online environmental publication has carried several of my articles this year. See rayzimmermanauthor.com for links.
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Sher wrote: "Thanks Ray-- this is great to hear. I'll take a look. I'm immersed in poetry and poetry writing these days."Sher, since you're interested in poetry, I'd like to recommend a very powerful book of poems, The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems by Threa Almontaser.
Almontaser thrusts the reader into a whirlwind with diction that is bold, exuberant, vibrant, and sizzling with electricity.
From my review: "If you enjoy the poetry of Walt Whitman, you will love the way Almontaser sounds her “barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.”
I read it recently and it blew me away.
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I'm so glad you read it and enjoyed it.
Tamara wrote: "Sher wrote: "Thanks Ray-- this is great to hear. I'll take a look. I'm immersed in poetry and poetry writing these days."Sher, since you're interested in poetry, I'd like to recommend a very powe..."
Most of what I am writing these days is freelance journalism, which is where I started, years ago.
Tamara wrote: "Sher wrote: "Thanks Ray-- this is great to hear. I'll take a look. I'm immersed in poetry and poetry writing these days."Sher, since you're interested in poetry, I'd like to recommend a very powe..."
Sher wrote: "Thanks Ray-- this is great to hear. I'll take a look. I'm immersed in poetry and poetry writing these days."
I will check out this work.
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I'll be putting the 2021 Side Reads Threads into a Archived Side Reads folder located bottom of our webpage in case you want to revisit or post. If you post in an archived folder - that post will be seen by everyone who was in the discussion even though the read is archived.
I expect we will have some stimulating Side Reads together in 2022!
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Now Comes Good Sailing: Writers Reflect on Henry David Thoreau
Seems timely! Anyone interested in joining me? Available on Audible too. I will be listening.
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Sher wrote: "Within this next week - I plan to create a thread for the books we decided might be good follow ups as possible side reads from the Writing Wild book we finished in February. Stay tuned."Can’t wait! There were heaps of gooduns that I’ve written for my TBR pile!
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If you are interested in doing a deep dive and a detailed discussion-- please let me know-- thanks, Sher
Nature Literature
Books mentioned in this topic
What a Bee Knows: Exploring the Thoughts, Memories, and Personalities of Bees (other topics)Now Comes Good Sailing: Writers Reflect on Henry David Thoreau (other topics)
The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems (other topics)
The Living Mountain (other topics)
The Living Mountain (other topics)
More...
You're off to a good start. I just got the two chapters or so done yesterday. I really liked the flow and discussion about temperature, water, snow and ice - there were some really interesting facts in that section.
He mentions Wilson Bentley (the Snowflake Man) and the book with his photographs of snow crystals. I was really interested in learning more about him and found this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptLmA... . It was an amazing accomplishment for him to develop the means to photograph the snow crystals, and I'm sure it wasn't easy to do this work with the environment (equipment, and the pressure to work on the farm) he lived in.