This is decidedly a non-architectural blog entry. More along the lines of child rearing and parenting. We have been having quite a warm spell in Vermont. Some trees are reacting to the warmth by leafing out which would indicate a measure of trust that I do not share. I remember a few years ago when the skies opened up and dumped heavy wet snow on all the newly leafed out trees causing much damage and looking weird. In any case the birds are returning a bit early including one of my favorites: the Timberdoodle! (American Woodcock to real birders but, of course, timberdoodle is oh so much more fun to say)

So the other night I took my daughter out into a huge field near my house when it was almost dark to listen to the bird do its thing. First it beeps or buzzes on the ground then it flies madly skyward with its wings making an interesting and indescribable sound then it swoops back to earth in a rather death defying (if it weren't a bird) fashion making fun swooping sounds. This, of course kept my daughter way up past her bedtime on a school night but some things are way more important than bedtime. Such as Timberdoodles! I am a birder (among 400 other things) so here are some links: Link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Link to Wikipedia article Link to Timberdoodle.org – the woodcock management plan