my husband, the celebrity

don't get me wrong, having an unemployed husband isn't all cotton candy and rainbows, but it isn't completely awful either. for years, chris has wanted an outlet for his writing, but has had no time to focus on it. a few weeks ago, he received an email from a lady at our local NPR affiliate wanting to record one of his stories to share on-air. one story is exciting, but after she read another, she wanted that one, too! chris went to the radio station this morning to read both of his stories for future air time. i'm so proud of him, and i hope this is the beginning of something amazing for my talented husband! this is a picture he took of a bluebird on our deck, and below is one of the stories (my favorite) he recorded today...

Copyright 2010 Christopher N. Tanner
BIRD TALK

"Whatcha eatin' Mocky Birdie?" I asked in an upbeat voice. Just then I realized I wasn't alone as another customer stepped from behind their car eyeing me nervously. I cast my gaze away from their questioning look and watched the Mockingbird take flight; a cricket lunch held firmly in its beak. I smiled seeing the flashes of white as its wings stroked the air. Because of the pattern of their wing stroke, the white feather bands show a circular effect during flight and I sometimes refer to this as their "propeller wings."

Lately I have been getting caught talking to birds more frequently. I am yet to understand if it is because I do it more frequently or if I am not as carefully aware of my surroundings when speaking to them. While I don't want to get the stigma of being some unbalanced lunatic conversing with myself, a love that my wife and I share for birds has affected us both to the point that we regularly talk to them. Of course there are very few that actually respond, Flojo, our parrot might reply for a taste of peanut butter or a chance to take a bath in the sink, but for the most part these discussions are all one-sided.

My pet names for birds don't help my embarrassment either, like when I was recently caught talking to the "Mocky Birdie" about his lunch menu. At home, telling a Crazy Crowsie that he scared off my Rusty Belly right in the middle of his mealy worm dinner won't matter, but walking down Main Street at lunch while inquiring about Mr. Cardinal's berry feast may cause other pedestrians to take a few extra steps in avoiding me.

My wife Danielle and I are constantly in tune with the birds chirping around us, but when with friends, if we start to spew over a rare bird or a strange avian occurrence it always amazes us that most often no one else has even noticed. If you walk outside and stand for just a few minutes you are bound to see at least one bird. At our house with multiple feeders, tons of birdhouses, woods, meadows, and streams, we are graced with viewing hundreds of specimens per day. Take a moment and look around sometime this week to see what birds you may find all around you. When you notice them once, you won't be able to go anywhere without seeing and hearing them again. Pretty soon, you might even start talking to them too!