22 Comments
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Kelly C. Ballantyne's avatar

What a delightful read, Nathaniel! Your grandparents’ field guide, and the fact it’s notated, is such a treasure. Our grandmother’s have so many similarities, including strong opinions about margarine and cursing! That probably connects a lot of people of their generation and makes me wonder what will be the defining connection of ours. Perhaps being dressed in sailor outfits by our parents, as I also fell pray to that unfortunate trend!

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

Thank you Kelly :)

Gramp left a lot of treasures behind, including his birding archive and record collection. Future generations can really benefit from posterity-minded ancestors

Sailor outfits and DIY haircuts? Mom was a real butcher with a pair of scissors, also featured in that photo lol

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James Freitas's avatar

As the only birder in my family it’s wonderful to read about how birds transcend generations for you.

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

And hopefully will keep doing so! No luck so far with generation four, but I'm working on it.

Thanks for reading James!

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Gary's avatar

Your love for your grandparents is wonderful, and this piece is heartwarming. Following birders like you is also very good for me. Thank you.

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

Thank you, Gary. Comments like these really make it all worthwhile. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

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nettie glickman's avatar

oh where to begin writing about this delightful and engaging story. I am so happy I found you. Let's begin with the birthday cake; a glorious thing certainly worthy of forgiving mom the sailor suit. Breakfast on a camp stove gets four stars and a Julia nod. Then of course there is the mystery you wove here and the delightful bird road runner. Thank you for this smile

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

Thank YOU, Nettie! You've made me smile. I'd give anything for one of Gram's campground breakfasts. Still no idea how she did it. Pure magic

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nettie glickman's avatar

probably lard. my mom used it around the same age era.. or it was just childhood magic afoot and she your wizard. Lucky lucky you

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

Gram had no issues using lard but it was butter most of the time!

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nettie glickman's avatar

ah yes. Julia lived for and by butter. I still laugh thinking of all the shows i watched of her trying me teach me to cook while little ones ran around the kitchen banging pot lids and declaring some form of war... LOL. Nothing like a homemade biscuit with lots of butter and jam on it

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

Amen to that last part. Now I'm craving biscuits!

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Alexandra Hidalgo's avatar

I'm so grateful my children have someone like her as an ancestor!

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

May they inherit her touch in the kitchen and always sensible wrath

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Sofia's avatar

Very touching to read about how close your grandparents were. It's incredible that their life lists ended up differing by just one species after so many years of birding! I hope you can find a journal that uncovers more details!

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

It almost seems impossible, but they really did do everything together. Still, only separated by one bird?!

Sus

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Neil Barker's avatar

Really great essay, Nathaniel. I like how you recreate what happened on the day your grandparents were birding at that sighting of the Blue Grouse.

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

Thanks Neil! Hope I can eventually unearth some more clues about that sighting :)

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JM Schweikert's avatar

Nothing about lasagna : )? I always associated her with that. So does Dad...Lasagna was the first meal he ever had at their house, igniting a love affair that hasn't ended...Oh, how we miss her...

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

The lasagna was indeed legendary! She loved to talk about the cheese pull.

You know what though? It was great, but never my favorite of hers. For me, nothing beat when she browned and slow cooked a big hunk of meat :)

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JM Schweikert's avatar

never had a bad meal at their house...and I really miss her Christmas cookies...I make the butterballs & pecan tarts but they don't taste the same.

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Nathaniel Bowler's avatar

Nothing I make of hers tastes the same. Have gotten close, but never quite the cigar. She just had the touch

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