"In his domestic administration my father had this system . . . to keep a journal and insert in it all occurrences of any note . . . A record very pleasant to look at when time begins to efface the memory of events, and very well suited to get us out of perplexity: When was such and such a thing begun? When completed? What retinues came? How long did they stay? Our trips, our absences; marriages; deaths; the receipt of happy or unhappy news . . . An ancient custom, which I think it would be good to revive, each man in each man's home. And I think I am a fool to have neglected it." (Montaigne, Book I, Essay 35 (publ. 1580))

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Hummingbird, stuck

Hummingbirds seem to love the desert. And the hummingbird count in our backyard has definitely gone up since we replaced the pool with trees and plants.

This photo was taken earlier this year - in the morning - I was sitting at the desk in my upstairs office when the hummingbird's beak was caught in the screen. That's where the camera on my phone came in handy (if very low quality).

A slight tap on the window and my friend was sufficiently inspired (or terrorized) to escape.

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