Perhaps one of the less expected side effects of making a cross-country move is suddenly finding yourself in a natural environment that is totally foreign and from which you have not a clue what to expect. I was a California girl for many, many years before this move to Vermont, and during that time I certainly learned to identify redwoods and sugar pine and to know a quail when I saw one. Knowing the natural neighborhood does make a girl feel like a competent citizen, you know?
Enter the big move east. We showed up here mid-summer and could all immediately agree that we loved the beautiful green landscape. We just didn't have any idea what it was made of. Sure, there are obviously maples- it is Vermont after all. But the woods surrounding our neighborhood are absolutely full of trees and birds that are totally unfamiliar to me and the effect that it has had on my sense of place is really remarkable. It's amazing how much we take our knowledge of the environment around us, whether built or natural, for granted. You don't think about it until you realize that you don't know where you are. So, it is with great relief that I approach the new Sibley Guide to Trees. David Allen Sibley's field guide to birds was largely responsible for the transformation of my hippie girl self into an armchair ornithologist back in the day, so I've got a soft spot for the guy.
The "book of trees" (as it is now being called at our house) arrived earlier this week and I think that I will take it just about everywhere with me for the next long while as I continue to become acquainted with my new home. Probably should have bought it before all the leaves fell off the trees though. Not that I ever do anything the easy way...
