Give a hoot. I'm not sure which is one of the first wild creature sounds we make, but the owl's hoot is on the list. Read on.
Hootie hoot
Our resident wildlife guy at the Post-Bulletin, John Weiss , has won a few bird call contests and can imitate many wildlife sounds. Here's your chance to match him. This is a page with owl sounds. And they're for various owls in various situations, such as calling a mate or chicks begging. Click the sounders and start practicing your typical call for a Lesser Sooty Owl. Hootie hoot.
Tiny Desk Concerts
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National Public Radio's Tiny Desk Concerts are a delight. It puts talented musicians in a tight situation to play a few of their songs. It always seems to work. Each group or individual adapts to the space and produces some great sounds. One of my more recent favorites was Macklemore and Ryan Lewis of the "Thrift Shop" fame. If you haven't heard their non-radio versions, you might proceed with caution on the language. But not all concerts are like that. Try Miguel's tunes , stripped down to just his voice and guitar. Give them a listen and see if your favorite musician has played this venue. Emily Carlson , our Lady Pastor columnist , put me on to these concerts. It's a good find.
www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/
Blessings for all
I can't recall when I first encountered John O'Donohue's words of blessings , but I've never really set down his books after that. He died on Jan. 4, 2008 , but his family has continued his work to ensure his words and thoughts reach people. The site isn't comprehensive, but gives you a nice flavor of this Irishman's words of wisdom, blessings and inspiration. This one seemed appropriate for our season, "When one flower blooms spring awakens everywhere." I hope you'll seek out his books for more.
Longest word in the dictionary
What is the longest word in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary ? Well, an an editor at the dictionary says it's not "antidisestablishmentarianism." Actually it's "electroencephalographically." She tells you a bit about the words and why. Give her a listen and poke around on the site. You'll expand your vocabulary. And that's a good thing.
