On Sun, 20 Apr 1997 17:13:26 -0700 (PDT) mickey gibson
<gibson at olympus.net> writes:
>Dear Cathi,
>
>I really liked your letter to Jared, as it pretty well expresses my
>own feelings about birding. You sound like a kindred soul!
>
>I've done quite a bit of travelling, which I love, with birding as an
>excuse, but truly enjoy seeing different countries, talking to people
>with different culture and customs etc. I also DO list. Keep my list
on
>the computer, as well as writing in all my bird guides. When I re-read
a
>list, it is a veritable visit to the place and time when I saw a
particular
>bird.

Hi Mickey-

Glad you liked the letter. Travel is my second love (after birding).
Although I haven't traveled out of the USA yet, I plan to do so. I have
promised myself that I will not bird outside the US until I have at least
500 birds on my Lower 48/USA/ABA Area lists. When I reach that goal (I'm
shooting for this year), the first trip I will make is to Costa Rica, I
think.

I keep lists for each state I visit, life and year lists for Connecticut,
and 2 life lists (ABA and "Anything Goes"). The latter two are in the
computer. The others I keep on those ABA Regional Checklists.

I agree that looking over one's lists brings back memories. I sometimes
re-read my field notes from California, New Mexico and Texas when the
winter snows make birding a chore. It's almost as good as being there in
the sunshine.

The only problem I have with birding trips is that they are always too
short!

Cathi Pelletier,
Waterbury, CT
Heronwing at juno.com