A guide for Minnesota arboreal enthusiasts

Here's what I've been reading lately:

When I heard Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota was being published late last year, I knew it would be a must-have. So often I have come across an unfamiliar looking shrub in the understory here at Sand Creek, but the tree guides I had were national in scope and gave very limited descriptions and few illustrations.

I balked at the $59.95 suggested retail price, but I bought it when I heard about a limited time promotional price of $42 from the Minnesota Bookstore. Later I found out I would have saved close to $10 buying it on Amazon; I had forgotten to factor in state sales tax and shipping. Oh well. It's in my hands now, and you can't pry it away from me!

This book is fabulous. Every species has a full page of detailed color photos, accompanied by exquisite line drawings that capture the form of the tree. The descriptions are detailed but written so one does not need a degree in botany to decipher them. And included for every species is a brief natural history which describes its habitat, ecological niche, and conservation status. There are county-by-county maps, which are good for quickly determining whether a species is likely to occur in a given location, ruling out some possible identifications.

I hope to get out in my woods this spring and summer and document as many plant species as I can. The one drawback to this book is that it is not portable enough to carry in the field; however if it were any smaller it could not contain the wealth of information it does. I will have to take digital photos, make sketches in a field notebook, or collect structures, all of which are good exercises in paying attention to detail.

Just found a great book at the library!

And it's so ironic that the first thing I want to do is hop on the Internet and talk about it...(rolling eyes) It is The Plain Reader, edited by Scott Savage. The subtitle reads "Essays on Making a Simple Life". It contains essays by a number of authors, including some of my favorites such as Gene Logsdon, Wendell Berry, and John Taylor Gatto, on various themes: Making a Life, Choosing Health, Working, Unplugging the Media, Reclaiming Distance and Place, and Seeking Knowledge and Wisdom. Thus far I have only read the introduction, and two of the essays on Working, and I feel that many of the words are describing the direction to which my life is drawn.

What is amazing is that I did not go searching for this book. I went to the library to pick up another book I had on interlibrary loan, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, and to browse the religion/spirituality section hoping for some enlightenment. I came back with four volumes' worth of enlightenment, and Mahler's Fifth Symphony on CD.

What I've been reading

Maybe this should read: "What has been sitting on my nightstand or in my backpack while I try desperately to sneak in a page or two here and there". Reading, and having young kids, a job, and a marriage that needs attention, are not very compatible.

A Reasonable Life, Ferenc Mate. To tell the truth, I almost decided to put it down halfway through the preface. Too depressing, and too close to my own bleak observations of society today. But I persevered, and am getting more certain that I am on the way to living "a simpler, secure, more humane existence". Now if only society would take note.

Tales of Burning Love, Louise Erdrich. This is the only Erdrich novel that I had not read yet, and I'm about halfway through. So far I'm not disappointed, although intrigued and perplexed at times. What I really need is a complete guide to the characters in her novels; they are all interconnected and when a new character is introduced there is usually a connection to someone from another novel, although who or what I just can't remember.

Gardening for All Seasons, The New Alchemy Institute. Although somewhat dated, this is one of the few books I have seen that explores the possibilities of extended season gardening (Yes, I've read Eliot Coleman) and small scale aquaculture.

Where would I be without my local library?