We make lists - of things seen in our lives, in the year (or month), in the garden, county, country etc. It's stressful and obsessive, and it's got to stop.
Here's the solution to our addiction: the I-Spy books are back!
Now instead of carefully recording the first sighting date of every swallow, warbler, cuckoo etc, we can record them in the I-Spy Birds book, and when we've seen every one we can send them off to get a feather and an order of merit from Big Chief I-Spy.
I vaguely remember the excitement of filling in the first bits of an I-Spy book, slowly turning to
despair as the realisation dawned that the last parts will never be completed - no matter how hard I searched the skies of mid-Kent, I was unlikely to be able to tick "Golden Eagle".
When I achieved closure (probably by throwing the damned book away) I psychologically prepared myself for the disappointment of failed twitches.
One wonders how carefully Big Chief I-Spy checked the submitted books - did youngsters get books back marked in red ink "Yellow Wagtail unlikely to be seen in December - probably Grey"? Was Big Chief I-Spy a member of a county records committe?
Here's the solution to our addiction: the I-Spy books are back!
Now instead of carefully recording the first sighting date of every swallow, warbler, cuckoo etc, we can record them in the I-Spy Birds book, and when we've seen every one we can send them off to get a feather and an order of merit from Big Chief I-Spy.
I vaguely remember the excitement of filling in the first bits of an I-Spy book, slowly turning todespair as the realisation dawned that the last parts will never be completed - no matter how hard I searched the skies of mid-Kent, I was unlikely to be able to tick "Golden Eagle".
When I achieved closure (probably by throwing the damned book away) I psychologically prepared myself for the disappointment of failed twitches.
One wonders how carefully Big Chief I-Spy checked the submitted books - did youngsters get books back marked in red ink "Yellow Wagtail unlikely to be seen in December - probably Grey"? Was Big Chief I-Spy a member of a county records committe?
5 comments:
I remember collecting a mammoth 25 points for a Hermit crab in I spy by the seaside!
Still a good idea to get kids off the computer and out in the field.
I nver spend hours on the...er...um...computer :-)
Funny!
The I spy books appeal to me. I would love to share something like that with my grandchildren. Also when first viewing the orchid pictures I thought of a giraffe; something about its appearance I guess. Thank you for the comment on my blog today. Hopefully I can post pictures from the Sackville waterfowl park next week. Ann in NB
Nigel, I'm pleased that you've cherished that score all these years, and have been able to make it public at last!
Warren, if only kids would get out more.
Mary, I'm glad you appreciated it :-)
Ann, I-Spy books seem inherently British, but now very outdated.
Sackville seems a long time ago!
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