Catch-Up: Birthday Gift, Adding to Blogroll

I need another day to get the Lichen post together. I’ll use the “day off” to catch up on a couple of things.

First, my birthday gift. Longtime readers may recall that I have suffered from serious lens envy ever since Rudy Drobnik loaned me his Zeiss binoculars. KanyonKris later forwarded me this review of the (much more affordable) Nikon Monarch binoculars, which describes them as comparable to high-end, top-dollar binoculars at a fraction of the price. I forwarded the review to Awesome Wife, who delivered.

The view through these lenses is amazing. When I look at the hillside 2 miles away behind my house it’s as if someone put it on TV. I can read a book from 20 feet away. The view is crystal clear, smooth and stable. When you look through them for the first time, you immediately think, “Oh, so this is how binoculars are supposed to work…” They’re also ruggedized, sport practical, hassle-free eyecaps, a 25-year warranty, and weigh only 22 oz. They’re really sweet. Thanks Kris for thinking of me and forwarding the review; these babies will see lots of use!

(I also received the book “Naked Economics” which I learned of from Kris’ reading list on his blog, and “A Rocky Mountain Lichen Primer” recommended to me by Sally over at Foothills Fancies. Thanks both!)

Adding to Blogroll

I’ve added 2 new blogs to my blogroll, that have 2 things in common: they’re both really great, and each is based about 40 miles from someplace where I live or lived.

First, I’ve been looking off and on for an informative, well-written Utah-focused birding blog with good background info about the birds covered. I found it with Backyard Birds Utah. Melissa, who lives down in Orem (about 40 miles South of me) has blogged about dozens and dozens of Utah birds, including all sorts of great details about them along the way. What’s cool about her blog is that she started just about a year ago as a novice birder and has really developed into a very knowledgeable birder with an impressive “Life List” (that’s birder-speak.) Though I’ve blogged now and again about birds, one of my goals for this year is to become more bird-savvy, and I look forward to following Melissa’s blog to help me do so.

Second is Romping and Rolling in the Rockies. Longtime readers know that I used to live up at 8,000 feet in the Colorado Front Range, and I still have a soft spot for the pine forests of the Eastern Slope. KB lives at 8,200 feet about 40 miles or so North of where I lived, and she’s an avid mountain biker who blogs about her rides, and the mammals, birds and trees she sees along the way. (Hmm, someone should do a blog like that here in Utah…) She lives in an area with frequent wildlife encounters, and pays close attention to things like tracks, animal signs, and not getting eaten by mountain lions. Obviously I’m partial to biking/nature/biology blogs; if you like my blog I’m certain you’ll enjoys KB’s as well. She’s also a big-time dog person, so if you’re a dog-lover there’s another great reason to check it out.

Next Up: All About Lichens*

*No, really. I’m really going to do it. Tomorrow. And it’s going to be fabulous. You’ll read the post, and you’ll be like, “Wow. I never knew lichens were so cool, and now they’re all I can think about, and it’s all because of that amazing plant-blog-guy’s awesome lichen post. It totally changed my life…”