Midwest Birding Symposium: Some Favorite Shots

Billed as "The world's friendliest birding event," the Midwest Birding Symposium is exactly that. What a gas! So many incredibly nice people all gathered together to watch birds and learn from speakers, to laugh and eat and hang out together in the salubrious winy-rich fall days at beautiful Lakeside.

I have a grab-bag of photos from the event. Most of them have dog in them, because sitting at my booth was the only time I had a camera with me. I thought you'd enjoy seeing them, spontaneous and uncategorized as they are.

Here's my friend Jeff Reiter from Words on Birds makin' petties on Chet Baker. It was Chet's idea to take a running leap and land on the display table when Jeff appeared. After the second such display, with books and papers scattering everywhere, I suggested to The Bacon that he was to stay on the floor or in his super-pimped director's chair. Which he was happy to do. But a Boston does like to make the occasional splash.

We charged extra for Rain Crows tee's and hoodies that had been sat upon by such a famous cybercelebrity.

 

I was thrilled to see Kay and James Novak sporting the color-remarqued name badges I made for them at the 1999 symposium in Lakeside. I remember it well...Phoebe was three, and trundling around under my easel, and Liam was still being baked but rising fast, to be born less than two months later, and I was for some insane and probably hormonal  reason painting everyone's favorite bird on their nametag for $15 a pop. I will say it improved booth traffic; it was like having a hugely pregnant painting monkey at your booth, and what could be better than that?

But it sure made people happy!

You can see in the background that I have a mix of framed paintings and brand-new pieces from The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Birds. The new art is mounted very simply on matboard. I couldn't afford to frame it all, and there wasn't time anyway--I only just got it back from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. But it looked really pretty mixed in with the framed art.

We went to a reception for speakers and vendors on Thursday night at Rock of Ages, a gorgeous hold home in Marblehead. It was breezy and chilly, but everyone loved being out on the lawn

 

because the view looked like this 

 

and we were all together, hugging and laughing and having a little wine and great food, thanks to my sister-in-law Laura Fulton, who knows about such things. There's Publisher Elsa Thompson in front, taking in Bill's every word

as he gives credit where credit is due and welcomes everyone to the Symposium. I was blown away yet again, all weekend, by Bill's grace under fire and ability to attend to a thousand tiny details, put out hundreds of the usual event-related brush fires, then leap up the stairs to the podium and take an audience in the palm of his hand, making them feel appreciated and welcome and thoroughly entertained. He has every right to be comatose for the next week.

I really had the time of my life, hangin' with friends like master birder George Armistead of Field Guides Inc. and master digiscoper Bill Schmoker.

And I watched in amazement as my beautiful friend and bandmate Wendy Eller did everything from wrassle Internet providers to haul ice buckets to sing like a dang nightingale to keep everyone fed, entertained and satisfied.

Liz Gordon of ABA and The Cosmos, and Jan Pierson, also of Field Guides, Inc. So great to see my buds! Oh look! There's a lil' angel on Jan's shoulder!

 

 Back at the booth, Chet Baker was very busy giving sweet dog fixes to anyone who needed them. And there were a whole lot of people needing that special quiet connection with a good dog. John Moore came back several times, and Chet walked over, smiling, then planted himself next to John for a little nonverbal communication, a little communion.

 

Terry probably visited Chet the most. He's been the delighted owner of two Bostons, but that was awhile ago. I could feel him remembering all the love they'd given him, and Chet could, too. It was very sweet, and Chet Baker knew Terry needed some special attention. Plus, that man knew all the right places to scratch. Chet's wearing his special Official MBS Bandanna made by the amazing Jen Sauter.

 

Chet Baker never quite got the hang of riding in a golf cart. If he'd see a fox squirtle, he'd leap out and hit the pavement pretty hard, so you had to keep your arm around him tightly.

 Lakeside is like a giant fox squirtle-filled candy box for Baker. They're big and slow and kinda dumb compared to chipmunks, and oh, he wanted one so bad. But they aren't that dumb.

Shirley Stary was like a beneficent angel, bestowing multiplugs, adaptors, extension cords, beverages and great goodwill upon all the speakers, vendors, organizers and participants. And who was taking care of Shirley?

Chet Baker.

Shirley introduced him to a lot of her staff by saying, "I am not a dog person, and I've never been much for dogs. But this is Chet Baker and I am crazy about him."

We see a Boston in Shirley's future, oh yes, we do. Because that exact thing has happened before to someone who never thought she much wanted a dog in her life, and had to think about it for 13 years.